Meetings have been set by the Conneaut School Board of Education to explain the building use options in front of the school district as efforts are made to address declining enrollment, stagnant real estate values, and cut backs in state support among issues confronting the district not to mention an increasing state pension fund crisis that has a potential impact on this district.

The pension payment in the Conneaut District is projected to increase about $400,000 in the budget to begin July 1, 2012. If the district were to raise taxes to cover that amount, somewhat less than $300,000 could be raised and that does not address any other increases in the budget. The pension costs continue to increase each year. More than a $100,000 deficit starts the year.

The state's Act 1 law limits local tax increases with any other increase above that limit to be approved by voters.

The meetings to explain building use options will take place on Monday, Nov. 14, at Conneaut Lake High School, Monday, Nov. 21, at Conneaut Valley High School and Tuesday, Nov. 22, at Linesville High School. Meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the school's gymatoriums.

Focus will be on three of the options using the current setup as a base, understanding all options are on the table. The three main options are:

Despite reports seen elsewhere, residents of the Conneaut School District still have numerous options open as to the future use of school buildings for the education of its students.

Reports coming from the school district's combined B.U.S.S - Better Utilization of School Space - Committee meeting held Monday, Oct. 24, with about 50 persons, outside the committee members present, suggested the district is down to three options; in reality, all options remain open until a final decision is made by the school board.

The school district faced with declining enrollment, cutbacks in state educational support, and increases in the amount of retirement monies to be paid out due to state direction, among other issues, pushed the current school board, to project ahead and take a proactive stance in trying to address these issues.

With the declining student enrollment issue, the district has cut about two dozen teaching positions and two administrative staff positions in the recent past. Those declines in student enrollment were not projected when the district undertook a building renovation and addition project about 10 years ago. State figures available at that time showed a small decline for a short time, then a gradual increase. That has not happened as numerous companies have closed, the stock market tanked and unemployment has increased.

Some have argued the school board back then should not have undertaken a building improvement plan when high schools, especially those at Linesville and Conneaut Valley had not been updated in 50 years. While maintenance had been kept up, the wear and tear of 50 years of use, seemed to require updates. An increase in state and federal programs were far different than that of 50 years ago. For example, special education classes were virtually nonexistent back then; many such students were now being taught in substandard spaces including storage rooms.