For months, board of education members and administrators in the Warren Local school district have said massive cuts would be needed if voters didn't pass a bond issue to construct new schools and free up money used on building repairs.
At a meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, the board members are expected to vote on those cuts.
An agenda for the meeting, to be held in the Warren High School cafeteria, includes votes on several reductions, including teacher and staff layoffs and eliminating bus transportation to high school students and students who live less than two miles from their school.
"It's absolutely going to be hard," said board member Bob Crum, about the votes. "I'm good friends with a lot of the people who will be affected, some of the bus drivers. ... There are a lot of people who'll have their jobs taken away. But we don't have a choice."
The reductions to be voted on include a reduction in force of an elementary art teacher, an elementary physical education teacher, six elementary teachers, a high school Chinese teacher, a part-time Spanish teacher, one high school business teacher, two high school industrial arts teachers and an elementary assistant principal.
On the staff side, the reduction in force of three custodians and up to 12 bus drivers will be voted on. Due to the reductions in custodians, the board will also be asked to vote on suspending its policy that allows community use of school buildings.
Fact Box
If you go
What: Warren Local Board of Education meeting.
When: 6:30 p.m. Monday.
Where: Warren High School cafeteria.
Also on Monday's agenda is the elimination of all academic and athletic supplemental contracts, which would include contracts for multiple coaches, activity and class advisers and choral directors.
The board is also expected to vote on increasing admission prices for high school sporting events and instituting a pay-to-participate program for activities that would begin at $50 per student per activity this spring and increase to $100 in the next school year.
"Something's got to happen now," said board member Sid Brackenridge. "We've put it off and put it off and put it off, and now it's needed."
The board is expected to keep the bond issue, which failed for the third time this week, on the May 3 ballot. If it would pass in its final attempt, many of the cuts could be reversable, Crum said.
"At the same time, we can't afford to just wait and see if it passes," he said. "You can't wait until the last minute when you're talking about someone's job. We've told the public for over a year now we would be forced to do this if the bond issue didn't pass because we need $1.9 million (a year) for repairs."
Crum said the action that might be taken Monday isn't being taken to punish "no" voters.
"This is not a punishment," he said. "This is a reaction to a real deficit, and this has to be acted upon. Some people maybe don't believe something until they see it, but for us this has already been real for a long time."
Brackenridge said while reductions must be made, he does expect some discussion before voting takes place Monday.
