LISD, Blissfield Community Schools to Share Business Manager

In an effort to save more than $40,000 a year, Blissfield Community Schools has adopted a plan to share its business manager, Dan Garno, with the Lenawee Intermediate School District.

The Blissfield Board of Education approved a collaborative deal, by a 6-0 vote, with the LISD at Monday night’s meeting. Trustee Vicky Lombard was absent.

The Advance was unable to obtain specific details of the agreement Monday night. After the board meeting, Garno said that he moving to the LISD to do much of that had been done by former LISD executive director for staff resources, Jim Philp. Philp was appointed as interim superintendent of the LISD after Steve Krusich retired.

Garno called the move a “pilot project” that would need to be closely monitored by the LISD and Blissfield Community Schools.

“What we’re trying to do is peel off the portion of services that require any level of expertise I may have and confine that to 10 or 15 percent direct time,” Garno said. Some of the other work. such as data entry, would be done by a part-time business aide making much less money.

“After a year, the arrangement would be reviewed and the board and superintendent would have to determine if, through the arrangement, we were able to accomplish the quality level of oversight in business services that I hope we’ve been able to demonstrate up to this point,” Garno said.

Garno and the board had agreed to a one year contract. Garno said he would draft a letter requesting the contract be suspended.

The agreement takes effect in the second week of August.

In other news from Monday’s meeting:

• As a symbolic gesture in times when school employees have been asked to make sacrifices, the board voted to reduce board member salaries by 30 percent for the upcoming year. The motion, made by Trustee Brian McEwan, was passed unanimously.

• Prior to the regular meeting, the board held its annual organization meeting. Noel Eisenmann was re-elected president of the board. Chad Horky is vice-president. Brian McEwan is secretary. Linda Hamann was re-elected treasurer.

• Newly elected board member Scott Abbott was sworn in.

• The board voted to freeze the salaries of administrators at 2009-10 levels. New middle school principal Cris Rupp will make $72,000.

• In his report to the board, Superintendent Scott Moellenberndt noted that the state has announced an $11-per-pupil in school funding for the upcoming school year.

“Not that it makes up for the $268-per-pupil cut last year, but at least it’s positive news,” he said.

• The board rescinded the layoff of teacher Kevin Wernette. A resignation made it possible to bring back the middle school teacher, who is also an assistant coach for the varsity football and softball teams.