Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights 4-7-2015

by League of Women Voters

APRIL 7, 2015

Awards and recognitions
Public comments
Field trips approved
Students of Promise
NEOLA policies
MOU for Wiley move
Waste services
Gymnasium rental
Donations
Millikin school building
Lee Road improvements and the high school
PTA endorses levy

All board members were present.

Awards and recognitions

Two board members earned awards from Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA): Kal Zucker, a 10-year service award, and Ron Register, an award of achievement. This is the second time Register received this award.

Public comments

Patti Carlisle, co-chair of the May 5th operating levy committee, stressed the importance of the 5.9 mill operations levy. It is the smallest levy request in decades, the only issue on the ballot, and crucial to passing.

Field trips approved

The board approved the following field trips for:

Gearity Professional Development School’s fourth-grade science class to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Peninsula, April 14–17;
Cleveland Heights High School’s grades 9–12 French students to France (visiting the cities of Paris, Marseille, and Aix-en-Provence), March 29 through April 12, 2016.

Students of Promise

Bob Ivory, program director, gave an update on the program, which provides extended support for ninth-graders identified to need help. Thirty-seven students (15 males; 22 females) are presently enrolled, referred either by teachers, parents or the students themselves. All students are tracked weekly, and parents are notified weekly on their progress. After-school tutoring is included. Out-of-school experiences include field trips. Ten students will be visiting Morehouse College. Selma, Ala., Tuskegee, and other field trips are being considered. There will be a year-end program and summer experience.

NEOLA policies

There was a first reading of NEOLA policies that have been added or changed.

MOU for Wiley move

The board authorized execution and delivery of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the board of education and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department in reference to the move to Wiley.

Waste services

The board authorized using the Ohio Schools Council cooperative for advertising and receiving bids for waste and recycling services from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2018.

Gymnasium rental

The board approved an agreement with Cleveland Lutheran High School Association for gymnasium rental of $95 per hour for basketball practice and game relocation during the high school renovation.

Donations

The board accepted the following donations:

$850.00 to Jason D. West memorial fund
$278.15 to Canterbury Elementary school
$101.65 to Gearity Professional Development School
$333.30 to Monticello Middle School
$227.78 to Noble Elementary School
$1,833.30 to Roxboro Middle School
$637.56 to Roxboro Middle School
$428.40 to Cleveland Heights High School
$3,795.00 to Cleveland Heights High School Swim Cadets
$100.00 to Cleveland Heights High Vocal Music Department

Millikin school building

The administration reported that plans were being made to move the district’s trades staff to Millikin.

Lee Road improvements and the high school

The board discussed the Lee Road improvement project and mentioned coordination with the high school facilities improvements. The final plans for the high school building materials will be presented for public review at the May 4 board meeting.

PTA endorses levy

Board Member Kal Zucker reported that the PTA endorsed the levy at a March 23 meeting he attended.

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.