Treasurer's Office

Five Year Forecast

The reader should remember that a forecast is somewhat like a painting of the future, which is based upon a snap shot of today that has been adjusted to reflect all known activities of the future along with certain assumptions and predictions of what may happen. In other words, it is a living document that becomes outdated once any additional information has come to light, which may introduce new known events or changes in assumptions for the future. As such, the five-year forecast is a good planning tool at best and will change periodically as updated information becomes available. School districts are encouraged to update their forecasts with the Ohio Department of Education when events take place that will significantly change their forecast.

The reader should also remember that the numbers themselves tell only a small part of the story in financial forecasting. For the numbers to be meaningful, the reader must review and consider the Notes to the Financial Forecast before drawing conclusions or using the data as a basis of other calculations.

Since the preparation of a meaningful five-year forecast is as much of an art as it is a science, and considering all of the intricacies of the information being presented by the district, it is recommended that you contact the Treasurer with any questions you might have.