By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com
CONNEAUT — Busing will return for all Conneaut school students next school year, but at the expense of one administrative position, Board of Education members agreed at Thursday’s meeting.
The board voted 4-0 to leave vacant an administrative position for the 2008-2009 school year and apply the savings to reinstate busing cut for budget reasons months ago. Member Wallace Heinonen was absent.
Members voted soon after new Superintendent Kent Houston — only four days on the job — made an impassioned plea for the trade-off. Losing an administrator will be a blow, but the return of busing will ensure every student has the opportunity to attend class, he said.
The administrative position that won't be filled hasn't been decided, Houston said. A decision could be reached early next week, he said.
“We want the way that will hurt the least,” Houston said.
Remaining school administrators have agreed to take on extra duties to help fill the void, Houston said. Others may be moved around to new positions “in order to try and make this work,” he said.
Busing was eliminated for most students when voters barely rejected a $1.2 million emergency levy on the March primary ballot. The board trimmed busing to meet state minimums, meaning no busing at all for high school students and no busing for students who live within two miles of their school.
Reviving the busing program will cost about $83,000, and slicing one administrator won't pay the entire amount, Houston said.
“This action will save about four bus drivers their positions, however we will still be unable to offset the entire expense of busing,” he said. “Some reductions will still be needed.”
Board members were pleased busing could be saved but leery of how the district will fare minus another administrator. They praised the other administrators for their willingness to pick up the slack.
“I'm extremely gratified we're bringing back busing, but at the same time concerned about our administrative staff,” said Connie Jury.
Nicholas Iarocci agreed, saying the action was something “we've been mulling around in our minds for some time.”
“Our administrative staff is inundated with work,” he said. “We know they're overburdened. But it's comforting to know we'll have busing this year.”
The loss of busing would have posed safety concerns for students forced to walk to school as well as work a hardship on families now obliged to shuttle their students, Houston said. Soaring fuel prices increase the burden, he said.
Houston offered his recommendations soon after the board returned from a 25-minute executive session. The closed-door meeting was called before members were set to accept the resignation of Douglas Wetherholt, Conneaut High School principal. Wetherholt left effective Thursday to accept the same role in the Geneva school district.
In other business, the board took the first step in placing a new levy on the November ballot. Members approved a motion that will ask the Ashtabula County auditor to calculate the millage needed to raise $1.3 million a year.
