GCESC Initiates Ledgemont Transfer to Berkshire
The Geauga County Educational Service Center Board of Governors voted 5-0 last Tuesday evening to initiate the transfer of territory from Ledgemont Schools to Berkshire…
The Geauga County Educational Service Center Board of Governors voted 5-0 last Tuesday evening to initiate the transfer of territory from Ledgemont Schools to Berkshire Schools.
Both school boards voted 5-0 last Monday to ask the ESC to take that action.
Lorri Petersen, ESC treasurer, said Wednesday the next step will be for the county board to file a copy of the resolution it passed with a map of the Ledgemont-owned territory with each board and inform the Geauga County Board of Elections as to the action.
One resident, Carol Geisman of the Ledgemont district, attended the , Petersen said, adding the discussion was all positive.
“It’s an emotional issue. We just want to do the best we can for the kids,” Petersen said. “We take this very seriously. It’s a difficult thing for the Ledgemont school district.”
Members of the ESC board of governors are Dennis Battles, Ken Burnett, Bonnie Cavanaugh, Janice Koster and Steve Remias.
The initiation of the transfer of territory is one more step toward combining the two districts into the Berkshire district. Currently Berkshire includes Burton, Claridon and Troy townships and Burton Village.
Ledgemont, consisting of Montville and Thompson townships, meets the Berkshire territory at the northeast corner of Claridon township, making the transfer legal under House Bill 487, which allows Ledgemont to consolidate with a contiguous district.
Ledgemont Schools Board of Education had been negotiating with the boards of Cardinal Schools to the east and Madison Schools in Lake County to the north for several months.
Both Ledgemont and Cardinal boards voted against a transfer of territory in the last few months. It was reported Madison wasn’t willing to keep the Ledgemont elementary school open.
HB 487 was passed last year to provide Ledgemont with forgiveness of the $1.9 million debt it owes the state. The legislation requires Ledgemont merge with a neighboring district that can predict fiscal solvency for the next five years.
Berkshire’s treasurer Beth McCaffrey has projected the combined districts’ forecasts to meet that bar.
The boards met separately last Monday night and voted to ask the GCESC to initiate the transfer.
Now there will be a 30-day window during which signatures on a petition for a referendum may be gathered, Petersen said.
According to the Ohio Revised Code on territory transfer, 51 percent of Ledgemont residents who voted in the last general election would have to sign the petition.
If no petition is filed, the transfer will take place and all territory belonging to the Ledgemont district will be transferred to Berkshire Schools. Students from Thompson and Montville will become Berkshire students and the teachers and staff will be combined.
Ledgemont Elementary School on Burrows Road in Thompson Township will remain open for grades kindergarten through sixth while students in grades seventh through 12th will be bused to Berkshire High School starting next fall.
