April 14, 2011
Riverlea annexation likely to go on ballot Worthington and village residents would vote on terms set by commission By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Voters probably will decide whether the village of Riverlea will become part of the city of Worthington. By a 5-2 vote during a special Sunday night meeting April 10, Worthington City Council put into motion negotiations to set terms of the annexation of the 545-resident village. According
to state law, once a six-member commission sets the terms of the annexation, it then must be decided by voters of both Worthington and Riverlea. The city still could pass an ordinance to accept the annexation without a vote of residents, but that decision could be overturned by a petition signed by 25 percent of registered Worthington voters. Council may hot, however, vote to reject the annexation after the commis-
sion’s decision. The annexation bid came from a committee of Riverlea residents, who successfully collected enough signatures to put the annexation process into motion. During the Sunday meeting, Worthington council had the option of doing nothing, which would have stopped the annexation bid. Instead, members voted to declare the city’s intent to enter into annexation ne-
gotiations and appointed three council members to represent the city on the annexation commission. Council president Lou Goorey and council members Bob Chosy and Robert Schmidt will serve on the commission. Representing Riverlea will be Kirk McHugh, Scott Gordon and Eric MacGilvray. If the six cannot agree to terms of annexation, a Franklin County probate
judge must appoint a nonresident to the commission. The commission has 120 days to arrange the conditions of annexation and report back to the councils of Worthington and Riverlea. Both then must order the question to be placed on the ballot at the next election, according to state law. See RIVERLEA, page A2
Retiring
Consultant:
Teachers have 442 years of combined experience
Similar schools pay superintendents $158,125 a year By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The Worthington Board of Education approved the retirement of 20 teachers April 11. Combined, those teachers have 442 year of experience in the Worthington schools. “There could easily be 20,000 students who were touched by the folks whose retirements we are accepting tonight,” Superintendent Melissa Conrath said. Those retiring are as follows: • Suzanne Beach, who teaches third grade at Worthington Park Elementary School. She is completing her 15th year in Worthington. • Nancy Beattie, who teaches English at Thomas Worthington High School. She is completing her 29th year in Worthington. • Anita Beck, who teaches first grade at Brookside Elementary School. She is completing her 31st year in Worthington. • Sandra Bell, who teaches second grade at Worthington Park Elementary School. She is completing her 24th year in Worthington. • Rick Bensman, a counselorsocial studies teacher at Linworth High School. He is completing his 36th year in Worthington. See RETIRING, page A2
Time to stretch
By Eric George/ThisWeek
Thomas Worthington’s Kendall Gordon (right) and Upper Arlington’s Molly Groza battle for possession of the ball April 5. The Cardinals, who lost to the Golden Bears 13-9, will be host to the Hannigan-Galipault tournament on Saturday, April 16. See story, page C4
Superintendents in districts similar to Worthington earn an average annual salary of $158,125, plus such benefits as retirement pickups, annuities, car allowances and bonuses. Those figures, plus comparative figures from the private sector, will be shared with candidates for the Worthington superintendent’s position. Ralph Johnson, of the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio (the organization helping the board in its search for a successor for Superintendent Melissa Conrath), presented the figures to the Worthington Board of Education during its April 11 meeting. Conrath will retire in October. Her current salary, after five years in the district, is $153,824, plus benefits. The district pays her share of the State Teachers Retirement System contribution, which is equal to 10 percent of her salary. Districts are required to pay 16 percent of a superintendent’s salary into STRS. The superintendent then must add 10 percent. In Worthington and in all districts in the study, the districts pay that 10 percent. Conrath receives an annuity of 19.4 percent of her salary in lieu of having the district pay for her health insurance. Health insurance for her and her husband, if the district had provided it, would have cost about $12,000 a year, she said.
“
Our superintendent should be paid in line with our salary scale of our faculty.
CHARLIE WILSON school board member
Conrath receives no car or communication allowance. Her contract calls for a 2-percent annual merit bonus, but she and the board have agreed to forgo that bonus each year because of the financial condition of the district. To come up with averages from districts with similar demographics, the consultants looked at districts in Hilliard, Dublin, Lakota, Westerville, Mason, Strongsville, Solon and Olentangy. The average annuity, paid in seven of the eight similar districts, is $14,905. Five of eight districts provide car allowances, with the average being $7,600 a year. The average communication allowance, paid in three of eight districts, is $1,800. Four districts pay bonuses, with the average being $4,100 a year. Johnson also presented privatesector figures for similar jobs. The chief executive officer of a central Ohio private company with more than 1,200 employees earns an average of $279,583, he See SALARY, page A2
Leadership Worthington invites volunteers to help on Service Day By CANDY BROOKS ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Senior citizens who need a hand with household chores are invited to contact Leadership Worthington (LW) to get their names on the Service Day list. “Calls are slowly coming in, but I am sure that will change,” LW director Joan Bird said. “We usually do about 90 to
100 jobs.” This year Service Day is Saturday, May 7. On that morning, volunteers will check in at Service Day headquarters and then be assigned a job or jobs in the community. For three hours, they will work in teams to help others in their homes. Typical jobs involve window washing, lawn mowing, flower planting and
house cleaning. Any senior citizen or person who needs assistance in Worthington is invited to request help at (614) 883-3057 or visit www.LeadershipWorthington.org. Volunteers include Boy Scout troops, families, the Daughters of the American Revolution and LW graduates. To volunteer, contact either LW or just show up on Service Day.
An adult must accompany all volunteers under age 18. Service Day headquarters is at Kilbourne Middle School, 50 E. Granville Road. Volunteers will gather at 8 a.m. for breakfast, and jobs will be assigned at 8:30. Kiwanis of Northern Columbus provides breakfast, during which the annual Leadership for a Lifetime awards
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