St. Henry official calls out state funding issues

ST. HENRY - St. Henry Local Schools Treasurer Jennifer Bruns shared pointed concerns about current legislation and political rhetoric surrounding school funding in Ohio at the board of education's regular meeting on Monday night.

She criticized lawmakers for being disconnected from the day-to-day realities of school finance.

"It's most definitely concerning," Bruns said. "Legislators don't seem to have any idea what actually happens in school districts or any real knowledge of letting the districts control their own budgets."

Bruns highlighted the district's reliance on state and federal funds, which support both daily operations and long-term improvements.

"There are so many bills out there concerning property tax reform that will affect us," Bruns stressed. "They're coming at us from all angles, so it's good for our community members to be informed and involved, and to be reaching out to our local legislators about these issues."

She also addressed comments from a House Finance Committee member who recently accused St. Henry taxpayers of not understanding their emergency levy.

"We held 11 community sessions explaining how the levy works," Bruns countered. "These legislators can't argue with us about our needs, especially in a district where our buildings are 25 years old. We have a roof that's eventually going to need to be replaced and asphalt work that will need to be done, among other projects."

Ohio's new biennium budget has received criticism for shifting resources away from public schools and diverting money to private education centers, along with increasing homeschool tax credits. Among the most controversial measures is a proposal requiring public school districts to refund taxpayers if their year-end carryover exceeds 30% of their budget.

Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro called the proposal "punitive," arguing that it unfairly targets districts that have saved responsibly.

District Technology Coordinator Tom Marchal also echoed concerns about the recent political climate, informing the board that he has already placed orders for next year's tech needs, including Chromebooks and desktop computers, due to anticipated cost increases tied to President Donald Trump's tariffs on China.

In other business, superintendent Adam Puthoff announced that the district is currently hiring for several positions, including classified aides and school bus aides.

"We're looking to fill those for the next school year," Puthoff said. "I'm also planning to go on a campaign around the school and around town and see if we can borrow some more bus drivers."

While he assured the board that regular bus routes for the upcoming year are covered, Puthoff emphasized that additional drivers are always needed to support the district's packed calendar of athletic events, field trips, and extracurricular activities.
  Board members also accepted the resignation of Brad Luthman, who will step down as a teacher and bus driver effective May 31. The board expressed appreciation for Luthman's many years of service to the district.

Luthman previously served as the St. Henry varsity football coach for 10 years before resigning in November 2023.

Luthman was suspended for the first game of his last season as coach in 2023 due to what the district called "unprofessional language in the presence of students." He was also suspended for three days in 2019 for using improper language in front of a class. According to his personnel files, there have been several incidents mentioned in evaluations involving unprofessional language.

Luthman was hired as a math teacher and football coach at St. Henry in May 2013. Prior to that he was a teacher and coach at Marion Local.
  Board members also approved a one-year limited certified contract for Natalie Dirksen, who will teach high school math for the 2025-2026 school year, as well as Nate Bruns as an eighth and ninth grade math teacher, on a one-year limited certified contract for the 2025-2026 school year, both pending certification and background checks.
  Several donations were also approved, including $5,000 from Ernst Apparel to the athletic department; $500 from Romer's Catering for scoreboard sponsorship; $5,000 from the athletic boosters to team accounts (girls basketball, cross country, softball, baseball and football); and $375 from various local businesses to support the Get REAL program.

  The St. Henry Local Schools Board of Education meets next at 7 p.m. May 12 in the high school media center.