SCHOOLS Open enrollment tabled for now, board chief says

It's become a political issue rather than a financial or academic one, Brad Gessner said.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Open enrollment is not a viable alternative for the township school district right now, says school board president Brad Gessner.
The board had discussed open enrollment as a possible alternative to generate revenue as the district faces a projected $2 million deficit next year.
Board members did not vote on the open-enrollment issue.
"It has become a political issue rather than a financial and academic issue," Gessner said at the beginning of Tuesday's regular school board meeting.
Several community members voiced opposition to the idea.
Eva Convery of Colgate Drive said she believes that if people want their children to attend Austintown schools, they should move into the community and pay the taxes.
"I prefer that we work to keep our schools excellent by passing levies," she said.
Others said the problem is in the state Legislature and the way the state funds public schools with property taxes.
Fliers
Gessner said rumors in the community had spread the idea that board members had made up their minds in favor of open enrollment. Fliers stating reasons opponents were against the idea were circulated.
He said board members were just trying to educate themselves on the issue.
In his statement, Gessner said that the new superintendent, who starts later this year, should form a committee of taxpayers and students to investigate alternative revenue sources for the district "so these issues may be rationally and intelligently considered rather than turned in to political land mines that divide us."
Board member Michael Creatore said he believes open enrollment is bad for the school district and the community. "It's only a political land mine if you step on it," he said.
He said one of the issues that stopped the board from pursuing an open-enrollment policy was the distribution of fliers opposing the idea.
"I don't think open enrollment is a dead issue in Austintown, although some of us would like to see it a dead issue," he said.