001this thing. That's why I make Columbus, that's why I wouldn't [music] leave Columbus. There's There's a lot of room for growth. You're going to continue to learn. You're going to meet so many people. You're going to connect with people. If you desire to be administrator, you can go that route. If you desire [music] to be in a a Tulsa position, a teacher on special assignment, you can go that route. You're going to grow. >> You get a lot of different [music] diverse pockets in Columbus, and I think it says a lot with the district as well. Whatever community you find yourself teaching in, you are impacting a certain community. Um I find myself in the East side impacting a certain, and I know friends in the north [music] and the west side that are doing
002different work with different populations of students that it's it's really rewarding. >> If you love working with students [music] and family from all walks of life, then come join our team. The opportunity to be a part of a great team is here. I cannot say [music] enough about friendships that I have made with so many amazing people. My family has grown, [music] and I love it. I can't wait to meet you, and welcome to our team. >> Oh, one. Two. Oh, one, two, three. >> I woke in a blaze [singing] of lightning. I felt the fear inside me. When I was [singing] younger, I could handle night. I need a reason [singing] to undermine my restless mind. If I could only stop the passing time. Do you find friends when you go out drifting over
003the Pleiades. It's just a silhouette of a dream. I lost [music and singing] some things that matter. The year I left [singing] me shattered. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake the pain. I tried to give up under the mezzanine. [singing] You held my hand in the end, but [music] you wouldn't let me. Do you miss me when you go [singing and music] out drifting over the Pleiades? It's just a silhouette of a dream. I close my eyes cuz I know you'll be by my side. We move through life with a common aching. Don't know what it means. It's just a silhouette of a dream. Dream. leave me? I knew it when I found you floating over the prettiest sea. You're everything that I ever needed. You're everything that I ever needed. I'm
004[singing] coming [music] down to Jackson town. Take you places you've never been. You can lock me out, tell [singing] me not to come around. But you know I'll just come [singing and music] back again. Oh, even [music] if ain't [music] nothing that could keep me from [singing] your side. Oh, even if I tried. You're [music] mine, you're mine, you're mine. >> You could try to say you found [singing] another love. You could try to tell yourself we're through. But all the armies [music and singing] and all the kingdoms of the world could never hold. >> [music] >> Greetings and welcome to this week's highlights from across the district. On Wednesday, May 20th, Columbus City Schools celebrated a milestone moment for our Project [music] SEARCH interns. Project SEARCH is a one-year internship and employment [music] program
005designed to support students with disabilities as they build real-world skills [music] and prepare for life after high school. This year, six interns completed the program and for the first time in district history, all six [music] interns secured jobs before finishing their internship. Through hands-on workplace [music] experiences, mentorship, and determination, these students show what is possible when opportunity meets preparation. Congratulations to our Project [music] SEARCH interns. We are so very proud of your hard work, your growth, and the confidence you are carrying into this next chapter. Recently, Columbus City Schools celebrated 106 seniors from 17 high schools who earned the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy. This year's recipients earned the seal in 13 different languages, showcasing the rich cultures, stories, and language skills represented across our district. The Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who demonstrate proficiency in
006English and at least one additional language. For our graduates, this [music] honor reflects years of dedication, classroom learning, family connection, and cultural pride. As they prepare for college careers, military service, and life beyond high school, these students carry a skill that will open doors and help build bridges across communities. Congratulations to the 2026 [music] Seal of Biliteracy recipients. Thursday, May 28th, marked the last day of school for students on the traditional calendar, and across Columbus City Schools, our buildings were filled with joy, celebration, and smiles. From classroom celebrations and field day fun [music] to clap outs, award ceremonies, senior moments, and graduation excitement, [music] our students and staff closed the year with energy and pride. Across the district, scholars celebrated [music] their growth, friendships, milestones, and memories made throughout the year. Teachers and staff cheered
007students [music] on until the very last bell, and families and school communities came together to honor all that our students have [music] accomplished. We ended this school year hopeful, grateful, and proud. Proud of our students, proud of our staff, and proud of every family and community partner who helped make this year memorable. Enjoy your summer, Columbus City Schools. We look forward to welcoming you back for another year of learning, growth, and leadership. Graduation season has come to a close, and across Columbus City Schools, we are still celebrating the class [music] of 2026. From proud families and cheering school communities to caps [music] and gowns and unforgettable senior moments, our ceremonies were filled with joy and pride. This year, more than 2,500 graduates [music] crossed the stage, earning more than $38 million in scholarships, and preparing
008to join their next chapter in college, careers, [music] military service, apprenticeship, and beyond. To the class of 2026, congratulations. We are proud of all that you have accomplished, and we cannot wait to see the impact that you will make. Leaders are grown right here in Columbus City Schools. These have been your highlights from around the district for June 2nd. [music] Thank you so much for joining us. >> Good evening. The regular regular business meeting of the Columbus City School Board of Education for Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026 is now called to order. Please call the roll. >> Mr. Adair. >> Present. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Present. >> Mr. Ketsamets. >> Present. >> Vice President Engles. >> Present. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Present. >> You have a quorum. >> Please join me in saying the pledge
009of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Tonight's agenda will include a resolution honoring our heroic students, a safe green schools presentation, and a review of several board policies. We will vote on the proposed consent agenda, which includes items 8.1 through 23.4 and other legislation 24.1 to 24.2, and then we will adjourn the meeting. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Hearing no objections, the agenda is adopted. Call the roll. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzmare. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. [clears throat] >> Motion carried.
010>> We will start with public comment. Dina Cisco. Sorry if I pronounced your last name wrong. >> Sico. Thank you. Uh good evening Vice uh President Dr. Miranda, Vice President Engles, there Engles, um Treasurer Cook, uh Superintendent Dr. Chapman, um and members of the board. First, I want to thank you for your leadership and commitment to implementing the safe green schools policy. Um the progress that has been made so far is meaningful. It demonstrates a clear recognition that our school facilities are not just buildings, but they are learning environments that directly affect um student health, academic outcomes, and the long-term financial stability sustainability of our district. Um it's encouraging to see steps taken towards safer, healthier, and more energy efficient schools. Um these efforts matter. They show that we are aligning our values with action
011it and beginning to modernize our infrastructure in ways that benefits both students and staff. At the same time, I want to respectfully emphasize that this progress must be accelerated and expanded, um particularly when it comes to renewable energy and efficiency projects. Um investing in clean energy and efficiency is not just about environmental stewardship. It is a smart financial strategy. Um energy costs are a significant and ongoing expense for any school district, and every dollar that we save through efficiency or by generating our own renewable energy is a dollar that can be redirected back into the classrooms, um for teachers and student support. There's also an important concept to consider, opportunity cost. Um every year we delay in investing in efficiency or renewable energy systems, we're effectively choosing to spend more on utilities than necessary. So,
012we're leaving savings on the table, savings that we could improve, um and use for educational outcomes. In addition, the longer we wait, the more we risk on missing out on available funding opportunities. So, there are federal, state, and local incentives, uh grants, financing programs that exist right now to support these kinds of projects. Um these resources are competitive and time-sensitive. So, acting decisively allows us to leverage outside funding and stretch our local dollars even further. We don't have to shoulder these investments alone, but we do need a clear strategy to go after these opportunities uh in a coordinated and proactive way. In closing, I want to reiterate my appreciation for the progress that has already been made. The progress matters, and it should be recognized. I'm excited to hear the presentation later today. Um we
013have a really clear opportunity and a responsibility to build on it. So, I want to thank you so much for your time and consideration. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Now, I would like to do a point of personal privilege. Um before we move forward with tonight's agenda, I would like to take a few moments to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of the Columbus City Schools class of 2026. And I think this is important because unfortunately um some adults who had difficulty behaving at the graduation is what got plastered on the news. And unfortunately, we didn't hear many of the other good things. I heard it made it to Philadelphia, it made it to Virginia. And what's important to me is that is not who we are at Columbus City Schools. And I would
014like for the news to pick up the other wonderful things um that happened. There were 23 graduations. Uh no incidents outside of that one um that really celebrated the accomplishments of our students. So, we often say that leaders are grown right here in Columbus City Schools. As I reflect on this graduation season, I'm reminded that those words are more than a slogan. They're a reality that is demonstrated every day by our students. And all of our board members had opportunities to participate in a number of graduations. I know I did five myself that were extraordinarily happy and where students really celebrated their accomplishment. This year, Columbus City Schools served 45,473 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This spring, we probably celebrated 2,540 graduates crossing stages across our city. Behind every diploma is a story of
015perseverance, growth, sacrifice, and achievement. And behind every graduate is a family, a teacher, a mentor, or a staff member who met helped make that moment possible. Collectively, the class of 2026 earned more than $38 million in scholarships. That remarkable accomplishment represents opportunities that will change lives, strengthen families, and help shape the future of our community. One student whose story is captures the very best of Columbus City Schools is Yasmine Ahmed, the valedictorian of Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School. I had the pleasure of meeting her when I was on the campaign trail and she interviewed me at WCBE. And her worry was about getting her papers together to apply for college. And she was so up, you know, really worried about this and wanting to get it right. Yasmine earned a full scholarship to
016Duke University through the prestigious QuestBridge National College Match Program where she plans to study neuroscience and biology as she prepares for a career in medicine. Born in Djibouti Djibouti and raised in a Somali immigrant household, Yasmine became the first English speaker in her family. Throughout her educational journey, she often served as a translator, advocate, and problem-solver for her family while simultaneously pursuing academic excellence. She maintained a 4.0 GPA, completed college coursework, worked to help support her family, and dedicated herself to serving others. Her goal is to become an emergency medical physician and serve communities similar to the one in which she was raised. Yasmine's story is extraordinary, but it is not an isolated one. Across Columbus City Schools, we continue to see multi- lingual learners and students from immigrant families achieving at the highest level.
017Many have become valedictorians, salutatorians, scholarship recipients, student leaders, and role models. Their accomplishments reflect not only their determination and resilience, but also the opportunities that exist when students are supported, challenged, and encouraged to pursue their dreams. We also continue to see tremendous growth in career and technical education. This year 12,109 students participated in career and technical education programs representing a 64% increase over the past 2 years. Together they earned 10,439 industry recognized credentials that will help them enter high demand careers and continue their education. Even more impressive, career and technical education students achieved a graduation rate of 93.2. And percent this year, and we expect that number to continue to grow as additional students complete the requirements this summer. The impact of these programs can be seen in students like Independence graduate Emiliana Golden who
018helped build a Habitat for Humanity home and is now beginning an apprenticeship with Elford Construction. These students remind us that success looks different for every graduate. But each pathway is equally valuable and worthy of celebration. Beyond academics and career preparation, our students demonstrated commitment to serving others by contributing 14,675 hours of community service this year. They volunteered in neighborhoods, supported local organizations, and showed what it means to be active and engaged citizens. We also saw a 3% reduction in chronic absenteeism, demonstrating progress in our ongoing work to ensure students remain connected, engaged, and present in schools. When I think about this graduating class, I do not think first about numbers, although the numbers are impressive. I think about young people like Yasmin Ahmed, whose journey from a Somali immigrant household to a full scholarship at
019Duke University demonstrates the power of determination and opportunity. I think about students earning industrial industry credentials, serving their communities, securing careers, enrolling in colleges and universities, joining the military, and pursuing their dreams. I think about the thousands of graduates who have overcome obstacles, embraced opportunities, and proven what is possible through hard work, resilience, and support. That is the story of the class of 2026. It is a story of achievement. It is a story of opportunity. It is a story of perseverance. Most importantly, it is a story of hope. On behalf of the Columbus Board of Education, I want to congratulate every member of the class of 2026, their families, our teachers, administrators, support staff, and everyone who helped make these accomplishments possible. The future [clears throat] of Columbus is bright because of these graduates. We
020are proud of them. We believe in them, and we cannot wait to see the impact they will have on our city, our nation, and our world. Congratulations, class of 2026. That is what Columbus City Schools is about. Thank you. >> [applause] >> At this time, I would like to invite Mr. Davon Washington, Ms. Laetitia Christian, and three remarkable Columbus City Schools students to join us at the podium along with their families and principals. Javonte Richardson, Jameer Murphy, and Osias Edward Lloyd Sloan. These students are being recognized this evening for their courageous actions and outstanding leadership during a medical emergency. Please join me in walking them to the front as we present the special resolution. >> [applause] >> This is a resolution of heroic action. Whereas, the Columbus City School Board of Education is committed to
021the district's mission that each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service and empowered for success as a citizen in global community. And whereas, on Tuesday, May 2nd, 12th, 2026, what began as a routine ride home on transportation van route quickly became a moment requiring courage, leadership, and compassion when a Columbus City School driver experienced a medical emergency and students Javonte Malik Richardson of Johnson Park Middle School, Jamir Tion Murphy of Yorktown Middle School, and Osias Adebiyi Lloyd Sloan of Sherwood Middle School responded with remarkable calmness, maturity, and selflessness by assisting the driver, communicating with dispatch personnel, and helping ensure that emergency assistance was received during a critical situation. And whereas, the students' quick thinking, composure, and compassion reflected the highest values of humanity, service, leadership, and concern for others, serving as an outstanding
022example for the entire Columbus City School community. And whereas, acts of courage, calmness, and compassion demonstrated by students during emergency situations serve as powerful reminders of the positive impact young people can have in moments of crisis and reflect values of leadership and service encouraged throughout Columbus City Schools. And whereas, the Columbus Board of Education is proud to recognize students whose actions go above and beyond expectations and who exemplify the character, integrity, and compassion that inspire confidence in the future of our community. Now, therefore, >> [clears throat] >> be it resolved by the Columbus Board of Education that this board does hereby honor and pay special tribute to Javonte Malik Richardson, Jamir Tion Murphy, and Osias Edward Lloyd Sloan, eighth grade students for their heroic actions, extraordinary courage courage, exceptional maturity, and selfless compassion demonstrated during
023a medical emergency involving a Columbus City Schools transportation driver, and this board does further extend its deepest appreciation for the students' calm leadership, quick thinking, and unwavering concern for the safety and well-being of others, qualities which reflect the very highest ideals of citizenship, humanity, service, and the enduring spirit and mission of Columbus City Schools. Is there a motion to accept this resolution? >> Motion to accept. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. Discussion? >> [clears throat] >> If not, please call the roll. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Dr. Miranda, one quick point of before we take
024the point of order, I think Mom was correcting how we were saying the name. Mom, could you tell us what the name is again? >> Okay. Osias? Thank you. >> Yes. So, we just wanted to make sure that we said that correctly. Thank you very much for your bravery. We appreciate you all. >> All right. Picture time? >> What do you want to Is everything to say? You want to share? >> You want to say something? Oh, thank you. >> All I really just wanted to say is I'm glad that I was able to come here today and um I also wanted to thank my parents for um supporting me all my eighth grade journey throughout my middle school year. >> Yeah, that's wonderful. Like I said, >> [applause] >> give yourselves a pat on
025the back. Anybody else like to say anything? Don't be shy. >> Well, I'm the supervisor over at Fort Hayes special and this is our van driver. This is our first year second year with us and I was just impressed when I when I got to the van and the guys on the the kids on the van were so calm. They're telling me, you know, you know, she was sick. We thought she was going to die. We thought she was going to die. I was like, well, I just wanted to thank them for taking control of the situation and getting her the assistance she needed to get her well and get the squad there and get her all to the hospital. Dispatch also later called me asking me who were those kids on the van because
026she's like they handled the situation so well giving us all the information we needed. They were so calm. They was they weren't screaming or anything. They even though they kept repeating them they they stayed calm in the situation so they could get Miss Christian the help she needed. So, I just wanted to thank them for that. >> Yes, thank you. >> [applause] >> I'm Latasha Glass, principal of Sherwood Middle School and I have had the pleasure of knowing Osias Lloyd Sloan since sixth sixth grade and I just want to say I'm not totally surprised. This young man has always been a leader and he's always been an exceptional scholar. >> Yeah. >> [applause] >> Okay. Anybody else? All right. Go ahead. >> Hi, my name is Lakisha Richards. I'm stage fright, but I'mma sit there
027and and congratulate these gentlemen. They I think we missed someone. So, I'm going to congratulate y'all because that was a life that could have been gone. Y'all could have been injured. So, I really appreciate y'all for helping her out. And I really appreciate you for dealing with this. >> Oh. >> [laughter] >> Thank you so much. >> I love it. >> [applause] >> Okay, so Isaias and Javonte, you can be center stage in front as we take the picture with your parents behind you. And everybody else, everybody that Oh, no, Ms. Kristen, come on. Come on. You are the star. They are, but you're here. >> [applause] [snorts] >> Thank you. What a wonderful presentation and again, wonderful representation of our students in Columbus City Schools. I'm now going to turn it over to Dr.
028Chapman for the introduction of Jeff Row as we have a presentation on safe green schools presentation. >> Yes, good evening everyone. Good evening board members, community members, those of you all that are here with us in the audience. We are pleased to provide an update to the board and the community on our safe green schools work, which reflects our continued commitment to safe, healthy, and sustainable learning environments for our students, our staff, and our community. If you recall on December 16th, 2025, the board adopted policy number 7460.001 for safe green schools, which outlines the district's long-term goal to reduce our environmental impact while making responsible and practical decisions that align with available funding, technology, and operational capacity. This work is about planning for the future while taking intentional actions today. Board members, you each have
029a copy of the safe green schools policy at your seat as well as a copy of the presentation that Jeff will be sharing with us this evening. The presentation also includes an appendix, so we're going to provide a high-level overview. There are additional slides in the appendix and that full presentation is also on BoardDocs. At this time, I'll turn it over to Jeff Row, our director of buildings and grounds, who will provide the board with tonight's safe green schools update. >> Well, thank you, Dr. Chapman. Board President Dr. Miranda, Vice President Engles, members of the board, Treasurer Cook, Internal Auditor O'Connor. Thank you for the opportunity to present today on this annual update to the policy. We have a focused agenda covering the highest profile items within our safe green schools policy. The remaining initiatives
030can be found in the appendix of your presentation materials. Our first priority was establishing dedicated leadership to identify and secure funding opportunities. To that end, the superintendent's office appointed me, Jeff Row, and the treasurer's office appointed Eric Roush as the point as the primary points of contact. The core team meets weekly with a strong network of partners, including leadership from the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. Uh there are some supporters from them here today. And the Building Power Resource Group, which provides a valuable national perspective on educational facilities. Additionally, the City of Columbus is benchmarking ordinance department and a building performance standards work group are integral partners in our ongoing progress. We are also supported by an exceptional group of technical vendors. Ameresco serves as our primary design build contractor and consulting engineer. Go Sustainable Energy acts
031as our owner's representative and happens to be a certified LED company. And I'm also proud to highlight that the Ohio Capital City Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers, their president is on our staff, our energy manager, Matthew Wolfe. And they provide uh a lot of networking opportunities for us to find additional vendors and educational resources. We have achieved significant early success in securing external funding. For instance, the Columbus Region Green Fund has approved grants to conduct ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits at Ohio, Avondale, Bins, and Burroughs elementary schools. These audits are critical as they will position us to apply for further funding through the state of Ohio's advanced energy grant fund. Separately, we are a finalist awaiting final confirmation to upgrade 10 schools from fluorescent to LED lighting. Furthermore, we anticipate approximately 1 million
032in federal funding to support the upcoming solar carport installation at our 17th Avenue facility. To contextualize our renewable energy goals, I want to establish our current baseline. Today, our renewable energy utilization stands at 0%. To reach our target of 100% by 2035, we have a substantial task ahead. To set for my reference, currently, the district purchases and these numbers are huge. They'll make sense in a minute. 89 million kilowatt hours of electricity. When we factor in our natural gas consumption, converting our annual 3 million 100 cubic feet of gas into equivalent energy load with a high efficiency heat pump system, we're looking at little north of 100 million kilowatt hours each year that must be offset. Big number. To visualize what this requires under optimal conditions, rooftop solar can yield approximately 7 kilowatt hours per
033square foot of roof area annually. So, across our district footprint, if we maximize our rooftop solar utilization, we'd be able to offset 40% of our annual energy consumption. To offset our entire usage via solar, we would require additional at least 200 acres of land for ground mount systems. And then if the district were to purchase the scale of solar infrastructure as a single comprehensive capital purchase, we estimate an optimized all-inclusive price as low as $2 per watt. This equates a minimum project asset value of at least $165 million. So, while that total requirement is substantial, we are making meaningful for our incremental progress. The 17th Avenue carport project will generate enough power to offset the majority of that specific building's energy consumption. But of course, as a across the district as a whole, this initial
034project will bring our total renewable energy up to 0.3%. We thoroughly evaluated adding rooftop solar to this agenda. I really wanted to make it work for this agenda for Independence and the Parsons facilities where the roof replacements are being finished up right around now. Unfortunately, the current financial modeling, even with the incentives, did not yield a project that was cash flow positive or economically viable for the district at this time. Moving forward, our long-term strategy might focus on ground-mounted solar, which offers significantly better economics because it eliminates the need for cyclical roof replacements underneath the array. However, ground-mounted systems present unique challenges. Under current law in the in the AEP Ohio service territory, virtual net metering is not permitted. Systems must be physically connected behind the meter at the specific building they serve. Consequently, a
035remote system cannot mitigate a building's peak demand charges, which represent a substantial portion of our utility costs, meaning economic feasibility. While the Columbus Division of Power may permit remote metering, virtual net metering, available land within the urban core is highly competitive and often prioritized for um including for municipal tree canopy initiatives and other initiatives. As we move into the next fiscal year, we intend to broaden our procurement strategies for rooftop solar to ensure we capture the most competitive market rates. Additionally, we may explore strategic purchases of renewable energy credits to offset our footprint through regional wind and solar generation. Currently, we're executing operational electrification. We are transitioning water heating equipment to electrical alternatives upon system burnout, which just happened recently at Hamilton Elementary School. We have already successfully transitioned smaller groundskeeping equipment to electric power.
036This brings me to an exciting operational update. We have identified and intend to deploy an innovative product that enhances our maintenance efficiency. These new commercial electric autonomous mowers utilize advanced visual object identification to safely navigate around obstacles. Across our operations, these units are projected to together save 1,000 gallons of fuel annually and allow reallocation of 600 hours of labor to higher priority landscaping needs. Furthermore, they improve turf health through more frequent precise cutting and their near silent operation minimizes disruption to our school neighborhoods. We plan on permanently stationing one unit inside each of our 17 running tracks. Our new Safe Green Schools justification form is attached to the line item on the on the consent agenda for this item. As you can see in the photos from our field testing, the first image image demonstrates
037the mower successfully detecting and navigating around an athletic hurdle. The second image identifies or highlights the turf striping that was completed at Eastmore Academy field. Through rigorous field assessments, we're confident this technology is the right choice for our district. Turning to our fleet vehicles, I am pleased to announce that buildings and grounds has secured funding for our first 10 electric vehicles with the anticipated fiscal 27 appropriation. These Ford Transit cargo vans are perfectly suited to support our daily maintenance operations. To further support fleet expansion, we have an engineering study underway at 17th Avenue to determine the capacity of the main electrical switchgear and establish how many additional vehicles can be supported without requiring cost prohibitive infrastructure upgrades. Simultaneously, our transportation department is evaluating how to integrate newly available electric Ford Transit options into the student
038transport fleet. Daily mileage constraints represent a higher operational risk factor for student transportation than for our localized maintenance vehicles, requiring careful route planning. In summary, our immediate next steps include broadening our partner network to secure cost-effective rooftop solar solutions, expanding the deployment of autonomous mowing technology to optimize labor efficiency, analyzing fleet charging infrastructure, and systematically transitioning our facilities from natural gas to electric. For example, we are targeting buildings that currently rely on gas solely for water heaters and emergency generators. We have We are evaluating the economic viability of replacing these gas generators with battery storage systems, which would allow us to shave peak electrical loads and lower monthly demand charges. Finally, we have identified two facilities as ideal candidates for geothermal heating conversions and are currently awaiting the initial economic analysis. Before concluding, I would
039like to recognize and celebrate the district's long-standing commitment to sustainability. Columbus City Schools has earned numerous energy efficiency accolades since 1986, and these upcoming initiatives will probably build upon that legacy. As a quick reminder, there are slides that touch on other policy components in the appendix. Thank you. >> Thank you, Jeff, for providing this annual update. Uh we know that um this is an ambitious goal with deliverables, but our team has been working since the policy was implemented team has been working on this work for years, but since the policy was implemented just this past December, um they have been working on securing additional funding, alternative sources to support the strategies, and continuing to work on innovative strategies to move this work forward. So, thank you, Jeff. And at this time, we'll entertain any questions
040that you may have. >> Yes, board member Simmons. Um thank you. Thank you, president. Um Dr. Miranda, um I want to say it's really exciting to see um you know, the evolution of the Safe Green Schools from um you know, from the first time we took the pledge to adopting the policy and now and to see the program start to become more fleshed out. I think that's really exciting. Um the one thing I do want to talk about that did concern me was our investments at 17th Avenue. Um it was about 8 years ago um June 20 18 when you know, a different set of administrators came to a different board and said, "Hey, we want to you know, we think we can consolidate five administrative sites down into this e-car property, 3700, and it's
041going to be um really great for the future of our district." And one of those sites was 17th Avenue. Um and so now that I sit here as a board member 8 years later seeing the um that dollars are still being invested in this facility. Um and we're also here at 3700, which has, you know, a deepening maintenance backlog. You know, when we go from this room to other the other room right behind us, the roof is leaking and there's a a trash can with a plastic bag in it to collect the water. And so, as we have these um I I I guess I don't quite understand the investments we're making in some of our legacy properties still. And you know, is the plan still to consolidate 17th Avenue or is that somewhere we
042envision being there long term? You know, if we put the solar there, that covers our energy usage for that building, but if we leave that property, you know, we'd have to actually take the solar with us, which means, you know, unscrewing it from the the roof and the infrastructure and the wiring and the cables. And so, I I I just I think Safe Green Schools is really exciting, um but I want to make sure we're making smart investments in properties that we have a long-term future at that are viable for the future of our district. And I I just don't I'd be concerned to spend too much at 17th Avenue when, you know, we don't know what the the future is going to look like. And so, I guess just my my question is is
043that a site we plan to be, Dr. Chapman, at for the foreseeable future long-term? And is it worthy of, you know, there's a million-dollar of investments listed listed in here? And we also have this building that needs a lot of investments. >> Thank you, board member Simmons, for that question. I am aware that that was years ago when the district purchased this property, the board at that time had plans to consolidate their admin sites and move them to this location. Since I have been in this seat, we have not had conversations about executing that plan, and there were no steps taken to consolidate all administrative sites to this building. So, we are certainly investing. We continue to need the property, the resources, and the services at the 17th Avenue site. And so, when we think
044about our fleet and our vehicles, this was a prime opportunity to move forward with our energy-efficient strategies at that site. So, we will continue to have conversations and look at all of our properties across the district. But, I would say that conversations about consolidating all of our admin sites to a location would be future-facing conversations that we would be having the board and administration. Board member, Dr. Pierce. >> Thank you so much for this presentation. I'm appreciate the fact that we are moving into a manner that is more manageable for our district as it relates to safe green schools. It looks like we are biting off chunks of projects that are manageable, that are feasible, um, and really moving in a smart way for our district. So, I appreciate that because when it was initially
045brought, there were a number of things there that I just knew were not feasible. Um, so my question relates to Eastmore Academy. You mentioned the cutting of the grass at our Archie Griffin field, and we have as board members received a number of emails about the dilapidated condition of that field. Can anybody on the team speak to what else we might have planned for that field, that facility outside of testing, uh, green lawnmower cutting tools? >> Um, are you Is this a question for Jeff as it relates to the policy? >> Anybody on the team. >> We can certainly make note of that and provide an update. I don't know that this is a part of this presentation. We want to >> The field was mentioned. So, as a board member, I am asking, is
046there any up any any other things that are planned in the works for that particular facility? >> Jeff, do you have any other additional, um, work that's planned at Eastmore as it relates to this policy? >> Specifically, Jessie, our main our Archie Griffin football field. >> Well, we can say that the grass at Eastmore Academy is probably the best grass that we have in the district because we did have that armyworm infestation a couple of years ago and it had to completely renovate the field. The playing surface is amazing. >> Awesome. >> I'll leave that there. >> Thank you. And we appreciate that. >> Thank you. But, nothing outside of that? >> [clears throat] >> Capital improvements might be able to to better answer that question. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I mean, if you
047going >> Board member, I dare. >> Um, so I know that when you you were talking about the solar panels and you said, "Okay, well, this is only going to be a 0.3%." It's better than zero, right? And so, I want to commend the team and all of our partners that have been working. Um this question might actually be more for uh COO Woods um and maybe you. But, I think that once we start once we kind of finish the academic visioning, we can start to talk about the actual facilities, we can do the integrated plan. This stuff is going to start rolling because we're going to we're going to have a better game strategy for the next 20 30 years about what buildings are going to be you know, used, not used, built, not
048built, whatever, right? We're going to know more. And so, I think this groundwork progress that you're starting, we're testing things, we're trying to figure out how to do this internally, which is hard, and I just want to commend you. But, am I wrong? Like, we're going to see a bigger uptick once we start doing some more of our academic work, facility alignment, getting things down on paper because this from the beginning, it's got to be integrated into those things. It's not a standalone, it's part of that strategy as well. >> Yes, and certainly um a huge component of all of our planning for new facilities, modernized spaces, absolutely. >> Board Member [clears throat] Katzin Meyer. >> Thank you, President Moore, and thank you, Mr. Roe, for the presentation. Uh this is this is great. I
049agree with Board Member Dare, you know, point Yeah, 0.3 isn't a lot. It's more than nothing, and it's it's probably the hardest 0.3 that we will we will go through. Um so, you know, it's it's only going to get easier from here. I had a question about uh our relationship with uh Ameresco, and I was wondering if you could you could expand on that. It It seems to me like we we might Maybe I'm not understanding it, but we might be in a situation where we we kind of just have this um sole provider. And And I I would imagine we'd want to we'd want to look at the, you know, the roof on X school and um and then from there get numbers from several vendors. So, help me understand how the Ameresco relationship
050works in the process. >> I can tell you how it started, actually. I reached out to multiple vendors that have a purchasing vehicle, such as a cooperating purchasing contract that the state will allow us to do construction with. There's only a few. And I asked several of these companies for a proposal for the 17th Avenue carport. And Ameresco's price and quality of the presentation was the winner. And and since they were the winner on that carport and they had the purchasing vehicle available to use, they were the natural selection to ask, "How can I put solar on the roof of Parsons and Independence?" And they tried hard to make it work, cuz that's how they make money is by doing projects. They We couldn't find a way to make it work in a cash in
051in a way that I'd be comfortable bringing it to the board with the economic analysis. And so so breaking from them is is is nothing to stop us from They They have the project for the 17th Avenue solar carport. Uh board approved already. But since it didn't work out with putting solar on the roofs of these other schools with them, I intend to put a construction bid out to the public to see if there's a better way to secure this material. >> Great. >> And we also want that bid to most likely be in the form of a power purchase agreement which allows us to install solar on the buildings without an upfront cost because taking money from classroom renovations and putting it to renewable systems is a tricky question that ask how much is
052appropriate. We don't have a good answer for that yet either. So ideally none. And the power purchase agreement is a little bit difficult because most of the companies that offer them they want enormous projects. And I would love to do an enormous project but I would hate to see us put solar on a roof halfway through its estimated useful life where you have to spend maybe half or 2/3 of the project cost to remove the panels and put them back on just to re-roof underneath of them. So it really only makes sense as you're re-roofing and factoring the cost to deal with them in 20 years when you have to re-roof. So that's that's where the ground mount kind of comes in at. >> Um what uh in your opinion, why do you think the
053uh the the two schools roof projects didn't didn't pencil? >> I don't think they're big enough to be economically justifiable. But that was with one company looking at it and so I need the market to tell me that for sure. >> Okay. Board member Simmons. >> Um oh no it was answered. Thank you President Dr. Miranda. >> Board member Vice President Engles. >> I just want to say congrats and thank you so much for all of your work so far. Um my colleagues have already said but I will reiterate 0.3% is not insignificant considering 6 months ago we were starting at zero. So um it takes time and it takes work and I know that there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to explore all options available to the district including funding
054options um, that might come from other sources and so, want to thank you and CEO Woods for all of your work that you've done in that space and Treasurer Cook um, as well for helping us um, navigate some of those grounds and I think that that's the space where there's a lot opportunity but it's stuff that we've got to move quickly and we've got to get information quickly and so, figuring out those mechanisms and figuring out those systems and putting them in place, I think will only make us more competitive in that market moving forward and uh, we'll see that 0.3% jump very quickly kind of as Board Catsamyer suggested. It is the hardest uh, to to get started but we see some really positive impacts. Um, I'm really excited about the vehicle uh, stuff
055that you've got going on and there's a lot of different ways um, to get to energy efficiency and a lot of different things that we can look at um, and I know you and I had talked uh, previously Mr. Rowe about the geothermal and how those systems that we had in place were outperforming during the very bitter winter cold months um, this year outperforming many of the other systems and so, that's a very positive outcome because it's one g- it's uh, green and two, it's outperforming the market on um, the other systems that we have in place. So, uh, it's very positive and I just want to say thank you for all your work. >> Thank you very much. Yes, those those six buildings that we do have that have geothermal heating and cooling very
056low energy consumption, very reliable service. >> Awesome. It's great news. Thank you. Thank you, Jeff. >> Thank you. >> All right, we're going to move to 4.3 resolution for the adoption of cybersecurity program. Whereas Ohio Revised Code Section 9.64 requires the legislative authority of each political subdivision to adopt a cybersecurity program that safeguards the subdivision's data, information and technology, and information technology resources to ensure availability, confidentiality, and integrity. And whereas the Board of Education recognizes the cybersecurity threats pose significant operational, financial, financial, educational, and reputational risk to the district and its students, employees, and community. And whereas the Board of Education desires to establish and maintain a cybersecurity program consistent with generally accepted best practices, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework and the Center for Internet Security Critical Security Controls. And
057whereas the Board of Education finds that adoption of a formal cybersecurity program is necessary and appropriate to comply with Ohio law and to protect district operations and inform information systems. Now, >> [clears throat] >> therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Education of the Columbus City Schools District, County of Franklin, State of Ohio, to be approved as written in Board Docs. Is there a motion to accept the resolution? >> Motion. >> Second. Any discussion? Please call the roll. >> Vice President Ingles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> I'm now going to turn it over to Vice President Ingles for the board policy discussion.
058>> Okay. We're going to start with policy 5200, which is the attendance policy. This policy did go through the Policy and Governance Committee meeting um earlier or later last month. Um the passage of Ohio's budget bill in 2025 shifted Ohio's attendance law from a strong focus on truancy to supporting students at risk of becoming chronically absent. Under House Bill 96, schools are no longer required to assign students to absence intervention teams. These teams were required to develop the truancy intervention plans under prior law. Instead, districts are required to establish at least one absence intervention team district-wide to work with the students at risk of becoming chronically absent and their families to improve student attendance. Districts are also required to notify parents. Am I missing Oh. Sorry, I'm going out of order. My bad. >> It's
059okay. That's okay. You can come back. >> All right. So, we are going to go to 4.4, which is the drug and alcohol testing of CDL license holders who perform safety-sensitive functions and are subject to DOT testing. Do we have our transportation team? Do you mind just coming up? Cuz you're going to have a few of them up here. I think we switched to attendance next. So, you got a preview of attendance. You're going to get more, don't worry. All right. So, we have a package of transportation policies tonight. Um we are kind of taking them weird in a weird order, but um the package of transportation policy updates is long overdue and we're happy to have these policies ready for presentation to the committee this evening. The laws and regulations guiding school transportation are
060constantly changing and evolving with increasing changes in recent years. And CCS practice is currently compliant with applicable law. However, our policies as written do not reflect the statutory language and are not legally compliant. Um there are no new deadlines approaching prompting our need to move these policies to the board expeditiously. However, more significantly, several statutory effective dates and deadlines relating to required policy updates have long passed. And each of the policies on the agenda um, that relate to transportation tonight, are out of legal compliance having missed as many as five recommended updates over several years. So, um, the committee has reviewed these policies and has recommended to the board to consider them to align district policy language with applicable statutory and/or regulatory language. Um, I see we have Mr. Steflbean at the podium, so I'm
061going to give you your time to shine and tell us a little bit about, um, policy 4162, which I believe we have missed six revisions. >> Yes, ma'am. Uh, Dr. Pres- Dr. Miranda, thank you. Members of the board, policy 4162 is a governing drawling drug and alcohol testing of CDL holders performing safety sensitive functions and is subject to federal DOT regulations. It covers pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, random, post-accident, and follow-up testing requirements. The purpose of the policy ration- now is brings policy language in line with current operational practices and strengthens compliant documentation for federally mandated testing programs. Um, there are a couple key changes here. The title updated to reflect CDL holders specific scope and DOT subject matter. Added a formal definition of alcohol and requires a list of all CDO- CDL holders expected to operate
062commercial motor vehicles to provide to be provided to contact contracted certified testing center facilities for federally mandated random drug testing. Non-CDL holders are explicitly excluded from this list and are now covered under a different policy 4162.01. There's new language added on notification of test results and delivery of educational materials to the employees covering federal regulations, board policies and procedures, and an outdated outdated language removed where superseded by new language. >> Thank you, Mr. Civilbie. >> Hm? >> Um so if there's any discussion from the board. >> Yes. >> Board member, Dr. Pierce. >> Um I want to thank the team for um putting those non-CDL holders under the other policy, your due diligence with responding to those questions when it was brought first to the board table. So, thank you very much for that. Um
063appreciate that we are doing the appropriate things to make sure that our students remain safe when we're transporting them. >> With that, I'll make the motion that the board adopt the recommended changes to policy 4162. >> Second. >> Either one. Call the roll. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Hey, don't go far, Mr. Civilbie, because you are going to be up after this, but we have our attendance policy. So, would our attendance team just come up in case there's any um questions. Or academic team. Okay. So, we talked about Ohio's budget bill um and districts are required to notify parents
064when a student misses a designated number of hours as determined by the board, which cannot be greater than 5% of the student's minimum hours of instruction. Truancy filings are also modified. District attendance officers are now required to file a complaint in the juvenile court against any student who is habitually truant, which is defined as being absent without legitimate excuse for 30 or more consecutive hours, for 42 or more hours in one school month, or 72 or more hours in one school year, unless the district determines that the student and the student's family are making satisfactory progress in improving the student's attendance at school. House Bill 96 removes the requirement that a district or community school prohibit the grade level promotion of a student that is truant for more than 10% of the required attendance days
065in the school year. Um, I just want to point out this compliance issue was addressed previously when the board adopted an updated version of policy 5410, the promotion, placement, and retention policy on March 17th. So, we have addressed that, um, but that is part of that bill and related to this policy. Um, so new Ohio Revised Code effective September 30th, 2025 allows high school students enrolled in a district to be absent from school to attend a private driver training course approved by the director of public safety under Revised Chapter Code, or I'm sorry, Revised Code Chapter 4508. So, you'll see that language in the policy as well that came directly out of law. Um, Ohio school districts are required to adopt a board policy reflecting these changes in law no later than August 1st, 2026.
066So, we do have a deadline on this. And importantly, um, the bill took effect September 30th, 2025 once it was signed into law. CCS attendance team, thank you all to the team, um, adjusted district practice to align with the new provision by this effective date. But now it is time to adjust the policy to assess that practice. Um, the board the committee did vote, um, to recommend this policy as written, but it added one, um, particular piece that did not make it into the redraft of this policy. So, um, I if I'll allow us to have discussion, but I will go ahead and make the motion that we adopt the policy as written, but at the end add language that our legal team and, um, Auditor O'Connor have both given me the green light on.
067Um, to end the superintendent will ensure that procedures are in place to carry out this policy. So that is my motion. >> Second. >> Any discussion? If not >> Um can you clarify why are we um waiting to add that? Is that a modification? >> So that is a modification that we're making a motion to modify it. >> Yeah, so the motion would be to adopt it as written plus that one sentence. At the end. >> As introduced. >> So we don't have a motion to modify it. >> She introduced. >> All right, call the roll. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Um I would like to say just a point
068that I think that piece of us adding it at the end is important. I had a number of students contact me at the end of the year as it related to their attendance as well as staff members who were on our school or our building based attendance teams. And so um I think it's very important that we continue to keep attendance as a priority. So yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Thank you. Thank you for your work. Okay, Mr. Seflin, you're back up and you're going to be up for the rest of the policies. >> Okay. >> Um so we're going to move on to item 4.6 which is board policy 8600 transportation. Um for this specific policy, there have been five revisions since 2015 um that we have not
069updated for. And so it is a new policy updated um and I'll allow you to explain the changes. >> Okay. Uh policy 8600 is our standard transportation policy. It is a complete replacement of a previous version. Um the policy scope addresses student transportation to and from school within the limitations established by state law and the Department of Education and Workforce. Covers standard routes, community school transportation, STEM, STEAM, and private school obligations under state law. The purpose and the rationale is the old policy was overly prescriptive and required frequent revision as laws changes, of which they have quite a bit since 2018. The replacement is intentionally written in simplified durable language that references statutes directly, reducing the need for future policy rewrites when regulations are updated. Some of the key changes are a full policy rewrite
070with simplified language focused on safe, efficient student transportation. Directly references state minimum requirements and statutory obligations rather than restating them. It adds coverage of transportation to community, STEM, STEAM, and private schools in compliance with state law. And designed to so that the district can follow updated laws and regulations without requiring policy changes each time statutes shift. >> Thank you for that, Mr. Stufflebean. So, the Policy and Governance Committee did recommend to move this policy forward to the board for consideration. Therefore, I will make a motion to the board to adopt the policy as written um tonight. >> Second. >> Thank you. There discussion? Yes, board member Simmons. >> Um thank you, President um Dr. Miranda. In the policy, which I'm going to um pull back up here, it says there's a line towards the bottom
071and I asked a question about this. It says um the transportation program is under the direction of the executive director of the transport of the executive director of transportation who is responsible to the superintendent. We don't normally have things like that in our policy and so my question was just why do we need it in this policy? Um that's not really a phrase that we'd find in really any of our other policies from what I could look and see. And the answer I was given was that was clarifying that the transportation director is a direct report of the superintendent, but the organizational charts were provided every week don't reflect that. And so, you know, if if that's true, then can we get a new updated organizational chart? And if that is not true and accurate,
072then why do we need this in our policy and and what does it actually mean? And so, I don't understand, you know, it's not in it's just not in most of our policies. And you know, if we're going to have something in our policies, you know, I've I've heard uh before prior to this year, if we're going to have something in our policy, it's got to mean something. It's got to, you know, So, I I don't understand why we need that. And I do I'd like the clarification on the um organizational chart of our district, please. >> So, it is not as a direct report to the superintendent. We still direct report to the chief operations officer. It is the authority we are invested in by the the superintendent to make decisions and amendments to
073routes and things of that nature. It's a standard language that's adopted through an OSBA instead of a um um the other version I cannot remember NEOLA version of contracts. >> And we have to have that in our board policy, why? Because we don't really have that, you know, there's a lot of authority that the superintendent delegates, you know, that normally doesn't show up in board policy because that wouldn't really make sense for it to be in our board policy if the superintendent is doing it. Um and you know, we have, you know, how many other departments are in our district? How many other executive directors are in our district? You know, and how many other policies do we have? And this would be the only place from what I could find from my quick research
074that it would be phrased like this. So, it's just if it's going to be in our policy, I I don't understand why it has to be in our policy. I get it's the standard language, but I don't get the virtue behind why we would adopt it. >> Thank you, board members. Um um James, can you respond? >> It can be deleted. >> Thank you. I'd like to make a motion to remove um to amend the policy and remove um the words the the transportation program is under the direction of the executive director of transportation who is responsible to the superintendent. That is a motion. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion? Okay, call the roll. >> Ms. Adair. >> No. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >>
075Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzmare. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Motion to >> Now we're back to the regular policy. Is that all of the discussion? We call the roll. >> The original policy >> Now we're back to the original >> Back to the original. >> Yeah. >> It's amended. >> Is that the end of the discussion? >> We're good. As amended. >> do a vote on the original policy. >> On the original. >> Yeah. Okay, next one. >> So motion to adopt >> motion to call the roll. >> [clears throat] >> There's a motion. I have a second, board member Engles on the motion, board member Adair on the second. Roll call. Mr. Simmons. >> Yes, we're at roll call. Yes.
076>> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzmare. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay, we will move on to item 4.7, which is policy 8600.04, bus and alternative and or I'm sorry, bus and alternative vehicle driver certification. Um this policy had a number of different revisions. Only uh three, three different revisions that we have missed. Um so, Mr. Stufflebeam, would you walk us through it? >> Yes. Uh the scope of this policy addresses certification requirements for school bus drivers and alternative vehicle drivers as defined by the Ohio Revised Code and the Department of Education Workforce. It establishes minimum qualifications for all drivers transporting students. The purpose and the rationale is updates the policy
077to reflect expanded use of alternate vehicles across the district and corrects the agency name following the state reorganization of the Ohio Department of Education into the Department of Education and Workforce. A few of the key changes are the title was updated to include alternative vehicles alongside school buses. Policy language was expanded to cover certification and qualification requirements for alternative vehicle drivers. The agency name corrected to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce throughout. All drivers now required to be enrolled in the retained fingerprint database or RAP BACK system. The new language conform confirms all schools, school buses, and alternative vehicle drivers transporting students must meet all ODEW requirements. An outdated language removed where superseded by new language. >> All right, thank you for that, Mr. Stufflebeam. Um with that, I will go ahead and the
078Policy and Governance Committee did meet and discuss. We had a couple of changes. Those are reflected in here, particularly naming the RAP BACK program was one of them. Um so, with that, I will uh make the motion that we adopt the policy as recommended by the policy and governance committee. >> I get >> Second it. Any discussion? >> Yeah, so specifically where are we calling out the the drug testing? Is that a part of the assumed the drivers have to have their I don't know annual physicals and they have to meet those requirements. >> Okay, where are we calling it out? Um >> This is separate. >> I'm trying to find it in it. >> No, it's a separate policy, I believe, right? >> Right. And that was a separate policy under 416201. >> And
079so would that be captured under this one in any manner? I think as we think about the state of Ohio and some of our laws around recreational drug use and things that are changing, we'll want to ensure that we're testing. Um that that we are mindful of testing for drug use. >> Well, this covers all of the general uh drug and alcohol testing that's outlined in those specific ones. >> So it's included within those specifics because we're referencing. So that's what I'm asking. Reference through another policy in this policy. >> Yes. >> Where specifically? >> It would be included in not be and under the six types of uh requirements, no more than six points within the last 24 months, uh not been convicted of any of those or uh Ohio Revised Code 4511.19 and
080those things. Those are the factors that are clearly outlined as defining problems within the drug and alcohol testing. Am I not understanding what you're saying correctly? >> I guess my direct question is are we explicitly calling out that there needs to be random drug and alcohol testing? >> Are we referencing it? >> Directly within this, I don't know if it I I'm looking to see if that revision has been in it, but um the alternative vehicle transporting students >> And this would also cover individuals that might be driving our students in say like a sedan >> and yeah, so >> I believe it would be under the last section of this. It doesn't specifically point to the other, but it says no bus driver will be permitted to drive a school bus or alternate vehicles
081transporting students unless the school vehicle unless the bus driver meets all the requirements contained in the rules adopted by the DEW prescribing qualifications of drivers. So, to be qualified, they have to be enrolled within the RAP Back system and be subject to the random and alcohol drug testing policies. >> And I just want to confirm that, so that's why I'm looking over at legal to make sure that that it's is explicitly wrapped up and in the language will cover that. Okay. >> If there's no other discussion, call the roll. >> Ms. Adair? >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy? >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles? >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce? >> Yes. >> Mr. Cazemier? >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons? >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda? >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Hey. We're going to move
082on to item 4.18, which is board policy 8640, transportation for non-routine trips. Um For this policy, we had four revisions since 2015 that we have missed. Um it is a complete replacement of the current transportation policy and some of that is just um for ease of reading and writing and >> Correct. >> too many revisions on top of another that wouldn't make sense to just leave as is. So, I will allow you, uh Mr. Steflik, to walk us through it. >> Okay. This policy addresses the board's use of school buses and alternative vehicles for purposes other than regular home-to-school transportation, including field trips, athletic events, and other school-sponsored activities. The purpose and rationale is the previous policy only addressed buses as the district has expanded its use in alternative vehicles. A full replacement was needed
083to modernize the framework and future-proof the policy for potential acquisition of multi-functional school activity buses. Some of the key changes are alternative vehicles formally added alongside school buses as authorized non-routine trip vehicles. Multi-school activity buses language was included, not currently owned by the district, but preserved for potential future use. The MFSAB defined is a design for point-to-point transportation only, no pickup lights or stop signs, and no roadside pickups pickups are permitted. And the new language addresses trip costs and how those costs are covered. >> So, the Policy and Governance Committee had some um discussion, particularly around what is a multi-function school activity bus. And you did mention in your presentation, but I'll just call out we don't currently have It's my understanding we don't currently have those buses, but um the team wanted to leave
084in the language in case in the future we for some reason inherited or acquired said uh types of buses, that we would um have a policy in place that encompass them. And it was also the recommendation of NEOLA. So, we left it in for that purpose, though we do not currently have that style or type of bus. Um and so, with that, I will go ahead and make the motion that the board adopt the policy um as written and uploaded in board docs. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Um >> Discussion? Board member Simmons? >> Yes, I'm so so so so sorry. Could you clarify, please, what agenda item is this? I just want to make sure I didn't get my policies mixed around. >> 4.8, thank you. Um and then yes, I I do
085believe I do have a discussion question. Um my question is around the last um paragraph, particularly the language of um terms of times of emergency. Um I'm a bit confused about what that actually means because we do have a policy on emergencies. Um that's policy um 8420.03, and that's refers to um states of emergencies. So, it if anything, if we could get the language consistent, I think that would be helpful before we get into the substance. Um but the language should be consistent from one policy to another. Um you know, it it talks about that our vehicles could be used um by uh another government authority, a state, federal, or local in the event of some type of emergency, but then there's also language that references um legitimate activities, and the question the answer I
086was given to my question kind of suggested that it could only be in times of emergencies, but then this language kind of references legitimate activities, which would sound like, you know, just an everyday routine thing, but we are actually under state of emergency right now. We are under 51 national states of emergencies right now, with the oldest one going back to 1979. That's executive order 12,170 issued by President Carter in response to the Iranian hostage crisis. And our policy says that um a state of emergency policy 8420-03 says a state of emergency includes, but not limited to, any state of emergency declared by the city of Columbus, state of Ohio, or federal government. So, my understanding of our policy would mean that Columbus City Schools is also under 51 different distinct emergencies right now. Um
087but, the first line of our policy, that's the second. The first line of our emergency policy says, "This policy shall only be in effect until such time the Board of Education is able to meet in either an emergency special or regular meeting." Um which is, you know, a confusing line in and of itself to have if we're also going to recognize national emergencies. Um and so, you know, my primary concern regarding this line is that our um the board's owned board owned vehicles could in some way be used to facilitate um law enforcement activities at the, you know, federal level. Um I don't think that's what our vehicles should be used for. I don't think um the superintendent or anyone should have the authority to let our vehicles be used for um certain, you know,
088law enforcement activities um at the federal level. And, you know, we're under a state of emergency right now regarding the um crisis at the southern border. Um that some folks feel is happening. And so, I like to know that if under this policy, the that state of emergency at the southern border would be considered a valid reason for our vehicles, board owned vehicles, to be used um by a federal agency. And um I also didn't get a clear a clear answer, excuse me, as to whether or not we were required to have this in our policy or not or if the board had some discretion about um what certain entities we let use in emergency situation. Um but, I would be very uncomfortable if there were certain um federal entities that were able to um
089enter into a contract with us. And I understand that may not be the decision our current superintendent makes or our current board makes, but I think we have to write policies that think about not the individuals who are making decisions, but the systems and institutions we operate in. >> I will defer to the office of General Counsel. Sorry, sir. >> That was >> What policy are you referencing? >> There's emergency language in a couple of them, right? It's in um we're on 4.8. >> Right above the last sentence in the policy. That whole paragraph. >> Yes, the >> No, no, no. I mean, what other policy are you referencing outside of >> the night's agenda? Give me Give me one quick second. I I think there's a similar emergency language in two of our transportation
090>> I'm looking at. >> Yeah, um it might maybe easier for us to discuss at least that component together. >> Thank you, Mr. Barnes. >> Yeah, yes, the the policy talks about the superintendent entering into a contract with the federal government, local, or or state government. Now, either either either of those governments under the right circumstances can commandeer vehicles depending on the circumstance and federal, state, and local law. We don't determine what the emergency is. Those entities determine what the emergencies are. Now, the policy talks about and in most instances those entities will enter into a contract with the school district. And that's what it's allowed that this policy is allowing the superintendent to enter into those contracts. >> Can you speak to the phrase "it's legitimate activities and in times of emergencies"? Cuz the
091answer you just provided us was more relevant to the in times of emergencies clause rather than the legitimate activities. And so, what legitimate activities, for example, would this cover? Because, you know, you just gave us an answer about emergencies, but it says and and there's this part about legitimate activities in here. >> Well, like emergencies, we wouldn't we wouldn't be defining what those legitimate activities are. Obviously, the those entities would have to define those. And of course, in any particular situation, the district can push back. >> Mhm. Right. So, let's actually let's do that. Let's push back a second against the beginning assertion you made about commandeering our vehicles. Because this policy is written in a way that doesn't just apply to emergency situations and it's also written in a way that gives the superintendent
092an option to do that. I'm not talking about a situation where your vehicles have been commandeered and so, because we don't have an option, we're going to enter into a contract anyways. That's not what I'm describing. I'm describing a scenario where the superintendent enters into a contract with the federal government, say the Immigration Customs Enforcement, um or um say um you know, Customs and Border Patrol, Homeland Security. Um I'm talking about the these instances where they'd enter into a contract to say these are either activities for our legitimate um these are we need these buses for our legitimate activities or even these times of emergencies. And you're saying the board doesn't get to determine what an emergency is, but then we do have an a policy that lays out what our steps for determining an
093emergency is. So, I'm I'm not I understand they'd be able to commandeer our vehicles, but we don't need to write things into our policy that allows that make it easier for them to do that. Or I saw I don't quite understand. >> Okay, thank you, Board Member Simmons. Board Member on Dr. Pierce. >> Yes, I don't understand your question, Board Member Simmons. So, would you like to strike this paragraph? Are you more concerned about the language? Do you want to strike some words out? >> I have three distinct questions. on >> Let us have them. >> First and foremost, when it says legitimate activities and in times of emergencies, it sounds like we're talking about two different things. It sounds like we're talking about actual emergencies, but then also just an agency's routine business. So,
094question number one there. Um my second question is are we required to have this language in our >> Can we slow down for a second? Can we deal with that >> Yes, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted them all at once. Sorry, Dr. >> No, let's let's slow down for a second. You got a rapid fire >> did ask these in in in advance. >> I have the doc. I see it. I I'm trying to follow you. >> Um at this uh President Miranda, I'm going to with your permission withdraw my motion at this point cuz it sounds like there are some questions and I want to let board member Simmons get out his questions and then we can bring this back up at a another board meeting. So, I'll let him continue with what
095his questions are, but at this point I'll withdraw my motion to approve said policy tonight. >> Um if we're not going to we can do we don't need to spend the time now if we're not going to vote on it. I can send them in via email if I can >> I mean they're in the tracker, but just you know >> If we're not having the vote today, I don't need an answer today. >> Board member Adair. >> I was just going to say item 410 on the agenda will have the same issue because it's the non-routine use of school buses and part B is the use of buses. >> Just for transparency sake that board member Simmons because we cannot have more than three board members discussing the policy and so that clarity coming
096back to the board meeting. I see your questions in the tracker obviously, but I want to make sure that does that fully encompass all of your questions or do you have additional questions and you could just ask the question um to the team today and then they could be prepared to answer the question when we bring the board the policy back up, but just for transparency sake since we can't have this conversation outside of here. >> You wanted to bring the policy back up later tonight or at a >> No, no, no. >> Oh, okay. >> I guess what she's saying is everything that's in the tracker, does that clarify all the questions that you have on this policy? If there are additional questions, you can state them publicly right now, or you can send
097them directly to our policy and governance team who does an excellent job of relaying that to the chair and board members who serve on that committee. >> The questions I have are the questions I submitted in advance on our agenda review tracker. >> Okay, thank you. >> Well, um, then let's take a look at those and make sure that we um get a >> And we'll bring it back. >> an answer and then um address any concerns if if there are to be had. Can I add one additional question to this particular policy? Um, we have a number of students who are active in college credit plus, who attend other programs, and it makes it difficult for them to get to athletic practices and competitions. So, when it comes to the sentence where it says
098no student is permitted to drive a personal, and I know we have district vehicle in there. I'm I'm assuming we're not going to have I'm assuming we're not going to have students drive district vehicles, um, but as it relates to their personal vehicles, could the committee please look at that and put some language in there um, because we have a number of students who again are driving their personal vehicles to practices, to uh competitions, just so they can get there on time. >> Would that be encompassed in a non-routine trip? Cuz that sentence only applies to non-routine trips. >> I mean, a competition is a non-routine trip cuz they're going from >> I want the legal definition of what it is. >> I believe this only covers the use of buses for that process. I
099think it would be encompassed in a policy under the athletic department of how they would attend those trips or those events outside of the use of a yellow bus. >> So, even if they're going to mock trial, again, that's a particular competition that's not athletic. Is that going to fall under athletic? You might have a student driving their personal vehicle >> Correct. >> to a variety of different things. So, my question still remains, is there a way that we can that sentence right before the whole emergency piece, we really think about how our students are transporting themselves to and from non-routine things. >> Yeah, I would recommend we take a look at that and just determine whether or not that definition would fall into that scenario or if there's another policy that would cover the
100situation that Dr. Pierce is referencing. >> And then the last question that I have with athletics, our policy specifically states that students, like say I'm a parent and I show up to pick my child up after a game. Apparently, I'm not allowed to pick my child up after the game, but this policy gives the option if it's a non-routine trip that you can pick your child up after the game. So, again, my question is, we have families that have very tight schedules that are taking kids to and from multiple things. As much as possible, if we can create exceptions for our students, their parents and caregivers to provide transportation, I would appreciate the committee looking at that, chairing goals. >> I think that's in there. >> It It says that the exception is in this
101one, but when you go look at our athletic policy, >> Okay, so that's a different policy that we're talking >> them to I want both of those policies to really speak to one another. >> Okay, we'll make a note of that. >> You see what I'm saying? >> Yep. >> And I can send you an email with the specific policy number. Okay. >> Yes, that'll be helpful. >> All right. Okay, so I've withdrawn the motion on 4.8. Not asking for a motion on that. I think 4.9 we're going to have of types of questions. And so, um I'm not going to make a motion on that as well. Uh board member Simmons, did you have any additional questions outside of I don't know if there was anything in the tracker on this specific one, but
102outside of the general concept that was mentioned with regard to the last policy. >> Um no, just the the the situation around emergencies and also, you know, this phrase times of emergencies doesn't it's not in our state of emergency policy. So, you know, just getting the language consistent and what that actually means and you know, legitimate activities, all those questions. Thank you. >> Okay. So, we'll take a look at that. Thank you so much for doing that. Um we'll move on to item 4.10, which is board policy 8651 non-routine use of school buses. >> I think we're going to have the same challenge here. >> Yeah. Cuz that one is the Yeah. >> This is actually, I think, the definition of the uh emergency. >> This is the emergency language. >> So, we want to
103pull that one. >> So, with the same vein of questions, um and if we need to follow up, we can. >> And I would like for this one in B, it says the board may enter into an agreement, but the I think the other two said the superintendent. So, we >> Mhm. >> Yes, it did. >> Okay. We'll take a look at that. >> Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Staffolani, so much for all your work. >> Dr. Chapman, do you have a report for us this evening? >> Yes. >> Good evening, um President Miranda. I do not have a full report, but I do have some remarks to share, if I may. Um certainly, I want to reiterate um the congratulations, the kudos, and the celebration for our 2026 graduates. Um this has
104been amazing season of graduation celebrations. Uh certainly want to acknowledge and thank members of the board, our auditor, and treasurer who also was able to join us at our graduation ceremonies this year. Um and to all of our administrators, teachers, and all of our staff members that have helped our students along their journey from beginning as early as pre-K to get to this point. Um our graduates, many of them are continuing their education in the higher ed. Some of them are joining the workforce, CTE. Um we want all of our graduates in the class of 2026 to know that we are extremely proud of them. In Columbus City Schools, Dr. Miranda, as you mentioned, we hosted 23 ceremonies across the city over four days. Each one was a powerful reminder of what our students have
105accomplished. When we say leaders are grown here in Columbus City Schools, you mentioned it in your remarks, but I think it's worthy of repeating. The class of 2026 earned more than 38 million dollars in scholarships, opening doors to college and new opportunities beyond graduation. Our CTE uh program and students, we had the highest participation rate with over 12,000 students participating in CTE, and our students earned over 10,000 industry credentials. We also saw really, really promising data, no pun intended, in our Columbus Promise Scholarship applications. We had an increase, over 859 students have completed a Columbus Promise application for this year, which is an increase from last year. We had 619 students. So, that is outstanding data and great work on behalf of our team and our community for setting the stage and the conditions for
106our students to be able to transition to Columbus State tuition-free. Also, um we saw an increase in the number of FAFSA's completed this year, 1,539 compared to 1,290 last year. Very, very excited about that cuz that means our students are accessing more uh federal dollars and our students also logged 14,675 community service hours throughout the course of the years, uh demonstrating their leadership and commitment to strengthening our schools, our neighborhoods, and our community. And so, we're very, very proud of that. And also, for the graduating class of 2026, we've spent the last few weeks highlighting some of our all-star graduates in this class. I hope you've seen our post, our stories, uh our segments on social media. Also, we partnered with Orange Barrel Media and we're posting more than a dozen students' pictures on the
107big screens downtown. You'll see them on the big digital displays on Broad and High and the Ike kiosks all around the Short North and the city. So, we're very proud of our students and proud to have this new relationship with Orange Barrel Media that helps showcase and celebrate our grads. So, we'll continue celebrating our grads all throughout the summer cuz we are so very proud of them and we want our entire community to know how proud we are of all that they have accomplished uh this year. But wait, graduation season isn't over just yet. Mark your calendars and save the date for our summer graduation ceremony, which will be Friday, August 7th at East High School. We This is like our rainbow graduation, where we will also have some early grads and some additional grads
108that will be graduating still in the class of 2026, and we certainly welcome our entire community to join us in celebrating with them on August 7th. For summer learning opportunities, want to briefly highlight our summer learning opportunities for our students and families. Um summer learning will focus on strengthening literacy and math skills for participating students. The program will serve students in grades K through 3 for elementary and grades 5 through 6 for middle school. Elementary and middle school programming will run Monday through Friday, June 22nd through July 17th from 8:00 to 1:00, and there are seven sites for elementary and four sites for middle school. We'll also have programming um by invitation-only for our high school students who are working on earning additional credits this summer. And this week, or just yesterday, I think, we
109kicked off our Careers in STEM Summer Experience Camp for some of our high school students. Uh this is our inaugural program that This is a partnership with I Know I Can and Batelle. This is a paid, hands-on experience that gives 200 of our rising sophomores from the Academies at Beechcroft, East, Walnut Ridge, and West the opportunity to explore high-demand STEM pathways. This is a 1-week experience, connects to classroom learning and real world real world careers, giving our students to explore pathways in areas such as marketing, entrepreneurship, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and health sciences. Our students are learning beyond the traditional classroom by partici- participating in hands-on labs and working alongside higher ed and industry partners including the Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College. Each student who attends all five days will earn a $450
110stipend reinforcing an important message that their time, talent, and future contributions have value. So, that's uh our um program that we're offering for our students at the career academies and for the staff at the career academies, we have STEAM Rising that is kicked off this week. This is the fifth annual year for this program and it's taking place um in partnership with the Ohio State University. This is a two-day immersive learning experience brought to bringing together our district-wide CTE teachers along with classroom teachers from the four academy high schools. This gives our educators the experiences that they need to explore science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. So, we talked about those hands-on career connected learning experiences for our students and this is a hands-on career connected learning experiences for our staff members and the adults
111who support our students. And tomorrow, we will be hosting the annual Career Tech Forward Conference at Ohio State University. We have invited all of our local, regional workforce partners and uh staff members from our career technical planning districts and we are expecting 400 guests to join us tomorrow for this annual conference and this is an opportunity for us to collaborate with industry partners, school district colleagues, and share best practices in the field of career technical education and career connected learning so that we can learn from each other all in the vein and the goal of expanding and creating more opportunity and access to our students across the region. And as we close out another successful school year, I want to wish all of our students, our families, staff members, um and community a safe, enjoyable,
112and restful summer. Um we'll we'll see everyone back on the first day of school, which will be August 20th for our traditional year cal- for students and families on the traditional year calendar, and I believe it's August 25th for our kindergarten students who'll be joining us. So, have an amazing and restful, joyful summer. Look forward to seeing you again in the fall. >> Thank you, Dr. Chapman. All right. Good stuff. >> All good stuff. >> Yeah. I'm excited about STEAM Rising particularly because they made some adjustments to meet our needs. >> Absolutely. >> what's really important about partnerships. So, it sounds like it's going to be really good this year. >> Yes, absolutely. >> All right. Um Mr. O'Connor, do you have a report for us this evening? >> No report, but I do have
113an announcement. Um we'll be hosting student interns from the Office of State Future Leaders Fellowship Intern Internship Program on June 10th. Uh these interns visit many different government organizations and gain an understanding of what the entity does. And it's just a one-day, they just stop in, learn about internal audit. Um so, we'll go over the benefits of communication, collaboration, and relationship building, as well as explaining what what do to achieve providing value for an organization and becoming a trusted partner. Um this program also provides hands-on work experience to first-generation college students. So, this is the second year we've taken part in it, so. Very good. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Yes. >> Mr. Cook, do you have a report for us this evening? >> No formal report, but just a couple of comments. First,
114I'd like to thank my colleague for the invitation to graduation this year. Um I often get the chance to talk about the numbers, and I think at the end of the day, that's really what it's about. So, it was exciting to see that, so thank you. Um I did have some other numbers scratched down, but I'm going to audible at the line tonight and reiterate what board chair Dr. Miranda opened up with. I think the most important number we have in front of us tonight is the 2,300 students um that we had the chance to celebrate. So, thank you. >> Absolutely. Thank you. All right, we are going to consider our consent agenda. Our consent agenda consists of items 8.1 to 23.4. Are there any items a member would like to have removed and voted
115on individually from the consent agenda? Board member Dr. Pierce. >> Um so, I'm not sure if we need to pull it into vote separately, but I do want to um center um 10.2 and um provide my colleagues with the opportunity to pose any questions or discussion that we need to have. Um we entered into that legislation as a very different board. The cost of um our legal fees or the cost that we pay per student have remained the same since that um initial vote was taken, and so I just think it's uh of courtesy that we open the floor to have that conversation. If anybody wants to. So, yes, I don't know if we need to pull it separately if people just are fine with having discussion or if they want to pull it separately.
116I'm just fine with discussion. Okay. Right? So, I'll motion to approve the consent agenda, then I'll open up the floor for discussion on 10.2. My only question is and I'm not sure who can answer this for us. Do we anticipate the cost going up or us having any additional fees that we may have to >> Cost is per people enrolled. >> Yes, so do we anticipate given the economy >> Um legal fees aren't going to go up if they're just going to keep it at that for us. >> No, yes. >> Okay. >> We have a second on this? >> No second. >> Second. Thank you. All right, please call the roll. >> Mr. Katzameir. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President
117Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> With the exception of 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3 which I am voting no, yes. >> Thank you. President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay, 20 CBE. >> Uh >> Yeah. You vote? >> Oh, [laughter] did I skip you, Mr. Simmons? I apologize. Mr. Simmons. >> You um yes on the consent agenda. >> Thank you. I thought I got you. Yes, sir. I had you down as a yes. So, I vote. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving to 24.1 authority to enter into a purchase service agreement with the Ohio State University. Do we have a motion to >> Motion. >> Okay. Second. >> Second. >> Okay. Call the roll. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes.
118>> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Abstain. >> Motion carried. >> Okay, and then finally 24.2. Is there a motion to for 24.2? >> Motion. >> Second. >> There was a second. Dr. Pierce said second. Okay. If there's no discussion, call the roll. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Abstain. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay. Is there a motion >> Motion to adjourn. >> Couldn't even get it out. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? >> Absolutely none. >> Call the roll. >> Dr. Kennedy. >> Yes. >> Vice
119President Engles. >> Yes. >> Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. >> Mr. Katzemeyer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. >> Ms. Adair. >> Yes. >> President Dr. Miranda. >> Yes. >> Motion carried.