Belpre Board of Education to explore school reorganization

By JOLENE CRAIG
BELPRE — Belpre Board of Education members voted Monday night to explore the reorganization of the district in a budgetary reaction to a poor five-year fiscal forecast.

A standing-room-only crowd of about 150 people crowded into the gymnasium at Belpre Middle School during the school board meeting.

Superintendent Harry Fleming said the district will be operating in a more than $2.9 million deficit in five years if nothing is done to save operating money.

“It’s only a question of time before the district has to make changes,” Fleming said.

The original agenda item was “to authorize the administration to reorganize the district as follows” and included integrating students from kindergarten through sixth grade at Belpre Middle School and students from seventh grade through twelfth at Belpre High School with the probable closing of Stone Elementary School. Belpre Elementary School would probably be used for overflow from the high school.

After nearly two hours of discussion from the public that included former board member and current Belpre Mayor Mike Lorentz as well as parents and teachers, board member Mile Wile made a motion to change the language of the item to “authorize the administration to explore the reorganization of the district.” This change also removed any mention of closing schools or moving grades to different buildings.

“We will run out of money soon,” Fleming said.

Bill VanPelt, Belpre schoolteacher and president of the Belpre Education Association, said he and many of the district’s teachers were shocked to find out about the proposed reorganization without being asked to give their opinion.

“We strongly believe all stakeholders should have the opportunity to voice their opinion,” VanPelt said.

The board will organize a committee of individuals that represents groups to help make the decision of how to reorganize the district, Fleming said. The committee will include representatives of the Belpre Education Association, students and parents.

As originally presented, the reorganization would have saved the district $500,000 in the coming school year, Fleming said.

Most of the savings will be made in staff cuts as well as operational cuts for the possible closure of one building, Fleming said.

Lorentz told the audience he had been part of three reorganizations during his 14 years on the school board and it is not something anyone wanted to do.

“It’s the only choice I can see the school board making,” Lorentz said. “Not that I approve.”

Jason Shutts, district parent, urged the school board to not give up on a levy, which has failed four times in the past few years.

“If we work together as a city, as a school board and as citizens we can work it out,” Shutts said.

Fleming said the failure of the five-year temporary 3.6 mills Permanent Improvement Levy earlier this month was not the final decision factor to lead to the reorganization.

“A permanent improvement levy won’t fix the problem because it can only be used to fix physical problems,” Fleming said. “It would have helped, but not enough.”

It is unknown when the board will next meet to discuss the possible reorganization.

The district’s fourth attempt to pass a levy failed by 82 votes. The vote numbers will not be finalized until March 25, said Peggy Byers, executive director of the Washington County Board of Elections.

In other business:

? The school board voted to approve Feb. 20, 22 and 27 as calamity days for the 2007-2008 school year and add those missed days onto the end of the school year. This will make June 4 the last day of school.

? Local volunteer Marion Metz received a standing ovation from the board members as well as the audience when she gave $1,100 she collected for the schools to treasurer Eva Yeager.

“If I can do it, anyone in this room can,” Metz said.