Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
To the editor: I read with interest the article about Jeff Straka being appointed as the new superintendent of Oregon City Schools.
I like to think I keep up with the Board meetings by watching the posted videos, yet I did not see where candidates from outside the district were being sought or vetted. Given the fact the District is facing such a huge financial deficit, it would seem the prudent thing to do would be at least explore people from outside the district.
While Mr. Straka may have ideas, it would seem that, given the fact by his admission he has been with the District his entire career and his wife also teaches in Oregon, he is used to the “same old same old” ways of dealing with things and might not have alternative ideas to negate the district’s financial woes.
It seems the School Board’s usual answer to financial problems is to approach voters to bail them out. This dates back years when the state offered suggestions on how to cut expenses and the superintendent at the time rejected that idea instead of stating, “The citizens support us and vote for levies” or words to that effect.
It is interesting to note that the levy did not pass. In addition, instead of cutting benefits the new superintendent contract is full of perks most of us citizens do not have. If the Board is successful in placing the levy on the ballot, I hope the citizens of Oregon consider how many perks are being added to administrators’ lives while most of us struggle to make ends meet as prices continue to increase.
The School Board should face the financial deficits they caused, and reduce the spending to match the income, not burden the taxpayers with a levy or two levies that the treasurer and superintendent suggested as their method for making up the deficits. Currently they are spending $3 million more than their income.
Sue LaPointe
Oregon
