Geauga record. [volume] (Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio) 1952-1962, 1960-03-03

members of the faculty de-
cred at the school.
The people listened in sill
ence while board member
Harry Gillis, the only school
official who would commit
himself, spoke at length on
why he favored consolidation
with Burton TROY, and boo
ed at one point during an
equally long talk by Russell
Gergen, active with Gillis in
The NeWbury Citizens league.
The meeting, reminiscent
of those held in Chester Scho-
ol Auditorium almost a de-
cade ago when residents of
that area where considering
consolidating with Russell to
form the West Geauga School
District, ended with no de-
ciSionS at all.
Board President William
Ward, asked how the board
intended to vote on consolida-
ton, said, 1--WE have b e e n
considering voting yes
and we have been consider
ing voting no." He added the
school board did not yet
k now when they would make
any decision.
The meeting was held to
aid the board in discovering
community feeling on a con-
solidation. The issue came to
a head with the receipt, a.
bout a month ago, of the Con-
rad report.
This report. requested by
the Newbury Board a st
spring, was made by rep
resentatives of the Bureau of
Educational Research of Oh
10 State University. 1t reco-
mends consolidation of tn e
Newbury and Burton Troy
school districts.
The 49 page report was
reproduced by the Newbury
Citizens League and diStribut
ed to residents of the town.
ship. The Citizens League
which has taken no official
stand on the proposed mer-
ger according to President
Cameron Cline, was consid-
ering calling a public meet
ing to discuss the aspects Of
consolidation before it was
beaten to the punch by the
school board itself.
Ward told the audience the,
board had been hesitant to
take any action because the
report much information VIII
ich the board felt it necessary
to consider. He said facts left
out of the survey included:
l. A comparison of zoning
regulations in the present
! Newbury and Burton Troy
School districts. Variations
in zoning would result in
variations in the tax revenue
derived.
2. A study of the teacher
salary schedule. (Newbury
presently has a higher salary
schedule than Burton Troy.)
3. The consolidation with
out state aid. (The report
said state aid would more
likely be available if the two
Sdistricts united but could gi-
We no guarantee of financial
assistance in any case.)
4. If the consolidation did
not take place, would tn e
Newbury school district be
able to "go it alone"?
5. What effect will proper
ty reevaluation, presently un-
derway, have on the New
bury districts taxing poten-
tial?
6. Will consolidation bring
about an expanded school
curriculum?
Asked what would happen
to the teacher salary schedu-
lie if the two districts were to
merge, board member John
Lockhardt said Newbury's sa-
larieS would go down nd
Burton'S would go up st o
strike happy medium"
After Gillis had cited bet
ter instruction as an advan-
tage which would esult
from consolidation. Mrs.
Michael Stromp of Is Grace
st. asked him. How can you
say we are going to get bet
ter teachers by lowering sal
arieS?"
Gillis, who said he was
"aStounded" at the line of
questioning, asked if anyone
had ever considered what is
best for the children. when
we set ourselves above the
experts we open ourselves to
serious doubts" he said.
Fred Kleve. a Newbury re-
sident, challenged Gillis and
! asked "What do thocn ,aoo,,la