Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education Discusses Possible Changes at the State Level

The conversation at the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education meeting Monday night focused on funding in the district and recent activity in Columbus. 

The district has a , and the district’s finances were the common thread throughout the discussions on Monday, whether the topics were local or statewide.

A question from the audience led to a discussion of Ohio Senate Bill 5, the bill that would dramatically change the collective bargaining process and the way members of unions—including teachers—could be paid. 

The bill is not a finalized document, and it has yet to pass even in the Senate. If that happens, it still has to make it through the Ohio House of Representatives and get the approval of Gov. John Kasich. Superintendent Scot Prebles told the audience member that the bill could still change, and it’s too early to speculate on how it could affect the district’s finances.

Some of the board members weighed in on the issue, as well, including Vice President Mark Jantzen, who said that the bill really underlines how much state legislature can impact local school districts.

Board President George J. Balasko said later in the meeting that the bill would change the way the district does business, but it wouldn’t necessarily save dollars.

Chief Financial Officer Karen Obratil gave an overview of the district’s finances for January, saying that its financial forecast was on target. At the moment, the district’s revenues have been higher than expected for the year, and its expenditures lower. Obratil was careful to note that this is a matter of timing, and that the final balance will likely end up in line with the forecast.

The board also got an update on the state of the district’s kindergarten program from Director of Curriculum and Instruction Carla Calevich. Districts were supposed to begin offering free, all-day kindergarten in fiscal year 2011, a potential financial dilemma for districts used to offering half-day programs and charging tuition for the other, optional half of the day, like Brecksville-Broadview Heights had done in the past. Calevich said Ohio House Bill 30, a bill designed to repeal or change many of the education policies from the former state administration, would allow districts to continue offering tuition-based, all-day programs. 

The House of Representatives recently passed the bill. It still needs to be passed by the Senate and approved by the governor, but Calevich said the district is moving forward with plans for full-day, tuition-based kindergarten next year. About a quarter of students in kindergarten have taken part in the full-day program in the past, Calevich said.

In other board news:

• The Board of Education discussed a new energy policy the district is looking to adopt. The policy would help the district become more energy efficient and educate students and staff about energy conservation.  The proposed policy covered a wide variety of specific measures, from the base temperature setting for classrooms to when outdoor lights should be turned off. Board member David Tryon said he felt the board’s policy should be more general, so that the specifics could remain up to the administration. For example, if the base temperature wasn’t working out well for most schools, he didn’t want to see the administration to have to wait for the board's permission to change it. The rest of the board agreed, and the administration will bring a more general policy forward at a later meeting, leaving the specifics as guidelines.
• The board agreed to increase the hourly salary of the district’s maintenance foreman by $1, an increase of about $2,000 per year, Prebles said. But that increase will actually end up saving the district money, because the foreman will take on some of the responsibilities of the retiring supervisor of buildings and grounds. The district will not have to hire a new supervisor, saving about $100,000, Prebles said. The foreman position is open at this time.
• The board approved new agreements with the district’s administrative support personnel and the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Organization of Support Staff.
• The board also approved some changes in personnel, accepting some leaves of absence, resignations and other contract changes. This includes the retirement of the supervisor of buildings and grounds, Jon Spokas, who Balasko said always helped people to get things done, and English teacher Carole Poulson and music teacher Charles Valley. Both were the kind of teacher who could “create a spark in a student,” Balasko said, noting that all of those retirees would be missed.