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West Geauga meeting to give public its say
(by Sue Hoffman - April 06, 2011)
West Geauga meeting to give public its say
By SUE HOFFMAN
West Geauga School Board members said they welcome the opportunity to have a community meeting April 11 to answer questions about issues facing the district. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the middle school cafeteria.
Several members of the public have requested a meeting in which they are not restricted in time in making comments or asking questions. At regular school board meetings, individuals are restricted to five minutes each.
"All of us agree that open, clear communication with the community cannot be overstated," school board member Benjamin Pintabona said. "It's a great opportunity for the board to hear community concerns. Everyone has the right to speak and to be heard."
Mr. Pintabona said the community meeting "might be the first of a few. It's good for us and the community." It's not without precedent. He said a few years ago, the board suspended its meeting for about 45 minutes to have an open discussion about gas wells.
Many of the parents and students who have addressed the school board recently are upset at the budget cuts, school board President William Beers said. The board has cut $750,000 from next year's budget to avoid a deficit.
"The cuts are not something we like to do," he said. However, based on information about funding sources, "we believe we have no other choice." He said the board considered state funding and reasonable expectations in local funding in making that determination.
School Superintendent Thomas Diringer said what's difficult for community members is that they "have not been through reductions in many years." Previously, plans for reductions were always tied to a levy, he said, but the current situation is different.
Dr. Diringer said all public schools are facing a different future regarding funding, including "significant hits locally and at the state level."
Mr. Pintabona said the board and administration receive frequent information from the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio School Boards Association regarding the governor's budget on school funding, and the figures keep changing. "What we know for sure is there will be a reduction in funding," he said.
Mr. Beers and Mr. Pintabona emphasized the importance of the passage of the 0.95-mill permanent-improvement levy on the May 3 ballot. The levy would raise over $631,000 for the district and cost homeowners $29.09 for each $100,000 valuation.
"There are things in the buildings that must be fixed," Mr. Beers said. "If we don't pass the permanent-improvement levy, they will have to be done with money from the operating budget."
"I can't tell you the number of trash cans at the high school catching water from the roof," Mr. Pintabona said. The levy before voters "is a care-and-repair levy." It would fund the replacement of old roofs and repair asphalt lots and concrete walks, he said.
"Maintenance deferred is maintenance multiplied," said Mr. Pintabona, who is a professional project manager in school building construction.
Mr. Beers said the board will continue to seek additional means of communications in getting news about the school district to more of the public.
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