LORDSTOWN Schools to finalize career center plan

Of the compact schools, Niles sends the most students to the career center.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- Superintendents and treasurers of the school districts in the Gordon D. James Career Center compact plan to meet next week to finalize a contract.
A draft of the agreement calls for a rolling five-year agreement among the five school districts. The initial term of the agreement begins next July 1 and expires June 30, 2007.
On July 1 of each year, the agreement would automatically be extended for a rolling five-year term unless written notice of a decision not to extend is given by a school board of a participating district to the other districts before June 30.
Included: The current career center pact expires at the end of this school year. The compact includes Lordstown, Niles, Howland, McDonald and Weathersfield schools with Lordstown as the administrator.
"Some of the districts wanted 10 years, others wanted five, so this is a compromise," Lordstown Superintendent Ray Getz said at a school board meeting Tuesday.
The superintendents and treasurers will meet Nov. 27 to hammer out a final contract.
Holdout: All of the districts except Niles have passed nonbinding agreements to continue with the career center pact. Last December, the Niles school board passed a resolution to explore an affiliation with the Trumbull County Technical and Career Center.
Niles sends the most students to the career center of the compact districts, and districts pay a tuition per student to attend. If Niles were to pull out, the remaining districts would have to make up the costs to sustain the compact.
Trumbull County Technical and Career Center doesn't charge tuition for students to attend, but residents and businesses in districts that attend the center are assessed a property tax of about 2 mills.
Niles Superintendent Patrick Guliano has said he'll make a recommendation to the school board but hasn't said when that recommendation will come.
Getz said the superintendents and treasurers agreed they would work out a new compact agreement that each could recommend to their respective boards of education.
"I would be disappointed if anyone decided to change that declaration," he said.
Getz said he wants to see all of the school boards pass resolutions on the compact continuation by the end of the year.
The draft contract also says the annual cost of operating the center shall include the cost of supplies, equipment and general building maintenance. The cost of capital repairs or replacement such as of the roof or heating and cooling system isn't included.
Capital repairs and replacements would be the responsibility of Lordstown, which owns the building.
Athlete honored: In other business, the school board recognized Emily Freudenrich, a senior, on being named Ohio's top female athlete by Wendy's International. Emily runs track and cross country and plays basketball at the school and excels in the classroom.
She is a national finalist, the only female from the state, for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award.
dick@vindy.com