Making Every Dollar Count

Thoughtful Decisions. Meaningful Impact.

Some of the smartest financial decisions are the ones you never notice. Innovation is not only about what happens in the classroom; it is also about finding creative ways to make those opportunities possible. At Lebanon City Schools, we continually look for ways to make the most of every resource and maximize our investment in students.

Expanding Resources with Grants

Through creative thinking, persistence, and collaboration, district staff, teachers, and administrators have secured more than $900,000 in grant funding since 2024 to support students, improve facilities, and expand educational opportunities.

These grants allow Lebanon City Schools to pursue ideas, improvements, and resources that might otherwise compete for limited local operating dollars.

Grant funding has helped support:

School Safety & Facilities: Safety upgrades, transportation enhancements, and facility and equipment improvements
Student Learning: STEM initiatives, classroom resources, and innovative learning opportunities
Student Support: Programs and resources that help address student needs and remove barriers to participation
Accessibility & Inclusion: Resources and programs designed to meet the diverse needs of our students

Community donations also play an important role in supporting students, helping with student fees, lunch balances, scholarships, and athletics. We are grateful to the families, businesses, and community members who continue to invest in opportunities for Lebanon students.

Every grant dollar secured means more resources for our students and schools, and fewer demands on local operating dollars.

Maximizing Every Mile

A few years ago, Lebanon City Schools took a close look at how its buses were being used throughout the school day and asked a simple question: Could the same buses do more?

The answer was yes.

By adjusting school start and end times and reorganizing some bus stops, the district was able to create more multi-tiered routes. In simple terms, one bus can finish a route for one group of students and then turn around and serve another school or group of students. It may sound like a small change, but it makes a big difference. Buses spend less time sitting idle between routes; the district can make better use of its existing fleet, and there is less need to rely on outside companies to transport students.

Since 2024, these changes have saved approximately $200,000 in local transportation costs. The district has also earned approximately $80,000 from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce through its Efficiency Bonus, which rewards school districts for operating transportation efficiently.

This is innovation in action: not always finding something new, but finding a better way to use what we already have.

Proactive Fleet Management

Keeping an older bus on the road may seem like the cheaper option—but eventually, the repair bills, fuel costs, and downtime can tell a different story.

Lebanon City Schools follows a planned bus replacement schedule so aging vehicles can be replaced before they become too costly or unreliable to operate. Newer buses use fuel more efficiently, generally require fewer repairs, and help reduce the need for expensive outside maintenance.

That planning has made a measurable difference. Over the past three years, lower fuel and maintenance costs have saved the District approximately $440,057.

And when an older bus is replaced, it does not simply disappear from the books. The District auctions buses that still have resale value, helping recover some of the original investment and put those dollars back to work.

Sometimes making every dollar count means knowing when keeping something longer will actually cost more.

Strategic Staffing

A staffing vacancy is not just about who fills the seat next. It is also a chance to reconsider what the position looks like. Should the position continue to work the same? Can responsibilities be shared differently? Has technology changed the work? Can duties be reorganized while still providing the services that students and staff need?

The answers to these questions help shape what happens next. Sometimes the answers mean hiring someone into the exact same role. Other times, it means changing the position, reorganizing responsibilities, or finding a different way to meet the need.

Over the last two school years, the District’s ongoing review during staff vacancies has resulted in approximately $600,000 in savings during 2024–2025 and an additional $200,000 in savings during 2025–2026.

These savings are important, but so is the thinking behind them: making sure staffing reflects the work we need today rather than simply carrying forward the way it has always been done.

Investing in What Matters Most

While making careful financial decisions is important, some investments cannot be measured in dollars alone. Student safety is invaluable. Lebanon City Schools actively seeks grant opportunities to fund safety improvements, providing students and staff with safe, secure learning environments while reducing reliance on local taxpayer dollars.

Through state and federal grants, the district has secured funding for key projects, including school security enhancements, safety door film, bus stop-arm cameras, and transportation technology upgrades. These investments strengthen overall security and equip schools with essential tools to protect students and staff.

By pursuing outside funding, Lebanon City Schools continues to make critical safety improvements while honoring its commitment to fiscal responsibility. Protecting our students is an investment beyond measure.