By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

Crestline High School Principal Dave Mounts has been placed on paid administrative leave by the district. Board of Education President Robert Salvati declined comment when asked about the situation at the Crestline school board meeting on Thursday.

According to a report in The Crestline Advocate, Crestline Superintendent Noreen Mullins said Mounts was placed on leave Nov. 11. Mullins also did not give any details or reason for the action.

Mounts was hired in June after his predecessor had resigned the position and took over in August.

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The financial situation is starting to turn around for the district. Treasurer Tonya Boyd had very good news in her report. The General Fund balance is up $389,827 over September’s ending balance to $2,233,403. This is largely due to the increased funds promised from Columbus in the new biennium budget. The State began to make the district whole for these promised funds from July, August, and September.

The district was also up $4,030 in income tax collections from October of 2014.

The other very good piece of news was that in October revenues exceeded expenditures by a whopping $426,868. The tally was $1,042,318 brought in and $615,450 spent. That represented a very good one-month surplus and a good sign for the district.

That also helped improve the cash balance to $5,756,529 at the end of October, which was $286,984 better than the end of September.

Boyd was cautiously optimistic about the situation, warning that this did not mean the financial worries were over, but happy that things were, “Trending upwards.”

The board accepted three donations, totaling $800. Village Councilman Clayton Herold was on hand to make a donation of $100 to the Royal Blue Fund and $200 to the school band. Herold said these donations came from the Harvest Festival in thanks for all the work the kids put in. There was also a $500 donation from the local VFW to the High School MD Classroom.

The board elected to raise single day pay for substitute teachers from $70 per day to $80 per day.

Mullens stated that, “It’s getting harder and harder to find substitutes. We want to be competitive with the surrounding districts.”

The board accepted the retirement of longtime employee Mark Bland, effective Dec. 27.