Financial woes engulf school board member who doubles as district treasurer

BY JORDAN COHEN

news@vindy.com

MCDONALD

Brian Stidham admits he has a serious challenge ahead of him: resolving major financial problems for two Trumbull County school districts.

Stidham, 37, is a first-year member of the Mathews Local Board of Education and is starting his second year as treasurer of McDonald village schools.

Both districts face projected deficits. The Mathews board recently ordered Superintendent Lee Seiple to develop a plan in 90 days that will eliminate more than $640,000 in deficit spending.

McDonald’s plan to place a 13.4-mill levy on the November ballot was rejected by the Ohio Financial Planning and Supervision Commission in July. The district, which had previously borrowed more than $2 million from the state, has been in fiscal emergency since October 2009.

“I’m definitely seeing problems from both sides, and I’ve learned a lot,” Stidham said.

Stidham is one of two school treasurers in Trumbull County serving on other boards of education. The other is David Drawl, Brookfield treasurer and Maplewood school board member.

Stidham said that when he submitted his petitions to run for the Mathews position last summer, he had not yet been interviewed at McDonald. At the time, he had been assistant treasurer in the Mahoning County Educational Service Center. After he was hired as McDonald treasurer in September 2009, Stidham decided to continue his Mathews candidacy for personal reasons.

“I’ve got a son who is a fourth-grader at Mathews and thought with my abilities I could help the board,” said Stidham, a Vienna resident for nearly 12 years.

Stidham said the situations in both school districts require tough decisions and he plans to work with Seiple on the deficit reduction plan. Long range, Stidham cited Mathews teacher contracts, which he feels should be re-evaluated.

“The benefits [we pay for] trouble me,” Stidham said. “I’m not saying teachers don’t deserve it, but it makes me think twice when I see taxpayers taking cuts at other places.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.