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Press Release Ohio Auditor of State

Auditor of State Places Trimble Local Schools under Fiscal Watch

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

COLUMBUS — Auditor of State Keith Faber placed the Trimble Local School District in Athens County in a state of fiscal watch Tuesday as a result of projected deficits in the current and future fiscal years.

The decision followed a fiscal caution declaration in December 2024 by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, which subsequently notified the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office that Trimble had failed to submit an acceptable written proposal as required under state law for correction of the budgetary issues.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce determined that the district’s five-year forecast included deficits of $1.6 million in the current fiscal year, $2.3 million for fiscal year 2026, and nearly $3.3 million for fiscal year 2027.

With Tuesday’s declaration, Trimble Local Schools must, within 60 days, develop and submit a formal financial plan to eliminate the financial crisis. That plan will be evaluated by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for approval.

Fiscal watch provides district officials and the school board control of the plan and its implementation at the local level. The Auditor of State’s Office and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce can provide cost free technical assistance to the district in developing their plan.

Trimble Local Schools joins the Springfield Local School District in Summit County as the two districts in the state currently under fiscal watch declaration. Additional information about the fiscal caution, watch, and emergency declarations is available on the Auditor of State’s website

(ohioauditor.gov/fiscal/schools.html).

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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov