Indian Hill families can now email questions about the district's finances directly to Treasurer/CFO Mick Davis and Superintendent Dr. Melissa Stewart ahead of a new livestream series the district is calling "IH IR," short for Indian Hill Investor Relations.

The district announced the series on X on Tuesday, Aug. 18, asking residents to send questions to [email protected]. A date and time for the first broadcast had not been set as of that posting.

The launch comes one week after Davis presented a five-year financial forecast to the Board of Education on Tuesday, Aug. 11, projecting that the district's cash reserves will fall from 99 days at the close of fiscal year 2026 to just four days by fiscal year 2031 if no new operating revenue is added. The district's current expense levy expires at the end of 2026.

As we reported Aug. 17, recurring expenditures are expected to exceed recurring revenues in each year of the forecast window, a structural gap the district attributes in part to House Bill 186, which caps revenue growth for 20-mill floor districts at the cumulative three-year rate of inflation after reappraisals.

"I want to hear from you," Davis wrote in his Aug. 11 blog post, describing the livestream as a way for residents to get answers about district finances. He framed the series as a transparency effort, calling it "one more way we are striving to deliver factual, transparent communications about our district finances."

Davis also warned that when recurring expenditures consistently exceed recurring revenues, cost controls alone may not close the gap "without eventually affecting programs, staffing or the educational experience we provide students."

In the same post, Davis wrote that the district has captured more than $9.4 million in measurable taxpayer value through bond refinancing savings, grants, energy savings and administrative efficiencies.

Board President Bear Tullis discussed potential funding options at the board's April 21 meeting, according to signed minutes. Those preliminary talks included a traditional levy or an earned income tax. The board also noted that bonds issued in 2001 will be paid off by the end of 2027, reducing the tax rate by approximately 1.35 mills.

The board includes Tullis, Vice President Robert Warfel, Nolan Marx, Tim Schweikert and Niki Singh.

Residents who want their questions addressed on the IH IR livestream can email [email protected]. The district said it will share the broadcast date and time on its website and social channels.