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Next round of Chardon school cuts runs deep
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - January 12, 2011)
Next round of Chardon school cuts runs deep
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Cuts are coming to the Chardon School District, regardless of whether voters pass an operating levy this year.
School Superintendent Joseph Bergant II said Monday that he will be announcing $1.2 million in cuts at the Feb. 14 school board meeting. He said they will be "significant" and involve teaching positions and programs.
In the last round of cuts, Mr. Bergant said, he was able to cut elsewhere and only reduced 1.5 employees. However, he said, it will be different this time. "I cannot do that this year. The cuts will be significant," he said.
Affected teachers and union officials will be notified in advance of the cuts, he said.
They will not affect any Advanced Placement courses, he said.
And if the district receives no additional revenue this year, there will be an additional $1.8 million in cuts at the end of the next school year, Mr. Bergant said.
He reminded the school board that it has until Jan. 28 to take action on a ballot issue for May. He said the board may need to hold a couple of special meetings before that date to decide what option they will pursue.
Mr. Bergant said the district needs a 4.2-mill levy, the same amount rejected by voters last November. "We do have a need for the money," he said.
Prior to the upcoming meetings, he said, the hope is that the board may begin to see results of a random telephone survey the district is conducting at the end of this week and the start of the next. He said one or two questions in the survey will deal with tax issues.
Mr. Bergant said he anticipates that the board will have preliminary results of that survey by the end of next week.
Since the district's five-year forecast shows a deficit, the Ohio Department of Education is expecting a report on whether it plans a tax issue or a reduction plan in staff and programming. Without that report, the district is automatically placed on fiscal caution, he said.
Board members are reviewing their schedules to determine when a special meeting may be held to discuss possible levies.
Board member Blake Rear said there is a "95 to 99 percent" chance there will be a primary election in May. If there is not, the district would assume the entire cost for putting on the election, he said.
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