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Saturday, May 14th, 2011

Among the best in the state

By William Kincaid
Five Mercer County schools have been recognized as the most efficient in the state in providing non-instructional services.
Coldwater, Fort Recovery, Marion Local, Parkway and St. Henry school districts were selected for efficiency in various non-instructional categories by Ohio Education Matters, a non-partisan state public policy research organization that reviewed data from the 2009-2010 academic year.
The schools are considered Type 2 districts - rural, low-poverty and low to moderate median income districts with small student populations - by the Ohio Department of Education.
In the transportation category - the total cost for gasoline, maintenance and operation per bus - Fort Recovery spent $20,986.1, Marion Local spent $22,418.22, Parkway spent $24,131.50 and St. Henry spent $24,149, according to a press release.
Other similar districts spent as much as $59,568.62 per bus, according to the report.
In maintenance, Marion Local spent $1,403 per student and Coldwater spent $1,473 compared to similar districts that spent as much as $2,138.
Marion Local also was among the most efficient districts in providing school administration.
The ratings come from a report issued by Ohio Education Matters as part of a nine-month study of K-12 education called Ohio Smart Schools.
"These Mercer County districts have shown that they can deliver quality services at a lower cost than most other districts in the state," Ohio Education Matters Executive Director Andrew Benson said. "The taxpayers and residents of this area should be proud that their district takes seriously the best use of resources to benefit children."
Benson also said other school districts should look to those in Mercer County to learn how to do more with less.
Michael Harlow, a public policy consultant from Ohio Education Matters, said the state requested the study last summer to find potential savings.
This is one of the most comprehensive studies of non-instructional school expenditures ever completed, he said.
The study was primarily informed by data from the Ohio Department of Education, he said.
Additional online story on this date
2011 Western Buckeye League Track Meet
VAN WERT - The nasty weather held off at Van Wert High School on Friday and Celina's boys track team was grateful.
The Bulldogs captured their first Western Buckeye League title since 1997 after scoring 91 points, 27 more than runner-up Ottawa-Glandorf. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
With efficiency of schools, superintendents do not see merger in Mercer County's future
Ohio Gov. John Kasich believes shared services are a means for improving the state's education system. However, three local superintendents don't think area school districts will consolidate anytime soon.
Newest dredge begins work removing muck
GRAND LAKE - The mud is flying along West Bank Road.
The Eagle - a traveling unit in the statewide dredging program - this week began pumping muck from Coldwater Creek into a new spoil site along West Bank Road.
Two livestock farms in Mercer County have been issued violation notices after manure from their operations polluted state waters in February during a large snow melt.
Employees at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park have received the state park system's Gazelle Award for their response to last year's toxic blue-green algae blooms on the lake.
MONTEZUMA - County officials are seeking funds to construct a fourth lagoon at the Montezuma Club Island wastewater treatment plant.
The cost of th
2011 Midwest Athletic Conference Track Meet
MINSTER - Last year, the final event of the Midwest Athletic Conference Track Meet saw a tense race with the Minster, Versailles and New Bremen boys 4x400-meter relay teams finishing neck-and-neck and all breaking the old MAC record.
Friday Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Bryce Bedwell scored the game-winning run on a wild play in the bottom of the seventh as Parkway knocked another team from a share of the MAC baseball lead in beating Versailles 4-3 on Friday at Don Black Field.