Talawanda BOE addresses funding delays, approves easement
Tafelski said in an email the TSD hopes to receive the money before the end of this fiscal year, June 30, and has budgeted accordingly.
The Talawanda School District (TSD) may not receive $1.2 million in funds during this fiscal year, according to a report from Treasurer Shaunna Tafelski during the Talawanda Board of Education’s (BOE) regular meeting on May 14.
The funds are related to the homestead exemption, “a statewide property tax reduction program for senior citizens, those who are disabled, and surviving spouses of fallen first responders,” according to The Ohio Senate website.
In an emailed statement to the Oxford Free Press, the Butler County Auditor’s Office said, “there would be a delay in the settlement process while we waited on our software provider, Tyler Tech, to resolve an issue having to do with rollback reporting to the state.”
They said the issue “stemmed from software changes related to the local option Homestead Exemption. This exemption is not reimbursable by the state. However, the software was treating the exemption as if it were and inflated the reimbursement amount. Some counties missed this reporting error and their settlements were inaccurate.”
The auditor’s office expects the issue will be resolved by the end of May.
Tafelski said in an email to the Oxford Free Press that TSD hopes to receive the money before the end of this fiscal year, June 30, and has budgeted accordingly. Still, the school district has funds that can be used if the money is not received until the next fiscal year, according to Tafelski.
Nelson Morrow building easement
The board voted 3-1 to approve an easement of the Nelson Morrow Building, located at 909 S. Main St., with member Chris Otto being absent. The board currently owns the property, but the approved easement will allow the City of Oxford to install a sidewalk through the side of the property, which will connect to the nearby Amtrak station. The TSD will retain ownership of the property and receive a total of $16,711 in payments from the city, according to Jessica Greene, assistant city manager.
Other business
Bogan Elementary School Principal Kirsten Cannon gave a report to the board on several initiatives at Bogan, including a Coin Wars fundraiser, wherein students raised more than $3,000. As a reward for the fundraiser, the principal and other staff members spent a night sleeping on the school’s roof.
Additionally, The Greater Oxford Community Foundation awarded The Harry and Virginia Teckman Award to Sarah Currier for her work as a kindergarten teacher at Bogan Elementary. She was nominated for the award by several Oxford area families.
In other news, the school has received the Purple Star Designation from Ohio’s Department of Education and Workforce, which recognizes schools that support military-connected families.
Talawanda High School’s (THS) Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter also gave a report to the board highlighting their achievements over the past year. The group received more than $15,000 of grants for various projects and was a top 10 FFA chapter in the state of Ohio for the 2025-26 academic year. The THS chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America will send three students to compete at their national conference in Washington, D.C. this summer.
THS has also been designated a U.S. Department of State Medallion Member School for their participation in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program, through which they are hosting a foreign exchange student from Tanzania.
The board will meet again on June 18.
