December Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A squabble over chickens, the opening of the grand McConnell Arts Center, and an about face on a school levy kept headline writers busy in 2009.

The economy continued to wreak havoc with the bottom lines of the city, schools, and library, with each being forced to reduce spending and to wonder aloud about something called sustainability. Both the city and the schools warned the community that more cuts and probably more taxes will be needed to continue operating in the manner to which it has become accustomed.

Probably the most talked about story in years was the brouhaha over backyard chickens. After Andy Rozmiarek learned he was in violation of city ordinances by keeping his three birds in a coop in his East New England Avenue backyard, he asked city council to consider changing the law.

Then the chickens were killed by two dogs, accusations flew, the community was divided. And nothing happened. The issue seems to be permanently tabled.

The schools placed two operating levies on 2009 ballots. The first, a 7.4-mill levy, was defeated 60-40 in May. The second, a 6.9-mill incremental levy, was approved by a similar margin in November.

School officials threatened huge cuts to programs and staff if the November levy had failed. Many were concerned about the possible reductions, but the loudest message sent during both campaigns came from residents concerned about ever-increasing teacher salaries.

The teachers' union agreed to no increase in base salary in 2011-12, but the issue is one that promises to continue into coming years.

The other continuing story that peaked in 2009 was the McConnell Arts Center. It was more than a decade in the planning, but at its grand opening in November the community seemed overwhelmingly pleased with the sleek, modern facility that was developed within the historic Packard Annex.

Names in the news included Lt. Doug Francis, who left the Worthington Division of Police to become deputy, then chief, in Hilliard; Bill Owens, who was named Small Business Person of the Year; Steve Gandee, who retired as Worthington's finance director; and John Butterfield, who opted to not seek re-election to a second term on council.

Well-known residents who died in 2009 include Sondra Davis, Saul Seigel, and 20-year-old Greg Tilton, a soldier who grew up in Worthington and died shortly after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq.

City officials said they were optimistic that the new owners of Worthington Square would work with the city to breath life back into the struggling retail center. General Electric Financial had purchased the mall from Columbus Retail, Inc., in December.

Voters learned they would be asked to approve an operating levy for the schools in May.

Jason Liu changed the name of Jason's Restaurant to J. Liu's after a chain called Jason's Deli moved to Dublin and laid claim it's federally registered name.

Chickens made quite a squawk in Worthington for several weeks after East New England Avenue resident Andy Rozmiarek asked Worthington City Council to change the law restricting chickens to only a few large lots in the city. Rozmiarek and his family kept three chickens in a coop in their backyard.

The school board decided to place a 7.4-mill levy on the May ballot.

The Rozmiarek chickens were killed by two dogs that got into the coop on a Sunday morning. The dogs had been running at large, and either broke into the coop or were allowed to enter by a person who cut the chicken wire with cutters. Rozmiarek asked council to continue its consideration of overly restrictive chicken laws.

A three-story brick office building was proposed to replace the current building at 933 High St.

The city-owned building at 752 High St. was recommended for commercial rezoning by the Municipal Planning Commission. The rezoning, which was eventually approved by council, allows for the former library and school administration building to become a restaurant, bookstore, farmers market, or even a theater.

MedVet opened an addition for cancer patients. Pets there undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment for cancer.

A group of canine enthusiasts gathered to plan for a dog park in Worthington.

Sharon Township Trustees began looking for new headquarters for its police department after negotiations between the trustees and the Memorial Board broke down. The police and other township employees had worked out of Sharon Township hall, 137 E. Granville Road, for 33 years.

Lt. Doug Francis, one of Worthington's best-known officers who had been with the police department for 23 years, was hired as deputy chief in Hilliard.

Sharon Township police moved into office space on Olentangy River Road, just south of Olentangy Village Center.

Jon Cook, former director of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and director of operations for Ballet Met, was named as the first director of the McConnell Arts Center.

The campaign for the upcoming school levy heated up. At a meeting sponsored by Educate Worthington, critics said teachers should not be receiving large raises while other people are struggling financially. Meanwhile, in an unusual move, Worthington City Council endorsed the 7.4-mill levy.

A group of volunteers announced plans to open a food pantry to serve Worthington residents in need.

It was announced that city income tax revenues were down 5.78 percent in the first quarter of the year, leaving city officials pondering cuts in programs, projects, and personnel.

The 7.4-mill operating levy for the schools was defeated by a vote of 5,353 to 3,649 - a nearly 60-40 margin. School officials at first blamed the economy. After talking to community members, some board members traced the defeat to a lack of a sense of urgency, a shortcoming in convincing voters that the board had been fiscally responsible, and too much of a raise for teachers granted in the latest contract.

Well-known Worthington contractor Bill Owens was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce.

Twin brothers Donald and Ronald Dill were grand marshals of the 89th Memorial Day Parade.

The chicken issue returned to city council, with public sentiment seemingly evenly divided. Some residents wanted to keep all fowl out of backyards, while others said they would like to see a limited number of chickens permitted. Council seemed in favor of rewriting the city code. The issue was to return at a later meeting, but by the end of the year, it had not.

City finance director Steve Gandee announced plans to retire to take a job with the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA).

Worthington Libraries Director Meribah Mansfield joined library directors across the state in urging residents to contact Gov. Ted Strickland to object to a proposed $227.3-million cut in state funding to libraries.

The community mourned the lost of one of its most colorful characters. Saul Seigel, 82, continued his busy social and community life until his final day, when he died of an aneurysm.

The city, schools, and library combined to hire consulting firms to gauge community perceptions and satisfaction. Each paid $25,000. The information will be used to plan the future of each.

City council members said they were shocked at the condition of some city buildings that were showing signs of premature aging. They approved requests for proposals from architectural firms to oversee a $550,000 building improvement program. More money will be needed to replace the leaking entryway at the community center.

The Worthington Food Pantry opened in a donated building at the United Methodist Children's Home.

When asked what positions or programs should be reduced if voters did not approve a November operating levy, many residents at a public forum answered with a common refrain: cut teachers salaries and benefits.

Sondra Davis, 67, was found dead in her Sharon Springs Drive home. Davis was a familiar figure in Worthington, almost daily seen walking with a backpack and hiking boots. She was also the mother of Allen Davis, who is in prison for shooting at teenaged girls after they walked onto the Davis property in August 2006.

A 6.9-mill incremental levy was placed on the November ballot. The first time used in Worthington, an incremental levy goes into effect in stages over three years.

The school received an "excellent with distinction" on its annual state report card. It is the highest ranking a district can receive.

John Butterfield announced he would not seek a second term on Worthington City Council. He said he was disappointed that council had not taken steps to strengthen the local economy. For four years, he had attempted - and failed -- to persuade council to hire a full-time economic development director.

Filing election petitions for council seats were Lou Goorey, Michael Duffey, Dave Foust, D.J. Falcoski, Scott Myers, and Doug Smith. Smith was disqualified because his petition did not have the required number of signatures.

No one stepped up to challenge incumbents David Bressman, Jennifer Best, or Marc Schare, each of whom announced intentions to run for re-election to the school board.

After years of work by local volunteers, Old Worthington was accepted by a state advisory board to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

School officials issued a list of deep cuts that would go into effect if the operating levy did not pass.

The Worthington teachers' union agreed to accept no increase to their base pay in the 2011-12 school year. Worthington Education Association president Pete Scully called the concession "being part of the solution."

Thirteen young adults were arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff's Department in a drug sweep in the Worthington school district. Some of the drug transactions took place at the Worthington Dairy Queen and Worthington Square. The most popular drug involved was brown heroin.

Bird Houk Collaborative was hired by Worthington City Council to lead the way in what leaders hope will be redevelopment of the south side of East Wilson Bridge Road.

The McConnell Arts Center held a "soft" opening with a concert and the opening of an exhibit by Worthington artists Dorothy Gill Barnes.

Worthington schools operating levy campaign chair Jennifer Economus said she was "very confident" the 6.9-mill levy would pass.

In a turnaround of the May levy returns, the 6.4-mill incremental operating levy was approved by a 60-40 margin.

Scott Myers was elected to Worthington City Council, along with incumbents Lou Goorey, Mike Duffey, and Dave Foust.

John Oberle and Linda Jarrett were elected to the Sharon Township Board of Trustees.

James Roper and Andrew English were elected to the Perry Township Board of Trustees.

The grand opening of the McConnell Arts Center was a hit, with hundreds turning out to admire the new MAC, which was more than a decade in the planning and development stages.

The Architectural Review Board approved solar panels for Evening Street Elementary School.

Sara Small, 24, of the Far North side, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for hitting a man with her car on Schrock Road on July 28, 2008. Small left the scene of the accident and the victim, Domingo Aparicio, died. She admitted she was texting at the time of the accident, and had been drinking.

Maple Lee Flowers, a downtown landmark that had served generations of Worthington families, closed its doors at the end of the holiday season. It moved to a site on U.S. Route 23 north of Powell Road.

U.S. Army Pfc. Greg Tilton, 20, died at Ft. Riley, Kansas, shortly after returning from serving a year in Iraq. Tilton grew up in Worthington and was the son of Tim and Brenda Tilton of Morning Street.

City council approved a $22.3-million operating budget. It included cuts of $600,000, salary freezes for non-union employees, and borrowing from capital funds.

By PETE SCULLY, GUEST COLUMNIST

Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger did not land his plane on the Hudson solely through courage and leadership.

His public education may have played a bigger role than you might think. And you can be an integral part of it all!

Sullenberger attended public schools for his primary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate education. He also received his initial flight training in the military -- at taxpayer expense.

Today, flight training sufficient for a commercial airline pilot costs some $80,000. In other words, the flight training for Captain Sully and his co-pilot would cost approximately $160,000.

* For slightly less, the Worthington City Schools educate each child from kindergarten through high school graduation, at a level the state of Ohio honors as "excellent with distinction." The point is that an investment in high-quality public education is worth every dollar we spend on it -- not just for the individual who receives it, but also for those whose welfare that individual holds in his or her hands.

But there is far more to it than money.

The longstanding success of Worthington schools is built with many layers of support. Some are obvious. Rich learning environments provided by staff and community; attentive, engaged students; actively involved families and a focused district leadership are critical. Some elements get less attention, but are no less important, like a supportive set of community leaders who have diverse interests, talents and backgrounds.

There is a wealth of citizen-led support groups with direct impact on student learning and development, and I'd like to recognize just a few: Circle of Grandparents (circleofgrandparents.com), Leadership Worthington (leadershipworthington.org), Partners for Citizenship and Character (citizenshipandcharacter.org), the Rotary Club of Dublin-Worthington (www.dublinworthingtonrotary.org), various parent-teacher organizations, Worthington Alliance of African American Parents (waaap.org), Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce (worthingtonchamber.org) and Worthington Educational Foundation (worthedfoundation.org).

The list goes on. While many of these groups aren't unique to Worthington, it is amazing how so many organizations and active participants are involved and invested in our schools.

These networks provide strong support, high levels of accountability, and cadres of informed and interested citizens. They are the unspoken heroes of the Worthington schools. They are the community members who see the value of the school district on a regular basis. They understand where the money goes and have built relationships with our staff and district leadership.

If you were thinking, "I don't have school-aged children. There is no way for me to be involved in the schools," think again. It's as simple as finding a group that shares your interests and talents. Get to know the school system and the value it brings to the community. Meet some great people -- young and old -- along the way. Celebrate the great public education system that has earned high marks from the state, its elected officials and countless local families, past and present.

Be part of the success, part of the improvement process, and part of sustaining excellence in the future.

Pete Scully is a high school chemistry teacher and current president of the Worthington Education Association.

Educate Worthington gets some notable press from the Columbus Dispatch HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE.

Listen to a podcast of Jim Siegel who did the story on "Teachers Salaries Raising Eyebrows."

Educate Worthington held a public forum on sustainability.  To download a printout of our powerpoint presentation, click HERE.

Published: Wednesday, November 11, 2009

To the Editor:

The reason for levy Issue 49 was that the board of education continually put a priority on employee salary and benefits ahead of educating local children, causing a reported $14 million budget deficit.

During the levy campaign, the board acknowledged it had not had a levy increase in five years, but failed to remind voters that every single year, they still provided salary increases for all employees, plus increases for two additional years. Is there any doubt who caused this deficit?

The sole purpose of the school district is to educate our children. However, the board made it clear to voters that if cuts were required, they would affect our children's education and not employees' salary or benefits. If you didn't already know, the proceeds from levy Issue 49 are again going to cover the escalating cost of salary and benefits.

There is absolutely no doubt that the board of education and union representatives knowingly caused the district's financial crisis, and each "yes" vote provided them additional money to continue their gluttonous spending. Please don't be mistaken; the board of education has already admitted to needing additional levies to cover even more forecasted deficit spending for salary and benefits.

As a community, we must start working with the board of education and the unions on the district's financial sustainability, as these spending habits cannot continue.

Ed Parsons

By GARTH BISHOP, COMMENTARY EDITOR

Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Leading up to this fall's election, I witnessed a lot of apparent discontent with the establishment.

We received an enormous number of letters to the editor, and although some incumbents and ballot issues saw a lot of support, there was much clamoring for changes in the way things are done. In the comments on our Web site, the clamoring got even louder.

A lot of it was driven by the economy and this recent narrative that everybody in the government is spending way too much money.

You'd think from the way some folks told it that this election would mark a revolution against incumbents and issues like tax levies.

But Election Day painted a much different picture.

Local library levies all passed, as did three out of five school levies, including in beleaguered South-Western. A countywide emergency sirens levy in Delaware County failed along with the other two school levies.

More importantly, for all the hubbub about spending and accountability, local incumbents received widespread support in this election, just like they always do.

Of the 22 cities and villages our papers cover, 15 saw all the incumbents who sought re-election retain their seats, with an additional small village, Riverlea, being an odd case in which no incumbents sought re-election. Four more cities -- Bexley, Grove City, Pickerington and Reynoldsburg -- and one more village, Groveport, lost only one incumbent apiece.

In fact, of those 22, only one entity saw the removal of more than one member: Whitehall, in which incumbent Leslie LaCorte lost to challenger Van Gregg and sitting Councilwoman Jackie Thompson was recalled by voters.

The story is similar across the 18 school districts our papers cover. Eleven of them kept around all the incumbents who sought re-election, with a 12th, New Albany-Plain Local, having no incumbents on the ballot.

Big Walnut, Gahanna, Groveport-Madison and South-Western shed one member apiece. Only in Canal Winchester and Reynoldsburg did multiple incumbents lose out -- Stan Smith and Chuck Miller in Canal Winchester, and Cheryl Max and Jim Slonaker in Reynoldsburg.

I acknowledge there are areas in which candidates seen as at least somewhat anti-establishment managed to get elected to public bodies to which some incumbents didn't seek re-election; I just don't have the space to list them all.

But the overwhelming success of the status quo at the local level suggests that maybe the majority of residents aren't quite as upset at the government in general as some of their louder compatriots might have us believe.

It helps that local candidates often connect better with voters than do state or national candidates. But the simple fact is that convincing voters to vote against a person is a lot tougher than convincing them to vote against a group.

And when it's re-election time -- be it for township fiscal officer or for president of the United States -- it's people, not groups, on the ballot.

Those who would use generalizations to foresee the doom of any elected official or ballot issue would do well to remember that first.

One board member says even if next week's levy passes, additional levies in 2012 and 2013 may be necessary to balance the budget.

By PAMELA WILLIS Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Worthington school board members this week approved a new five-year financial forecast that one board member called "frightening enough" for Halloween. School board members met Monday, Oct. 26, at the Worthington Education Center. "On balance, I believe we have far more risk to the downside than upside potential, which makes the forecast frightening enough for this Halloween season," said board member Marc Schare. "The policy question before us is whether we want to move to mitigate these risks and, if so, how do we do this and when do we start?" The forecast shows expenditures are projected to exceed revenue in 2010, with $107,908,727 in revenue expected and $115, 677, 572 in projected expenditures. A carryover balance results in an unreserved fund balance of $18,768,028 that year, which keeps the district from experiencing a budget deficit. That balance is projected to fall to $6,085,887 by 2011, after expenditures jump to $120,672,750 and revenues stay almost flat at $107,990,609. By 2012, the forecast is projected to have no carryover balance, and the budget deficit will be more than $11.2 million. "This forecast tells us that, assuming November's levy is successful, it would take around 9 additional mills in 2012 to balance the resulting $24.2 million deficit in fiscal year '14 with a zero balance or around 12.8 mills to balance 2014 with the recommended 30-day cash balance," Schare said. "As this would be sufficient to balance through 2014, an additional levy in 2013 would be likely under these assumptions," he said. "A two-year levy cycle would be much higher and a three-year levy cycle would appear to be out of the question." Tracy DeMatteo, who was treasurer pro tempore for the meeting due to the absence of Jeff McCuen, said the projected numbers on the five-year forecast do not reflect levy revenue, which would be factored in if voters approve the 3.9-mill incremental levy Tuesday, Nov. 3. Schare said the forecast, "depending on who you ask, is either a perfunctory document that we are required to produce each year that signifies exactly nothing, or a road map to the district's financial future that we can follow if we like where it takes us, or change course if we don't." Board member Jennifer Best said, "I look at it as a road map to give us an idea if what we're doing in the fiscal area as a board. "I think we all want reasonable levies at reasonable intervals, and I know we will do what we can to accomplish that," she said. Schare said the forecast could be even more frightening if state legislators don't keep their promise to reimburse school districts for tangible personal property taxes, which are being phased out. If the state minimizes the "guarantee" due to lack of funds, "Worthington could take a multimillion dollar hit," he said. Schare said another downside to Worthington's financial forecast are the governor's new state mandates, which may not be able to be funded "with no new money from the state." Notes attached to the forecast state, "The forecast presents the financial estimates of the Worthington City School District's education program in the event of a levy failure on Nov. 3, 2009. The forecast has excluded the $15 million of reductions previously approved by the board of education as necessary if the levy fails." 

Be constructive 

To be effective, critics of school-district finances should do their homework 

Sunday, October 25, 2009 3:47 AM

For supporters of local public school districts, challenging business as usual has been hard.

Organized opposition to school levies isn't uncommon, but it has been from groups with little message beyond, "Schools waste our money, and we don't want more taxes."

There are probably many people who think district spending could be improved but who aren't willing to simply vote no against tax requests. They reluctantly support tax levies because they don't want to plunge their schools into a financial crisis.

But, as the economy grows tougher and families' budgets get tighter, school districts may not be able to count on those votes.

School-district-watchdog groups such as EducateHilliard.org and EducateWorthington.org may represent a new phenomenon: people who decry the steady upward trajectory of school spending but are willing to do their homework and suggest alternatives.

The Hilliard group is endorsing a slate of candidates for the Board of Education, but its Web site isn't harshly critical of the current board. It uses numbers to make points that are hard to dispute, such as the way spending in the Hilliard district historically outstrips the growth of tax revenues, resulting in the regular appearance of new levy requests.

The tendency of school-district officials assailed by unhappy residents of all stripes to reject criticism is understandable. But they shouldn't dismiss groups who seek to understand and legitimately question the policies for which they are paying.

Some officials will take the familiar stance of the bureaucrat challenged by the public: "It's too complicated for them to understand."

School-district budgets are complex, and critics may make mistakes in their assumptions. But good-faith efforts to understand the problem and offer alternatives deserve respect and attention. School officials should work with such groups and consider their ideas.

That would mean district officials first must acknowledge that there is a problem -- that current school funding and spending patterns will require tax hikes ad infinitum -- and must be willing to consider changing the pattern.

It's easy to claim a school board is spendthrift and urge people to vote no. Thoughtful challenges to school boards require people to take the time and effort to attend school-board meetings and to pore over district budget documents. That may not be fun, but it's the best way for voters to exert real influence over a large bureaucracy and may be the only way to find a response to ever-increasing school taxes that falls somewhere between unhappily accepting them and flatly rejecting them.

Citizens watchdog groups going to school 

Sunday, October 18, 2009 8:53 AM By Charlie Boss THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

As Ohio school districts appeal to voters for additional operating dollars, a movement is growing among tax-weary residents hoping to slow or stop the continuous cycle of tax requests.

From Marysville to New Albany, watchdog groups have sprouted across central Ohio, calling on school districts to be more transparent and responsible with their

finances and to consider alternatives to raising taxes.

The groups vary in approach and philosophy, but all are waging informational campaigns to make their point.

Groups in Hilliard, Westerville and Worthington have crunched budget numbers and posted their findings on their Web sites. Some have spread their message by hosting gatherings or speaking at board meetings. One group, Levyfacts.com, created an online tool where visitors can attempt to balance the Westerville school district's budget. Story continues below Advertisement

"We want to inform the public in a respectful dialogue," said Paul Lambert, who heads Educate Hilliard. Before the group's creation, he scrutinized the district's budget and financial policies on his blog, SaveHilliardSchools.org.

"We're looking for a sustainable way of funding schools," he said. "We're not anti anything except ignorance and apathy."

School officials say the citizens groups might not understand the complexities of Ohio's school-funding system, which includes a state law that prevents districts from operating at a deficit. There also are other factors that could affect a district's financial forecast, such as changes in the state's budget, state mandates such as for all-day kindergarten or lower class sizes, and unexpected health-care increases.

"The challenge comes in if they truly understand school finance and if their interpretations are accurate or not," said Scott Ebright, spokesman for the Ohio School Boards Association. "Not seeing the whole picture when you see a series of numbers can be dangerous on both sides."

Much of the scrutiny has focused on employee pay and benefits because most of the districts' budgets cover compensation. Groups have urged boards to freeze salaries and guaranteed pay raises called "step increases," or to even require district staff members to take pay cuts, which would be subject to collective bargaining.

Robert Edwards, who started Levyfacts.com, recently presented a cost-saving proposal to Westerville board members that includes holding salaries and benefits at current levels until 2013. Westerville school officials have said the district faces a $14 million shortfall next year if a November levy fails.

"Instead of looking at what 83 percent of the budget is and doing something about it, you are trying to chisel out from 17 percent," he said.

Educate Worthington doesn't take a stand on levies or offer recommendations. Instead, the two men behind the group have analyzed Worthington's finances on their Web site, hoping that voters draw their own conclusions on the district's spending.

"The issues in the school district are much deeper than the narrow issues that these alleged watchdog groups try to support," said David Bressman, president of the Worthington school board.

"When you are in the midst of a levy campaign, groups like that feed people's concerns and fears, and I won't deny their numbers are correct, but what they want us to do is manage to the extreme," he said. "It undercuts the ability to find efficiencies."

John Herrington, one of the leaders of Educate Worthington, said he understands that the financial challenges districts face might not be solved at the local level.

"Wouldn't it be great if the district and watchdog groups work together to influence state and local entities responsible for change?" he said.

Article Comments

Good evening. My name is John Herrington, I am a co-founder of Educate Worthington. To begin, I would like to make it clear that Educate Worthington is not automatically opposed to school levies, and that includes this one. We recognize that sometime in the next 12 months, district voters will be wise to approve a levy to prevent major cuts to the programs for Worthington's kids. 

Because of spiraling salary and benefit costs that consume 88% of each levy dollar, however, district leaders and district residents are coming to a crossroads…a point where we will have to choose between 1) continued generous union contracts 2) significant cuts to student programs...and/or 3) sizeable levies every 2-3 years. 

To understand why, consider the following facts: 

-Salary and benefit costs are projected to rise from $97 million to $120 million PER YEAR over the next five years. 

-The union contract grants most teachers BASE and STEP raises, which total 5%-6% annually. This is compared to 2%-3% annual raises for the average worker. 

-Despite the unions' appreciated partial pay freeze in 2011, the forecast suggests a similar levy in 2012, followed by a third one in 2013 or 2014. 

In light of these facts, we would like to ask the entire community to consider two important questions about the road ahead: 

1) Is a sizable levy every 2-3 years a reasonable request of district residents, and will they be willing to support it in order to maintain the union contracts? 

2) Will "massive cuts" to student programs be a campaign slogan every 2-3 years? …Just to pass the levies needed to sustain the contracts, as we slowly reduce the district to mediocrity, and guarantee less and less opportunity for our children?

And closed with:

The issue is sustainability. 

In other words, it is the long-term alignment of expenses with the ability and willingness to pay for them. If we, as a community, do not get the expenses under control, we will be like the Titanic heading toward an iceberg. 

But the good news is we still have time to turn the ship. We have a surplus of cash through early 2012. Administrators and teachers, by giving back raises or by taking a partial wage freeze, have at least acknowledged that there is a problem. 

With the certainty of another levy in 2012, we cannot waste time re-arranging the deck chairs. Our focus must be on changing course in order to avoid a disaster. 

And it is the district administration, the school board, and the teachers union that are at the helm. We hope that they work together to turn the wheel in time.

Worthington outlines possible cuts 

Sunday, August 30, 2009

By Charlie Boss THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH 

Worthington schools leaders had asked residents of the district which cuts they'd support if a November operating levy fails.

Last week, Superintendent Melissa Conrath presented the school board with a budget-reduction proposal that included many suggestions.

The 1,000 respondents surveyed supported a host of items officials plan to cut if voters reject a 6.9-mill incremental levy Nov. 3.

They include eliminating administrative and support positions, reducing extended days for deans and counselors and slashing building and department budgets.

But the superintendent's proposal also includes a list of reductions -- many of which residents surveyed want preserved -- that could be implemented if needed to resolve a $14 million deficit in two years. They include eliminating the band and strings programs at the elementary schools, as well as field trips, middle-school and freshman-level sports, and middle-school extracurricular activities. Elementary art, music or physical education positions would be reduced.

"They are the things that make our district special and they are the items that the kids enjoy," board member Jennifer Best said. "They are also things we don't have to offer. We are at the point where we don't have the funding for our expenses. We don't have any other choice. My hope is we would never have to go into the additional items."

Even if the levy passes, the district would still need to shave $4 million from its budget just to stretch dollars for at least three years. A loss at the polls would require the district to phase in Conrath's recommendations, which could be approved by the board this week.

"This will significantly change the breadth of opportunities and the level of quality that we have provided for the Worthington students," Conrath said.

If the operations levy is approved in November, it would raise tax bills in three phases. In 2010, 3.9 mills would be collected, then another 1.5 mills in 2011 and another 1.5 mills in 2012. The owner of a $100,000 home would pay another $119 in taxes in 2010, then an additional $46 in each of the next two years. .

Officials said the district's funding has been virtually flat over the past five years, though expenditures have risen.

Administrators will spend the year on efficiency studies. They want to restructure the middle schools, where enrollment among each of the four buildings averages around 340 students.

They also want to see if reconfiguring the elementary schools into pairs of K-2 and 3-6 buildings would save money.

John Herrington, whose group Educate Worthington has advocated for a change in school spending, said what's on the reduction list is not as important as why the extra money is needed.

He said program cuts have become necessary to afford the 3 percent to 9 percent annual raises for staff, their nearly free health care, and the generous retirement plans typical in public education today.

"Unless we can all agree to fundamental change in the rapidly rising salary and benefit costs that account for 80 to 90 percent of district budgets, students' educational opportunities will be further sacrificed," he wrote in an e-mail.

cboss@dispatch.com

Possible cuts

Worthington board members could vote this week on a budget-reduction proposal to be implemented if a November operating levy is rejected. The reductions would save $14 million over two years. They include:

• Increasing sports fees at the middle and high schools to $250 per sport with no family cap, effective winter sports 2010

• Combining athletic teams for Kilbourne and Worthingway middle schools

• Eliminating high-school busing, starting in January

• Cutting building and departmental budgets by 5 percent

• Reducing teacher professional development days by 50 percent

• Eliminating summer school or making it self-supporting

• Eliminating extended days for middle-school guidance counselors, deans, career-based intervention and reducing days for high-school guidance counselors

• Returning students on open enrollment to their home school to balance class size

• Eliminating Rockbridge Academy, an alternative-education program

• Delaying the replacement of two elementary school principals until fall 2010

• Cutting about 75 staff positions, including 24 high-school teachers by reducing 20 percent of courses

The proposal also includes a list of options that officials could eliminate if additional cuts are needed: elementary band and strings programs; field trips; middle-school and freshman sports; middle-school extracurricular activities. Elementary art, music or physical-education teachers could be reduced.

Teachers' raises hard to justify as taxpayers are forced to make do with less

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:54 AM .

Crisis fosters change. The prolonged economic stress that is hurting Ohio families and businesses should be the force that finally challenges the hold public-school teachers long have had on generous yearly pay raises.

Under typical union contracts, most teachers receive a double boost every year -- negotiated, across-the-board base-pay increases plus "step" increases for gaining another year of seniority -- regardless of the teacher's performance or the school district's financial fortunes. Last school year, the average of those combined raises in Franklin County districts ranged from 5.9 percent to 8.8 percent, while the average raise for private-sector employees in the U.S. was 1.8 percent.

That's not going to fly for long.

For school districts, persuading voters to approve new taxes is getting harder than ever. Voters are asking more questions about how schools spend money, and they naturally are focusing on salaries, because salaries make up more than three-fourths of the typical district budget.

In the Hilliard and Worthington school districts, formal groups have arisen to question district spending. EducateHilliard.org and EducateWorthington.org offer thoughtful Web pages with information questioning school spending priorities. Though they clearly advocate scaling back spending, they're not knee-jerk anti-tax groups.

They could well attract the interest of residents who support their schools and generally have voted for levies but who are concerned about the endlessly upward trajectory of taxes and spending.

Employees in many districts have responded with voluntary measures, such as decisions by the administrators, support workers and teachers in hard-pressed South-Western City Schools to forego this year's scheduled raises.

Still, for the teachers, that left the step increases in place, as many voters faced pay cuts and layoffs. And it wasn't enough to win passage of an operating levy Aug. 4.

That failure, which left the state's sixth-largest school district with no sports or extracurricular activities this fall, is opening some eyes to the idea that administrators and teachers may have to accept true pay freezes, as so many of their charges' parents are, if districts are to pass new taxes.

Editorial: Roll with the punch

Schools have to craft budgets that make new levies palatable Tuesday, August 18, 2009 2:54 AM

In difficult economic times, school districts engaging in business as usual are less likely to win voters' approval for new property-tax levies.

For proof, look no further than the rejection in a special election this month, albeit by a narrow margin, of a four-year, 8.3-mill property-tax levy for South-Western City Schools, a levy identical to the one voters rejected in May.

Judging by letters to the editor sent to The Dispatch, many South-Western residents who voted no a second time were offended that school officials would present a duplicate of the previous request, rather than making additional budget cuts and then, perhaps, asking voters for something less expensive. These voters perceived a school board oblivious to residents dealing with pay freezes, job losses and other hardships of a national recession.

Meanwhile, some new approaches to filling budget holes, under consideration in Westerville and Worthington schools, might fare better with voters. School officials in these districts are trying to respond to the economic uncertainities that affect voters' outlook toward tax increases.

Much like the South-Western board, the Worthington Board of Education faced a projected budget shortfall after voters in May rejected a permanent, 7.4-mill property-tax levy. Last week, board members decided to place a different sort of levy on the November ballot, one that would ease the pain by raising property taxes a little at a time over three years.

The school board will ask voters to approve one of two plans it is considering. Either one would add 3.9 mills to property taxes in January. One plan would increase those taxes by another 1 mill in each of the following two years; the other would add 1.5 mills in each of the next two years.

Worthington Superintendent Melissa Conrath said the plans are designed to "show that we do understand that times are tight."

Westerville City School District voters in May approved a property-tax levy to make improvements and repairs to buildings and buy buses, classroom materials and other items. But, without new operating money, the district calculates that about $14 million in budget cuts will be necessary.

So the Westerville school board has decided to take the unusual approach of replacing 1.6-mill and 9.8-mill levies, passed in 1972 and 1979, with one 11.4-mill levy. Because property-tax rates are rolled back to prevent homeowners from having to bear the burden of tax increases caused by inflation in property values, the old levies together are being collected at a rate of just 3.43 mills. The replacement levies, then, would increase property taxes by 7.97 mills.

In effect reselling voters on the idea of approving the exact millage they OK'd so long ago, board members hope to demonstrate why rising property values alone don't increase schools' income. Thus, the need to return to voters when inflation eats away at school budgets.

Because of steep declines in state tax receipts, more than half of Ohio's 612 school districts will have to deal with cuts in funding from state revenues. As districts turn to voters to help fill budget holes, school officials need to provide as much information as possible on why new money is needed, while remaining sensitive to the personal budget concerns of voters in an economic downturn.

Teacher salaries raising eyebrows

Some ask if educators are sharing the pain

Saturday, August 15, 2009 8:42 PM By Jim Siegel and Catherine Candisky

As scores of Ohioans are seeing their paychecks frozen, cut or taken away, pressure is mounting on teachers unions and school administrators who continue enjoying healthy raises to share in the sacrifice.

While 60 percent of schools are getting a cut in state aid over the next two years, and the rest will see annual increases of less than 1 percent, pay raises for teachers top 5 percent in some districts once all the automatic pay bumps are included.

In light of state workers and many other government-paid employees already taking concessions, such raises are getting the attention of weary taxpayers in many school districts, particularly those asking voters to approve higher taxes.

State Superintendent Deborah Delisle told The Dispatch that it's time for "a reality check in every single community to see what we are able to sustain."

"Communities will always look to see if sacrifice across the community is equal," she said. "If people are feeling the pinch and they don't see community employees feeling the pinch, there is a disconnect."

A key fact that many taxpayers don't realize: With all their pay increases for experience or academic training, most Ohio teachers would get a raise even if they took a contractual salary freeze.

In Worthington, where the district is headed to the ballot again in November, John Herrington and his organization, Educate Worthington, are helping lead a growing debate about not only whether teachers should take pay concessions in the short term, but if the district's salary structure is sustainable in the future.

It is not, Herrington argues.

"People deserve raises, but they should be more in line with what the community is making," he said, noting that potential cuts proposed by the school board if the levy fails do not include salaries.

"You see very little dealing with the adults in the situation. It hits the kids."

Some school employees already have taken action. South-Western administrators and teachers are taking no base pay increases, nor are those in Groveport Madison, Grandview Heights and Canal Winchester, which has the lowest pay scale in Franklin County.

Canal Winchester Superintendent Kim Miller-Smith said wages were frozen last spring just weeks before the district asked voters for the fifth time to approve a tax hike.

"How could any of us take raises when we were going to have to lay off 27 people?" she said.

"It was a show of cooperation among everybody that we need to take care of funding our schools first and then we can come back and deal with contracts."

The levy passed.

Like the state superintendent, Gov. Ted Strickland does not want to interfere with local contract negotiations but agrees that cutbacks must be shared.

"I think it's appropriate for all of us to participate in sacrifices that will get us through these times," he said.

Teachers unions say times are tough for everyone, including educators.

"Teachers are not getting pay raises, and some districts delayed negotiations pending the outcome of the state budget," said William Leibensperger, vice president of the Ohio Education Association.

He cautioned against short-changing teachers.

"There is an undeniable correlation between teacher salaries and resources given to teachers and student achievement," he said.

Westerville school leaders have been hearing calls for concessions as they prepare to ask for an additional 7.97 mills in November. Administrators already have agreed to a pay freeze, and contract negotiations with teachers are ongoing.

"(Administrators) stepped up to the plate, and we hope the teachers will follow," said Westerville Assistant Superintendent Christopher Wanner. "With what is going on with the economy and what people have been through, I think it's very difficult to look at any sizable increase."

A Dispatch analysis of contracts last school year found that raises for teachers in nearly every Franklin County district would average 5.9 percent to 8.8 percent per year over their first 10 years on the job, thanks to automatic step increases and base salary hikes.

New teachers in Bexley, Dublin, Gahanna-Jefferson, Grandview Heights, Hamilton, Hilliard and Worthington could double their salaries in about 10 years.

Worthington teachers get automatic step increases for experience in 20 of their first 29 years of employment, at 1 to 5 percent each, plus another six pay bumps as they work toward a master's degree and beyond (Ohio requires teachers to have a master's degree by the end of their 12th year). So the 2.85 percent increase in the contract actually averages about 5 percent per teacher.

Meanwhile, the average wage and salary increase for nongovernment employees in the 12-month period ending in June was 1.8 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Raises in 2010 are not expected to top 2 percent, according to federal estimates.

Thomas Ash of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators said step increases help districts retain their best and most experienced teachers. But he sees no logic in the fact that most contracts provide pay steps for the first 11 years or more.

"Is somebody going to tell me that a teacher is better after 11 years than a teacher was after five? I've never seen any research to prove that," he said.

In Worthington and many other districts, it is doubtful that districts can sustain significant pay raises.

State funding for daily school operations was cut by 0.24 percent for both this year and next. There is little hope that things will improve in the state budget two years from now without another federal stimulus package or significant tax increase.

"To commit yourself to a new contract with increases, basically you are committing yourself to a local tax increase, because money is not coming from the state to cover that," said Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, who heads the Senate Education Committee. "School boards run a great risk of alienating the public if they continue to give out salary and benefit increases in these times."

David Bressman, president of the Worthington Board of Education, said if teachers agreed to give back their raises, as administrators already have done, it would help pass an incremental levy in November. Voters in May crushed a larger 7.4-mill issue by 18 percentage points.

"A lot of folks who are on the fence have told me either privately or publicly, that if they see some action by the teachers and the administrators they would be strongly inclined to support the November levy," he said.