Board eliminates teachers, increases class size, boosts fees

by Laura Bednar

Feb. 18 board of education meeting

The Nordonia Hills Board of Education approved staffing and program cuts but tabled a motion to reduce transportation and voted against reducing counseling services.

Superintendent Casey Wright said six committees made up of community members and school employees met several times to recommend cuts. The approved spending reduction plan eliminates four middle school teachers and increases class size from 21-22 to 25-26. At the high school, 5 1/2 positions will be eliminated, with 3 1/2 gone this year and two next year. 

Also eliminated are three part-time custodians at Ledgeview, Lee Eaton and Northfield schools, one supervisor at Rushwood and Lee Eaton, 11 paraprofessionals and 13 building substitutes. 

“In some cases, teachers wouldn’t get a break during the day with that reduction,” said Wright, noting they will have to cover extra classes. 

The suspension program, which was previously held at the YMCA, will be moved in-house. The reduction eliminates the social emotional learning curriculum at the middle school and high school.

Wright added that the German program at the high school will be phased out due to staff cuts, but Nordonia will still offer Spanish and French, which he said are more popular.

Board member Chad Lahrmer said the cost cutting doesn’t go far enough, noting that the financial forecast shows $4 million in deficit spending, but the reduction plan provides only $1.8 million of savings.

“It hurts and I don’t want to do this, but I also don’t want to be doing this again in two years,” he said. “We need to cut deeper and talk about closing a building sooner.”

Board President Liz McKinley said she realizes the numbers are people and “this is the fiscal reality we are in.”

Said board Vice President Jason Tidmore, “None of us take this lightly.” He added he hopes the community will show support to get the district back on track.

The board voted unanimously in favor of the reduction plan. Amy Vajdich was absent.

Lahrmer said he is not against school resource officers but is frustrated that the district has to fund their salaries as opposed to police departments, the county sheriff’s office or the governor. He said cutting SROs would allow two to three more teachers to stay.

“Officers in our buildings do a tremendous amount of teaching,” said board member Matt Kearney, adding that he thinks a safety and security levy for officers would pass if placed on the ballot.

Board members approved a reduction in force plan, in which teachers and classified staff had until the end of February to take the offered buyout. The board has 15 days after that to decide whether to move forward with the buyouts.

A reduction in busing from 33 routes to the state minimum 24 was tabled indefinitely. Board members said they first wanted to see the approved state budget. 

“If we decide to cut busing, it’s going to be very hard to bring busing back,” said Wright, adding that drivers will find work in other districts.

Lahrmer said if the district reduces busing, it should be done sooner than later so families can plan for next school year. He was the sole vote against tabling the issue.

Tidmore said he wanted to see ridership numbers and said he is “concerned about the direct impact on student absenteeism” if routes are reduced.

Board members voted 3-1 to increase student fees, such as pay-to-participate, with Kearney dissenting. Fees were increased by 10%.

Tidmore said parents have “fundraiser fatigue” and it felt like the board is punishing parents. He said he doesn’t think 10% is enough, but if the financial situation gets better, the board will be in a position to reduce fees. 

Kearney said he has fought to decrease fees and hates to put the responsibility on parents and coaches.

Lahrmer said Kearney previously didn’t want to makes cuts that affect the classroom but won’t vote for athletic fee increases, which could prevent more classroom cuts. Kearney argued that athletics affects the classroom because it gives students an outlet.

Lahrmer then said Kearney has never advocated for a levy and voted against it to appear “politically favorable.” Said Lahrmer, “You are sitting up here playing political games. We need to ask the community for money and you want to sit here and talk about saving a few thousand dollars.”

In response, Kearney said, “The community has asked more of us than continuing to do the same thing over and over again.” He added that he will not attack a person but will attack a bad idea, which he believes the levy is.

By a 3-1 vote, the board refused to reduce clinical counseling services, with Lahrmer dissenting. The reduction would have limited counselors to only middle and high school buildings. McKinley said that when a child is in a state of crisis, they can’t learn properly.

Financial focus

Treasurer Kyle Kiffer explained the 20-mill floor, a state law that says the application of tax reduction factors can’t cause a district’s combined inside and outside millage to fall below 20 mills. 

Outside millage from bonds, emergency and renewal levies are not factored into the 20-mill floor. If property values increase, rates decrease. If the rate falls below 20 mills, it must be adjusted to reach 20 mills, per state law.

Kiffer said Nordonia’s total voted and inside millage totals 72.2. With the reduction factor, it brings the amount to 33.6, above the 20-mill floor. This means there is no tax increase for the community.

Public forum

Stephanie York, district intervention specialist for 16 years, spoke about her resignation. “The community needs to know that you’re losing great teachers when the community doesn’t support the schools, and students lose teachers that genuinely change their lives,” she said.

Community member Ginny Aubel said the levy is not for the schools, it’s for the kids.

In other actionThe board voted to recognize boys volleyball as a varsity sport. It is currently a club sport with volunteer coaches. The recognition allows student athletes to letter in the sport but does not change the structure.