LORDSTOWN Career center board works on pact

LORDSTOWN -- Gordon D. James Career Center's advisory board has given school officials 30 days to come up with a new operating agreement.
The board made the decision Tuesday, giving superintendents and treasurers more time to come up with a new pact.
Lordstown, Howland, Weathersfield, Niles and McDonald are members of the consortium that send students to the school, administered by the Lordstown district.
Niles Superintendent Patrick Guliano said the superintendents and treasurers want to update the pact that expires in June 2002.
Items that need ironed out, Guliano said, are instruction for special-needs students, length of contract, how much districts pay for students to attend, and programs that should be added or eliminated.
Signed: All the districts, except for Niles, have signed a nonbinding agreement to continue the pact, and pressure has been placed on Guliano to commit sending Niles students to the school next year.
Guliano said that it's only a good business practice to have input on any agreement.
Because Niles sends the most students to the center, it pays the highest tuition. If Niles pulls out, the other districts would have to make up the difference to keep the facility open.
If the center is closed, the districts would have to join the Trumbull Career and Technical Center in Champion.
Property taxes would increase in the school districts by at least 2 mills.
Guliano has maintained the Lordstown facility can remain open without it; other superintendents disagree.