The Importance of the Findlay City Schools and Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Levies

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Chamber Amplified from the Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, host Doug Jenkins tackles the topic of upcoming levies in Findlay and Hancock County, with a special spotlight on the Findlay City Schools levy and the Findlay Hancock County Public Library Renewal levy. The conversation delves into the significant impacts these levies can have on workforce development, community growth, and educational standards.

The podcast begins with Matt Hull of UIS Insurance & Investments and Natalie Beall of Dietsch Brothers discussing the community and business implications of the Findlay City Schools levy. They highlight the importance of supporting educational funding to ensure the city continues producing a strong, educated workforce that attracts new residents and supports local businesses. Hull emphasizes the role that education and quality school systems play in economic development, while Beall lends insight into how educational resources affect small businesses directly through the availability and readiness of young workers.

Findlay City Schools Superintendent Dr. Andy Hatton later joins the conversation to provide an in-depth understanding of the levy’s details and its necessity after failing to pass in the previous election. He clarifies the differences in earned income taxes, the challenges posed by current school funding models in Ohio, and the essential benefits of maintaining high educational standards in Findlay.

The episode concludes with Sarah Clevidence explaining the impact of the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library Renewal levy, focusing on its essential role in community literacy and providing comprehensive learning resources.

Key Takeaways:

• The Findlay City Schools levy and Library Renewal levy are critical issues impacting future workforce development and community growth in Findlay, Hancock County.
• A strong educational system is pivotal for attracting new residents and businesses, creating a robust economic environment.
• Business leaders and community representatives emphasize the levies as critical investments rather than expenses, for maintaining district excellence and community stability.
• The Findlay City Schools is respected for high educational standards, contributing significantly to student success and community reputation.
• Public library services are fundamental in promoting lifelong learning and literacy, with the library levy renewal crucial for sustaining these initiatives.

Resources:

• Findlay Schools City Schools Levy Website
• Findlay Hancock County Public Library

Music and sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

Transcript

0:00:02 - (Doug Jenkins): Hello and welcome to the show. I'm Doug Jenkins from the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. On each episode of Chamber Amplified, we're examining issues impacting the local business community. Whether it's employee recruitment and retention. It could be workforce development, which is what we're kind of talking about today. But we also talk about things like marketing, IT issues. It's really anything that can be impacting your business.

0:00:23 - (Doug Jenkins): Our goal is to give our members tips each week on at least one way they can improve operations and thrive in the current business environment. Or give them a heads up on what's happening with current events and how it's impacting them. So here's what we're talking about today. Findlay Hancock county alliance has endorsed two levies in the upcoming May election. One being the Findlay City Schools 1% on earned income. And also the Findlay Hancock County Public Library Renewal levy. Well, those were endorsed because the board believes that a strong education is beyond critical for workforce development and for quality of living. Those things really go hand in hand. If you have a high quality of living, people want to live in your community, people live in your community. Well, that brings workforce along with it. We're gonna get into all of that with our guests today.

0:01:08 - (Doug Jenkins): And we have several guests. In fact, I think it's the most guests we've ever had on a single edition of Chamber Amplified. Really excited about this episode we're going to be talking about. We're going to be talking to representatives from the area business community. Also, Findlay City School Superintendent Dr. Andy Hatton joins us and we'll hear from Findlay Hancock County Public Library Director Sarah Klevitanz. It is a jam packed podcast. I'm really excited to hear from everybody. I think there's a lot of information that you will find valuable in this before you head to the polls.

0:01:36 - (Doug Jenkins): Thanks again for tuning in. Remember, if you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, you can rate and review the show. It really does help spread the word. Now let's get into it and welcome me into the podcast as we talk about the upcoming Findlay City School levy. Natalie Beal from Dietsch Brothers Ice Cream as well as Matt Hull from UIS Insurance and Investment. Thank you both for joining us today.

0:01:58 - (Matt Hull): Thank you, Doug.

0:02:00 - (Doug Jenkins): This is, I don't want to say it's a unique effort, but it is a very well put together effort between the whole Findlay community when we talk about the Findlay City Schools levy. And one thing that we've noticed here at the alliance is there is a lot of business support for the Levy coming up here in May. So we want to dig into that. And we'll talk to Dr. Hatton a little bit later in this podcast about everything that the Levy support.

0:02:25 - (Doug Jenkins): But I appreciate you both coming on to talk a little bit about why this is so important for area businesses. So we'll just start off with the obvious question, which is that, Natalie, why is this so important for area businesses?

0:02:37 - (Natalie Beall): I think many small business owners in the area realize that this impacts not just the kids in the community, but them as well. And we have thankfully had an incredible amount of support from the businesses we've reached out to. We started about a week ago contacting over a hundred businesses and over 60 of them said, yes, we would like to have a sign to put in our window to help support this. And even business owners like Evie at the baking company, who is a Liberty Benton grad, took a sign. And Kelsey Highkamp, who owns Berwick & Co. And lives in Van Buren, her kids go to Van Buren. She signed on right away for one. And they all realized that this impacts their business as well as the kids in the community.

0:03:26 - (Doug Jenkins): Most definitely. And Matt, this seems to be something that when you look at the people who are supporting the issue, it doesn't seem like it's a conservative versus liberal issue. This is a community issue and that's a lot of the reasons why businesses have joined in. Businesses generally aren't looking for more taxes, but in this case, this is an investment in the community.

0:03:46 - (Matt Hull): Yeah, thanks, Doug. I've been telling folks that it is an economic development issue. First of all, with workforce development, the schools, they produce well educated graduates that are likely to stay in the community and be part of the workforce. It directly benefits businesses by creating a talent pool that meets their needs. Also, it attracts folks willing to move to Findlay. When people, when they consider relocating for work, one of the top factors they evaluate is the quality of the schools.

0:04:23 - (Matt Hull): And a strong system draws new residents. It increases property values and really fosters the economy. Like you said, it is an investment in Findlay's future. Supporting schools, you're helping the students, obviously, but you're also creating a foundation for school strong economic growth and workforce readiness.

0:05:25 - (Doug Jenkins): And Natalie, I think that to Matt's point, not only is it something that people look at if they're looking to move their family here, but it's also something that businesses look at if they're either looking to locate here or do an expansion here. They want to know that resources here to attract the the families that will be needed to work at these locations.

0:05:46 - (Natalie Beall): Yeah, this is, you know, the impact if. If somebody's coming in with one of the, you know, whether it's a large business looking to relocate or maybe a small business, it's like we want them to choose Findlay. You know, if. If they attract talent to work at their company, that. Whether it's marathon or something else, you know, those residents might choose one of the neighboring towns versus Findlay. And when it comes time for, you know, we want to go out to dinner or we're looking to find out where we're going to go get our haircut or something like that, they might choose a business in their community versus coming into Findlay for those little needs that they may have.

0:06:26 - (Natalie Beall): So there's all sorts of impacts for this.

0:06:29 - (Doug Jenkins): Yeah, it certainly trickles all the way down.

0:06:31 - (D): Mm.

0:06:32 - (Natalie Beall): It certainly does.

0:06:34 - (Doug Jenkins): One thing that I've always thought interesting about Findlay and Hancock county is we are blessed with strong public school systems. And I don't know if people realize just how strong the Findlay city school system is compared to a lot of city schools around the state. I don't know if either one of you want to tackle that, but that always seems to stand out to me, that they're doing some very good work there.

0:06:57 - (Matt Hull): Yeah, I can jump in there, Natalie. Yeah, I guess top. Top to bottom. And that's one of the things that's at risk, is we have exceptional classes at the high level, at the low level, and you can really find your niche of what you want to get into so that you are. Are two steps ahead coming out of Findlay than somebody going to another school. You know, we've. We've had multiple kids with perfect ACT scores and go gone on to do amazing things.

0:07:34 - (Matt Hull): If this fails, we're at risk of losing those advanced classes that could really hurt Findlay going forward.

0:07:46 - (Natalie Beall): There's so many more offerings at Findlay than some of the other schools. You know, we have Millstream here, which buses in kids from Clyde and all sorts of neighboring communities. And that sets such a strong foundation for those kids that are ready to go into the workforce or some that want to go off on the college path. And, you know, I'm a grad. Our kids are at the high school right now. We're deeply ingrained in this because we've lived and breathed it firsthand our whole entire life, and we want to make sure that those that come after us have the same number of opportunities that we've had all these years.

0:08:27 - (Doug Jenkins): For those who might be on the fence about the issue or maybe they just, they're just starting to do their homework. How would you invite them to learn more? Obviously, there's the website, voteforfinlayschools.com but I really feel like those conversations that people who are supporting the levy or are having with people in the community probably go even beyond what any sort of sign campaign or anything like that. How do you start having that conversation with people?

0:08:54 - (Natalie Beall): Hopefully they're seeing enough different app things in the community, whether it's somebody who's wearing a button in the grocery store or just somebody in your workplace that you've kind of started this dialogue with there. You can find it through our website. The schools listed the facts. The town hall, you can look at through YouTube, all of the board meetings and everything that Dr. Hatton has put out there to show as many facts and answer as many questions in a large environment like town hall or going to the Baker's Cafe and meeting him for coffee. I mean, there are so many more avenues for people to have to get the information that they are looking for or want answered.

0:09:43 - (Doug Jenkins): And Matt, it seems like if even beyond that, and people who are pretty vocal about their support about the levy, just going and talk, going to an area of business and asking them, what does this mean to you? I feel like if you, if you want to get it straight from the horse's mouth, that's a great way to do it. Is see how, see if they're concerned about the way this is going to impact their business.

0:10:07 - (Matt Hull): No, that's, that's absolutely it. And I've been more vocal. There's so been so many more people that, that are out there talking about this. And, and you know, people ask me, why did this fail in November? I do think it was a lack of, of awareness, lack of understanding of what it actually was. And, and the cuts that were going to be made. You know, you don't want to be negative about it, but there were some pretty significant cuts that had to be made after it, it failed in November. And, and I think keeping your head in the sand is not an option right now, like, like Natalie said, Andy, Dr. Hatton is an open book if you want to learn about this.

0:10:52 - (Matt Hull): There are so many ways and he's willing to do it one on one if that's the, if that's the way that you want to learn about this. Levy.

0:10:59 - (Doug Jenkins): Yeah, we'll talk to Dr. Hatton here in just a little bit on the podcast. And I look forward to asking him those questions. And a lot of the questions and I I found that to be the case as well as anytime you have a question for him, he's been more than willing to answer our questions here at the Alliance. Certainly he came in, presented about that to the alliance board to talk a little bit more about that and, and we found it to be definitely a cause that we want to support for.

0:11:24 - (Doug Jenkins): Just as we wrap things up here on this portion of the podcast, you both have spelled out what this means to you personally. You've spelled out what it means for the kids going forward and into the business community. What are the areas that you think people miss when they think about what this levy means to the community as a whole. And that sometimes, you know, there's just so much information. What are the things that, that really highlight and drive it home for you?

0:11:54 - (Doug Jenkins): That's my hard question of the day.

0:11:56 - (Natalie Beall): I know.

0:12:01 - (Matt Hull): I'll jump in, Doug. You know, whether it's misinformation or folks just saying that the district mismanaged their funds just drives me nuts. They hadn't had new money in 20 years. It is important. We have to support our schools and it just has ripple effects throughout the community. Like I said, at the end of the day, it all comes down to economic development. We have to support our local schools.

0:12:36 - (Natalie Beall): And you know, this will impact even the kids that work for us here at our shop. I mean, without having busing opportunities at the high school next year, some of those kids usually would start their shifts after work. And now we have to kind of pivot in a different direction and maybe reschedule our kids a little bit differently because they may not be able to get here like they used to because they have to wait for a parent after work to come pick them up or walk home, whatever the case may be, and they can't make it to work on time. And so even just little things like that that people may not think about, that impacts small business owners.

0:13:15 - (Doug Jenkins): Yeah, and that's a good point. And I was going to wrap up with that last question, but I never have a last question. I only have random thoughts that pop into my head that continue the conversation. But someone may listen to that and they say, okay, that impacts your business, but let's flip, flip it around. We hear all the time from people like kids don't know how to work. But we see several area Findlay City School students with those after school jobs. Whether it's at a deets's or whether it's at a restaurant or where have you, maybe it's trends on Main street, what have you. There's several area kids who work in the community and they learn those that work ethic. And if the, if those local businesses are impacted, so are there opportunities to just even learn that work ethic?

0:14:00 - (Natalie Beall): Yeah, the young people are definitely the heart and soul for a lot of kids. This is their first job and we want to continue to employ as many as we have. But obviously that's based on the need and demand that we have and the foot traffic that we have in the store. And, you know, you don't want to see a ripple effect of losing business because people have moved, you know, out of the town and gone to live in BG or something. If they're going to be working, you know, out in the whirlpool area, for instance, they could, they could move to Bowling Green and choose that community instead of ours. And so you just, you never know where it's going to go. You never think it's going to go there. But, you know, this is such a critical vote coming up that we may start to see that. I don't think people thought the cuts were going to happen, and now they're happening. And now I think it's a little more evident that things you never thought would happen in Findlay might happen if this doesn't pass.

0:15:00 - (Doug Jenkins): Well, Natalie and Matt, I appreciate your time on the podcast today. Thank you for taking time out and best of luck as we get closer to election day.

0:15:10 - (Matt Hull): Thank you.

0:15:11 - (Natalie Beall): Thanks for your time.

0:15:13 - (Doug Jenkins): Joined now on the podcast by the superintendent of the Findlay city School District, Dr. Andy Hatton. Andy, thanks for joining us here.

0:15:20 - (Andy Hatton): Hey, thanks for having me.

0:15:22 - (Doug Jenkins): Absolutely. The alliance voting to support the levy, and I think let's start there. We just talked to a couple of local business people and what it would mean for them and other businesses in the community. But you've been talking to area businesses, you've been talking to groups like ours and the Chamber and the alliance and going around to service organizations and everything. Certainly, you know, the ins and outs of the levy. But when people come to ask you questions, what are some of the bigger questions you're getting when you're out there?

0:15:49 - (Andy Hatton): Well, first of all, I do want to say again, thank you for having me on. And I really want to thank the chamber for all the support here because, you know, I do think that a public school system is the backbone of any community. And when we think about, you know, economic stability and we think about just overall quality of life, you know, that's where I think this, this partnership between, you know, the city and economic development and the schools is so important.

0:16:13 - (Andy Hatton): You know, some of the things that I hear out there are, you know, how did we. You know, how does school funding work? You know, just those kind of big buckets. And what does this operating money go to? Like, what do you spend the money on? And, you know, another one, and I just got it today. How is this different than, you know, say, the city's municipal 1% income tax? You know, because that's very different than an earned income tax for a school district.

0:16:40 - (Andy Hatton): So another one I get though is, you know, why an income tax and why not a property tax? You know, so those are some of the main ones that kind of come up over and over again.

0:16:50 - (Doug Jenkins): Let's start with the earned income tax, because that's a little bit different. Like you said, it's different than how the city collects its taxes. This means something different than that. So let's speak to the specifics there.

0:17:00 - (Andy Hatton): Yeah, so the. The. One of the ways that public schools are funded is through property taxes. And we do collect property millage here in Findlay city schools.

0:17:12 - (Doug Jenkins): We.

0:17:12 - (Andy Hatton): We collect just over 23 effective mills. However, we've not had new millage, new operating dollars approved since 2004. So it's been over 20 years. And then again, as you know, we were unsuccessful on the ballot back in November of 2024. So the board of education over a year ago, took a look at different options and how can we go about this in the most equitable way to stabilize our budget? And when they looked at this earned income tax option for schools, they noticed that it does not tax or impact those on fixed incomes.

0:17:47 - (Andy Hatton): And nearly 30% of the residents that live within the city school district, which, by the way, are the only people that would be impacted by this are on fixed incomes. So the other thing they noticed that a 1% earned income tax for the schools would generate about $13 million, which over time starts to match that. That anticipated deficit that we're headed towards. Yeah. You know, and like, that's another really solid point that I want to make, is that someone lives outside the city and comes in to the city to work, they would not pay for a vote on this tax.

0:18:22 - (Andy Hatton): And that's how the city tax is different. The municipal tax there generates just over $30 million a year, whereas this tax would only generate about 13 million a year.

0:18:33 - (Doug Jenkins): All makes sense there. And I think you bring up an interesting point. Just it's been, what, since 2004, since new millage was approved? And I'm thinking to myself, if I were trying to do things based on What I was making in 2004 at a very small radio station, my life would be a lot different right now. But as individuals, as people, we have the ability to one, we can change jobs, things like that. But also there's cost of living if you don't change jobs, things like that, that typically happen, that doesn't work the same when it comes to school funding. And it's also worth putting out there that it's not like you decide how schools can be funded. This is the way it's set up through the state.

0:19:14 - (Doug Jenkins): You gotta have to play the rule by the rules that are set up in front of you.

0:19:19 - (Andy Hatton): You know, that's right. And one another reason that the board of Education really looked at that earned income tax was because they wanted to diversify their revenue streams so that we're not so overly reliant just on property tax, which, by the way, that part of the system was found unconstitutional three times back in the 90s. So in recent years, a bipartisan effort at the General assembly was put into place called the Fair School funding formula.

0:19:47 - (Andy Hatton): And this current school year, we are in year four of that Fair School Funding implementation. It's very difficult to equitably fund the over 600 school districts in the state of Ohio. It's. It's very big challenge. You know, we're. We're different than, you know, say, Arcadia or Arlington. And we're all different than, say, Athens or schools down on the river or Cincinnati or Columbus. We're all different.

0:20:11 - (Andy Hatton): And so the General assembly has been trying, trying to really get that right now. That brings up another variable for us, though, right now is that we are going into this new biennium budget, which will be approved on June 30 this summer. Unfortunately, right now we might be looking at even further cuts from the state. They are looking at freezing or adjusting that fair School funding formula right now, which again, unfortunately puts that burden back on the local school district and the local community to make that decision for itself.

0:20:46 - (Doug Jenkins): So all the more important to be educated on this issue and see what can be coming down the road. In the first segment, we talked a little bit about that. We're very blessed with the strong city school district here. And I don't realize. I don't know if people realize the difference between Findlay city schools and other city schools in the state. And it's not to put you over them or things like that, but the results are there.

0:21:12 - (Doug Jenkins): And you can see that in the school report cards, things like that. I know you can go online and look Listen to people. The kids don't know how to read or write when they come out. Well, that's not true. That's objectively not true. Let's talk a little bit about the results that we're seeing and the results that we need to keep seeing through the city school district.

0:21:28 - (Andy Hatton): Yeah, 100%. One of the things that we are really. And I like how you sort of set the table there. I do believe that we're all on the same team in public education. You know, over 90% of students in the state of Ohio attend public schools. And while we might be in competition, you know, on the performing arts stage or on the football field or basketball court, I really believe that we're here to serve kids in public education. But Findlay City Schools has a proud history and tradition of offering so many opportunities.

0:21:55 - (Andy Hatton): And I do have a little cheat sheet here, but like over 30, over 34 high school athletic programs, you know, 69 high school athletic teams, you know, when. And then when you look at the over 38 middle school athletic programs and teams and then when you look at concert band drumline, which by the way, our drumline just won the state competition yesterday.

0:22:16 - (Doug Jenkins): Oh, wow.

0:22:17 - (Andy Hatton): It's a. Yeah, we are two time defending state champs in drum line. Findlay first edition was just at nationals and picked up, you know, best costumes and then inched up closer to that first place finishes, which is what they're looking for. And I believe we've gone from third runner up to second runner up this year. And at the national competition we just offer things that other schools in our area just simply don't.

0:22:40 - (Andy Hatton): And honestly that that holds across the state from, you know, lacrosse to hockey to just these amazing opportunities and then the curricular opportunities that we want to continue to engage in, obviously with college credit plus to, to our robotics, all of these amazing opportunities we want to continue to foster in our public schools.

0:23:00 - (Doug Jenkins): Speaking about the extracurriculars and even the curricular activities, it's one thing, you know, if you want to critique things, you say, well, those are extracurriculars, you know, you can do without those. Okay, yes, but always followed by a but. There's a ripple effect from that because, and I'm seeing this with having a high school senior this year, those extracurriculars, both through the school and outside the school, they add up when kids do their college applications.

0:23:26 - (Doug Jenkins): And Findlay City Schools has been blessed to have so many kids be able to go on to do different things in college. And then some of those kids end up coming back here and because they got that good city, they got their public education, now they have their college education. They're able to bring back a wealth of resources here and keep one the community strong. But it keeps the business community strong too. It ripples out.

0:23:50 - (Doug Jenkins): And if they can't be as competitive when they're looking at those post secondary opportunities, we will feel that maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but we.

0:23:58 - (Andy Hatton): Will feel that down the line 100%. And we're so proud of our alumni and our graduates. I mean not everybody is going to go be a Super bowl winning quarterback. Not everyone is going to go on stage in Broadway and be a Tony Award winning performer. But you might come back and be director of economic development. You might come back and be mayor. You know, you might come back and be that construction worker that is helping to build the next, you know, distribution plant. Like there's always ways to give back and contribute to your own community or wherever you may go. And that's what we want out for our students, is so that they can be life ready to contribute in the way that they want to in life.

0:24:38 - (Doug Jenkins): Let's, let's talk about some of the criticisms you do hear. The community, the big one is that the, the city just. Or that not the city, but the school district is overspending. What can you say to address that?

0:24:50 - (Andy Hatton): Well, when one of the things that does come up is for example our administrative costs per pupil, you know, your top heavy, that's one of the first ones that we hear out there quite a bit. I will say that when you look at the state average expenditure on administrators per pupil is $2,200 a student. In the county it's $2,300 a student. In Findlay City Schools it's $1,600 a student. We are well below the state and county average on administrative costs.

0:25:23 - (Andy Hatton): And then another one that we're really proud of though that demonstrates our fiscal responsibility is that we rank sixth out of our 43 most comparable districts in the whole state of putting our funds, our operating funds into the classroom. 73.5% of our operational funds go in directly into the classroom and the state average is 67 and a half percent. So when we hear those things, you know, we're willing to sit down and talk to people, open the books and show them the facts.

0:25:58 - (Doug Jenkins): Going forward, let's say this passes. How do you continue to communicate that here's how things are going? And I know there are newsletters, there's things like that, but okay, we've approved these new tax dollars. How do you continue to communicate that we're being good stewards of dollars.

0:26:15 - (Andy Hatton): Well, one of the things that we want to do is not just wait until we're on the ballot to be extremely transparent. I do think that my counterpart in the treasurer's office, Pam Harrington, has done a great job over the years to make sure that our five year forecast is always out there and how we're spending our money. We've been getting feedback through this process, which has been great, you know, from financial experts right here in Findlay that says, you know, maybe think about displaying it like this or like that. What I would like to do moving forward is partner with some of our private sector financial experts to say, hey, how could we say this in a way and share this in a way that makes sense to families and get feedback from our families as well?

0:26:58 - (Andy Hatton): Because we want to continue to be transparent and very much share how we are sharing or I'm sorry, spending, you know, taxpayer dollars to enhance academic excellence and opportunities and belonging for all of the children that come into our doors.

0:27:14 - (Doug Jenkins): Ultimately, when it comes down to, to the vote, we. It was short by just over 800 votes last time. Certainly the people who are against it may stay against it. The people who are in favor of it probably going to stay in favor of it. The people who are on the fence either didn't show up last time or maybe they, they just didn't know as much about it last time. What is the, your last, your final argument to them that this is something that we need to do in this community?

0:27:41 - (Andy Hatton): Right. Well, one of the things that I think we all love, I hope, about the United States of America is that you get that opportunity, that right to vote, and you get to, you know, participate in our democratic process. No one wants to be sitting here asking for, to raise someone's taxes. I don't want to do this. The Board of Education doesn't want to do this. As you said earlier, it's sort of the system that we are a part of in the state of Ohio.

0:28:04 - (Andy Hatton): I mean, Ohio back in November had the most school issues on the ballot out of all 50 states. And so we just don't want to be in this, you know, situation. And that's why, again, I applaud our Board of Education for looking at the earned income tax because it will diversify and partner with that property tax. And the idea is we come back to voters far less frequently because the way the property tax system is set up is that you're really supposed to be on the ballot about every three to Four years for, you know, just a few mills, and we're behind on that.

0:28:37 - (Andy Hatton): So I would say to those voters that again, that, you know, are considering this, first of all, please reach out to me anytime. I will sit down and have a conversation. I've been taking my office hours out into the community, but I will, I will meet anytime, anywhere. I've been doing some fireside chats all over the community. Let's engage and work together. Because it has been, the fact is, it has been over 20 years since voters approved new money, operating money for Findlay City Schools. The other fact is, is that unfortunately, we were unsuccessful on the ballot. So I would tell those folks that are on the fence a little bit.

0:29:10 - (Andy Hatton): We were on the. We were unsuccessful, like you said, by just over 800 votes back in November. And now we are in the midst the, in the process of cutting $6 million out of our operating budget. The first one, just over $1 million, was just approved in cuts for next year in the, at the March board meeting. So the board is going to be looking in April, May, June, at the, the other cut forward. And then the last thing I would share with those voters is, again, please engage and get the facts. Talk to all sides, Talk to me, talk to us.

0:29:41 - (Andy Hatton): Because we are at a crossroads as a community, and we, we need to decide collectively what type of school district do we want to have for our kids and what kind of community do we want to be when we think about quality of life and economic prosperity here in the city of Findlay.

0:29:59 - (Doug Jenkins): One last question for your comment. What have you? I never can tell if I'm asking a question or just offering more comment, but at the alliance, at the Chamber of Commerce, economic development, obviously our goal is to represent the interest of the business community. And what has stood out to me is business owners, people who run businesses aren't typically the people who are like, hey, you know what, let's do some more taxes.

0:30:21 - (Doug Jenkins): But by and large, the business community has come out very strong in favor of this levy. Knowing what's at stake, when you have conversations with business owners or people who are running businesses in the community, what are their concerns they bring forward to you about the levy and the schools and how have you been addressing those?

0:30:39 - (Andy Hatton): Well, like you said, I mean, everybody shares in that same concern about higher taxes, you know, and, and maybe some of the uncertainty in the economy right now and those kind of things which we've all lived with for a while now. One of the things that I share is that think about this as more of an Investment, an investment in students, young people in the future and an investment in our teachers because we need to hire and retain the best. We are the fifth largest employer in the city.

0:31:09 - (Andy Hatton): So I talked to business leaders about that. I also talk about some of the information that was shared, for example by the Realtors Association. You know, there's a direct correlation between a highly successful school district and our property values. All continuing to appreciate, which is what we want. The other thing that I share, just recently, some data, some research has come out in the last few years.

0:31:33 - (Andy Hatton): They've crunched what's called big data. So it's these longitudinal studies on groups of students when they have a highly effective teacher, not just an average teacher, not a poor teacher, a subpar teacher. Highly effective teachers have significant economic impact on groups of students to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars years later on that group of students and what they're able to contribute back into the economy.

0:31:59 - (Andy Hatton): So that study, that, that research is new and emerging. So I, I try to talk to people about, yes, it's a cost, but that return on investment, it's an, it's an investment into the viability of our community now and in the future.

0:32:12 - (Doug Jenkins): Yeah, it's certainly not just a one time expense. There's a big ripple effect to be had, either positively or negatively. And we appreciate you taking time out of your day to bit more about the levy and best of luck to you here in May.

0:32:25 - (Andy Hatton): Well, thank you very much. I appreciate you having me on. I appreciate everyone's support and as I always say, go Trojans.

0:32:32 - (Doug Jenkins): Joined on the podcast now by Sarah Clevidence of the Findlay Hancock County Public Library as we talk about the renewal levy coming up here in May. Sarah, thank you for joining us.

0:32:41 - (D): Thank you, Doug. I appreciate the opportunity.

0:32:44 - (Doug Jenkins): Absolutely. So let's get into it. A renewal levy for the library. A lot of times we'll see when levies come on the ballot, they can be for new money, they can be replacement money, or they can be renewal levies. What does the renewal levy specifically mean?

0:32:58 - (D): So a renewal means that it will generate about the same amount it did when the levy was initially passed for us. That was in 2010. There was a significant cut in public library funding at the state level at that time. And our community opted to support the library to continue library services and they've renewed that levy in 2015, 2020, and then it's on the ballot again this May.

0:33:21 - (Doug Jenkins): Let's talk about the services you're able to render as a result of that millage.

0:33:26 - (D): Yes. So this millage is just goes to the library's general operating expenditures. And we're a really busy public library. We circulated over a million items last year. We had nearly 210,000 visitors over the course of 2024. We offer a lot of programs for all ages. Over 56,000 patrons visited the library or engaged in programs with us at other locations last year.

0:33:54 - (Doug Jenkins): The library is so involved with early literacy in the county. It's a. It's a really impressive endeavor. My daughter's volunteered for the. The summer reading program the last couple of years.

0:34:06 - (D): Oh, great.

0:34:07 - (Doug Jenkins): And has enjoyed that. But how important is it for a community to have programs like that? And some people might well, can't they get that at school or whatever the case may be. Why is it so important, Important for the library to be able to offer that?

0:34:18 - (D): Sure. If a child doesn't start with that preparation until they get to kindergarten, they're already behind. They need to. To be read to at home, you know, really from day one. That's why the library has the Thousand Books Before Kindergarten program, to help give families a goal to keep working towards to ensure that their children have. Have had that exposure to literature or exposure to a wide variety of words, to art through picture books. And that way, they're entering school ready to learn.

0:34:50 - (Doug Jenkins): So this levy, like you said, was initially passed back in 2015, 2025. Certainly things have changed. How has the library evolved over the course of that last decade?

0:35:01 - (D): It was actually initially passed in 2010.

0:35:04 - (Doug Jenkins): Oh, yes, I know. You said that earlier. And then I looked at my notes and I wrote down the wrong thing.

0:35:09 - (D): So one of the things that we hear often in the field of librarianship is, well, isn't everything online now? So I say that while our growth and digital usage has been significant, it hasn't taken over the library. So that's maybe a change that folks expect to hear, you know, as we're talking many years down the road. But digital circulation is only about 19% of our overall circulation. One of the things that has changed, that has grown is the circulation of physical materials for youth.

0:35:47 - (D): So the families in our community, the kids and families really like to take home those physical books to read together. We've continued to grow our programming. Our Read for Life programming that offers adult literacy education has grown substantially in the last couple of years. That program serves over 100 adult learners every week between classes at the library, volunteer tutors that work with those students, and some literacy outreach partners we have in the community.

0:36:18 - (D): We also, a couple of years ago, took over as the local program partner for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, we were very excited to announce this past fall, you know, on the 10th anniversary of that program's existence in Hancock county, that we had a fully endowed fund that would support the local program cost for that going forward.

0:36:38 - (Doug Jenkins): I think one other area, by the way, before I get into the next question, I told you before we started review recording this that if anybody said something dumb, it would be me. And I followed up on that promise when I got the date wrong of when that was. So mission accomplished there, Sarah.

0:36:52 - (D): All right.

0:36:55 - (Doug Jenkins): Exactly. I, you know, we got to make sure we get that done today. One of the things that I find interesting, and I think this is where the library really comes through for the community, is school libraries aren't necessarily as resourced as they were. The school libraries aren't what we think of the school libraries. When maybe you and I were in school, it's a little bit of a different thing. So to have that traditional library, we really need the Findlay Hancock County Public Library for kids.

0:37:22 - (D): Yeah, a lot of schools are going to more of a pod situation where you might have a pod of books in various points in the hallway or, you know, not that fully staffed school library. So, yes, the library is very important for kids who want to come in and browse and find what they want. You know, there's a lot of importance to the things that you're required to read in school. There's a lot they want you to gain from that.

0:37:45 - (D): You can learn a lot from those, those selections. But also, reading for fun is really important. And that's something that the public library excels at, is just helping you connect with what you want to read and learn and enjoy on your own.

0:38:01 - (Doug Jenkins): And it's a nice, quiet, comfortable place to read that book, which if you can get away from those distractions, the book is. You get. It's a lot easier to get into the book.

0:38:12 - (D): You know, I always have to laugh when people say the library is. Is quiet.

0:38:15 - (Doug Jenkins): All right, Quieter.

0:38:17 - (D): This brick wall you see beside me here continues up into our children's area. And upstairs on the other side is our early literacy center, where our youngest patrons are learning through play. And so I can hear that travel down the wall, which is a lot of fun, you know, reminds me every day why we're here doing what we're doing.

0:38:36 - (Doug Jenkins): All right, so instead of quiet, we'll go with a relaxing place to enjoy.

0:38:39 - (D): There we go.

0:38:40 - (Doug Jenkins): I think that sounds good. I. I always make the mistake of trying to read a book on my phone. And that's the most distracting thing you can do. I think being connected to that physical book is the way to do it. And the best way to do that is through the library.

0:38:56 - (D): But if you want to read on your phone, we can help you there as well. We do have a robust digital collection, so, you know, we're happy that people are reading in whatever format that takes.

0:39:04 - (Doug Jenkins): You guys have it all covered? Covered?

0:39:06 - (D): We do.

0:39:07 - (Doug Jenkins): And so to continue to make sure that the library has it all covered, the levy is coming up again. It is a renewal levy coming up on the May ballot. Sarah, if people want to learn more about the library or maybe they want to learn more about the levy itself, what are the places they can do that?

0:39:21 - (D): Sure. So the best place to learn more about the library is indeed coming to the library. We also have a website, finleylibrary.org you can see our year in reviews connected on our website. Be happy to answer any more questions anybody has about the library or the levy.

0:39:36 - (Doug Jenkins): Very good, Sarah. Thank you for joining us today.

0:39:39 - (D): Thanks, Doug.

0:39:41 - (Doug Jenkins): So before we wrap things up for the week, I want to go back to the school levy for just a moment because I think sometimes it can get overlooked at how fortunate we are to have a strong city school district. We have great education all across Hancock county, but having a city school district that does so well, it's really hard to. And I don't think people realize how it stacks up to other city schools in the state, not necessarily suburban schools, although Findlay City School is quite competitive with suburban districts as well. But city schools with everything that comes along with living in a city, to have a really, really strong city school district, it is tough to do just looking at this. And I'm not trying to throw other school districts under the bus. That's not all. The school districts are working hard. That's not the point. The point is to show how well it goes. In Findlay a 4 overall rating according to the Department of Education website, which means it exceeds state standards. That's the overall rating.

0:40:34 - (Doug Jenkins): You have four stars in progress. Gap closing, which is really important. That's at five stars. Graduation rate exceeds state standards at four stars. Early literacy is right on the money. It's right where the state standards are at three stars. That's hard to do in a city school district. In comparison, looking around some others, you're looking at twos. You're looking at two and a half at similar size school districts and makeup of communities around the state.

0:41:00 - (Doug Jenkins): That's really awesome. But then, as I said, it's different. You know, there's you could compare, say, Findlay city schools. Let's just look at the schools they compete against in sports. So a Perrysburg or an Anthony Wayne, which are different types of school districts, they're not city schools, they're suburban schools. And with that, it's just a different makeup of students. Their Findlay city schools is right up there with them. They're both at four and a half and five stars. Findlay city schools again at four.

0:41:26 - (Doug Jenkins): It's hard to do and it's something that as a community, if we want to continue to see opportunity, come here. Something that we want to support. With that said, urge you to get educated before you head to the polls in May. You can check out our voter report as well as hear from candidates for contested races in findlay. That's@finleyhancockchamber.com it is a huge election coming up. I know we just had a presidential election, but from a local standpoint, this is a very, very important election. Look how many city council seats are up for grabs. It's important to do your homework. Make sure that when you show up to the polls, you've done so. You can do that with our voter report. It's a great place to get started.

0:42:04 - (Doug Jenkins): And most importantly, after you've done that homework, remember to show up to the polls. Chamber Amplified has a free podcast for the community thanks to the investment of members in the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce. Because of our robust membership, we're able to focus on providing timely information to the Findlay and Hancock county business community, run leaderships for adults and teenagers, and be an advocate for the area while also providing tools that help local businesses succeed.

0:42:28 - (Doug Jenkins): And if that sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, just let me know and we can talk about how an investment in the Chamber helps strengthen not just your business, but the community as a whole. And that'll do it for this week's episode. If you have any ideas for topics you'd like to hear covered in the future, send me an email. Djenkinsindleyhancockchamber.com thanks again for listening and we'll see you next time on Chamber Amplified from the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.