Millersburg Elementary students will attend Onaway next year

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

The Onaway Area Community Schools Board of Education met Tuesday evening and a decision was finally made regarding the budget deficit the district is facing for the next school year. A motion was passed that will move the students currently attending Millersburg Elementary School to Onaway next year.

Board member Sharon Lyon gave the board a handout with her proposal for saving money on the budget for next school year and decreasing the deficit to the district. Her proposal involved the cutting of two more paraprofessionals, the closure of Millersburg Elementary School, board cuts, cuts to professional development, supplies and administration as well as requesting Onaway faculty and teachers open the salary schedule in their contracts. Her proposal would reduce the district deficit from $830,000 to $219,456.

Board president Mitch Winfield responded to Lyon?s proposal with concerns about teacher layoffs as the board has already laid off six teachers. He feels class sizes will suffer. Winfield had a proposal that would cut the budget deficit to $289,183 but he did not have it all written out for the board to look at.

Some of Winfield?s cuts included textbook and workbook spending as well as field trips and technology equipment. Winfield admitted that his proposal was not a five-year plan but believed it would give the board all of next year to come up with a solution.

?Mitch, I am concerned that if we make the cuts you are proposing we are going to be back here every meeting doing budget amendments. If we cut all funding for books and computer updates and have to keep making budget amendments we are going to raise our bottom line with every amendment,? said board member Dan Heythaler.

The board discussion centered on the two proposals before Lyon made a motion: ?I make a motion to move the students from Millersburg Elementary to Onaway for next year,? she said. Heythaler seconded her motion.

?I think this is premature. It is premature to shut that school. I am surprised, given the information we have, that motion was made,? said Winfield.

?I think it?s a benefit, let us move on and work on other cuts. I have looked at this every way I can think of Mitch, but this is one cut that needs to be made,? said Lyon. The board then passed the motion by a 5 to 1 vote. Winfield was the only no vote. Board member Lee Ann Neelis was absent from the meeting.

Following the vote, Lyon requested Winfield bring a detailed list of his proposed cuts to the next meeting so the cuts could be negotiated in detail. Board member Marsha Tovar agreed, ?We can work with the proposals to come to a decision together,? she said.

The board will hold a special meeting in two weeks to discuss budgets. Superintendent Bob Szymoniak volunteered to compile all the proposed budget cuts into a spreadsheet so it would be easier for the board to make comparisons and come to a decision on what the next cuts will be.

?Its important that I didn?t say closing the school, for now I want to leave it open for discussion,? said Lyon after several Case Township officials wanted to know when they would be getting the building back.

Prior to the discussion about the budget the board heard from retired athletic director Charlie Schaar, who appeared on the agenda to discuss the budget problems with the board. He said the Millersburg Elementary School was a small part of the issue. Schaar made it clear he felt there were several things a school district has to have; a superintendent, principals, athletics, a technology director, a food service director, a director of transportation, a head custodian and secretaries at both levels.

He then made a proposal to cut athletics to the point that only one varsity sport would be offered in each season for boys and

girls. Schaar said the high school may need to give up its counselor and the workforce may be asked to take a freeze in salary. He encouraged the board to keep the building and trades program as he feels it is one of the best programs in the school. Schaar?s proposals will be considered at the special board meeting.

High school student Andrew Mullins made a significant comment, ?I see little things we can do to help everyday. Shutting of lights when we don?t need them, not leaving sinks running in the bathroom, there are lots of little things that we can do to help out and help save money,? said Mullins.

Superintendent Szymoniak then encouraged Mullins and student representative Cameron Penny to have the student council work on a plan to get students involved, possibly even a fundraiser to get motion sensors installed in the bathrooms. Board members and audience members commended the students for their efforts.