Guidance on Lordstown staff cuts to come this month

LORDSTOWN -- The administration will make recommendations for school district staff cuts later this month.
Members of a state commission appointed to oversee district finances set 6 p.m. March 20 for the administration to make recommendations for the cuts. The meeting will be in the high school media center.
"By statute, the first place you're looking at is administration, then nonteaching, then nonclassroom instruction and then finally classroom instruction," said James Levero, commission chairman.
Nonclassroom faculty include art, music and elementary physical education teachers.
Commission members had previously said the administration would make recommendations for cuts at Wednesday's meeting. Levero said that was a miscommunication, however.
Purpose of meeting: He said Wednesday's meeting was for the commission to discuss with administrators cuts that already have been made and for an executive session on collective bargaining issues.
"We want to make sure we understand more about the district so that we can devise a plan to restore the financial integrity," Levero said.
The district already has made cuts in other areas in an effort to slow the fiscal hemorrhage. Treasurer Mark A. Ferrara said there's been a reduction of $610,000 in materials, supplies and capital outlay between fiscal years 1998 and 2001.
A custodian, technology coordinator and maintenance worker who retired weren't replaced, resulting in a savings so far of about $65,250 this year, Ferrara said.
Commission members were appointed after state Auditor Jim Petro's office declared the district in fiscal emergency in December, citing a projected $1.35 million deficit by the end of this year.
To develop plan: The commission has until May 10 to develop a plan to get the district out of the red, but Levero said the panel hopes to have that done by early April.
The plan would be available to the public before the May 8 primary election, when voters will decide whether to approve a five-year, 10.2 mill emergency operating levy. The levy is expected to generate $1.3 million annually.
Superintendent Raymond Getz said the district also saved about $8,000 this year by hiring elementary school Principal Joe Agresta on a per diem basis. Nonteaching employees approved a three-year contract, which called for a pay freeze.
"Our nonteaching employees have really taken an enormous responsibility," Getz said.
Overtime restrictions and a prohibition against school field trips paid for out of the general fund also are among the reductions.
"Very little of this is very pleasing to us, but these are the things we had to do," the superintendent said.