7/15/11 East Holmes passes admin retirement contribution measure in wake of changes in SB 5

  • By Nick Sabo
  • July 15, 2011
  • 286
                        
Anticipating changes in Senate Bill 5, the East Holmes Board of Education Thursday July 14 moved to exempt paying into administrator salaries to offset increased retirement contributions. The board approved a resolution drafted by Tri-County Educational Service Center that holds the board harmless on compensation for increased taxes related to retirement contributions. Interim Superintendant Joe Edinger said the resolution relieves the board of paying salary increases to compensate increased administrator responsibility for the amount they contribute toward retirement. “For example, if it costs $20 more for me to make (the retirement contribution), that’s my responsibility, not the board’s,” Edinger said. SB 5 will require employees under the state teacher’s retirement system (STRS) to pay a higher percentage of their retirement contributions. SB 5 has seen harsh criticism from educators and faces a referendum vote in the November election. In other business, the board approved a technology assistance contract with former Hiland assistant principal Scott Pringle. The assistant principal position was eliminated in March as part of budget cuts, and Pringle will move to Wise Elementary to teach a math class in the 2011 - 2012 school year. The contract allows Pringle to continue doing some of his duties as assistant principal that have gone unfilled, Clark said. The contract is for $30 per hour with a maximum of 100 hours for the 2011 - 2012 school year. Edinger informed the board that East Holmes is looking for a van driver and school bus driver. The van driver position involves transporting Buckeye Career Center students to Sugarcreek, where they are picked up by the Garaway bus routes, and transporting a special needs student to Canton. The bus driver position is for a regular route and involves 5 to 6 hours of driving a day, Clark said. Both positions became available because the former drivers retired. The school is further looking for assistant girl’s volleyball coaches for junior high and the Freshman team. The board voted to opt out of an Ohio law requiring schools to screen certain grade levels for body mass index (BMI) and weight status category. Clark said the law represents an unfunded mandate, the terms of which the schools do not have the time and staff to meet. The BMI law required testing of each student enrolled in Kindergarten, third grade, fifth grade and ninth grade. The next meeting of the East Holmes Board of Education will be held August 15.


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