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Impact of Spirit Sprint proceeds addressed in This Week's Rocky Fork Enterprise
Student activity fees approved
By Marla K. Kuhlman
The Gahanna-Jefferson Board of Education on May 12 approved student activity fees while the district's top leader pledged to make operating funds last as long as possible. Superintendent Mark White told the board that passage of the 5.2-mill operating levy on the May 3 ballot would allow the district to remain stable for three years.
"We're committed to making it last as long as we can," he said. "We'll still reduce through next year. ... We'll still have to streamline and do more with less."
The levy is expected to generate up to $8 million annually. The levy will cost an additional $159 annually per $100,000 of assessed property value.
The board approved extracurricular and co-curricular fees of $25 for each activity, with a $50 cap per family. The fees will be implemented next school year for the following activities: band, choir, speech-and-debate, yearbook, newspaper-journalism, TV studio, fall play, spring musical, stomp team, Lionettes, Science Olympiad, student council, renaissance action team, In the Know and flag corps.
The board also approved a family cap of $500 for pay-to-participate athletics fees.
For the first time, the district will charge athletes $200 per sport at the high school and $100 per sport at the middle school.
White thanked high school principal Dwight Carter and others who have been studying fees since fall.
"No one wanted to do this, but the committee worked through it and realized it was necessary," he said. "There are caps for families. We realize this will be hard on some families. We need this income from various sources. We do this very regretfully." Athletics director Justin Sanford said the Cardinal Orthopaedic Institute's "Spirit Sprint 5K" was held April 17, when Gahanna and Reynoldsburg school districts competed for bragging rights and money for their respective programs.
"Our cross country team obliged, and they chose a winner based on participation numbers," he said.
Gahanna Lincoln won with 164 registrants. As a result, the team earned 75 percent of the registration proceeds, or $4,686.
Sanford said the proceeds would go toward the girls cross country teams' pay-to-participation fees.
"Thanks to Cardinal for getting involved and helping our program," he said.
District treasurer Julio Valladares said the five-year forecast, approved May 12, shows a positive cash balance over the next two years but then shows a deficit of $1.6 million as of June 30, 2013. He said many unknown variables must be considered, such as the effect the state budget could have on the local schools.
"We'll try to decrease expenditures," Valladares said. "We'll work hard on the five-year forecast as we move forward."
The district's teachers agreed to take two furlough days, valued at $369,000, next school year, allowing the district to rehire 16 teachers who were part of a reduction-in-force measure approved in March. The contract also provides no salary increase for teachers and no step increase for the 2011-12 school year.
Matt Cygnor, director of human resources, said 4.6 teachers who were part of the reduction in force potentially still wouldn't return.
In other action, the board accepted the retirements of Steve Hanners, high school intervention specialist; Dana Johnson, high school media specialist; Barbara Murdock, coordinator of curriculum, gifted education and literacy; Andrea O'Quin, high school English teacher; Linda Shill, French and Spanish teacher at Middle School East; Susan Stanich, high school special-education teacher; and Mark Wheeler, high school math teacher.
"Thanks to all these fine teachers and administrators for their years of service," White said. "There are some very fine and talented individuals in this group. They will be missed."
The board also accepted the retirement of longtime bus driver Ken Moore.
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