MT. HEALTHY, Ohio — The Mt. Healthy Teachers Association approved a vote Tuesday of "No Confidence" in Superintendent Valerie Hawkins and the Mt. Healthy Board of Education, the association announced Wednesday.
The vote of No Confidence comes in the wake of fiscal emergency and budget cuts at the school district.
At the district's monthly finance meeting in March, Hawkins said the school district was projected to end the year in the red by $7.5 million.
The November 2023 forecast showed over a $5 million budget deficit by the end of the year. If the district doesn’t make any changes it will have over a $90 million budget deficit in 2028.
The turmoil and most recent call for leadership change has many, like Angela Davis with seven grandkids in the district, reconsidering their options.
"I'm really exploring other options at this point of all of it," she said.
Former school bus driver Brandon Wynn said he was planning to pull his kids out of the district after their fifth-grade year.
"I just hope they can get it together," he said. "I mean, I grew up in Mt. Healthy. I went to school in Mt. Healthy from kindergarten through 12th grade. It was never this bad."
At the beginning of March, the district also announced 80 employees would be laid off — 67 teachers, nine administrators and four exempt staff positions. On Wednesday, the teacher's association said that the layoff number was actually 83 employees. The district said in a press release that these layoffs are necessary to make sure its educational programs and services have long-term stability.
“Our hearts are truly broken for our students, their families, and this entire community, and like everyone else in the community, we have dedicated our lives and careers to serving, Mt. Healthy. We need answers about how this all went so wrong,” said MHTA President Julie Wakefield.
Wakefield became a teacher at Mt. Healthy and has her children in Mt. Healthy schools after graduating from Mt. Healthy schools herself.
"A decision to approve a No Confidence vote was not one MHTA members came to lightly, but we no longer trust the superintendent or the members of our school board to provide those answers or a constructive path forward," Wakefield said. "We can no longer accept the status quo when the status quo is what got us to this point.”
The state placed Mt. Healthy City Schools under a "fiscal emergency" after the projected budget deficit. The teacher's association said the previous district treasurer handled the finances for more than three decades before retiring last year.
“Mt. Healthy school leaders should have recognized and responded to the district’s increasingly dire financial situation years ago,” Wakefield said. “There was clearly extreme mismanagement of the district’s finances along the way, and the people who failed to see the red flags or take any corrective action must be held accountable for that.”
Wakefield said it's the students who will suffer the most from the district's issues.
"They are being moved around like pawns in a chess game, and they are losing the expertise and talent of so many dedicated professionals who have given the best of themselves every day to help their students succeed,” Wakefield said. “We will rise to the challenge to continue to serve them moving forward, but, unfortunately, we do not have confidence in the superintendent or the school board to take on this challenge with us.”
In response to the No Confidence vote, the district administration acknowledged the concerns expressed by the teacher's association.
"The past few months have been challenging for everyone in our community — our staff, our students, and their families," the district administration said. "We recognize that such times can lead to heightened emotions and frustrations. It is essential to remember that we all share a common goal: the well-being and academic success of our students."
The district administration said it's also important "for all of us to work collaboratively toward solutions."
"It is important to note that during the vote, 260 staff members were eligible to vote, with 135 participating and 121 voting in support of the resolution," the district administration said. "This means that more than half of our staff did not support the 'No Confidence' vote, indicating a significant portion of our team holds a different perspective."
You can read the full statement from the district below:
In response to the recent "No Confidence" vote conducted by the Teachers Union regarding Superintendent Dr. Valerie Hawkins, the district administration acknowledges the concerns expressed by our educators. The past few months have been challenging for everyone in our community—our staff, our students, and their families. We recognize that such times can lead to heightened emotions and frustrations. It is essential to remember that we all share a common goal: the well-being and academic success of our students.
While the specific concerns cited as the motivation for the vote fall under the purview of the district’s treasurer, it is important for all of us to work collaboratively toward solutions. The administration remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining an open dialogue with all stakeholders, including our teachers. It is important to note that during the vote, 260 staff members were eligible to vote, with 135 participating and 121 voting in support of the resolution. This means that more than half of our staff did not support the "No Confidence" vote, indicating a significant portion of our team holds a different perspective.
Superintendent Dr. Hawkins is deeply committed to the district and to fostering an environment where constructive and respectful dialogue leads to positive outcomes for our schools. The Superintendent respects the views of all district staff and is eager to engage in meaningful conversations about moving forward together.
We are in a moment of critical reflection and action, this is an opportunity for us to embrace the challenges we face, to address them head-on, and to reaffirm our dedication to our educational mission. Over the last couple weeks, we have sent a form to our community, staff, students, and families so that they can provide feedback to the district. We will be using this information as we move forward in planning. In addition, anyone that shows interest has the opportunity to work with our district teams to plan as we work toward recovery.
The district is committed to transparency and accountability and will continue to work diligently to build trust and confidence in our leadership. We invite the union, along with all members of our community, to participate in a forthcoming series of discussions designed to address concerns and explore collaborative solutions.
As we look toward the future and reflect on the past of Mt. Healthy CSD, we are reminded of the strength that lies in unity and the progress that can be achieved by working together. We look forward to healing and growing together, stronger and more committed than ever to the future of our children.
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