December 26, 2010
District might change grading scale By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
A closer look
The Big Walnut school board will consider changing what it takes to earn a passing grade in middle and high school classes. The school board is considering the change as a way to keep struggling students in school. Students currently must earn a grade of at least 65 percent to pass a course. Anything below that is a failing grade. A student who receives a failing grade gets no credit for the course. The administrators are proposing changes that would affect only the percentages at which a student earns a “D” grade. “We feel (there) is disparity at the lower end of
A number of years ago, the district changed from the traditional 10-point grading scale where 90 percent or above equals an “A,” 80 percent to 89 a “B,” 70 to 79 a “C,” 60 to 69 a “D” and anything below an “F.”
our grading scale. One that we think makes it harder for students at the lower end to be successful,” said superintendent Steve Mazzi. High school principal Steve Fujii and guidance counselor Tammi Jordan said many school districts use the traditional grading scale, under which a pass-
ing grade is 60 percent. A number of years ago, the district changed from the traditional 10-point grading scale where 90 percent or above equals an “A,” 80 percent to 89 a “B,” 70 to 79 a “C,” 60 to 69 a “D” and anything below an “F.” The goal was to challenge students by making it harder to get an “A,” which starts at 92 percent; a “B,” which starts at 84 percent; a “C,” which starts at 71 percent; and a “D,” which starts at 65 percent. Mazzi said that change works well for students who get high grades, but not so well for students whose grades are lower. Fujii said expanding the “D” range could encourage students to stay in school. “We want our students to be competitive at every
level. If military service is what they choose, only a high school diploma will get them that. If a student wants to go on to the technical school and perform in the automotive trade industry, in dental assisting or cosmetology, we want to provide them the opportunity to be successful. We also want to do the same for our students who are moving on to secondary education at very high levels. We want them to be very successful,” Fujii said. Allison Paglialunga, the student representative on the school board, said she didn’t want to see a change on the higher end of the grading scale, but saw the need at the lower end. “Changing the grades at A, B and C would be a See SCALE, page A2
Genoa’s 2011 appropriations down about 10%
UNDER ATTACK
By BONNIE BUTCHER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Adam Cairns/ThisWeek
While romping in the snow with their siblings at Smith Park in Sunbury, McKaden Thomas, 5, takes a snowball in the face from Dylan Oglesbee, 7, on Dec. 22.
Stapleton cites his experience working for state legislator By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers Newly seated Delaware County commissioner Dennis Stapleton said he expects his experience in state government will give him an unusual perspective on county office. He served as a state legislator from 1996 to 2003, and was state director of insurance under former Gov. Bob Taft. “I was a pretty doggone good state legislator and I enjoyed my time there,” Stapleton said. “I thought this was something I might be effective at.” Stapleton said he supports the practice of requiring matching local spending when receiving federal grants.
“Any time you have sharing of revenues, it’s probably a good thing. The problem I have with it though is that we have a tendency to think federal money is not tax money. For whatever rea- Dennis son you hear all the time Stapleton people say, ‘We didn’t pay for that, it’s not local money or state money.’ Well, we did pay for that. It’s federal tax dollars, which are our dollars.” Among the biggest policy problems he sees in Ohio is the use of property taxes to fund schools, which he thinks can never work because of the disparity in property values.
“We have districts in this state where 1 mill will bring in $1,800,” Stapleton said. “Then we have districts where 1 mill will bring in $340,000. How are those districts going to compete? They can never keep up.” Despite opposition from wealthy school districts, Stapleton said the only policy that makes sense is to pool the revenue at the state level. “At some point in time, the state has to decide that it’s going to pool taxes and then distribute it back out,” Stapleton said. “I’ve met so many people who say they cannot afford to stay in their house because their taxes are three times what their mortgage ever was. See STAPLETON, page A2
Genoa Township’s estimated 2011 general fund appropriations are smaller than those of 2010. The general fund pays expenses for the zoning, administrative, parks, building and grounds departments, as well as the fiscal office and trustees’ pay. The fire, road, and police departments are funded through dedicated voterapproved levies. Trustees approved the 2011 proposed appropriations at a special meeting Dec. 15. Overall, the general fund expenditures dropped 10 percent, about $300,000, said township administrator Paul Wise. The 2011 general fund expenses are projected to be $3,110,600, down from $3,416,180 in 2010. Wise said employees whose salaries come from the general fund will receive no pay increases in 2011. Medical and hospitalization costs are expected to increase by about 25 percent, Wise said. The roughly $300,000 decrease in the general fund budget is largely because of a decrease in purchased services, such as planning consultants and accounting and legal fees, he said. The administrative department is estimated to spend $831,700, including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies. The building and grounds department is estimated to spend $294,700, including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies. The zoning department is estimated to spend $394,200, including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies. The parks and rec department is estimated to spend $380,000, including salaries, fringe bene-
Closer look The roughly $300,000 decrease in the general fund budget is largely because of a decrease in purchased services, such as planning consultants and accounting and legal fees, township administrator Paul Wise said.
fits, purchased services and supplies. The general fund includes $1,255,000 in capital improvement spending, including general site improvements and $945,000 in park improvements, most at McNamara Park. The road department is funded through a road levy and various state collected and distributed gasoline tax and license fees. The road department’s 2011 expenditures are estimated to be $1,551,300, including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies, as well as road improvement costs. The 2010 expenditures were $2,034,399. Road improvement spending will be reduced in 2011. The fire department is funded by a levy and is estimated to spend $3,990,291 in 2011. That amount including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies, as well as capital expenses for equipment. The fire department’s 2010 expenditures will be $3,316,050. The police department is also funded by a levy. Its estimated 2011 expenditures are $3,320,500. That amount including salaries, fringe benefits, purchased services and supplies, as well as capital expenses for equipment. The department’s 2010 expenditures will be $3,038,199.
Commissioners support Homeland Security grant By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Delaware County commissioners on Dec. 20 approved a preliminary application for a $365,000 federal Homeland Security grant that would buy some emergency-response hardware. On the shopping list are a flexible radio patching unit to allow mobile emergency responders to link incompatible radio systems, a new communications vehicle and bulletproof vests for emergency medical responders.
“This is a preliminary submission ... to put in for some items through the Urban Area Security Initiative,” said Brian Galligher, director of the county office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “It’s a large grant the city of Columbus receives but shares with the ‘metropolitan statistical area,’ the surrounding counties around Franklin County.” Galligher runs a three-person office that primarily works to prepare emergency planning documents and administer grants provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and
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the state and local agencies that act as conduits for federal funding. “We do not have weapons or fire trucks (in the county office of Homeland Security),” Galligher said. He said most of the grants buy items for other departments. “We’ll buy for the sheriff, for the fire department. We’ll buy things for the coroner’s office out of an upcoming grant.” In the event of an emergency, the county office of homeland security acts as a central in-
formation clearinghouse. “If there is a large incident, we open the emergency operations center,” Galligher said. “We coordinate the emergency from the operations center, to make sure everything is flowing and we have resources so we know where to get things we need. We keep up (geographical information system) data so we know if something is affected downstream.” The response of the various units occurs acSee HOMELAND SECURITY, page A2
Sally, left, is one of the homeless pets still waiting to be adopted from the Second Chance Humane Society. Her shelter mate, Daisy, was featured in the October video at www.ThisWeekNews.com and is also waiting to be adopted. For more information on adopting one of the dogs, visit www.secondchancehs.com or call (740) 967-3700.