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Home > Blogs > Springfield Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > March > 12
Thursday, March 12, 2009
City schools oversight almost over
Springfield City Schools is almost out of fiscal oversight.
The board has called a special meeting for 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at the city forum to meet jointly with the financial oversight commission.
At the meeting, state auditors will present their report and release the district from fiscal oversight, according to the agenda.
Officials announced earlier in the year that this would likely happen this spring. The timing couldn’t be better — one week before the board will interview finalists for the next superintendent.
The state took control almost exactly four years ago when voters rejected two levy attempts and the district was facing a $7.5 million deficit. Since that time, a state commission has reviewed all board decisions.
Four years and $20 million in budget cuts later, the district will likely be released next Wednesday. My understanding is the commission will still meet and review district finances but on a less frequent basis.
UPDATE: Treasurer Penny Rucker tells me that the district will be released without any oversight for the next two years because Springfield schools has complied with all audit recommendations.
“That’s kind of unheard of,” she said.
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District requests waiver for Wednesdays
City school officials will ask the state to waive minimum school hour requirements so the district can continue its practice of releasing early on Wednesdays to allow for teacher training, development and collaboration opportunities.
Board members voted unanimously to apply for a waiver to the Ohio Department of Education to maintain the early release schedule.
State law requires that students be in school for five hours a day, plus a half hour lunch, for elementary school and five and a half hours, plus a half hour lunch, for middle and high school.
On Wednesdays, the district misses the minimum requirements by four to six minutes, said Interim Superintendent Don Thompson.
If approved, the waiver would give Springfield permission to continue the Wednesday schedule as is, even though it does not meet the minimum requirement.
Like most districts, Springfield’s school year and school day (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) are both longer than the state’s legal minimum.
If the state denies the request, Springfield likely would have to adjust the Wednesday schedule to meet the minimum requirements.
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