Monday, September 6, 2010 02:50 AM
By Jim Siegel
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A study by the Brookings Institute/Greater Ohio Policy Center released in February suggested setting up an independent commission to cut the number of public-school districts by one- third.
But some say the question may not be whether Ohio needs 612 school districts but whether it needs 612 central offices, with separate food service, transportation and supply purchasing.
For example, the Westerville City School District has 13,900 students, while about 14,200 students attend public schools in eight districts in Tuscarawas County.
Data compiled by TheDispatch found that Westerville last year spent $3.3 million on the central-office staff, compared with $5.7 million in the Tuscarawas County districts.
The Westerville superintendent was paid 50 percent more than any superintendent in Tuscarawas. In fact, seven Westerville central-office staffers earned more than the $100,385 paid to the highest-paid administrator in the eastern Ohio county.
But because Westerville employed 38 central-office employees compared to more than 85 in the eight Tuscarawas County districts, it spent $2.4 million less on salaries, health care and retirement benefits — the equivalent of nearly 60 first-year teachers.
“No student learns better because of where teachers get their paychecks from,” said Jon Ritchie, superintendent of both the Orrville and Rittman school districts in Wayne County, where the two school boards decided in early 2007 to merge their central offices.
In the first full year, the merger saved $270,000, and they expect to save even more by combining other classes and services, Ritchie said.
Teachers unions were supportive, he said, because the districts are spending less on management. “I never met a labor leader that cared about whether the superintendent is busy,” he said.
“I don’t get to every football game, but does that matter? Probably not.”