Guest Column: Public Should Have a Vote on West Geauga, Newbury Territory Transfer
Is the West Geauga Board of Education telling us the whole truth?
Is the West Geauga Board of Education telling us the whole truth?
I attended the regular scheduled board meeting on March 11, 2019, where I asked the board a couple questions regarding the Newbury territory transfer and the master plan for the new West G campus.
While the board did not comment on the master plan, they did speak a little about the Newbury territory transfer.
One of the things that President Ben Kotowski stated was that he would love for this territory transfer to go to a public vote, but the reality is the Ohio Revised Code does not allow the public to vote for a territory transfer. So, that makes me wonder then why they are willing to be in these discussions with Newbury if they will not allow our community to vote.
After doing some research there are several ways Newbury could join West G and the only one that doesn’t allow the public to vote is the territory transfer.
Then when you go watch some of the Newbury board meetings, they are stating the only way West G would take them was through a territory transfer. Makes me wonder what our board is hiding from us, what they are planning to do with the Newbury buildings and why they wouldn’t even consider a merger or consolidation where we could have our voices heard.
If our board president really wants, like he says he does, our community to vote, then why not? There are opportunities for it if they really wanted that.
Mr. Kotowski stated the closest they could come to a public vote was by the phone survey they had Baldwin Wallace perform. I disagree. I feel the closest you could get to a public vote is a public vote.
I asked the board if we, as a district, were prepared for students from Newbury to open enroll to other schools and not come to West G, and what would that do to us financially. Their answer was concerning and left me with more questions.
Kathy Leavenworth stated the state money will follow the student. It is my understanding that the state pays somewhere between $400 to $600 per student to the district per year, and when a student open enrolls to another district their home district pays the new district almost $6,000 per student per year. Putting this into perspective, Newbury will have close to 250 students at the end of 2020. Using the average of $500 (state money), West G will receive an additional $125,000 from the state to educate the Newbury students. If 100 kids open enroll to Berkshire, that is $600,000 that West G will be paying Berkshire.
My point, Mrs. Leavenworth’s answer to me was at minimum misleading and our treasurer did not correct her. Nor was this a time where open dialogue is allowed.
The treasurer stated Newbury is to come with $5 million. That again is misleading. It is in the West G board meeting minutes from Dec. 27, 2018. Mrs. Leavenworth motioned to amend a resolution that would add the language, “. . . Such territory transfer would be contingent upon, but not limited to . . .” The resolution goes on to say “a reduction of staff to a level necessary to accommodate the needs of students added to the West Geauga Local School District as a result of the territory transfer and a fund balance equal to or greater than the amount projected in the Newbury Local School District’s October 2018 five-year forecast for the year ending June 30, 2020.”
When you check Newbury’s October 2018 five-year forecast, they are projected to end on June 30, 2020, with $3.4 million. That a large difference.
I touched base on the social media post where the Newbury teachers’ lawyer has reached out to West G threatening a lawsuit. I am extremely concerned about this. If this lawsuit goes through, I would assume that West G existing teachers would be affected as well as our students. I feel that is unjust. For us as a community to not have a vote on such a large topic that is affecting so many lives is incomprehensible.
Side note: Our districts website has a tab labeled District Consolidation. Again misleading. If this were a consolidation, we would have a vote.
Kristi Farina
Russell Township
