Cardinal Schools have a chance to consider consolidation and participate in the remaining decisions. – Bill Blue
Creation of an East Geauga School District might still be in the picture.
Middlefield Village Council asked the Cardinal Schools Board of Education Oct. 25 to restart a conversation with Berkshire Schools about possible consolidation.
Members of council’s economic development committee invited the school board to a special meeting to encourage the board to reconsider its decision made in September of 2015 to opt out of discussions with the Berkshire board.
Councilman Bill Blue chaired the meeting, urging both groups to leave opinions and commentary out of the discussion.
“We face a challenge of a new school in a neighboring community,” he said. Berkshire’s all-grade school to be built on the Kent State University – Geauga campus will affect Middlefield and its school district, Blue said.
“It could have a negative impact on Cardinal Schools’ enrollment, passage of future levies and property values,” he said. “A strong school system means a strong community.”
When state legislation was proposed in early 2015 that would provide more than half of the cost of the school to be paid by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, there were a lot of unknowns, Blue said.
Now more facts are known, it would be a good time for the Cardinal school board to see what kind of balanced consolidation Berkshire would consider, Blue said.
“Cardinal Schools have a chance to consider consolidation and participate in the remaining decisions,” he said.
The new school is in the public-input stage that will lead to a design to accommodate about 1,200 students from the Berkshire school district.
In May 2017, the district’s voters passed a 3.65-mill bond issue by more than 1,000 votes to fund its 45 percent of the new school, which has been estimated to cost $41.6 million.
Last Thursday, Blue urged the board to consider updated information and re-open talks with Berkshire for the sake of Cardinal’s youth.
“We should prepare for the best educational opportunities for future Cardinal school students,” he said. “This goes beyond Huskie Pride.”
School board member Katie Thomas said a lack of solid information from the state and the results of an open-ended, online survey of the district convinced the board the public did not want Cardinal Schools to consolidate with Berkshire.
In addition, Thomas said Cardinal is offering its students a good education as well as College Credit Plus classes to give juniors and seniors a head start in their college careers.
“I don’t think anybody is vilifying the board. With what was available when you had to make a decision to opt out, I don’t see how you could make any other decision,” Blue said. “But things have changed since that meeting and they may make (the idea of consolidation) more palatable.”
Village Mayor Ben Garlich said he became involved recently because he is concerned with the welfare of the entire community.
The board’s decision two years ago was based on a lack of facts, but more facts are now available to them, he said.
Until the levy passed, the idea of a new school was “a pipe dream,” Garlich said, but when the Berkshire community supported the bond issue and the momentum became apparent, he watched to see if the school board might re-start a discussion with Berkshire.
Thomas said the bond issue passed to create a new school for the Berkshire district’s current student population. Cardinal has more than 900 students enrolled — more than the proposed building could absorb.
“I’m confused about what you know and we don’t know at this point,” she said.
If Cardinal wants to be part of the process of planning a larger school and making other decisions like renaming a consolidated school district, the board needs to make that decision in the next three to four months, Garlich said.
“I’d rather see us go in as a partner. That’s your call. My personal opinion — I don’t want to be bought out, I want to be a partner,” he said.
“Why hasn’t the Berkshire board approached us?” Thomas asked.
Garlich said he has been in touch with both Berkshire Superintendent John Stoddard and Cardinal Superintendent Scott Hunt.
“They assured me they are both receptive (to discuss options),” he said.
Cardinal school board member Wendy Anderson said she believes the 5.5-mill additional levy was passed in May 2017 because residents want Cardinal to keep its identity and boundaries.
“KSU is offering things now. That may not continue. The (KSU-Berkshire) partnership may not be available depending on what the state of Ohio does,” she said. “The program may change. It is something to truly consider. Education is constantly changing.”
Cardinal BOE President Ken Klima said he talked to the former KSU-Geauga dean several years ago about Cardinal possibly consolidating with Berkshire and was told the new school will be used for KSU classes and labs when not in use by Berkshire.
“(KSU) would pay us nothing. They are giving us 25 acres of land and the university gets perpetual use of a public school building. I didn’t agree with that,” Klima said.
Cardinal Schools Board of Education member Barb Rayburn said she doesn’t want to see Cardinal Schools lose local control and she doesn’t have confidence in the Berkshire plan.
“There’s no assurance of any plan. We can’t base our decisions on an assumed plan,” she said.
Declining enrollment in Cardinal Schools could be exacerbated once Berkshire opens its new school in three years, Garlich said.
“How do you know enrollment won’t increase?” Klima said, adding he sees consolidation as “a last ditch effort.”
In the last 10 years, Cardinal’s enrollment has dropped from 1,386 to 957 students, Garlich said.
“Our second, third and fourth grade (enrollment) is half what they were in 2007. We’re going to fall off a cliff, I think,” Garlich said.
Thomas said if the new school is being built for Berkshire’s current student population plus 10 percent, and if Burton attracts more residents with children, there may be less room for Cardinal students to open-enroll at Berkshire.
According to presentations by state legislators, the state will continue to fund 55- percent of the cost of enlarging the school if another consolidation occurs.
More levies or bond issues are a certainty as costs increase, Thomas said.
“There will be additional operating levies. There’s no end to that,” she said, adding Ledgemont Schools failed because the community stopped supporting it.
If additional concrete figures are provided, Garlich asked if the board will reconsider consolidation.
“Should we work with you or the Berkshire school board?” Thomas replied.
Village Fiscal Officer Nick Giardina presented figures from Geauga County Auditor Chuck Walder comparing property taxes that go to school districts for the Berkshire school district, the Cardinal school district and a combined school district.
Cardinal district residents have a tax rate of 32.57 mills and currently the owner of a $100,000 home pays $1,021.50 annually toward the school district.
Berkshire district residents have a tax rate of 21.25 mills and currently the owner of a $100,000 home pays $696.78 annually toward the school district.
If the two districts consolidated, the tax rate would be 24.58 mills and the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $752.83 annually toward the school district.
The difference for the owner of a $100,000 home in Cardinal would be 7.89 mills and a savings of $268.68 annually.
Garlich asked council members on the economic development committee and in the audience how they feel about consolidation with Berkshire Schools.
Committee members Dave Dietrich and Dave McDowell said they are neutral and in fact-finding mode. Member Dick Schill said he is open-minded.
“You, as a school board, should communicate with the Berkshire school board. I can’t imagine why it hasn’t happened,” he said.
Councilman Carl Hornung said he has gone to and worked in a small school district.
“I am in favor of consolidation. I wasn’t, to begin with, but that ship is sailing. I think you should meet with the Berkshire board,” he said.
Rayburn said she has been paying attention to the matter.
“This (board) is not a unified group of naysayers. I don’t think we are all necessarily opposed (to consolidation),” she said.
The village will change if a consolidation occurs, Garlich said, adding the buildings will be vacated and the village EIT will decrease.
“Obviously, there are negatives for us, as well. We want the best for our kids,” he said, adding if Cardinal comes to a point where a merger is fiscally necessary, the deal will be in Berkshire’s favor.
Council member Ron Wiesh said Cardinal closed Parkman and Huntsburg schools, causing some growing pains.
“No one wants to give up local control,” he said, adding he hopes Berkshire will cooperate so the new school is big enough for both districts’ students.
Klima said he was on the board when the schools closed.
“We closed Parkman and Huntsburg because enrollment was down and also because they didn’t qualify for certain federal programs,” he said. “Part of it was the dollar sign. In a couple of years, it was all over.”
