WBESC supt. criticizes state budget cuts

WBESC Governing Board information

The Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Governing Board heard an update on Ohio Governor John Kasich’s executive budget and also approved a number of personnel-related actions during its June meeting this week.

Superintendent Brian Gerber talked about the state budget, noting that an amendment adopted by the Ohio General Assembly’s conference committee cut $2.3 million from educational service centers in 2016.

“This is actually consistent with the executive and House-passed funding levels, not the Senate,” Gerber told board members. “ESCs are the leader in the Shared Services Model; Governor Kasich has always trumpeted reducing costs through shared services.

“ESCs are doing everything the governor has asked us to do during his tenure,” Gerber added, noting that ESCs have reduced the cost to partner schools through their shared service delivery model, but that the governor and Ohio House of Representatives still cut funding.

“My biggest disappointment is with the House,” Gerber said. “They have traditionally supported ESC funding during the past two biennial budgets.”

The WBESC superintendent added that it has been obvious the governor has wanted to cut ESC funding, from his first budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2012.

“Nonetheless, I was confident that the House saw the educational value the ESCs provided for their school districts,” Gerber added. “I was hopeful the House would support restoring our funding, or at the very least, keep ESCs funded at a flat level.”

The superintendent told his board that the WBESC has been able to keep costs flat, or even reduce costs, to the schools in Van Wert and Paulding counties, noting that the WBESC is among the top 10 rural ESCs in the state and provide a higher percentage of direct student services than their suburban or urban counterparts.

“We have been able to accomplish this goal by being fiscally responsible in reducing overhead costs and personnel cost without negatively impacting our level of service,” Gerber explained, noting that the WBESC’s shared service model reduces costs by sharing therapists, gifted personnel, school psychologists and grant writing services.

He also talked about the WBESC’s Resource Center/Alternative School, which has also been able to keep costs flat while serving students who perform better in an alternative setting, rather than in a public school environment.

The WBESC also provides non-instructional support by paying for bus driver physicals, bus driver inservices, teacher licensure, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation/FBI background checks, maintenance of LPDC licensure, parent mentoring and a truancy officer.

“Even though the executive budget is gong to cut funding for ESCs in Fiscal Year 2016, the Western Buckeye ESC will continue its proud tradition in providing their current level of services for the schools in Van Wert and Paulding County,” Gerber concluded.

Also during the meeting, the governing board accepted the resignations of Heather McClure and Becky Beaman-Diglia, increased contract days from 120 to 150 for Sandra Freeman for the upcoming school year and approved a one-year limited contract for Payne paraprofessional Kathy Habern and Grover Hill paraprofessional Denise Shouse.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the WBESC calendar for 2015-2016.
• Accepted, with appreciation, a $100 donation from Beta Delta Chapter, Psi Iota Xi Sorority for Thomas Edison Center.
• Approved a FY2016 service agreement with Northwest Ohio Area Computer Services Cooperative.
• Approved membership in the OESCA for 2015-2016 in the amount of $2,000.
• Authorized the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office to prepare WBESC financial statements for the 2015-2016 school year as a cost not to exceed $3,500.
• Approved amended appropriations for FY 2015 and FY 2016 as presented.

The next meeting of the WBESC Governing Board will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 19, at the Paulding ESC office.