Board deals with financial matters, staffing issues at monthly meeting

    BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio – The Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Board of Education dealt with having to make some proactive financial decisions for the district during their regular monthly meeting held in the Hi-Point Inn Wednesday night.  Five positions were suspended due to financial reasons and the Early Childhood Education program’s preschool and daycare facility will be closed after this school year.  The Graduation, Reality, and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) program will also be reduced from three employees to one following this school year, a necessary step made easier through the pending retirements of the instructors.
    “Our financial situation is currently very stable; but in light of the uncertainty of our funding, we want to be proactive in taking steps to protect that stability,” said Superintendent Kim Davis. “We have taken a hard look at our operations and have been able to reduce costs by reducing some programming and eliminating some positions, either through a reduction-in-force (RIF) or attrition.”
    Staff positions suspended included two Early Childhood Education aides, two special education aides and one Agriculture Education instructor based at Upper Scioto Valley High School.  Positions reduced through retirements included another Early Childhood Education aide and two GRADS instructors.
    The RIF of the Agriculture Education teacher at Upper Scioto Valley Local Schools is a result of that district’s decision to close the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Agriculture Education Satellite program there.
    The preschool and daycare center operated by the Early Childhood Education program will be closed due to financial reasons, as well. 
    “The RIF of our Early Childhood Education aides is a result of the very difficult decision to close the daycare and preschool operation associated with our Early Childhood Education program,” offered Davis.  “While this operation has provided a very rich lab experience for our students, the Ohio Department of Education does not require that we operate a daycare and preschool for an Early Childhood Education program. With the reduced growth in our state funding and concern about possible cuts in the next budget, the general fund simply cannot afford to subsidize this operation any longer.  We are, however, exploring possibilities for having another entity operate the daycare within our facility so that we can continue to offer our Early Childhood Education students this valuable experience.”
    The board also approved a new salary and fringe package for staff for the 2010-2011 school year.  The new package includes a 1.5 percent base salary increase on all salary schedules, moving all employees to a Health Savings Account, “unfreezing” the lowest remaining “frozen” step on each salary schedule and adding an additional step to each salary schedule except the administrative schedule.
    “Our staff took a 0 percent increase on their pay last year,” said Davis.  “This year we are currently able to offer a 1.5 percent increase on the base salary and still have an overall positive impact on the general fund.”
    The agreement between the administration and the salary and fringe committee is a one-year agreement only.  After next school year the district will have to review the status of what state funding looks like in the next state budget.
    The board recognized the April Students of the Month from the high school. Brandon McCoy, a senior Masonry student from Benjamin Logan High School, and Breanna Schrader, a senior Printing and Graphic Arts student from Ridgemont High School, were nominated by Ohio Hi-Point staff for the honor and received recognition during the board meeting.
        In other board action:
•    Approved the report of the treasurer
•    Heard the legislative liaison report from board member Warren Stevens (Urbana City Schools)
•    Heard the facilities and grounds committee report from Robert Walker, facilities and grounds supervisor
•    Approved tuition reimbursement for the following staff members: Connie Champ, Stacy Colwell, Jeffrey Cross, Kim Davis, Tammy Heitmeyer, Lori Ludwig, Amy McCarthy, Rene Mejia, Robert Newland, Amy Nicol and Mary Trudgeon
•    Approved the employment of Natalie Bracy (part-time Practical Nursing instructor in Adult Education) and Mela Patterson (volunteer Adult Basic and Literacy Education aide)
•    Accepted the resignations of Frances Ross (GRADS instructor), Deborah Baker (GRADS instructor) and Barbara Hopkins (Early Childhood Education aide) for the purposes of retirement
•    Approved one-year limited contracts for the following staff members: Benjamin Billman, Paige Cromwell, Erin Dearth, Amy Nicol, Peter Raatz, Melony Baker, Robin Borchers, Connie Champ, Rachel Sheeley
•    Approved two-year limited contracts for the following staff members: Donna Beale, Thomas Carrig, Robin Curley, Laura Donnelly, Frank Drain, Derek Dunson, Ryan Gilbert, Stephen Graves, Michael Kouse, Caleb Lang, Kristin Loy, Benjamin Ludlow, Joyce Lyon, Sharon Maurice, Robert Newland, Rodney Peterson, Megan Schneider, JoEtta Spain, Arthur Spragen, Mary Trudgeon, Brittany Whitt (part-time), Julia Barton, Jean Burden, Mark Curtner, Patricia Floro, Terry Gibson, Sharon Halter, Hazel Holmes, Lori Ludwig, Amy Main, Tara Rohr
•    Approved extended day contracts for the following staff members: Mary Jo Altstaetter, Sally Andrews, Lynda Arehart, Amanda Blackburn, Cole Carpenter, Pamela Clark, Robin Curley, Derek Dunson, Judy Fletcher, Stephen Graves, Lynne Hall, Eric Harman, Robin Harrington, Cheryl Hess, Donna Jarzab, Steve Jenkins, Rex Kear, Benjamin Ludlow, Joyce Lyon, Amy McCarthy, JoEtta Spain, Ashley Thompson, Dawn Wallace
•    Approved staff supplemental contracts for maintenance, emergencies, special projects and hourly Adult Education instruction as approved in advance by directors
•    Approved the employment of the following classified staff members: Tamara Troyer (one-year), Cynthia Drumm (part-time, two-year), Angela Kalb (part-time, two-year), Michelle Rutledge (part-time, two-year), Stacy Colwell (continuing), MaryLu Clute (part-time, continuing), Don Jaunzemis (continuing), Susan Reasoner (continuing), Rebecca Rutherford (part-time, continuing), Carol Siebeneck (continuing)
•    Approved the professional meeting requests of Robert Walker (facility and grounds supervisor) to attend the Solar Thermal Class for certification in maintenance in Philadelphia, PA, May 10-14, Mary Trudgeon (USV Information Technology Satellite Instructor) to attend the Business Professionals of America National Leadership Conference with the BPA State Officer in Anaheim, CA, May 4-9, Paige Cromwell (Graham Information Technology Satellite Instructor) to chaperon students attending the National BPA Competition in Anaheim, CA, May 4-9, and Cromwell to attend the High School of Business Pedagogy in Atlanta, GA, June 15-23
•    Approved the 2010-2011 Adult and Continuing Education tuition and fees, part-time salary schedule and program calendars
•    Approved the 2010-2011 textbooks and curriculum
•    Noted that Senior Breakfast is now scheduled for June 3 at 8:45 a.m. in the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center Cafeteria, Convocation is scheduled for June 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Campbell Hill (at Bellefontaine High School in case of inclement weather) and that the last day for seniors is June 4, last day for juniors is June 8 and last day for teachers is June 9
The next meeting of the board of education will be held on Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the Hi-Point Inn.
 

Board Members Present: E. Susanne Bline (Mechanicsburg), Russ Blue (Kenton), Kim Boswell (Indian Lake), Tom Brookhart (Waynesfield-Goshen), Chuck Buck (West Liberty-Salem), Jeff Burroughs (Madison-Champaign Co. ESC), Doug Lassiter (Marysville), William McDaniel (Triad), Joe McKirahan (Logan County ESC), Larry Mouser (Hardin County ESC), Bill Ramsey (Benjamin Logan), Anne Reames (Bellefontaine), Warren Stevens (Urbana), Pat Wagner (Graham), Brian Wright (Riverside)
Board Members Not Present: Brian Moots (Upper Scioto Valley), Robert White (Ridgemont)