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WCCC budget operating in black

MARIETTA – In a recovering economy, the Washington County Career Center can rest easier as the technical education school’s board of education reviewed its five-year financial forecast at its regular meeting Thursday evening, reporting the school is operating in the black and should be for the next five years.

The school district is required to update its five-year financial forecast in October and May to the Ohio Department of Education.

While schools grapple with getting out of debt with shrinking generations of high school and younger adult students, the Career Center celebrated having a little extra money this year and for years to come.

“We’ve been fortunate to have record enrollment last year and this year, which has allowed us to take advantage of some additional funding for the district,” said Treasurer Joe Crone.

For fiscal year 2014, the Career Center brought in $5,701,332 alongside its more than 500 high school students and 200-some adult students, in comparison to spending $5,406,424.

“And we’re predicted to do that again this year, because our enrollment is holding steady,” Crone said.

Revenue is expected to increase to about $5,942,545 in 2015, leaving another surplus gap with a projected $5,595,715 in spending.

Those numbers, Crone said, are expected to hold to 2019, when the school could start to see some enrollment declines.

“We’re financially stable, one because of our enrollment but partly because of (Crone’s) leadership,” said Superintendent Dennis Blatt. “And I want to thank the staff, because we’ve tightened our belts some. Our enrollment has grown, but we’ve also not spent money we didn’t need to spend.”

The surplus will allow the school to do some more saving or spending in areas that might need it in the future, Crone said.

The board also approved hiring new adult technical training instructors.

The board approved the hiring of Brenton DeWees, Susan Rauch and Lynne Shuman as Adult Basic and Literacy Education and GED tutors. The three will receive hourly wages of $17.50, $19 and $17.50 per hour, respectively.

Because of new requirements under the new Ohio Teacher Evaluation Systems, the board also approved the retirement of two long-time teachers to finish up at the end of the school year.

Edward Radcliff, a social studies instructor at WCCC with 35 years of service, and Karolyn Schafer, a medical college prep instructor with 17 years of service, will both be retiring at the end of the school year.

“If you turn in your retirement before Dec. 1, you don’t have to go through the evaluating systems for the year,” said Director Mike Elliott, noting why retirements might be coming in early this year.

Blatt said that all other teachers not retiring this year are going through Ohio’s new system of creating and submitting learning objectives for the system.

“Karolyn and Ed are both big shoes to fill,” he said. “They’ve done a great job over the years.”

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