Community Engagement
Town Hall Meetings Address 'Columbus Cuts'
Lawmakers in Columbus have made changes that will drastically impact our district, and not for the better. We rank among the top 10% most financially efficient districts in Ohio, but with nearly $3 million in state support disappearing in 2026–27, we need to talk openly about how the COLUMBUS CUTS will directly affect students.
Over 200 people came to our first Town Hall Meeting on Monday, September 29, 2025. View a brief video recap by clicking the video to the right.
Click HERE for the slide deck used in the presentation.
Click HERE for a one-page recap of potential revenue-generating endeavors and the associated financial impact.
We have one more opportunity to make your voice heard. The next Town Hall is slated for Monday, October 27, 2025 at Harrison Junior School at 7:00 PM. Please join us! RSVP HERE.
Columbus Cuts
The following are financial facts about how state-level decisions are impacting our district's budget and resources. Lawmakers in Columbus have made changes that mean real challenges for Southwest, and our goal is to keep our community informed.
We rank among the top 10% most financially efficient districts in Ohio, but with nearly $3 million in state support disappearing in 2026–27, we need to talk openly about what this means. We know our community values transparency, and we are committed to keeping you informed.
- State changes will cost Southwest nearly $3 million in lost revenue in 2026–27. That’s the equivalent of nearly 40 teachers.
- Southwest spends $12,955 per student, which is $765 less than the Ohio state average ($13,720) and a full $3,356 less than similar districts ($16,311). Despite this, we continue to provide a high-quality education while being one of the most efficient districts in Ohio.
- Southwest has 252 students per administrator, compared to a state average of 146. Only four other districts in Ohio operate with a leaner administrative ratio. This demonstrates our commitment to efficiency—but it also means additional strain on our staff as our enrollment continues to grow.
- We are experiencing a major funding gap: Southwest receives $4,818 per student in state revenue, while the state average is $5,754. Similar districts receive even more—$7,443 per student. This gap makes it harder for Southwest to compete while offering the same opportunities.
- Due to changes in Ohio’s school funding calculations, Southwest will lose over $2 million in state support in 2026 and 2027. That equals almost $500 less per student each year—a significant cut that directly impacts classrooms.
- The reality of planning vs. funding: Southwest had anticipated a $1 million increase in state support, based on prior state commitments. Instead, we are facing a $3 million reduction. That $4 million swing equals nearly 6% of our annual operating budget.
- A $3 million cut to Southwest’s budget is equal to the salaries of nearly 40 teachers. This is why state-level decisions matter.
- Southwest receives $6,154 per student from local revenue, compared to the state average of $6,678 and similar districts at $7,334. This shows our community carries a lighter tax burden than many others—while we continue to deliver strong results for students.
- Southwest ranks in the top 10% of Ohio districts for financial efficiency. We achieve this by stretching every dollar, balancing fiscal discipline with educational quality. While we celebrate our efficiency, this also highlights the challenges we face with reduced state support.
- Southwest spends $765 less per student than the Ohio average and $3,356 less than similar districts. And yet, we continue to deliver strong results for students. This is fiscal responsibility in action, and highlights how much we achieve with fewer resources.
The Big Truth: Southwest doesn’t have a spending problem—it has a state underfunding problem. Despite efficiency and discipline, state cuts will take away nearly $500 per student in the coming years.
Questions? Email SLSDFacts@southwestschools.org.
Connecting with our Community
The success of our community and our schools is interconnected.
Southwest Local Schools believes that education needs to take a leading role in sustaining our great community for generations to come. Guided by our district motto, "Excellence through Relationships", we strive to create a working partnership among students, parents, staff and community that takes responsibility for both raising our children and meeting our community's needs.
SLSD is now working to deepen these mutually beneficial relationships by engaging in a series of community conversations that will help the district understand our community needs by hearing from all residents, not just parents. In the end, this will help us serve the community as we educate our children.
All local residents are invited and encouraged to be part of the discussion, which focuses on issues such as:
- What should our community’s future look like?
- What role should the district play in achieving that future?
- What can schools and community accomplish together?
- How can our new school buildings serve the whole community?
Please take a moment to listen to Superintendent John C. Hamstra explain the importance of Southwest Local School District's engagement process. Click the video to the right.
Mr. Hamstra also explained the Community Engagement campaign in a Guest Column which was published in The Register on March 16, 2023. Click HERE and scroll to Page A4.
Listening to You
In the Southwest Local School District, we work hard to engage with parents and staff to better understand the needs of the district. We strive to give your children the best possible educational experience - and to do that we need feedback from you.
We've launched a public engagement campaign to better understand the wants, needs, and opinions of every member of the community when it comes to our school district. We are beginning this effort with a districtwide survey. Your participation will assist us in making critical decisions and will guide our planning moving forward.
You can participate in our survey by clicking HERE.
Once you have taken a few minutes to complete the survey yourself, we highly encourage you to share it with others in our community - the more feedback we get the more effectively we can serve you.
Town Hall Meetings
A series of Town Hall meetings is now in progress. All are open to the public.
In the spring of 2023, Town Hall meetings took place at our three elementary schools:
Wednesday, March 15 at 6:00 PM
Crosby Elementary
Thursday, April 13 at 6:00 PM
Miami Whitewater Elementary
Wednesday, April 19 at 6:00 PM
Harrison Elementary
To hear participant reaction to our first town hall at Crosby Elementary, click the video to the right.
The "Halftime Report"
Through three Town Hall meetings at our elementary schools this spring, and nearly 600 responses to our community survey, we received an immense amount of input, perceptions, and questions which have helped shape the priorities of our district. At these events, we listened to community members share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about our schools. It is through this wealth of feedback that the needs of our community are brought into focus.
Please click the video to the right to hear Superintendent John Hamstra summarize the Community Engagement process thus far and preview what's to come in the fall.
Additionally, please click HERE to view responses to some of the most frequently asked questions at the spring Town Halls.
Town Hall Series Continues
In the spring of 2023, we kicked off an organized districtwide engagement campaign with the purpose of listening to the community. Listening to YOU. We collected hundreds of survey responses and hosted three unique Town Hall events at our elementary schools that had excellent turnout from the community. We talked about important topics for our kids, staff, and district, such as school safety, academic excellence, school finance, and mental health resources. Reports and recaps of all these events can be found in the previous segment.
We are excited to continue our focus on engaging with our entire community, to ensure the future of our school district reflects what our community wants. Please click the video to the right to view a short video from Superintendent John Hamstra, recapping what we've accomplished so far and looking ahead to what we have on deck in the weeks to come.
In the fall of 2023, we continued our process of listening to the community - we can’t move forward as a district and provide the level of service your kids deserve without your input and involvement. Two more Town Halls took place - at Harrison Junior School on Thursday, September 14th and at Harrison High School on Tuesday, October 10th.
We are fortunate to live in a community that cares so much about our schools and our students, and we want to hear from you on how we can continue to improve.
Thursday, September 14 at 6:00 PM
Harrison Junior School
Tuesday, October 10 at 6:00 PM
Harrison High School
Our facilities are critical to the success of our students, and in your feedback from town halls and surveys, it’s clear our community values strong facilities.
Throughout our town halls and throughout our public engagement efforts, there was a big focus on the state of our SLSD facilities. We strongly believe that the community should have access to all our buildings so they can get a clear picture of the current state of all our school facilities.
At the end of February 2024, we hosted our first building tour at the High School. We got some great feedback. It was clear to those in attendance that age has taken a toll on the High School, and that can be seen very clearly in certain areas of the facility, such as the boiler room. There was also a lot of feedback about how, after 23 years, the Activity Center remains in good condition. Residents believed this speaks to the ability of the district to effectively manage our facility assets over a long period of time.
Our facility tours continued in March and April of 2024, with additional community engagement opportunities at Harrison Junior School on March 19 and at Miami Whitewater Elementary on April 29.
