Celina board OKs contract with non-teaching staff

CELINA - While negotiations with Celina City Schools teachers are on hold, the board of education Monday night approved a new two-year contract with the union representing the 148 non-teaching employees.

The board approved a two-year contract with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local No. 457. Employees will receive a 3 percent raise this year and another 3 percent raise next year. Because of the Affordable Care Act, board president Connie Paulus said, new employees who work less than six hours per day will no longer receive insurance coverage.

Negotiators had agreed upon a deal earlier this summer but board members rejected the pact June 3 because they were uncertain how much funding the district would receive from the state.

The previous two-year contract expired June 30, according to Paulus.

Negotiations with the Celina Education Association, which represents the district's 198 teachers, are on hold while the CEA and the board work to schedule sessions with a federal mediator.

The board contacted the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services in July after two days of bargaining indicated the two sides were far apart, particularly on financial issues, board member Matt Gilmore, who was on the negotiating team, has said. The teachers union's current two-year contract expires Aug. 31.

School board members at Monday night's meeting also expressed concerns about what Mercer County Educational Service Center's new Aladdin Alternative School means for the district.

ESC administrators recently merged Aladdin Academy, formerly a charter school, with the county district's alternative education program.

Celina officials have academic and financial reservations about the change.

Treasurer Mick Davis said Aladdin's budget will be about $360,000 for 2015-2016. That cost will be divided among school districts based on how many of their students receive instruction.

Traditionally, Celina students have made up about 80 percent of the program's pupils, Davis said.  

"That's horrible," board member Amy Hoying said. "We're shouldering most of the burden."

Most students would be eligible for state funding under their Individualized Education Programs, which would help with the cost, Davis said.

Superintendent Ken Schmiesing said about 24 of the program's 30 students for the upcoming school year were Celina students, adding the program is worth the cost.

"Most of these kids would be a disruption to the classroom," Schmiesing said. "And their needs are better served at Aladdin."

However, Schmiesing has doubts as well. Hoying asked him about his thoughts on the program based on his previous experience with behavioral schools and intervention programs.

Aladdin will likely help current juniors and seniors who are credit hour deficient for graduation, he said. However, the school might not be viable long-term.

"Starting with the class of 2018, students have to pass seven end-of-course exams. With the rigor that's involved in preparing to pass those exams, we're not seeing Aladdin being prepared to meet those rigors for students," he explained.

In other business, school board members,

• discussed a sample resolution from the Ohio School Board Association opposing the state takeover of the troubled Youngstown school district.

"If a school board can't be financially or academically smart, why shouldn't the state take over?" board member Cindy Piper asked.

Board members agreed they were unlikely to approve the resolution at the Sep. 28 meeting.

• learned from assistant superintendent Dean Giesige that air-conditioning repairs at the middle school will cost $40,000 and roofing repairs to the educational complex, high school, intermediate school and primary school cost $61,860 total.

• accepted a $1,500 donation from Robin Link, of Coldwater, for the Tri Star reserve capital account and the donation of a 2005 Dodge Durango valued at $7,456 from Keith and Andrea Faber to the Tri Star automotive program.

• approved supplemental contracts for Katherine Dirksen, assistant varsity volleyball coach; Lori Davis, Intervention Assistance Team; Allie Slavik, high school student council adviser; Dan Gudorf, mock trial adviser; and Tess Watson, assistant mock trial adviser.

• approved pupil activity program contracts for Matt Schindledecker, assistant football coach; Jim Kimmel, head eighth-grade football coach; Dean Miller, ninth-grade football co-head coach; Jeff Stein, ninth-grade football co-head coach; and Don VanderHorst, junior varsity girls soccer coach.

• accepted the retirement of Mary Jan Robbins, bus aide, with 21 years of service; and the resignations of Hayden Heiby, high school educational aide, freshman baseball coach and seventh-grade football coach; and Chris Antill, assistant marching band director.

• approved 2015-2016 bus routes. Route information is available on the school website.