Schools

Five Things to Know From the School Board Meeting on Wednesday

School budget, contract negotiations and "O.C.'s Got Talent."

The Ocean City Board of Education met on Wednesday (Feb. 22) and considered a full agenda

  • Brooks Garrison of Garrison Architects (Bala Cynwyd, PA, and Marlton, NJ) presented information on a proposed five-year facilities plan for Ocean City's three schools. The plan calls for spending $8,988,249 to upgrade the buildings. The bulk of it ($5.1 million) is designated for improvements at the Ocean City Primary School and includes HVAC upgrades, a roof replacement and new exterior windows and doors. A bond referendum could come as early as the fall to cover the Primary School work.
  • The Board of Education will consider a preliminary budget for 2012-13 at a special meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, in the Community Room at Ocean City High School. Business Administrator Tom Grossi presented some information to board members on Wednesday — including a proposed budget of $31,330,412 for salaries and benefits, a 0.5 percent increase over last year. Grossi said he had been "checking every 15 minutes" on Wednesday for specific information on state aid levels, but the information was not yet available.
  • Board member Joe Clark reported that a mediation session in contract negotiations with the Ocean City Education Association is tentatively scheduled for March 8. Teachers have been working without a contract since June. The board is also negotiating contracts with administrators and support staff.
  • Student representative Lindsay Vetter reported that the school blood drive has a goal of 350 donors. She also said the school's popular "O.C.'s Got Talent" show is scheduled for Thursday night (Feb. 23).
  • Board members took time to thank retiring teachers Karen Bender and Dorothy Dougherty. Greg Donahue, a former principal, took special note of retiring support staff member Joyce Bakley-Trofa and all the unheralded things she's done for the district. Tom Oves agreed — "I always thought there were two of her," he said.


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