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McGuffey ups taxes; audience voices ire

5 min read
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McGuffey School Board tackled a lengthy list of items Thursday night, including one that was not on the agenda – vitriol.

The board unanimously passed a $31,681,554 budget for the 2017-18 academic year, down more than $1 million from the preliminary figure of $32,825,380 that had been approved previously. That translates to a 0.35-mill tax increase, to 11.91.

Dr. Erica Kolat, the superintendent, said no student programs were eliminated.

Passage of the spending plan was a highlight of the meeting itself, but the resolution was overshadowed by angry actions that included: a school director abruptly quitting; adults and students decrying the furloughs of nine teachers and three support personnel; and public calls for cutting administration.

The meeting ran slightly less than four hours, including a 70-minute executive session, inside the high school’s very appropriately named large-group-instruction Room 105. An overflow audience of about 70 appeared, about 20 of whom had to listen from outside an open door because of occupancy limitations.

About 20 seconds after the executive session ended and the meeting resumed, Frank Archambault resigned from the board. An audience member quietly muttered, “Don’t! You’re the only one who questions (the other directors).”

Archambault did not immediately explain his decision, but signed up for the second public comment session and took a seat in the audience. When called to the podium, near meeting’s end, he said without elaboration that a board member planned to make a motion “to start litigation against me from something that happened 50 years ago.”

The other directors accepted his resignation. Archambault has about 2 1/2 years left on his term, and the board has 30 days, from Thursday, to fill his seat. Audience members were advised that they can apply for that position if they live in Archambault’s District 1, which comprises Blaine and Donegal townships, Claysville and West Alexander.

Application letters are due by June 29, with the directors to make a choice at a special meeting at 7 p.m. July 13. The individual selected will be an interim director, serving into early December. A nominee or nominees will be placed on the November ballot to fill out the remaining two years.

Running a school district is an expensive endeavor. In making personnel cuts, the board cited “substantial” decreases in pupil enrollment and class and course enrollment. In addition, pension costs increased $180,000.

The directors decided to eliminate the equivalent of eight faculty positions affecting nine people (two were part time). Cut were 2 ½ elementary instructors; one teacher each in computer, technology education, music and social studies; a part-time Spanish teacher; and a full-time secondary librarian.

The board also furloughed the supervisor of transportation, a full-time secretary and the security guard. Those 11 reductions account for $958,628 in savings in salaries and benefits. The district also said it reduced building, maintenance and administration costs.

Personnel cuts upset a number of audience members who addressed the board. Jason Kern, the furloughed transportation supervisor, was among them.

“I’m objecting to your vote to dismiss employees,” said Kern, who was rehired as head softball coach later Thursday night. “Six school board members have family members (working) in the school district, and none of them was furloughed. That is a conflict of interest.

“You say it’s not personal. I say it’s personal to me.”

Katie Seabright, one of his players, said Kern and others who lost their jobs “are the types of leaders this school district should be proud of. I urge the district to find alternate solutions (to finances).”

Lesa Franz, the furloughed secretary, was first to the podium during the initial public comment period. She looked back and marveled, “This turnout is fantastic.”

Losing her composure a little, she said: “To quote a student, ‘Don’t worry Mrs. F. We have your back.’ These cuts have rocked these kids’ world. This district, this community has to find another way to cut costs.”

Franz, whom the board later approved for the substitute para-educator/secretary list, added that “I knew I was low on the seniority list, but never expected to be furloughed.”

Director Ken Leasure responded that “we are furloughing staff, but not anyone on this board or in this room wants that to happen.”

McGuffey’s top administrators, Kolat and assistant superintendent Laura Jacob, were targeted by several speakers, who questioned the need for two highly paid leaders.

Dana Lyle, a nurse with Highmark, mentioned a number of regional districts similar in size to McGuffey and said “they don’t have assistant superintendents. You could save (a lot of money) there.”

Colleen Dobrzynski, a parent with two children in the district, asked, “Has anyone in the administration looked at cutting from two administrators to one? One (furloughed) teacher is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) teacher, and so many districts have STEAM.

“I understand the talk about shrinking enrollment. I think the district should look at shrinking administration.”

Some speakers expressed concern that Spanish is McGuffey’s only foreign-language option. Kolat and school director Rich Shriver, however, said the district has tried to expand its language offerings and has encountered a dearth of qualified instructors.

“We can’t find a French teacher or a German teacher or any other language teacher,” Shriver said.

“We have interviewed for a French teacher for two years,” Kolat said. “It’s hard to find language teachers.”

Thus closed a meeting that, in any language, was contentious.

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