Liberty board OKs $350K settlement from district’s 2 community schools

By Robert Guttersohn

rguttersohn@vindy.com

Liberty

The board of education voted 4-1 Tuesday to settle financially with its two community schools, with board Vice President Gloria Lang being the lone dissenting vote.

Lang would not comment on her reasoning for voting no.

Liberty schools had sponsored the two community schools — Liberty Exemplary Academic Design and Liberty Early Academic Resource Nest — but withdrew its sponsorship as part of the settlement, relieving the district of state-mandated closing obligations.

The settlement avoids possible litigation that would tie the cash-strapped district to the courts for the unforeseeable future, board members said.

The settlement includes a payment of $250,000 to the district from the community schools due today, and an additional $100,000 within the year for use of the school district’s older buildings.

The community schools “said they’d keep us in court with litigation, and we’d be spending money on attorneys we don’t even have,” said Diana DeVito, school board president.

Board member Jeffrey Grinstein, who was actively involved in the negotiation process, believes Liberty would have prevailed in the courts, but the fight would have taken focus from educating students.

“Sometimes winning isn’t really winning,” Grinstein said.

Also in the settlement is the agreement that LEAD and LEARN schools can no longer operate within Liberty Township; however, future spinoffs of the two community schools could operate in the Liberty School District.

The Liberty School District on June 14 suspended the two community schools’ operations. Action at the board’s next special meeting, 8 p.m. Tuesday in the high school’s community room, will rescind the suspension contingent on receiving the $250,000 today.

Two years ago, the district’s former administration told the board that the district would be receiving additional foundation money from the state for the two community schools. After the district’s former treasurer resigned in May, audits revealed Liberty schools were not receiving additional money from the state. In fact, the money was taken from Liberty by the state and funneled to the community schools.

“As a board member, I am embarrassed that I was duped,” Grinstein said of the decision to approve the community schools. “What the group of individuals has done to our district is unforgiveable, and the damage runs deep. But we are better now than we were one year ago.”