FISCAL EMERGENCY Bristol district gets jump on audit advice

Commission members voted to close the elementary school at the end of this school year.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BRISTOLVILLE -- Much of what is recommended in a state performance audit of Bristol schools is already under way.
On Thursday, Ohio Auditor Betty Montgomery released the audit of the district, which has been in fiscal emergency since October.
"A lot of the information we received, we're already looking into," said Superintendent Rocco Nero.
School closing
The commission appointed to oversee the district's finances voted last month to close Farmington Elementary at the end of this school year to cut costs.
The audit recommends closing that school and turning the high school into a kindergarten through eighth-grade school, and changing the middle school into a high school. Both the high school and the middle school are on the same campus.
Montgomery's office also recommended cutting eight teacher positions and the computer operators. The district already cut the computer operators and four teacher positions.
Earlier this week, the school board approved a pay-to-participate plan, in which pupils would be charged $350 per sport to participate. A plan to charge for other extracurricular activities also is in the works, Nero said.
In March, voters rejected a 7.9-mill levy that would have generated about $560,000 annually for the district. The district plans to try another levy in an August special election.
The auditor's office used Southington, Joseph Badger and Mechanicsburg as peer districts for comparison.
District's efforts
The auditors listed "noteworthy accomplishments" by the district, including efforts to reduce staff and costs for supplies and services and adjusting fees including cafeteria prices. Based on the number of students transported and square mileage of the district, Bristol's transportation department is efficiently staffed, the auditors found.
The audit also recommends changes in the district's health insurance during the next contract negotiations so employees pay a portion of the monthly premium based on number of hours worked.
Employees also agreed to no cost of living increase for the 2004 to 2005 school year because of the money crunch.
The district's "financial condition could be further improved if the district negotiates [cost of living adjustments] of less than 3 percent in future years," the audit says.
denise_dick@vindy.com