By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Though uncertain times lie ahead, Bowling Green Board of Education wants to face the future with a full team of teachers on board.
During a special meeting this morning, the school board voted to fill three vacant positions for an elementary media specialist, middle school physical education teacher, and high school art teacher.
Normally, the decision would have been a no-brainer. But with the coronavirus shaking education’s mode of delivery and finances, these type of decisions are now being debated.
The vote was 4 to 1, with Tracy Hovest voting against filling the positions. She explained that she struggled with the decision.
“Every employee of this district is essential,” she said. But faced with the uncertainty of how instruction will be handled in the fall, and how the district’s finances will look due to the pandemic, Hovest explained she did not want to fill the positions now.
“Do we have people who are cross-certified?” she asked. “Is this the right time to be hiring?”
But others on the board wanted to fill the positions that had already been budgeted for in the district’s five-year forecast.
“We have big challenges ahead,” agreed Norm Geer. But he added that cuts are not yet necessary.
“I think we need our full team,” he said. “We have the ability to hang in there. I don’t want to make any cuts.”
Bill Clifford asked if the new hires had been made aware of the potential for lay-offs due to the impact of the coronavirus.
Superintendent Francis Scruci said he informed the three candidates of the potential tough times ahead.
“These are uncertain times,” he said. “When you get into the teaching profession, you always know you are at the mercy of public funds.”
Treasurer Cathy Schuller said the district will continue to evaluate its finances.
“We are financially secure at the moment,” she said. However, uncertainty looms with more cuts expected from the state and a loss of tax revenue locally. “We’re in a fiscal crisis, but not a fiscal emergency. There’s a difference.”
The three replacement positions will not begin getting paid by the district until the new school year starts in August.
Board President Ginny Stewart said filling the vacant positions is important.
“We need to go into the year with a full staff,” she said.
And the new hires are going into the year knowing the school district’s position, Stewart said.
“I feel like they’ve been given the information,” she said. “I think we’ve been very open and honest about this.”
Jill Carr agreed with the move to hire the staff.
“I think we’re making the right decision to move forward and hire these people,” she said.
Also during the special meeting this morning, the board voted to extend its food service operation into the summer – from June 1 to Aug. 25. The food service staff will be rotating shifts, and the bus transportation staff will continue to do deliveries.
Scruci said the U.S. Department of Agriculture will reimburse for meals served.
“The need for feeding our students is greater than we anticipated” due to the pandemic, Stewart said, noting that the district has been serving 11,000 meals a month, rather than the projected 3,000 meals.
