West Geauga Board of Education – 9-12-2022
The meeting was held on September 12, 2022 in the West Geauga Board Office Community Room, Chester Township at 7 pm
There was no executive session
Present were: Vice President Ben Kotowski, William Beers, Mary-Michelle Coleman Walsh, Christina Sherwood. Superintendent Dr. Rich Markwardt and Treasurer Karen A. Pavlat were present.
President Kathy Leavenworth was not present
Minutes for August 22 were approved
The West Geauga School Board voted unanimously to enter into a lease agreement with the Newbury Board of Trustees for the use of athletic fields, parking areas and part of the bus garage on the former Newbury Schools campus. The map of the site was reviewed. The agreement included the demolition of a building (because cost of rehabilitation of the building was far too expensive to make it reasonable). Base rent - $100 a year for 5 years and can be renewed - and Newbury gets first right of refusal. Newbury will assume liability risk and all maintenance and upgrade responsibilities. A garage storage will be shared. Newbury Trustees will lease the athletic fields and parking lots from West Geauga.
School Board member Dr. William Beers, who headed the exploration into how best to use the property which West Geauga Schools took over approximately two years ago, said that despite their best efforts to find a use for the elementary/intermediate school that includes an auditorium, the three million dollar expense to bring the building up to code proved prohibitive. The building will be demolished. Beers reported that a Newbury trustee, Greg Tropf, shared the view, along with Newbury Township Fiscal Officer Beverly Sustar, that the demolition was the best resolution for the community in terms of taxes. West Geauga retains the rights to a wetlands area of the property for potential educational purposes as well as three bays in the bus garage for storage. A West Geauga parent spoke in favor of the demolition, noting that the building doesn't and will not house students.
The rest of the agenda Items were approved by the Board.
Long-time West Geauga Schools employee Jay Bishop's resignation was accepted, albeit without his name being officially stated. The board passed a resolution accepting the resignation of an administrative employee and adopted a related separation agreement and release. The employee was not named and there was no discussion. However, the employee was later identified in the local press as Jay Bishop, currently the director of operations and capital improvements, who has been an employee of the West Geauga School District since 1995.
Details available in audio archives and agenda is available here:
https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/westg/board.nsf/public
The board announced a special meeting to take place on 9/15/22 at 3:30.
Next meeting will be September 26, 2022 (Monday) at 7 pm
Minutes and More Information available here: https://www.westg.org/BoardofEducation.aspx
Complete video of meeting available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIpBKyIlFlo
Names of Observers: KC Henry and Anne Ondrey
Reviewer: Shelly Lewis
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