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When students in Decatur Township head back to class this August, they’ll start and end their days at new times.

The changes, which come with benefits for students and staff such as more sleep for middle school students and time for teacher professional development, are also in part, due to financial pressures schools face.

Changing start and end times means going from six different schedules to three, allowing for fewer bus routes and more savings to the district. School leaders said they are still implementing changes, but expect “impactful savings” to the district’s roughly $6.7 million transportation budget for this calendar year.

The priority is always how to best support students, said Scott Collins, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. Additional benefits to the time changes are for high schoolers to end their day earlier and to align schedules for grade levels.

Yet, Collins also acknowledged that the money aspect can’t be untangled from those decisions.

Decatur Township schools are not alone in responding to less property tax funding due to changes at the state level and wanting to show fiscal responsibility to voters ahead of a potential tax increase, known as a referendum, vote in November.

School leaders in Decatur anticipate $3 million less in property taxes this year due to property tax reform. And additional state changes also mean the district is considering putting a tax measure on the ballot a year earlier than planned.

“We’re trying to save dollars now so we don’t have to ask for as much money in the future,” Collins said. “We want to be good stewards.”

And a big part of that for Decatur is busing – a key service that more than 70% of students in the district use daily during the school year. Plus, more than 1,100 of the district’s roughly 6,500 students use the bus each week for after-school activities like athletics, band, and clubs, Collins said. He added that buses are crucial for Decatur schools due to limited access to public transportation and limited ability to have walk zones for students.

Currently, the district uses a portion of its referendum dollars to pay for transportation costs, including salary and benefits for bus drivers, monitors, and mechanics. Without referendum funds, Collins said the district would have to consider additional busing changes such as walk zones and cutting after-school buses.

The district is considering a tax measure rate of roughly 27 cents per $100 of assessed value that would replace the current rate of roughly 29 cents starting in January if approved by voters.

In order to be on the ballot in November, the school board must approve and send the ballot question to the state Department of Local Government Finance no later than July 22.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

CLEVELAND — Hemp-derived THC products are back at companies in Ohio after a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of Ohio’s new hemp licensing law.

“It’s been a long, hard-fought battle,” said Saucy Brew Works, Saucy Seltzer and Saucy Vibes CEO and co-founder Brent Zimmerman.

Starting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Zimmerman said hemp-derived THC drinks will be back at Saucy Brew Works in Cleveland’s Ohio City.

“We bring jobs back here, people’s choice back here. It was the fastest-growing product I’d ever seen in beverage since we’ve been open, so it’s pretty exciting,” said Zimmerman.

Back in March, News 5 told you Ohioans for Cannabis Choice didn’t collect enough signatures to repeal Republican-created marijuana restrictions and a total ban on intoxicating hemp products.

Effort to repeal marijuana restrictions, THC ban fails to make Ohio ballot

Effort to repeal marijuana restrictions, THC ban fails to make Ohio ballot

As a result, Senate Bill 56 went into effect across Ohio and hurt Zimmerman and dozens of business owners.

“Good-paying jobs all left, taxes all left, consumer choice all left,” said Zimmerman.

News 5 asked Zimmerman how his customers reacted to the adjustment.

“Some of them were very upset. Some of them didn’t think it was real,” said Zimmerman.

Even with these challenges, Zimmerman said his company and nine others refused to give up, so they filed a lawsuit against 96 county and municipal prosecutors’ offices.

Then on Monday, Zimmerman texted News 5’s Remi Murrey after a federal judge found Senate Bill 56 likely violates the Constitution because it requires products to be sourced, made and distributed only in Ohio, which blocks out-of-state sellers.

“There are 10 companies that were named as plaintiffs in this suit, so right now, those 10 are the only companies that can sell in the state,” said Zimmerman.

That means businesses like Verbena Free Spirited in Cleveland will have to wait unless she buys from one of 10 companies that sued the state.

According to Zimmerman, those 10 companies can make THC products and sell them to retailers.

“I’m a much smaller retail seller of THC beverages, but because I’m smaller, it impacted me really hard, and it’s something I would love to be able to start doing again,” said Cheraso.

Despite the judge’s ruling, Ohio lawmakers have argued that hemp products are unregulated and have no age requirement to buy.

“The products that are the edibles, primarily the stuff that’s unregulated, we don’t know where it came from. It’s also actually targeting children,” said Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) in February.

As the court reviews the case, the temporary restraining order will last for 14 days unless it is extended.

“We’ve been working with our representatives at the state and House of Representatives, and we’ve got a good rapport with them. We hope we get further along with them as well,” said Zimmerman.