GIRARD Schools near OK'ing open enrollment

Girard schools have been losing about 30 pupils a year for the past two years.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- The board of education has taken the first step toward open enrollment.
By a 4-0 vote with member Stephanie Frankford absent, the board approved the first of two readings Tuesday to adopt the policy.
Superintendent Anthony D'Ambrosio said that if the policy change receives final approval, pupils from outside the district will be accepted beginning in the fall.
D'Ambrosio said the district has to look for pupils outside the district because of a decline in enrollment the past two years, especially at the high school.
Average loss: The district, with its 1,800-pupil enrollment, is losing about 30 annually.
The district could take one or two elementary pupils per year and up to 50 in the high school.
Board member Jane Harris, who said she is generally against open enrollment, cautioned that Girard may attract pupils who have behavioral problems.
But D'Ambrosio explained that transfer pupils usually don't become a problem because their parents are involved in their education.
Lowellville example: He pointed to Lowellville, which has had open enrollment for several years. It is credited with saving the district financially, and it has been a good experience, he noted.
No Lowellville seniors have failed to graduate because they couldn't pass the proficiency test.
Girard receives $3,312 annually for each pupil who lives in the district. It will receive $4,600 for each out-of-district pupil.
Board member Jamie DeVore said it's horrible that school districts are forced to attract pupils to increase revenue because state government has not addressed school funding.
Plan approved: In a related matter, the board approved a resolution supporting the Ohio House of Representatives' school finance plan to better fund public schools.
D'Ambrosio explained that under the plan, the state would place education at the top of budget priorities instead of giving it what's left over.
During the meeting, senior Matt Penza explained to the board that some students are involved in a pilot program using hand-held wireless computers. Twenty seniors and 30 eighth-grade pupils are involved in the testing of the Compaq hardware, which fits in a shirt pocket and uses Mindserve Network software.
Girard is the only district in the state among 100 nationwide taking part in the program.
Within the high school, Penza said, the computer can perform all the functions of a personal computer, including Internet downloading.
Among its functions are recording class instruction and transforming it to a transcript with the use of a printer. It also has an alarm that sounds when a task has to be done.