By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

The Wynford school board began the decision making process Monday as to when to place renewal levy issues on the 2015 ballot.

Treasurer Leesa Smith delivered her five-year forecast and noted that without passage of the levies the school’s finances would not be sufficient. Without the renewal the school would have a debt of over $3 million by 2019.

During his report Superintendent Steve Mohr recommended that the board place the renewal levies on the May 2015 ballot. The board will vote on the renewal levies at the November board meeting.

After the board meeting Smith explained the importance of the levies, and the steps that would need to be taken in the event that the levies would fail.

“The superintendent and the Board of Education would have to get together quickly and decide what we would have to do,” Smith said. “As you can tell if you did the calculations personnel is 50 percent, the associated fringe benefits are another 25 percent. So in other words we’re pushing 75 percent of our budget is personnel and fringe benefits because we are a service industry.”

“Some of the problem with that is April is the magic date of notifying personnel of changes. Well if we don’t find out until May that those renewals didn’t pass those are some tough conversations that would have to happen,” Smith continued.

The Wynford School District has had the 6.9-mil operating levy since 2003. Wynford also currently has a levy for 2.5 mils which raises $350,000 for emergency in place. Both levies go up for renewal every three years.

The Wynford Board of Education unanimously approved all personnel items on the agenda. Included on the personnel agenda was retirement of high school custodian Ernie Brooks effective Dec. 31, 2014.

Also approved unanimously was the hiring of Carrie Freshour as a substitute vocal music teacher retroactive to Sept. 29.

“She comes to us highly recommended; if we need to hire her full-time,” Mohr said.

The Wynford board also approved all operational items on the agenda unanimously including an agreement with Perry ProTech for copiers and printers which is projected to save the school at least $10,000.

Also unanimously approved was a resolution for support of the Pioneer Career and Technology Replacement levy.

“We have more students than ever at Pioneer so we need to show all the support we can for the school,” Mohr said.

The next Wynford School District Board of Education meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 17.