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Primarily serving Pataskala and surrounding areas
December 26, 2010
Pataskala to adjust clerk salaries upward Three-year process intended to equalize wages compared to similar communities By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
The city of Pataskala is beginning what the administration expects will be a three-year process: to equalize the pay of four employees who, most council members believe, are being significantly underpaid compared to similar central Ohio communities.
“The concept in a nutshell is, when you compare the low, medium and high ranges of salaries for like positions in central Ohio, these four jobs were on the low level,” Mayor Steve Butcher said. “Council said it wanted to raise the jobs to the low average area, but that it did not want to do it in one year. Basically, they recognized these four employees were grossly underpaid, but
the city did not have the financial ability to fix it one year.” The affected positions are the city’s public-services director and the clerks for city council, the mayor’s court and the police department. Currently, the service director earns a base pay of $54,690 plus the usual benefits; the council clerk earns $27,400; the mayor’s-court clerk earns $33,260; and
the police department’s clerk earns $25,130. Under the 2011 budget approved earlier this month, each of those positions would receive raises of 4 percent to 11 percent. The funds for the raises were included as part of the total budget. Council member Bryan Lenzo had asked council to separate those raises from the budget resolution, ar-
guing that council had addressed the issue in July and voted unanimously not to address the salary imbalance. “Back in July, council unanimously voted down the same request, and our budget situation since July has not improved,” Lenzo said. “I don’t see any reason to increase expenses in DeSee SALARIES, page A2
8 Licking Heights teachers certified by national board By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers
Eight Licking Heights schools are listed among the top tier of teaching professionals in the United States. The teachers were named national board-certified teachers Dec. 15 by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. They are the first NBCT in Licking Heights. Only about 3 percent of U.S. teachers are board-certified, according to information from the NBPTS. Fewer than 3,300 board-certified teachers are employed in Ohio’s more than 600 school districts. Eighteen Licking Heights teachers participated in a district-sponsored graduate school cohort last year through National University, where they prepared four work portfolios, complete with example lesson plans and
Teachers Vicki Willet (LH West) Lin Maeder (LH West) Mandy Rubino (LH South) Galen Kendrick (LH South) Brooke Hoskinson (LH South) Jamie Bowsher (LH Central) Cathy Satterwhite (LH High) Nathan Clark (LH High).
student work, videos of their instruction and reflective writing. The one-year application process takes up to 300 hours outside the workday. Superintendent Thomas Tucker said about only one third of teachers are granted certification after one application. With eight teachers accepted on their first try, the district’s acceptance rate is above average, he said. See TEACHERS, page A2
Report: Etna’s JEDZ revenues up 13 percent over 2009 By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
Getting ready
Watkins Memorial High School girls basketball teammates Kim Coyle (left) and Lou Nickel greet each other fist to fist during team introductions at host Olentangy Orange High School on Dec. 21. The Warriors lost 67-28 to fall to 0-7 overall and 0-5 in the OCC-Capital Division. The squad returns to action Wednesday and Thursday at the Lakewood Holiday Tournament.
The Etna Township trustees have received the annual report for the joint economic-development zone established for the ProLogis Industrial Park and the city of Newark in 2006. The JEDZ is one of three such joint economic-development agreements in Licking County, all three of which are in Etna Township and Pataskala, and is the only one that currently has tenants producing revenue. Total net funds received in 2010 thus far amount to more than $175,000, the bulk of which is shared between the township and the Southwest Licking Local School District. Collections in 2010 are up by 13 percent over
2009, according to the report. “These are good numbers,” said Dick Knapp, former township trustee and member of the JEDZ board. “Our JEDZ has been profitable for our township since its inception. With the economic situation in our country, let Dick Knapp alone the state, our industrial park continues to grow.” Under the JEDZ, local governments such as townships that do not collect an income taxing may enter agreements with jurisdictions that have income taxes, such as cities, and apply the tax See JEDZ, page A2
Watkins student graduates half year late following snafu By LISA AURAND ThisWeek Community Newspapers
One Watkins Memorial High School student graduated a few months later than the rest of his class — and with a half credit less. The Southwest Licking Board of Education voted 5-0 on Dec. 16 to allow Nicholas Summers of Kirkersville to graduate, despite being a half a credit shy of the
graduation requirements. Watkins principal Ben Richards said the half credit that Summers was missing an elective credit and that it was not his fault. “This student was told all last year that all he had to do to graduate was pass the (Ohio Graduation Test),” Richards said. Superintendent Forest Yocum said the mistake was made sometime earlier in high school.
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“It was no fault of the student’s. … He successfully completed all seven subjects that he was involved in and passed every one of those seven. You can’t take a fuller load than that,” Yocum said. Summers, 19, told ThisWeek he would have remedied the situation had he been aware that he was short on credits. “I would have went to summer school if I had known,” said Sum-
mers, who was alerted about 36 hours before the board meeting that he couldn’t get his diploma without board approval. Summers didn’t pass the OGT in time for graduation with the rest of his class of 2010, but he kept studying and took the test again over the summer. “Honestly, it’s unusual for students to have the perseverance to continue working,” Richards said.
“Very often, students in that same situation would go, ‘I’m just done with it.’” The error wasn’t realized until after Summers learned that he had passed the OGT. “As we were in the process of examining everything, … it was discovered that he was half a credit short,” Yocum said. Richards said Watkins staff members are examining the
process to discover where the error was made and to ensure that the error isn’t repeated. Richards recommended that the board waive the district’s regular graduation requirements and approve Summers’ graduation. “He has met all the Ohio graduation requirements. Very frankly, this mistake is on us,” he said. See GRADUATE, 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.