Schools to assess funds at meeting

Incumbent state legislators and their opponents have been invited to the forum.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- With many public school districts facing financial problems, area superintendents hope a forum they've planned will help voters, educators and legislators gain an understanding of school funding policies and problems.
The meeting is planned for 7 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Columbiana High School auditorium with William Phillis, executive director of the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, as a speaker.
Columbiana Superintendent Ron Iarussi said many area public school superintendents will attend. He said Jim Hall, South Range superintendent, and Chuck Swindler, Western Reserve superintendent, also will be involved in the program.
Superintendents also have invited incumbent legislators and their election opponents to attend.
Iarussi said area superintendents have often talked about planning a forum on school funding and decided having one before an election would be appropriate time to do so.
Financial difficulties
Iarussi said his district is an ideal site for such a discussion because it is considered an affluent district where students excel, yet funding is inadequate.
He said many people believe districts where many of the district's residents are impoverished are the ones that face financial difficulties.
"When the current funding system has been declared unconstitutional, there's obviously a problem there," Iarussi said. "The funding remains the same because of the system, so we're asked to spend less, but perform better."
Columbiana voters passed a 1 percent income tax, and the district is still faced with a deficit, Iarussi said.
"We've still had to make reductions in staff and programs," Iarussi said. "We are at the point where we can't make any more cuts."