Triway welcomes three new board members [Daily Record, The (Wooster, OH)]

By LINDA HALL

Staff Writer

TRIWAY DISTRICT -- Triway's board will have a new look for the new year, with three fledgling members joining it.

"We honored each of three board members ending their careers (at the December meeting)," Superintendent Dave Rice said.

Gary Lehr, Tammy Cruise and Ted Luc were given awards of excellence from the district and certificates from the Ohio School Boards Association, Rice said.

"Tammy and Gary were part of the original board that hired me," Rice said, resulting in "kind of a sad night. We've been together for 12 years."

The board "thanked them for their hard work and dedication," Rice said.

"A lot of experience left (the board with them)," he said.

To be sworn in at the Jan. 3 organizational and regular board meeting beginning at 7 a.m. in the board office will be newly elected members, Annette Mast, Travis Snyder and Eric J. Walter.

Snyder and Walter are State Farm insurance agents and Mast is an accountant and cost analyst for Wooster Brush.

"Twelve years are enough," said outgoing member Cruise of her service to the board.

Not only was she a board member for more than a decade, her involvement with Triway Local Schools began 19 years ago when her children started kindergarten at Shreve Elementary School and Cruise joined the parent-teacher organization.

"I feel like I made a difference," Cruise said, always remembering "to put students first."

Now her own daughters, Triway graduates, are making a difference in the community.

"Triway is a great community," Cruise said, adding, however, "A lot of changes are coming up."

She said she has reminded the new board members to "stay focused and remember what your job is. There are some big decisions to be made."

"This is a pivotal time for Triway," Cruise said. "I hope the district can stay strong."

The Excellent rating it received on the state report card "speaks volumes," she said.

Cruise said it was her honor to serve on the Triway board as well as on the Wayne County Schools Career Center board, calling the Career Center "a wonderful (facility) for students."

"It was an enjoyable experience and a pleasure to work with the board, Dave, and (Treasurer) Sue (Kruse) for the time I was on the board," Luc said.

"We've got a lot of work ahead of us to get done," said Luc, a member of the Care Committee's fundraising efforts in the campaign to pass the four-year, 0.75 percent earned income tax on the ballot March 6.

Board member Tony Yacapraro said he is looking forward to working with the new board members and hearing any "new ideas, new thoughts" they may bring to the board.

"We obviously look forward to new perspectives on things, new thoughts on things," Yacapraro said.

But he also "expects confirmation of things we've done and are planning to do," he said, using as an example new members' assistance, even before formally joining the board, with the campaign to pass the income tax.

"I'm quite confident they're on board," Yacapraro said.

Should the income tax fail at the polls, budget cuts "are going to be our first order of business," Yacapraro said.

The board would have to slash about "a million dollars' worth of cuts" from the operating budget, Yacapraro said. "That's where the real work for this board is coming out of the gate ... and passing the (income tax)."

If the income tax is approved by voters, only $400,000 of budget cuts, which will include purchased services, support staff, certified staff, attrition/retirements, will need to be made.

"I'm very curious to hear their thoughts on (budget cuts)," he said, countering, however, there are only so many areas available to reduce.

Cutting transportation costs, non-certified and certified staff, along with implementing pay-to-play fees, are "the areas we feel we can cut with the least amount of academic impact on the least amount of students," Yacapraro said.

While he anticipates "new energy" from the newly elected board members with some ideas "we haven't thought of or haven't done," he does not predict anything "drastic or shocking" -- no "huge, whipsaw change."

"I just don't think (that will happen)," he said.

Reporter Linda Hall can be reached at 330-264-1125, Ext. 2230, or [email protected].

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