TRUMBULL COUNTY Board makes third attempt to pass school levy

The number of school employees has already been reduced.
By ANTHONY M. NICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BROOKFIELD -- Hoping this time will be the charm and not the third strike, board of education members are urging school district residents -- especially those with children in the local schools -- to vote for the upcoming school levy Nov. 2.
The 4-mill levy was defeated last March, and in November 2003.
Board member Louis Saloom said Wednesday night that if every parent with a child enrolled in Brookfield Schools voted for the levy, it would pass. He explained the school district has an enrollment of about 1,400 pupils, and that should translate into about 2,000 yes votes if every parent with a school-age child went to the polls, even taking into account single-parent households.
Saloom added the March levy failed by 1,700 votes.
"People don't know what a treasure we have here, and if people don't start to get it, we're going to lose that," said Gwen Martino, co-chairwoman of a committee organized to campaign for the levy.
Martino said a healthy school district is vital to the health of the community overall. She added the district cannot afford to cut back on more teachers and programs and hope to keep the pupils it already has.
Cuts
After the levy was defeated in March, the board approved the recommendation of Superintendent Joseph White to reduce certified employees by 15, and eliminate 7.5 classified positions.
White said the cuts were needed to offset a projected $846,000 deficit at the end of this school year.
The cuts included the loss of two full-time kindergarten teachers, which forced the district to downgrade kindergarten instruction from full-time to half-time.
Cuts at the elementary school level included the loss of the art and physical education instructors, and those classes are not being offered at that level this school year.
White said if passed, the 4 mills will bring in an additional $525,000 in revenue.
A priority would be to hire two new full-time kindergarten teachers and restore that grade to full-time instruction. Bringing back art and physical education classes to the elementary schools would also be a priority, said White.
Participation
Besides cuts, the district has also implemented revenue-raising measures this year including a pay-to-participate program for pupils wanting to engage in extracurricular activities such as sports.
In a related matter, Athletic Director Tim Taylor said participation in fall sports, including cheerleading, at the middle and high school levels is down by about 40 pupils compared to last school year.
Taylor said the largest drops in participation are in volleyball and cheerleading.
He attributed the decreased participation mainly to the pay-to-participate program.
In other business, the board accepted the resignation of school Treasurer Michele Orahood, effective Dec. 15. Orahood has been employed by the district for more than six years.
The next regular board of education meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the high school, with a work session beginning at 6 p.m.