Friday, October 28, 2005
Board members weighed approaching township trustees for more funding.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The board of education is continuing to house Channel 19 at a cost of more than $65,000 a year to the school district, at least for now.
The board, at a work session this week, discussed whether it is cost-effective to continue to house the public access channel, which is owned and funded by the township, in its studio at Fitch High School.
Superintendent Douglas Heuer gave the board a breakdown of Channel 19 costs to the district: for secretarial support, $50,347; for a paraprofessional, $12,133; and for a supplemental contract for a teacher who teaches television classes and works on taping programs, $3,000.
He said the district could still offer telecommunications classes to its students without Channel 19. He said the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center could offer a satellite program at Fitch.
Board member Joyce Pogany was concerned that the center could establish a program at Fitch, then pull out if participation dropped.
"Then what would we do?" she asked. Heuer said the center would have an idea of participation before starting the program, and that it's likely participation would be strong because of a growth in telecommuni & ordm;cations jobs. Students could also attend the program elsewhere.
Asking trustees
Brad Gessner, president of the board, said he believes a $15,000 contribution that Austintown trustees make to the channel is not enough.
"Austintown trustees have promised more funding and it never comes through," he said.
"We could save $65,000, and it would not affect education in the schools. If it's not something trustees will fund, it's something we need to think about," Gessner said.
Board member Michael Creatore said he doesn't believe funding should be "on the backs of the trustees."
"Develop a board policy, and then approach the trustees to see if we can get more money from them," he said.
Board member Dr. David Ritchie said $65,000 is "just the beginning. We have building, maintenance costs and utilities."
"Channel 19 is a valuable asset," Heuer said. "Dave is right when he says it's [the $65,000] a fraction of the overall costs. But you weigh that against public good."
"It's a good cause, but we need to address these ideas among the proper people," Ritchie said.
The board decided to continue to support the channel but address all issues concerning it with a group made up of people directly involved with the channel, school district representatives and township representatives.
In other business at their work session, board members considered costs for a new five-year strategic plan.
Heuer said the present strategic plan needs to be updated.
He said the new plan needs to incorporate issues such as the No Child Left Behind act, new 10th-grade graduation tests and achievement tests.
Heuer provided cost estimates from Jim McCord of McCord Consulting, an independent contractor, who could prepare the entire plan for $12,000.
Heuer is also seeking an estimate from the Ohio School Boards Association, and was directed by Gessner to seek an estimate from the Buckeye Association of School Administrators.
The board also discussed updating its policy manual. Heuer compared services and costs of two organizations that could do the updating -- the Northeast Ohio Law Association and the Ohio School Boards Association.