Preview: Hundreds Expected at WHS Tonight as School Officials Seek to Approve Cuts to Personnel, Expenditures
The Westlake Board of Education will convene at Westlake High School at 5:30 tonight in the cafeteria, and may approve a resolution that would make millions in cuts to offset projected state funding losses.
The Westlake Board of Education will meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Westlake High School cafeteria to discuss the option of reducing personnel and operating expenditures.
If the resolution under consideration passes, it would reduce positions, suspend contracts and make cuts to the district’s transportation services.
The board met last Wednesday behind closed doors at the Westlake City Schools administrative building to discuss these reduction measures and to prepare for bargaining sessions with Ohio Association of Public School Employees and the Westlake Teachers Association.
During the board’s May 9 work session at Hilliard Elementary, Superintendent Dr. Dan Keenan and treasurer Mark Pepera proposed to cut operating expenses by $950,000 and personnel by $1.12 million to counter the $2.1 million in proposed state funding losses that could hit the district during the 2011-12 school year.
Board members Tim Sullivan and Nate Cross argued that Keenan’s and Pepera’s cuts didn’t go deep enough and demanded the board should collectively agree to freeze wage increases, cut salaries and increase the percentage of contributions that teachers kick into their benefit and pension packages.
Hundreds are expected to turn out for tonight’s meeting to hear how the board wants to proceed.
Westlake Resident-Joe Smith
7:33 am on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
When Cross and Sullivan "demanded the board should collectively agree to freeze wage increases, cut salaries and increase the percentage of contributions that teachers kick into their benefit and pension packages", they are making the statement that the ONLY solution is Kasich's SB5. While SB5 may have some good, there is more bad that will negatively affect the public schools if not repealed. This shows total ineptitude on their part to create a unique solution for the WCS. Whereas, others are trying to create a solution in the event that SB5 is repealed. Cross and Sullivan bring nothing to the BoE excpet an extension of Ohio radical politics that the voters are not happy with.
allison
2:00 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I've noticed that the district has not posted the notes from the last few board meetings. Does anyone know why they have chosen not to post them and if/when the most recent meeting notes will be available?
Kate Spirgen
3:37 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Hi Allison,
You can see the notes and minutes from past meetings here when they're posted: http://beta.westlake.k12.oh.us/boe/agendaminutes/default.aspx
Hope that helps!
allison
4:02 pm on Thursday, May 26, 2011
Hi Kate,
Thanks but that is where I have been looking. They have not posted the last 3 meetings which is a bit disappointing.
Westlake Resident-Joe Smith
9:27 pm on Thursday, May 26, 2011
The WCS BoE notes are usually delayed a few weeks. Not sure why but this has been the norm for a couple years. A guess would be creating the detailed transcipt and ensuring accuracy takes time. I would recommend contacting the BoE to find the reason and feel free to share with the rest of us. Looking forward to what you find.