Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights 10-7-2014

OCTOBER 7, 2014

  • Awards and recognitions
  • Public comments
  • Field trip
  • Summer programs
  • Personnel
  • Approval of High School design schematic
  • Temporary bus parking
  • Donations
  • Meetings with city councils

All board members were present.

Awards and recognitions

Three National Merit Semifinalists and four National Merit Commended students at Heights High were recognized.

The Environmental Club Jennings Grant presentation was given by Steve Warner, advisor and Heights High special needs teacher, and his students. He explained how outdoor education and summer urban garden reached students, including his special needs students.

Public comment

Canterbury concerns: Canterbury PTA representative Sarah West listed concerns, including support of school nurses and public health, examination of the school calendar (especially for Labor Day and Jewish holidays) to minimize disruptions, needed emphasis on science and math curriculums, and traffic problems with pick-up and drop-off areas at the school. The school requested that “dad walk to school day” should be changed to “family” walk because more families would participate.

Support for arts programs: Parent Sara Fulton expressed hope that the board would consider fund allocations to the music and arts departments and support the groups’ tours, which can be expensive, in order to allow more students to participate. Rick Spearman and his wife, who volunteered in the school for 25 years, also expressed concern over fund allocations to the arts and vocal music department.

Field trip

The board approved a field trip for 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade social studies students to Washington, D.C., scheduled for May 17–22, 2015.

Summer programs

The third-grade Tiger Reading camp was a six-week program consisting of a writing workshop, test prep, study island, and guided reading. The 84 enrolled students included 45 who had received a reading score qualifying passage to fourth grade, but still attended. Only eight students were retained districtwide in third grade, and not all eight had attended the camp.

The middle school summer program included a four-week period of two two-hour blocks of pass/fail instruction. Summer school fees were $50 for one class and $25 for additional classes, and 178 students attended. One hundred percent of the sixth grade, 99 percent of the seventh grade, and 94 percent of the eighth grade passed.

The five-week high school summer program was online (the Aventa program), where students worked at their own pace, with some finishing early. Students who attended numbered 217. Tuition was $100 for one class, and $50 for additional classes. Twelve percent of the students earned an A; 57 percent, B; 27 percent, C; two percent, D; and 11 percent, F. The F’s were from lack of attendance. The total budget was $115,983.41; tuition collected was $39,947, and the teachers were paid $42 per hour.

Personnel

The board approved retirement, resignation, appointments, change of status, extended time, name changes, and leave of absence. They approved a resolution adopting a tentative agreement with OAPSE (Ohio Association of Public School Employees) Local 617.

Approval of High School design schematic

The board approved the Heights High reconstruction project schematic design site plan, floor plans, building elevations and system narratives, and the schematic design phase project schedule. It also approved the schematic design phase estimate of $82,667,984 contingent upon the design team achieving target savings of $3,711,486 during the design development phase. It also authorized BSHM Architects to proceed with the design development phase. The major spaces in the building are set.

Ron Register, board president, stated that this approval of the schematic design was a major step, but the community will still be able to give suggestions at the facilities meetings.

Temporary bus parking

The board authorized a lease agreement with Park Synagogue for temporary bus parking. The parking lot will require improvements including a bus personnel office.

Donations

The board accepted the following donations:

  • $75.00 to Danielle Gibbs’ scholarship fund
  • $272.43 to Boulevard Elementary School
  • $488.42 to Canterbury Elementary School
  • $250.00 to CHHS Athletics Department
  • $828.13 to Cleveland Heights High School
  • $469.55 to Fairfax Elementary School
  • $559.91 to Roxboro Elementary School
  • $331.68 to Roxboro Middle School
  • $473.50 to Roxboro Middle School football team

Meetings with city councils

The joint meeting with the Cleveland Heights City Council is still to be scheduled. The board is also planning a meeting with the University Heights City Council because of the high school’s move to Wiley.

LWV Observer: Lillian Houser.

These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Anne McFarland, Charlene Morse and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an e-mail to mbarnes9515@gmail.com or join through Google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.

These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.

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Volume 7, Issue 11, Posted 7:11 PM, 10.19.2014