MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — "It goes both ways."
That's the message from Middletown City Schools in response to claims the district isn't a good partner with the city.
MCSD occupies the fourth floor of the city government building, while most city offices occupy the second. Superintendent Deborah Houser said her door is always open to conversation but that gesture is rarely received.
"Come on up. Anytime," she said. "In today's day and times, everybody has to be working together. If there are any questions, go to the source. Ask the question."
Houser sat down with WCPO Thursday to clear the air on the accusations made by two city council members at a Sept. 5 meeting during conversations about the district's updated school security contract.
Council unanimously agreed to provide MCSD with five school resource officers for the duration of the school year, of which all the associated costs would be reimbursed by the district. That's one fewer SRO than the past two years.
Under the new status quo, the district has already received three separate threats. A 9-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly making at least one of those threats.
Council member Steve West told WCPO he and council felt backed into a corner with the contract considering they had only been handed it less than two hours before the district voted to approve it at their own board meeting. If the city did not sign off on the new contract, West said the alternative was to allow one of the previous contracts to expire, leaving the schools with only three SROs.
"Saying, 'Agree to this. We're going to approve it an hour and 45 minutes' is not really a working relationship," council member Paul Hart said at the meeting.
Houser said most of council is new and unfamiliar with the lengthy plans the district has been crafting with city management and the police department. She said all collaborative partners have long been aware that the district's loss of pandemic relief funds would result in the restructuring of the SRO program.
It led the district to cut its SRO budget by $200,000. At the Sept. 5 meeting, Police Chief Earl Nelson told council five SROs was "manageable," though it would result in a ratio of roughly 1,5000 students per officer.
That prompted Hart to echo an earlier claim from West.
"So they're nickel and diming us," he said.
In an interview with WCPO Thursday, West suggested MCSD has enough money in the banks but chooses not to spend it. He said he's looked at the financial reports and doesn't see anything to suggest the district is struggling.
We requested a copy of the district's budget but did not receive it.
"The school's general fund is healthy," he said. "It doesn't necessarily point to there being any financial constraints."
West mentioned a recent issue in which community members spoke before council about the lack of restroom access at after school events. Despite taking place on school grounds, West said the district would not agree to pay for a port-o-lets. A coach ultimately had to pay for one with his own money, West said.
West also stressed the ongoing Sonny Hill Community Center restoration. The district led the impetus of the project, which is a joint effort with the city and Butler County, but shortly before it broke ground West said the district pulled out because the costs were too high.
"In the end, it's become a city and Butler County endeavor, so thankfully the commissioners stepped in and helped us out with it," he said. "Why are we facing all of these challenges? We've seen the schools sort of cut off communication and their willingness to involve themselves in a lot of these projects."
Pushing back on those claims, Houser said there are two main factors in the district's decision to step away from the Sonny Hill project. The original plan was to source their share from America Rescue Plan (ARP) funding, but those dollars were only available for a limited time.
"We being the schools have different compliance deadlines than the city does. We had to have our dollars spent out by this month, which that meant that project needed to be finished. The project — we just cut the ribbons for that project. We couldn't continue or we would have lost that money," Houser said. "It was inflation, that was when the labor prices were going up, it was supply and demand, it was the timing. And we did everything possible but when it came down to the timing of it, there was a $4 million funding gap and there was no plan to fund that funding gap."
Despite this shift, MCSD said it remains deeply committed to ensuring that every child in the community has access to a strong start in their education. In the 2024-2025 school year, MCSD opened five new preschool classrooms within their elementary schools.
"We are partnering with Miami University Middletown to expand early literacy initiatives, equipping our youngest learners with the skills they need to be prepared for kindergarten and beyond. These efforts address the critical need for early literacy and lay the foundation for long-term academic success," a district spokesperson wrote to WCPO. "We are also pleased to share that these initiatives have enabled the Early Learning Center to move forward with its vision of providing comprehensive birth-to-preschool experiences for Middletown families. MCSD continues to work closely with the Butler County Educational Service Center to offer preschool services to more than 400 children each year."
Watch Live:
