By Deborah Guziak
Record-Courier staff writer
More than 50 parents in the Waterloo school district have joined together to air concerns about school operations, including what they say is a lack of security and the lack of advance placement classes. They also say district policies are not applied consistently.
"Our numbers are growing," said Melanie Perry, who coordinates the meetings. "People are upset with what's going on. We're trying to get things changed."
Some say Waterloo Superintendent Robert Wolf isn't returning phone calls or answering their questions about the concerns they have raised.
"Our levy will never pass until they realize it is not just about the levy, but it is about how the community has lost trust in our school system," said Marjorie Johnson, an Atwater resident. "Questions are not answered. Money is not accounted for. People, including the board members, are bullied and harassed by our own superintendent. Something needs to be done and soon."
Wolf did not return several phone calls requesting comment for this story.
Among the parents' concerns is school security.
Several parents who attended a parents' meeting in March said they were able to enter the school buildings and wander the halls.
"You can just walk in," Perry said. "They don't give you a badge or anything."
Waterloo Board of Education member Denny Hopp, who has been at odds with Wolf, agrees with the concern over security.
"Some people say they don't want their kids locked down," Hopp said. "Some don't want the schools locked because it'll damage the "rural, country-like atmosphere.' Security needs to be addressed. Times have changed."
Hopp said there have been incidents at the high school in which students have found dead animals and feces in their vehicles. He believes this is being done by a couple of students who leave the building during the school day.
"We need to control who comes into the building and why," he said. "We also need to keep the kids in."
Hopp and the parents also are concerned that the district does not offer Advanced Placement classes.
"Kent State and Akron U said it is very difficult to get into the Honors College or get honors scholarships without AP classes," Hopp said. "We've been asking why we don't do them? Why don't we have them? We can't get any answers."
Hopp said he was told by Wolf that an AP class could be started with a one-time cost of $1,000.
"We already have the college class books. We have teachers willing to get the certification. (He) keeps saying that our district is too small to have AP classes," Hopp said. "I'm willing to pay the cost out of my own pocket to give the kids an opportunity."
Hopp pointed to the Rootstown district, which has the same number of students as Waterloo. Rootstown High School offers four AP classes as well as honors classes. The Rootstown district also has a lower "per pupil" cost than Waterloo school district.
"Their administration has been able to figure out how to provide an advanced education to the students within their community," Hopp wrote in a statement to Wolf in mid-April. "We have the teachers that are extremely talented and can easily teach these classes, yet we will not use this talent to the fullest."
Wolf and Hopp have publicly aired their differences in an exchange that began when Wolf criticized Hopp in a recent superintendent's report to the school board.
Wolf said Hopp is unwilling to work as a board member. Wolf called Hopp's actions "inappropriate, embarrassing, uninformed and irresponsible."
"In my 21 years as superintendent, I have not worked with a new board member who had a personal agenda and caused so much dissension on the board as now," Wolf wrote in the report, which he said was "for board members only," but is in fact a public record.
"Continued comments regarding AP classes and weighted grades reflects an unwillingness to accept the consensus opinion of the board," Wolf wrote. "I have explained what we do and why we do it that way regarding our current educational program at the high school. The ability of our students to take the AP test as an option without restricting enrollment of the course offers important flexibility."
Wolf also wrote that weighted grades raise too many issues for the district at this time. He also wrote the district should not undertake another major project at this time, but instead, the board's efforts should be concentrated on passing an operating levy.
Hopp said he has no personal agenda.
"Am I not allowed to bring questions in front of the board that were requested by the community?" Hopp wrote in response to Wolf. "For you to say that you should not be questioned on your activities is completely irresponsible."
"Please understand that the superintendent position reports to the board. The board reports to the community. The community is my boss and I must discuss their issues. That is why they elected me," Hopp responded to Wolf. "We cannot consider recommendations from the superintendent without considering community issues also. ... I truly believe that we are treating our community as second-class citizens and do not care what they think. When I was campaigning for this position, I said that I would listen to the community. I keep my promises."
Perry said Hopp brings community questions and concerns to the board.
"He tries to get answers to our questions," she said.
The Waterloo Board of Education will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Andrew C. Herchek Media Center, 1464 Industry Road, Atwater.