Kasich's budget may cost district $170K

FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery Local Schools could lose 3 percent of its state funding over the next two years, totaling $170,057, under Gov. John Kasich's recently proposed two-year school budget.

"Again, this is all preliminary and a lot of people are complaining and rightly so, because in the preliminary numbers it looks like, once again, rural school districts and school districts who need the money are getting hit," treasurer Lori Koch said at Monday's school board meeting.

The governor's proposal still must go through the Ohio House and Senate, where the plan could be altered or replaced, Koch noted.

"I'm hoping it's not going to end up this way, because we are one of the school districts that are initially going to get hit if it comes out the way that he's planning," she said.

In other news, board members thanked the Fort Recovery Community Foundation for donating $1,192 to help purchase four practice mannequins and six automated external defibrillators. The purchase will help the schools meet a requirement in Ohio House Bill 113, which requires CPR training to graduate high school.

High school principal Marcus Overman said about $1,100 was raised on Military Appreciation Night, which would be donated to United Heroes League, a nonprofit organization that purchases sports equipment for military children.

The College Credit Plus program may be changed, superintendent Justin Firks said. He has received notification from Rhodes State College that the school would begin charging $41.50 per credit hour per student for the 2017-2018 school year. The district had not previously paid for the program and had not planned for the increase. He said board members will need to discuss options.

The board also will discuss the possibility of starting the school day earlier, with classes starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. Firks acknowledged it would mean a change for school personnel and some parents might need to find childcare options. However, he also believes more drivers might be available for student transportation at the new times.

Firks said the district has the latest starting time in the county.

"Just a preliminary discussion, nothing set in stone, but it might be good to get feedback from the community as well," he said.

The board also accepted the resignation of Brady Kahlig as the high school boys' freshman basketball coach and approved him to become the seventh-grade boys' basketball coach for the 2016-2017 school year.