NILES, Ohio - The Niles City School District may be able to petition for release from fiscal emergency by May, the chairman of the commission overseeing the district’s finances said Tuesday.

The district has been in state-declared fiscal emergency since February 2019 and its finances are subject to the commission’s review and approval.

The comment by Bob Foss, chairman of the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, followed a report from Nita Hendryx, state-appointed financial supervisor, that the district has completed all items in its accounting report.

“That’s a big deal to have that cleared,” Foss told the commission during its virtual meeting Tuesday. “The threshold moment will be the spring (financial) forecast.”

Should the forecast meet all financial requirements, the board of education could ask for release from fiscal emergency by May, then it would be up to the commission to approve.

“I want everyone to consider prior to next meeting (March 29) whether it’s time to consider whether the district is in condition for release,” Foss told commission members.

If the commission agrees, the final decision to release rests with Auditor of State Keith Faber.

In the meantime, Superintendent Ann Marie Thigpen and Treasurer Rhonda Amorganos told the commission the district is wrestling with food service planning, funding and delivery because of the restrictions in operations and attendance caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amorganos said revenue is down while Thigpen said delivering lunches has been a major challenge.

“People were not coming (for food) and we’re at the point where we have to start delivering because we have to get food out for our people,” Thigpen said. “If we can’t deliver it, we can’t leave it on a porch.”

When one commission member said he hoped “you’re not throwing it out,” Thigpen responded emphatically.

“I can guarantee you we’re not having meals going into the garbage can,” she said.

Amorganos had recommended that the commission approve a district request to go along with a nationwide waiver and not submit a request for food service management proposals for the next fiscal year.

“I don’t know how we plan for a year like this,” she said. “None of us have ever been through a pandemic.”

Commission members, however, indicated they needed additional information and voted to
table the issue until later this month.