Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights 9-6-2022

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

 

  • Public comments
  • Recognitions and awards
  • Board action
  • Superintendent’s comments
  • Treasurer’s report (Three Things)
  • President’s report
  • Board comments

 

Present were Board President Malia Lewis and Board Members Dan Heintz, James Posch, Jodi Sourini, and Beverly Wright. Also present were Superintendent Elizabeth Kirby and Treasurer Scott Gainer. The meeting ran for about an hour.

Note: The meeting was viewed via YouTube. The sound did not come on until 25 minutes into the meeting as Superintendent Kirby was concluding her report. The opening part of this report was assembled from the PowerPoint presentations and agenda notes.

Public comments

Dorothy Moulthrop of Open Doors Academy presented and was on the video, but there was no sound.

Recognitions and awards

Ms. Lewis congratulated fourteen seniors who graduated Aug. 16, 2022.

Ms. Sourini appreciated being able to attend curriculum night in person and thanked the staff and teachers.

Board actions 

The board appointed Ms. Lewis to be a delegate to the 2022 Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) Annual Business Meeting and Ms. Wright to be her alternate.

The board approved a statement of support for development of Community Learning Centers (CLCs). This research-based strategy will support implementation of Full-Service Community Schools (FSCSs). The statement of support is available on BoardDocs and provides more details about the program.

There was a second reading of Policies: Group A – see Board Docs [see below] for full text of thirteen policies that relate to nondiscrimination and anti-harassment. No board action was needed at this time.

The board approved a consent agenda covering routine items.

Superintendent’s comments

Focus on Title IX update: G-W Comprehensive Health Skills series was purchased after collaborating with teachers to review options. The textbooks and online access for secondary students aligns with the National Health Education Standards and the National Sexuality Education Standards. Professional learning for middle and high school health teachers is scheduled for September. The new health curriculum has a consent component.

[Sound came on at this point as Ms. Kirby was ending her report via power point.]

Treasurer’s report

Mr. Gainer shared Three Things for the month of September. His report aligns with Goal Five. Operational Resources of the CHUH strategic plan. Financial reports and forecasts can be found on the CHUH.org website by doing a search for “Finance & Development.”

  1. The permanent Improvement (PI) fund is only for building projects and has specific restrictions. Board members commented that the PI Fund reflects planning that provides the community with stability. They appreciate the transparency of the reports being accessible on the website.
  2. Public record requests increased, but many requests did not meet the definition of a public record. The process for a public record request and clarification of the Ohio Sunshine Law is reviewed on the CHUH.org website. A request that is vague or asks for a summary of information is not a public record request. 

People are encouraged to reach out to board members to clarify information. Ms. Lewis said that it’s easy to contact board members by email or phone. One board member is able to respond to questions for the whole board.

A public record is an existing document or record. It is not a request for a nonexistent analysis. Public record requests are audited, and the district takes responses seriously.

  1. Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) is part of the Fair School Funding Plan, and the dollars spent must be reported. Reporting DPIA funds distribution is a district-wide effort to gather data on CHUH programs. 

The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) requests more than disadvantaged pupil data. Individual components of reported data allow for school district comparisons relevant to the Fair School Funding Plan. [See District Profile Reports (Cupp Report) on the ODE website]. Ms. Sourini noted that the data clarifies differences between school districts as presented in the Cupp Report. Funding varies depending on the student population.

President’s report

Ms. Lewis commented that this was a busy and exciting time as Nobel elementary celebrates 100 years. She noted that PTA council meets the second Tuesday of every month and reminded people to check the website for school open houses 

Board comments 

Mr. Heintz asked about the status of swimming at Heights High School this winter and if there were plans. Ms. Kirby has been holding meetings and conducting a thorough contractional review. She hopes to have a report soon regarding community use that provides access to the entire district. 

Upcoming board meetings include a work session Sept. 20, a regular meeting Oct.11 (moved due to Yom Kippur), and a work session Oct. 18. The Lay Facilities Committee will meet Sept. 27.

LWV Observer: Rosemarie Fairman.

Documents for all board meetings can be accessed from the Board of Education webpage: www.chuh.org/BoardofEducation.aspx. Go to “BoardDocs” in the menu; on BoardDocs go to “MEETINGS” in the top menu; click on “Agenda” for the selected meeting to view meeting documents. Board meetings are livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/CHUHSchools) and recorded for later viewing.

Read More on Schools
Volume 15, Issue 10, Posted 2:48 PM, 09.15.2022