Sunday, March 24, 2002
The career center operates on tuition per student, while property owners in TCTC districts pay an unvoted tax.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- With the career center named for him about to close, Gordon D. James maintains the closing will be unfair to taxpayers.
The Gordon D. James Career Center was named in his honor when it opened in 1977. James, 81, was Lordstown superintendent for 20 years. Before that, he was a teacher and principal in the district.
He initiated the plan to open the center, which has provided vocational education to high school students in the Lordstown, Niles, Howland, McDonald and Weathersfield school districts for 25 years.
To close: The center is expected to close at the end of this school year.
Niles decided late last year not to renew its five-year contract with the compact.
James said he's sad to see the center closing and still believes it provides vocational education in the most cost-efficient way.
"I think Niles pulling the plug was the worst thing they could do," James said. "It is going to come back to haunt them."
Because member schools pay tuition per student to the center and Niles sent the most students, the other districts couldn't make up the difference to keep the center operating.
Niles, McDonald, Lordstown and Weathersfield have opted to join the Trumbull County Career and Technical Center in Champion.
Howland plans to send its students to the Ashtabula County vocational school.
Must pay tax: Property and business owners in school districts participating in TCTC must pay a property tax of about 2 mills. They don't get to vote on it. Public school districts are required by the state to provide vocational education.
"You can't make any citizen I know of happy to pay a tax they didn't vote on," James said.
The five school districts joined together in 1974 as the Lordstown compact.
"In 1974-1975, there was no JVS and the state said we had to have vocational education," James said.
The Trumbull Vocational District formed in 1966, and five levies to fund vocational education in the county failed in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 and 1973.
"The county superintendent said, 'You're all on your own. You have to figure it out,' " James said.
At the time, Lordstown had some extra money in its general fund. So in 1973, James initiated a permanent improvements fund to provide cash for the vocational program. Construction of the career center began in 1976.
James said Lordstown approached the school districts in the county's southern portion, and McDonald, Weathersfield, Niles and Howland signed on.
Lordstown was able to finance construction without borrowing money. Participating school districts agreed to pay a prorated share over 20 years. Most of the money was for maintenance.
"It was basically an interest-free loan to the other four districts," James said.
Because participating districts pay tuition per student, it didn't come from tax levies.
"How they came up with the money depended on each school district," James said. "How they financed it was up to them."
Likes system better: He maintains it's a fairer system, particularly to taxpayers, than the state system that requires a property tax.
"It doesn't matter how many students each district sends or doesn't send, they pay the same 2 mills," James said.
dick@vindy.com