District administration presented projected savings that would result from a few different closure options — moving grades 9-12 at Sheffield to Warren, moving 9-12 at Youngsville to Eisenhower, moving 9-12 at Eisenhower to Youngsville and then a hybrid that would send part of the student population at Eisenhower to Youngsville and part to Warren.

At the outset of the discussion, Board President Paul Mangione addressed an accusation that the discussion regarding these issues at the July committee meetings was improperly held in an executive session.

“I want to be clear, the board received information and legal advice,” he said, but did not deliberate.

He stressed that “all deliberation and decision making” would occur in public and said he would “continue to lead the board in a transparent manner” on this issue.

WCSD Superintendent Gary Weber outlines possible high school closure options during Monday’s school board meeting.

Discussion then shifted to the financial projections on the closure scenarios, trying to arrive at savings projections for each of the options.

Superintendent Gary Weber said the numbers are based on the district’s 2022-23 audited financial statements, the last year available. The analysis included the use of May 2023 staffing levels and pulled out COVID-19 dollars, the Warren County Career center and includes direct and indirect costs for each school as well as a cost per student.

Board member John Wortman asked what the “major driver” is for the district’s cost per student. “We have almost $6,000 between one high school and another.”

The district did not make the data available to the public Monday but Weber said there would be more in-depth discussion at the August committee meetings later this month.

“Employees, it’s labor dollars,” Weber said. “Sheffield as an example, it’s the highest” with the lowest number of students per course section.

“That disparity is what drives the number higher.”

Weber said there are currently 157 students enrolled at Sheffield in grades 9-12 and that just “41 percent of those students in the eastern attendance area are going back to Sheffield in the afternoon.”

Before getting into the specific savings for each proposal Weber stressed the numbers are “conservative” as well as his belief that the actual number would be higher.

Looking first at Sheffield, Weber said moving those students to Warren would see the district reduce staffing by an administrator, teacher reduction, a paraprofessional and a secretary that “we believe we could eliminate.”

He added there would be some transportation, athletics, curriculum and technology cost savings and projected the total savings at $562,700 in year one.

The numbers rise when looking at the Youngsville to Eisenhower and Eisenhower to Youngsville scenarios.

“The staffing is pretty much identical” in both those options, Weber said.

Cuts in the YHS to EMHS option could include an administrator, counselor, five teachers, a paraprofessional, a secretary and two custodians. An increase of $124,000 for transportation would see the savings in this scenario total $1,115,038 in year one.

The inverse of that proposal would see a year one savings of $995,000, with the option to split Eisenhower between Youngsville and Warren bringing a similar savings.

Director of Business Services Jim Grosch then presented an analysis that took those totals calculated an inflation factor and cost avoidance aspect to determine what the savings could be over a five year window both in real dollars and also in property tax millage, where one mill of taxes equals $400,000.

Grosch said the Sheffield closure would present a total savings or cost avoidance of over $2 million, equivalent to over six mills in taxes.

The Youngsville to Eisenhower option would protect total savings or cost avoidance of nearly $5 million, totaling over 12 mills.

The inverse of that scenario — Eisenhower to Youngsville — shows a slightly lower total, $4.4 million or over 11 mills.

Grosch said the total of the Sheffield to Warren and Youngsville to Eisenhower options project to a total of $7.4 million in savings, equivalent to over 18.5 mills in taxes.

Board member Tammi Holden asked for numbers on “what makes to me the most logical sense, moving the closest schools to the closest school.”

She specifically raised concern for students in the Grand Valley area, asking whether they would be given the option to go to Titusville if Youngsville were closed.

Grosch said that is “not really an option. They’d need to pay tuition.”

“A lot of them do already,” Holden said.

Weber said the district is working on a population map that will show where each student in the district lives.

Wortman said the board needs to think about what is “in the best interest” of the district both financially and educationally. “What do we want the district to look like 49 to 50 years from now? What do we see (as) the vision… and then directors can build on that as we continue to have different people sit in these chairs.”