Meeting on Monday night, the Boardman Local School Board approved its annual appropriation for the 2014 fiscal year with an overall budget of some $56.213 million.
      The budget includes some $41.73 million in the general fund, and $10.56 million in state and federal subsidies.
      According to documents filed with the Ohio Department of Education (Cupp Report), almost 83 per cent of the annual budget goes for salaries and fringe benefits provided for the district’s 611 employees, or close to $92,000 per employee.
      A close review of the September agenda shows the school board renewed its contracts for Supt. Frank Lazzeri and Director of Curriculum Dr. Linda Ross, through the 2014-15 school year, when it approved its consent agenda following its August meeting.
      Lazzeri’s salary was set at $93,292 under terms of a retire-rehire contract. The board approved that option for the superintendent in 2011, when he was paid $112,000.
      The contract for Dr. Ross was also approved under the system’s retire-rehire program at an annual salary of $64,387.
      The Cupp Report shows the average annual wage of Boardman school teachers for fiscal year 2012 was reported to be $54,531, a little more than $4000 less that the average teachers’ salary in Ohio ($58,119).
      Average annual administrative wage in the Boardman Local School District is $72,380, also a little more than $4000 below the average administrative wage for public schools in Ohio ($76,654).
      According to the Cupp report, enrollment in the Boardman Local School District was 4616 students. Enrollment for the current school year has declined to some 4551 students, according to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).
      Newly revised report cards by the ODE show the graduation rate in the Boardman Local School District is about 92 per cent, and the ODE gave the Boardman District an overall grade of ‘B’ in the 2012-13 report card.
      According to Supt. Lazzeri, more than 40 per cent of all students enrolled in the Boardman Local School District receive free or reduced-price lunches.
      The superintendent said there are some 1858 economically-disadvantaged students currently enrolled in the local school district.
      A decade ago, according to an annual audit report filed with the Ohio Auditor of State, the annual (expenses) of the Boardman Local School District was set at just $41.442 million.
      The most recent audit filed with the Auditor of State shows at the end of the 2012 fiscal year, the local school district had some $44.53 million in expenses.
      That report, filed by the system treasurer, Richard Santilli, noted “The district continues to be very aggressive in cost-cutting measures...The retire/rehire had been a very successful cost-savings program. The district is afforded a lower cost per employee, while retaining quality and expertise for up to a three-year period. The board continues to explore areas to reduce costs, including health care, natural gas, electricity, workers’ compensation and all insurances...
      “In 2011, the district eliminated 26 teaching positions, two administrative positions and five classified positions...
      “The district has a three-year contract that begins in fiscal year 2012 for all employees. The base wage has been frozen for three years,” Santilli said.
      “The elimination of revenues collected from the personal property tax will have a tremendous impact on the district’s revenue and ability to maintain financial stability,” Santilli said, pointing out the system’s has lost more than $3 million in such revenues over the past decade.