WARREN COUNTY, Ohio -- The Little Miami School District is officially under "fiscal caution."
The designation came from the Ohio Department of Education after the district's third plea for money was rejected by voters Tuesday.
The levy failed with 52% of the vote.
This made for a very difficult day for Little Miami teachers and students.
High School science teacher Stephanie Coridinni showed up in black.
"It was hard to get up this morning. Came into school and a lot of the teachers were wearing black. The kids didn't say much," said Coridinni. "About a half hour [later] they started to ask questions, Did it really fail?"
Now that the district is under fiscal caution, the Ohio Department of Education will monitor the district's finances every month.
"Us not being able to pass more dollars in this fiscal year just compounds the problem now," said Dan Bennett, Little Miami's superintendent.
Little Miami school leaders must find another $100,000 to $200,000 to cut. The district was already operating at state minimums.
The superintendent says some things up for consideration in this round of cuts include closing school libraries on certain days of the week, getting rid of instructional aids, janitors and secretaries.
The district previously cut 88 jobs, closed two schools and started charging students to play sports or participate in activities.
Next school year sports and activities could be slashed completely.
Paige Gentry is a Senior who is on the girl's basketball team.
"My parents put me in this school because they heard about Little Miami and how excellent it was now it's all almost going downhill," said Gentry.
Some voted “no” because they can't afford the tax increase.
Cheryl Geist had another reason for campaigning against the levy.
"I wasn't happy that it failed even though I did want it to fail,” said Geist. “I just want the way the schools are funded to be funded properly."
"I feel it's not fair for us as homeowners to bare the full burden of taxation in that community," Geist said.
But Coridinni said, "The system may be broken, but that's a separate issue than what's happening immediately here right now and allowing our students to suffer."
