The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

WBESC board discusses proposed cuts

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Governing Board held a discussion on budget cuts proposed in Governor John Kasich’s biennial budget, as well as taking care of a number of personnel items during its February meeting last week.

Superintendent Brian Gerber spent the majority of the meeting talking about proposed cuts for Educational Service Centers included in Governor Kasich’s biennial budget. Noting that the governor is proposing a 25-percent budget for ESCs, Gerber said such cuts could actually raise costs for school districts served by ESCs.

Gerber, Brian 12-2010
WBESC Superintendent Brian Gerber

“During the past four years, the governor has bee advocating shared services to reduce cost,” Gerber noted. “Western Buckeye ESC has reduced the cost to our partner schools through a shared services delivery model, (but) the governor’s proposal of a 25-percent funding cut will negatively impact our ability to reduce costs by sharing services.”

Gerber told his board that, without a shared services model, it is possible that school districts served by Western Buckeye could see an increase in spending through the next two years.

“It’s very hypocritical of the governor to advocate shared services to reduce cost, then turn around and propose a 25-percent spending cut to the ESCs who lead in providing a shared services model to the schools they serve,” the WBESC superintendent said, noting that shared service delivery includes speech, occupational and physical therapists, as well as school psychologists and gifted education and grant writing personnel.

“ESCs provide curriculum directors and special education directors to meet the needs of our partner schools,” Gerber added. “ESCs all over Ohio are providing similar academic and operational support services to schools every day to ensure every child in every zip code has access to high quality educational opportunities.”

He added that other instructional services provided by ESCs include itinerant special education and related services staff, paraprofessionals, preschool special education support, 21st Century Grant after-school programs and alternative schools.

“Our alternative school tailors curriculum around the emotionally disabled students to meet their specific learning needs,” Gerber said. “It effectively operates an opportunity school that serves those students who need to recover credits in order to meet graduation requirements.”

The WBESC superintendent added that the alternative school works with partner schools to support and develop a standards-based curriculum that will allow students to succeed and graduate.

“This is directly related to the economic vitality of our community and state,” Gerber told his board. “These students range from the most gifted to the most at-risk, including special needs students and other at-risk populations, such as dropouts and adjudicated youth.”

The WBESC superintendent added that the governor’s proposed budget is far from an accomplished fact, at this point, noting there will be a number of Ohio House and Senate hearings held on the budget, followed by a possible Conference Committee before final passage.

“Fortunately, our legislators could see the value of the ESCs in Kasich’s first biennial budget four years ago, and then again in his second biennial budget two years ago,” Gerber said. “Our legislators applied common sense in reversing the governor’s devastating budget cuts; hopefully, good common sense will continue to prevail over radical thinking.”

Gerber said the most frustrating thing about the current budget cuts is that Ohio is much healthier financially than it was over the past four years. “With all factors in consideration, the 25-percent funding cut makes little sense,” he told his board.

Also during the meeting, the WBESC board extended a one-year limited contract to physical therapist Jenna Stoller-Sherry for the 2015-16 school year, contingent on her receiving the appropriate licensing.

The board also accepted the resignation due to retirement/disability, of physical therapist Paula Lugibihl, effective March 16, and thanked her for her years of service.

Also approved were budget revisions for the alternative school and 21st Century grants and a contract with Therapy Solutions to provide physical therapy services for the remainder of this school year.

The next meeting of the WBESC Governing Board will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, in the Paulding ESC office.

POSTED: 03/02/15 at 8:37 am. FILED UNDER: News