001and depression. [music] You are unique. You are beautiful. You are brave, and we got you. We are here with you. We stand alongside you, and you can accomplish anything that your heart desires. >> [music] [music] >> Hi, I'm Anthony Stevenson, Capital Improvements [music] Project Manager, and we're back at Mifflin High School. Teachers have returned today, and we're here amidst the hustle and bustle of teachers unpacking and setting up Greetings, and welcome back, CCS. These are this week's highlights from across the district. On Wednesday, April 15th, we proudly observe School Librarian Day across the district and recognize [music] the dedicated professionals who help bring learning to life in every corner of our building. Our school librarians create welcoming spaces where curiosity grows, imagination is encouraged, and students can explore [music] new ideas. Whether they're helping a
002student find the right book, guiding research, supporting classroom learning, or introducing new tools and technology, our librarians play an important role in our students' academic journey. Their impact reaches far beyond the library, and we are thankful for all they do to support our students, staff, and school community. On Thursday, April 16th, East High School welcomed community members for an important town hall conversation focused on how our rapidly changing city is impacting our district. Organized by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education, our community joined together for an evening centered on the changes taking place across Columbus and what those shifts could mean for our schools and community. Many thanks to Michael Wilkos, Vice President of Community Engagement at United Way of Central Ohio, who shared insights on the city's growth to guide the conversation in
003an informative and engaging way. His presentation allowed those present to consider the broader trends shaping Columbus and the importance of staying connected as we think about the future of Columbus City Schools. This week, Indianola K-8 celebrated 50 years of learning, creativity, and community. Founded in 1975 as the first designated alternative school in Columbus, Indianola has built a lasting legacy around [music] student discovery, strong family partnership, and with an approach to learning that continues to shape the lives of students today. The school's 50th anniversary celebration on Thursday, April 16th, was a special opportunity to honor that history and reflect on all that makes Indianola [music] such a treasured part of Columbus City Schools. From its child-centered foundation to its commitment to [music] the arts and interdisciplinary learning, Indianola's impact continues to be felt across our district
004and throughout the community it serves. On Monday, April 20th, I joined Mayor Andrew Ginther at Hilltonia Middle School to launch traffic safety [music] awareness week across Columbus City Schools. This important partnership with the City of Columbus and Vision Zero Columbus highlights our commitment to keeping students safe as they travel to and from each school each day. Throughout the week, students across the district are participating in lessons and activities that promote traffic safety and encourage safe habits in school zones and neighborhoods. The kickoff also spotlighted a new signalized crosswalk on westbound street near Hilltonia, showing how city and school partnerships can lead to meaningful improvements for student safety. I am grateful to the City of [music] Columbus, Vision Zero Columbus, and every partner helping lead this effort. Protecting our children is a shared responsibility, and this
005week reflects the power of working together to support our students. Recently, students at South High School took part in a hands-on learning experience through a partnership with Green Columbus, planting 40 native trees across campus. This effort not only expanded [music] green space at the school, but also connected students to important lessons about environmental justice, community health, and the long-term impact of tree equity. This tree planting is an important step toward creating a healthier, more vibrant [music] spaces for our students and surrounding community. It also shows how learning can extend beyond the classroom and into lessons that give students a greater understanding of the world around them. Many thanks to Green Columbus for their support in making this day possible. These have been your highlights from around the district for April 21. Thank you so much
006for joining us. Thank you, Dr. Chapman. Good evening. The regular business meeting of the Columbus City School Board of Education for Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 is now called to order. Please call the roll. Dr. Pierce. Present. Dr. Kennedy. Present. Mr. [clears throat] Simmons. Present. Mr. Katsamyer. Present. Vice President Engles. Present. President Dr. Miranda. Present. You have a quorum. Please join me in saying the Pledge of 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 public comment and a board resolution to recognize school library month. We will be receiving a board monitoring port on the whole child guardrail. We will hear committee updates from our board chairs and review
007several proposed board policies. We will vote on the proposed consent agenda, which includes items 8.1 through 23.6 and other legislation. The board will then move into executive session. Is there a motion to adopt the agenda? >> Motion to adopt. >> Thank you, Dr. Pierce. Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you, Dr. Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Okay. All right. We will start with our public comment. Velina Upchurch is our first speaker. Okay. Okay. Um Is she on? No, I don't All right. So, we'll go to the second one, Adam Porter. Good evening. Um Superintendent Chapman, President Miranda, and distinguished board members. I appreciate the opportunity to speak in front of you this evening. Um my
008name again is Adam Porter. I'm a resident in Columbus City School District and I'm also a proud graduate of Northland High School class of 1985. Wow. Saying that out loud makes me realize how old I am. Um the purpose of my being here today and addressing you is I represent the Ohio Sickle Cell and Alpha Association, better known as OSHA. OSHA was created or established in 1960. OSHA is to educate and advocate for individuals and families that have been affected by sickle cell trait and or disease. OSHA is a statewide organization. We perform statewide activities all over the state. Education, uh programming, support, and we're active in all 88 counties. My job at OSHA is I'm healthcare coordinator for the state of Ohio. Uh what I do is I work with individuals that are transitioning
009from youth care, pediatric, to adult care. I find them a patient home so they can continue their care. Reason why I'm here today is August 1st, 2022, the NCAA put a policy in place that all incoming student athletes must show proof of a sickle cell test. Now, that doesn't matter if you're black, white, Asian, whatever the case may be. If you're an incoming student athlete, you have to show proof of a sickle cell test. In the state of Ohio, they have newborn screenings and since 1996, sickle cell has been one of the tests in that screening. So, the information is available. Information is accessible. What I would like to do is work with you guys so you guys can introduce us to the right people within your school board to help make that information accessible
010to your students and to your parents. As a student athlete, the last thing you want to do is work hard as you can, get a college uh offer, and then find out that you can't participate until you have proof of a sickle cell test. Working together, ladies and gentlemen, we can eliminate that burden. And it's a simple process. And in the meantime, organization would be more than happy to work with you to provide education for your training, for your trainers, for your coaches, and if need be, for your staff. But the issue today is Is that my time? Oh. Can I wrap it up real quick? Okay. Again, I'd like to work with you. OSHA would like to work with you to eliminate this from being issued from allowing your student athletes to move on.
011Whether they go Division 1, 2, or 3, it doesn't matter. Whether they're in Ohio or outside, it's still something they need to produce. Thank you. Our next speaker is Shanara Colbreath. Hello, everyone. How are you doing? Hello. All righty. Good evening. Again, my name is Shanara Colbreath. I am an educator with a background in special education and behavior support, along with a graduate from Columbus City Schools. I'm here today to speak about a critical gap in our schools, the lack of adequate training and support for staff who work with students with behavioral needs. This is not a small issue. It is affecting our teachers, our classrooms, and most importantly, our students. First, there is a clear lack of consistent practical training for staff on how to support students with behavioral challenges. Many educators are expected
012to manage complex behaviors with tools, strategies, or ongoing coaching needs to do Oh, excuse me, effectively. Behavior intervention plans exist, but without proper training, they are often not implemented with fidelity. The issue is also deeply connected to the need for diversity and cultural responsiveness in our schools. Many of our students come from urban communities and bring different lived experiences into the classroom. Without proper training and cultural awareness and relationship building, build Excuse me, behaviors are often misunderstood rather than supported. Staff needs skills to connect with students, understand their environments, and respond in ways that are respectful, relevant, and effective. When culture is misunderstood, behavior is mislabeled. And discipline becomes a substitute for support. Second, this lack of support is leading directly to teacher burnout. When teachers feel unprepared and unsupported, stress levels rise, job satisfaction
013drops, and we begin to lose strong educators. This is not just about workload. It is about being placed in situations where staff are expected to respond to high-level needs without the training to do it safely and effectively. And third, students are paying the price. When behavioral needs are not supported, our students lose instructional time. They are more likely to be removed from class, disciplined, or suspended rather than taught the skills that they need to be successful. Over time, this increases the likelihood of disengagement from school and in some cases involvement with the juvenile justice system. This is a pipeline we have the power to disrupt, but only if we adjust Excuse me, address the root of the cause. This is not an unsolvable problem. There are clear steps that can be taken. We need consistent
014required training for all staff on behavior interventions and de-escalation strategies, along with culturally responsive practices that help staff work effectively with diverse and urban student populations. Not just a one-time session, but ongoing support and coaching. We need more access to behavioral specialists and support staff within schools. We need to ensure that data is being used to track not just discipline, but whether students are actually receiving the interventions they need. Without these changes, we will continue to see burnout and increase in student outcome decline. I want to be clear. This is about support, not blame. Our educators want to do what is best for students. Our students deserve to be understood, not just managed. They deserve to be taught by individuals who are prepared to meet their needs academically, behaviorally, and culturally. Thank you. Thank you.
015Our next speaker is Chiquita Turay. Greetings, Dr. Chapman, Madam President Dr. Miranda, and honored board members. Gina Long NiMama Turay, school librarian at the Columbus Afrocentric Early College, serving grades 6 through 12. This is my 30th year in education. I've spent 13 years as a teacher and 17 years as an educator librarian. I'm in great appreciation of your acknowledgement of National School Library Month, but I would be remiss if I did not give awareness to National Poetry Month. So, on today, I want to share a poetic tribute to our school librarians. In this space, in this time, you will wit- witness a I, but it is authentic identity of what I call a librarian liberator. Rooted in culture and in history, standing on the shoulders of Hayden, Baker, and Josie, sprung forth from a tree
016called Ubuntu. I am because we are. Seeds that are planted in learning hubs across this city, now my Sankofa branches carry a lineage of 26 brick buildings that still bustle with busybodies longing to be somebody. Bodies that still yearn to read fiction, non-fiction, perhaps a little historical fiction. Still they are longing. Bodies that are still there yearning to have relationship. Praise be for the organic seeds of literacy. They are awarded by access, instruction, collaboration, expression, and community. May the saturation of their syllables and sentences and storylines be their portion. And may, like waterfalls, their voluminous vocabulary flutter from their mouths. I am because we are. The Ubuntu tree continues to yield fruit. It yields great fruit. They are benefiting from empowered readers, critical thinkers. We all benefit from a careful curation of books and experiences
017and people that speak to the hearts and minds of students whose home represent over 100 languages here in this city. I am because we are. Showcasing shelves that stand like elders beckoning our youth to gaze into mirrors reflecting potential. Windows cleaned with care connecting hearts and minds building empathy in the story arc. And sliding glass doors that not only open, but they invite readers into the light of humanity through shared experiences. And don't forget, we leverage young voices. Spaces where pencil-pushing prophets process passion through thoughts and pain. You'll see connected, conscientious teachers collaborating, taking deep dives into data. Yes, data. Unraveling webs of curriculum across subjects building capacity to meet needs. Tethering professional relationships that create tentacles of knowledge. Building bridges for seamless connections and networks with every text and every conversation stitching together worlds
018[music] that were never meant to be apart. I am because we are Ubuntu. Happy School Librarian Month. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Mary Counter. Um I'm always I'm always wondering if anybody can hear me. I'm so short. Um good evening members of the board and Superintendent Dr. Chapman. Uh my name is Mary Counter. I'm a resident of Columbus. I'm here tonight to present an advisory regarding the fact that Columbus City Schools currently has a Club America chapter. Consider district governance. Under the federal equal access act, student clubs must be student-initiated and student-led. However, Turning Points' own agreements reportedly require students to sign formal contracts with their national organization, maintain reporting obligations to external staff, and even turn over the passwords of club media social accounts to Turning Points staff.
019Plus, students starting clubs are offered a monetary incentive of up to a thousand dollars to cover startup costs to start their Club America chapter. A thousand-dollar incentive to start a club is unheard of in any other group, like a boy or girl scouts. So, an outside organization exerting operational control over a club's direction and finances means that the club is not student-led. This creates a major conflict with this board's responsibility to oversee all school-based activities. A Bible verse used to justify um Uh here's a few direct quotes by Club America leadership. There's a Bible verse that's used to justify stoning gay people to death, calling the verse the verse God's perfect law when it comes to sexual matters. More quotes that are attributed to the club organizers and founders. Happening all the time in urban
020America, um prowling blacks go around for fun to go and target white people. That's a fact. It's happening more and more. The great replacement strategy, which is well underway every single day in our southern border, is a strategy to replace white rural America with something different. Great replacement is a white nationalist conspiracy theory. I ask you to picture the faces of some of our families here in this district. Visualize any one child who isn't straight, white, and Christian, and imagine what message this sends to them and to every other child in our district. Turning Point and Club America specifically instruct students to monitor and watch watch watch-list educators and board members who do not align with their ideologies. Being encouraged to surveil and target staff members is not civic engagement. I would argue that is
021a toxic school climate. Our teachers deserve to work in an environment free from intimidation and targeted surveillance. I ask that you require full disclosure of the Club America chapter agreements before offering any approval, consult legal counsel to ensure these clubs remain truly student-led, and protect our district data from outside political organizations. Ultimately, it is my hope that your legal counsel will advise you that this illegal [music] and politically uncharged extremist club be removed from its presence within our schools. Thank you. Thank you, Mary. >> [applause] >> One last call for Verlena Upchurch. Okay. Then we'll go ahead and move on. Before we move into board matters, I would like to share some exciting news regarding a partnership between the Columbus City Schools Council and the Columbus Board of Education, which had a press conference this
022morning at Northland High School. Today's announcement is important because it reflects a shared understanding that what affects our city also affects schools, students, and families. Columbus City Schools is connected to the strength of our neighborhoods, the health of our city, and the future of our community. That is why the creation of this joint committee matters. New challenges requires new solutions. More importantly, they require us to work together, intentionally coordinating our efforts and focusing on results. This committee reflects a shared responsibility to serve the people of Columbus with a commitment to keeping students at the center of our work. This is partnership in action. This committee creates a dedicated space for Columbus City Schools and the City of Columbus to come together around the issues that shape student success and community well-being. It strengthens communication, strengthens
023collaboration, and helps ensure that we are not simply working alongside one another, but working with one another. As someone who spent their career in education, I believe in the power of collaboration, but I also know that collaboration only works when it is grounded in action. This committee will help create space not only to identify challenges, but to surface solutions, reevaluate assumptions, and build a stronger path forward. Because at the center of all of this work are our students. This moment calls for all hands on deck and a clear focus on the future of Columbus' children. When we align around their needs and work together with intention, we create stronger schools, stronger neighborhoods, and a stronger city. I am grateful to our city council partners for stepping into this work with us, and I look forward
024to what we can accomplish together on behalf of our students, our families, and the entire Columbus community. I think this is an exciting adventure that we are going to be on. Also, the board would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended the town hall meeting titled How a Rapidly Changing City is Impacting CCS, presented by Michael Wilkos from the United Way of Central Ohio. Over a hundred individuals were in attendance to hear the presentation. We encourage you to watch it at your convenience. You can find the presentation on our website at www.ccsoh.us by selecting our district, and then clicking on news. We hope this presentation will provide valuable insights into the issues impacting our district and community. Now, we want to recognize the School Library Month. I would like to read
025the resolution, and if those that are here representing library, um please step forward. Don't be shy. We're celebrating you. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Glad to hear that. The students need people that are very progressive, especially around reading. All right. Whereas April is recognized nationally as school library month, a time to celebrate the essential role that school libraries, library media specialists, and other support support personnel play in promoting student achievement, literacy, and lifelong learning. And whereas school library month is an opportunity to recognize school libraries as vital centers for learning that foster inquiry, creativity, and equitable access to information for each student. And whereas Columbus City School operates school libraries across elementary, middle, and high school, ensuring broad and equitable access to resources for tens and thousands of students supported by a dedicated team of 74
026elementary library instructional assistants, nine middle school library media specialists, and 18 high school library media specialists. Collectively, they work as instructional leaders and collaborative partners cultivating inclusive learning environments, inspiring a love of reading, and equipping students with the essential research, media, and digital literacy skills. These libraries serve as dynamic centers of engagement, welcoming more than a 1 million student visits each year, and circulating over 850,000 items annually. This underscores the profound impact they have on literacy and learning. And whereas Columbus City Schools librarians expand access to diverse resources, and partner with educators to enhance instruction, fostering an inclusive environment that empowers students to explore, learn, and grow. And whereas Columbus City Schools librarians advance the district's mission through their work in strengthening student achievement, cultivating leadership and service, and preparing students for success as students
027in a global community. And whereas National Library Week, April 19th through the 25th, 2026, themed Find Your Joy, highlights the power of libraries to inspire, connect, and transform lives. And whereas Columbus City Schools proudly recognizes its librarians and library media specialists as catalysts for student success whose work advances literacy, inquiry, and equitable access to resources, directly supporting the district's commitment to improved outcomes and preparing every student for future academic and career success. Now, therefore, let be resolved by the Columbus Board of Education that this board does hereby recognize school library month, and proudly honors Columbus City Schools librarians and library media specialists for their extraordinary contributions to literacy, learning, and student success, and calls upon students, families, educators, and the broader community to celebrate, uplift, and champion school libraries as essential to the success of
028every child throughout the month of April and beyond. Is there a motion to accept the resolution? Motion to accept. >> Thank you, Dr. Pierce. Is there a second? >> Second. Second. Board member Engles. Any discussion? Just how wonderful they are. Please call the roll. Yes, Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katsamyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. And photo op moment. Oh, yes. Please speak. Well, good evening, President Dr. Miranda, Vice President Engles, um Superintendent Chapman, and members of the board. My name is Hannah Green, and I'm the library media specialist at Whetstone High School. And on behalf of the um district's library media specialists, thank you for recognizing school library month with this resolution. Thank you to President Dr. Miranda for adding the
029resolution to because we asked. >> [laughter] >> We preemptively asked um to our video and our video presentation to the agenda. It's um more important now than ever to recognize the work of school libraries and librarians. School librarians work hard to put books into the kids' hands, be the um sole sole of the school, and a safe space for students, and while also providing students with literary literacy skills that they need to be um citizens of the world. Um we hope that CCS will continue to support the work of the school librarians because you can never underestimate the power of a book. Thank you for everything. >> [applause] >> Does anybody else want to say anything? I said, does anybody else want to say anything? I would just add to just shout it out like
030[clears throat] our LAAs and like those of us that are in the middle schools and the high schools, but we would be lost without Artosa Linda Ray, who keeps all of us together all the time, and she deserves her own special resolution for that work. All right. Thank you. All right. >> She wasn't even trained to be a librarian ever, and she still does a great job. Yeah, absolutely. All right. >> She was a teacher, sorry. >> [laughter] >> All right. Moving into our next topic, we are going to be um having a presentation on the board monitoring whole child guardrail, and I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Chapman. Good evening, uh Dr. Miranda, board president, Vice President Engles, members of the board, and our community members who are here with us this
031evening. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this update on our board guardrails, our whole child guardrail. Tonight's report, I want to note, is structured a little bit differently than those that we have presented this year on board goals. In addition to our three board goals, the board has set four guardrails. Tonight's conversation [clears throat] will be on the prioritize a whole child guardrail. This guardrail reflects the values of the community, and they ensure that how we accomplish the goals respects those values. Goals are measured by student outcomes, and guardrails reflect adult behaviors. So, tonight we'll be providing an update on the strategies focused on the adult shifts and the adult practices and strategies across our district that support the whole child guardrail. And before I turn it over to the team, I would like
032to introduce the whole child team, which is led by Monique Jacquet, our Chief of Whole Child Supports. You'll >> [applause] >> You'll hear tonight from Dr. Danita Thornton, our Executive Director of Whole Child Supports. And this work is also supported by Lauren Lopez, our Director of Attendance, Climate, and Culture. So, all of their work will be reflected in tonight's presentation, and now I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Thornton. Thank you, Dr. Chapman. Good evening again, everyone. Our guardrail, Cultivate the Whole Child, reflects a simple but powerful belief. Every student and staff member deserves to feel a sense of belonging and wellness in our schools. This guardrail pushes us beyond isolated programs and toward building systems that support the whole child. Our focus is on creating the conditions that help students be present, connected,
033and ready to learn by improving school climate, reducing exclusionary discipline, and addressing attendance barriers early and supportively. Two key initiatives drive this work. The first focuses on social emotional learning, SEL, restorative approaches, and positive behavior interventions and supports, referred to as PBIS, to create caring and connected learning communities. And the second initiative focuses on implementing a proactive data-driven attendance strategy using early warning indicators, tiered supports, family engagement, and community partnerships to identify and address attendance barriers early. Together, these efforts ensure students experience safe, affirming school environments, and receive timely support to remain engaged and present. The next few slides will provide an overview of our why, the whole child supports team, and specific highlights addressing our strategic initiatives. We will also hear from one of our school teams regarding how adult practices are positively contributing
034to strong academic outcomes. We will conclude tonight's update with final reflections and next steps. Our theory of action centers on relationships as the foundation for success. By strengthening relationship-building practices, we improve school culture and climate, which increases attendance. Higher attendance supports academic success, enabling students to advance from one grade level to the next, and graduate prepared for life beyond school. With that foundation in mind, let's take a closer look at the whole child supports team supporting this work. The strategic initiatives within the office of whole child supports are carried out by a cross-functional team to appropriately meet the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students. Our attendance program specialist, climate and culture systems liaisons, PBIS coordinators, school counselors, nurses, social workers, social and emotional learning practitioners, and students and families in transition
035team collectively strengthen school climate, belonging, and student success. We are extremely proud of the impact these professionals make every day, and grateful for the community support which has allowed us to sustain critical counseling and social work positions previously funded by ESSER. This unified system of student-facing professionals demonstrates why relationships are central to our work and essential to creating safe, supportive learning environments. The research is clear. Strong teacher-student relationships lead to higher engagement, improved student attendance, better grades, fewer disruptions, and lower dropout rates. Strong relationships also help to reduce anxiety and increase well-being for students and adults. This is why we invest so heavily in adult practices. When adults have shared language, tools, and expectations, students experience schools as more predictable, supportive, and connected environments. Because strong relationships are the foundation of every successful classroom, our
036next step is to look at how we are equipping adults with the practices that make those relationships possible. As previously discussed, the first strategic initiative focuses on social and emotional learning, PBIS, and restorative practices that help adults create predictable, supportive, and connected environments for students. On the following slide, we will highlight adult actions across these areas to improve academic outcomes and contribute to creating warm, welcoming, and affirming environments. Our adult practices in action shows how PBIS and restorative practices translate into real student outcomes. We start by building adult capacity through training, coaching, and fidelity monitoring, so schools implement supports consistently. We then use Panorama data to track school climate and sense of belonging, and then tailor professional learning in response to what the data tells us. Stronger climate and relationships lead to improved attendance, where
037we then apply tiered supports to catch issues early and intervene appropriately. Together, these efforts drive academic gains, improve student attendance, and support long-term outcomes like graduation and post-secondary success. Let's turn now to the progress we are seeing with positive behavior interventions and supports across the district. We have continued to see meaningful improvement, and our commitment to creating structured learning environments through PBIS is producing strong, measurable results. Through relationship building, consistent routines, and clearly communicated schoolwide expectations, PBIS continues to shape a healthy, positive school climate and culture. This year, CCS received the 2025 District Gold Award, and we celebrated 70 schools earning bronze, silver, or gold recognition by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Our average Tier 1 Tier Fidelity Inventory score is 91%, demonstrating strong districtwide Tier 1 supports. And our average Tier 2
038score is 78%, reflecting continued growth in targeted interventions. The scores discussed are based on the current version of the Tier Fidelity Inventory 2.1. However, a new version of the TFI version 3.0 will be implemented next school year. These achievements are a direct reflection of the dedication of our teachers, support staff, and school leaders whose daily work brings PBIS to life in classrooms and hallways across the district. Their commitment to consistency, care, and connection is what makes these results possible. The entire school community should be proud of the culture we are building together. Next, we will review the progress we've made this year in restorative practices to foster relationships focused on building community and repairing harm to restore relationships. Restorative practices is commonly defined as the science of building relationships and community. Restorative practices contribute to
039belonging, strengthening attendance, driving academic success that leads to students advancing from one grade level to the next, and graduation. Restorative practices are not what we do after something goes wrong. They are how we build and sustain positive relationships so fewer things go wrong. Moreover, when challenges or difficulties arise, restorative practices provide students and adults with specific strategies to repair harm and restore relationships. This year, we expanded training across departments, schools, and central office teams. Several school teams participated in the introduction to restorative practices training. We also launched listening listening circles, training of trainers, and coaching sessions. We truly appreciate the investment made by this board and continue to require your support as we strive to have more school and central office teams, including administrators and staff, trained in restorative practices. We want to extend a
040special acknowledgement and appreciation to the educators, support staff, and school leaders who committed time and energy to restorative practices training. Your willingness to learn, reflect, and strengthen relationships is shaping more connected, supportive school communities. Thank you to our central office teams for their investment to build environments where every student and adult feels seen, valued, and supported. Next, we will review Panorama trend data measuring sense of belonging for students and staff. This slide represents trend data for sense of belonging from spring 2024 to spring 2026. Sincere thank you to the students, teachers, administrators, certificated and classified staff, as well as our families for sharing their voices by completing the Panorama survey. The Panorama survey helps us to measure how much students and staff feel valued and included as members of our community. It is important to
041know that there is a consistent upward trend across all groups in the area of sense of belonging over the 3-year period. Students in grades 3 through 5 reflected a stronger sense of belonging compared to students in grades 6 through 12, which which should suggest additional targeted supports are needed for secondary students. Teachers and school staff report strong and stable perceptions of climate and belonging. Sense of belonging now exceeds 60% for uh excuse me, teachers, staff, and elementary students, reflecting a broadly positive internal culture. Our goal over the next several years is to continue to establish a strong district-wide foundation to increase student sense of belonging. Specific actions will include the following. We will continue investments in training and coaching across the district for PBIS coordinator trainings, tiered fidelity inventory scoring and reporting, and restorative practices.
042We will develop a resources hub including implementation and coaching guides to build adult capacity and consistent systems that drive school-wide climate, belonging, and ultimately student success. We will strengthen and align PBIS, social emotional learning, and restorative approaches within tiered frameworks of supports, for example, integrated MTSS. We will monitor progress using using real-time data, for example, the Panorama survey data to track climate and sense of belonging across students and staff. And we will continue expanding and evaluating the impact of our mental health partnerships, which increased from 54 to 103 sites at no cost to the district. Now that we have looked at how adult practices strengthen relationships and school climate, the next piece is making sure students are actually present to benefit from those supports. That brings us to the next strategic initiative, which focuses on
043attendance and engagement. Our adult practices around attendance focus on targeted tiered supports that strengthen school climate and relationships. These efforts boost academic performance, improve attendance, reduce chronic absenteeism, and contribute to long-term outcomes like graduation and post-secondary success. Please keep in mind that attendance is both an early warning sign and a lever for support. Tiered in tiered interventions from universal monitoring to targeted groups and intensive supports connect attendance with behavioral health, engagement, and academic access. These adult practices are designed to produce measurable, long-term long-term gains. Stronger climate and belonging directly correlate with higher attendance, improved ELA and math performance, reduced chronic absenteeism, and increased graduation and matriculation. Next, we will highlight the gains made by reviewing our district attendance data. Chronic absenteeism has steadily declined over 6 years, dropping from 74.6% in 2020-2021 school year to
04449.6% in 25-26 school year. A reduction of 25 percentage points. Progress continues year over year, signaling both the success of current attendance strategies and the need for targeted supports to sustain momentum and reach remaining students. The work ahead is about deepening impact, scaling what's working, targeting support where it is most needed, and sustaining the gains we've already made. After reviewing the district-wide trends, it's exciting to celebrate the schools that turned these challenges into real attendance gains. While the schools listed here are some of the district monthly attendance winners, we recognize that significant gains are occurring throughout our schools. We will now transition into specific action steps to support attendance efforts. We will continue building momentum and strengthening district-wide practices to support school teams focused on prevention and early intervention. Specific actions in the attendance and
045engagement area will include the following. We're going to continue our district monthly challenges. To date, our attendance monthly challenges generated over 341,000 impressions across social media platforms. We will also strengthen and align attendance within tiered frameworks of support including integrated MTSS, PBIS, and matriculation meetings. We will continue building staff capacity to review attendance data frequently. And we will establish and reinforce early warning indicators using data to monitor interventions and supports. We're learning what the system looks like in action. And the next slide breaks down its key components, how positive relationships combined with strong culture and climate and consistent attendance work together to drive positive academic outcomes for students. It takes sustained time, effort, and consistency to align these interconnected practices and structures to produce positive student outcomes. Moreover, we will continue to build staff capacity
046and strong systems to align adult practice, measurement, and student outcomes. We use tools like the Tier Fidelity Inventory, Panorama data, and absenteeism indicators to guide our work. Again, this is one system, not three [clears throat] separate initiatives. As equity-centered leaders, we are acting as system architects, playing paying close attention to how our practices show up in real time. You will hear from one school reflecting well-aligned practices that support strong student outcomes. We are honored to have Ms. Audra Pearson, school principal at Winterset Elementary School, and Ms. Desma Bennett, the family ambassador at Winterset Elementary School, here tonight. A few important highlights. Winterset has trained 92% of their staff in restorative practices with school principal Pearson also participating in the Putting Theory into Practice training. Putting Theory into Practice was a professional learning experience comprised of
047six sessions that helped school leaders and support staff learn how to apply restorative practices concepts to build stronger learning communities. These sessions were voluntary, which reflects the commitment of the individuals who participated. Attendance at Winterset is above 90%, and they received the PBIS Gold Award for the progress made in the implementation of PBIS. They also saw academic gains in reading and in math, and I'd like to take a moment to invite Oh, yes, you're here. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Um and so please feel free to share the actions that have helped influence school climate, attendance, and academic outcomes at Winterset. And thank you again. Good evening. I'd like to thank the Office of Whole Child Supports for inviting us this evening to share our successes at Winterset. Um we have intentionally implemented systems and
048practices that positively impact our academic outcomes, school climate climate, and our student attendance. Teachers utilize the district-provided curriculum with fidelity, and instruction is aligned to the Winterset inquiry cycle and school improvement plan with a focus on increasing student growth. Teachers use data from formative assessments and classroom assigned work to guide their instruction and create flexible student groupings. Teacher-based teams meet bi-weekly to analyze this data, plan targeted instruction, and monitor student progress. Our building leadership team also meets monthly to support the work of the TBTs. Staff member Staff members participate in ongoing professional development to strengthen instructional practices, uh particularly in the areas of math and literacy. Differentiated instruction, small group interventions, and hands-on learning opportunities are consistently implemented to meet the diverse needs of our students, which include English language learners and students with disabilities.
049Our mission at Winterset is to provide a rigorous education where we inspire, nurture, and empower all students to love learning. I can confidently say that we have created an environment where our students love to learn. We have established consistent school-wide expectations through our PBIS um framework with a focus on teaching, modeling, and reinforcing those positive behaviors. Staff prioritize building relationships with students through daily greetings, morning meetings and routines, and maintaining a visible presence during arrival, dismissal, and transition times. We celebrate student success regularly through classroom recognition, positive phone calls home, and school-wide acknowledge acknowledgements such as student of the month and our school-wide Paul Parent uh reward. Social emotional learning is embedded into daily instruction and supported through small groups and targeted interventions with many of these opportunities being provided by our school counselor, Mr.
050Baker. We actively engage families throughout the school year with events such as our beginning of the year ice cream social, open house, curriculum night, family game night, culture and traditions night, camera club auction, school performances, and our end of the year lunch on the lawn with our families. Um these are just a few to mention of what we do throughout the year with our with our families and students. These engagement activities are successful due to the consistent communication that we provide to create and maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment at Winterset. Our attendance data is monitored regularly, allowing us to identify concerns early and respond proactively. Our school secretary, counselor, and social worker meet twice a month to discuss and review our students with chronic chronic absenteeism. They reach out to families with immediate concerns.
051Additional staff members, including classroom teachers, conduct outreach to our families through phone calls, talking point messages, and written communication to support improved attendance. I believe one of the greatest impacts at Winterset is our consistent and intentional communication with families. By maintaining clear, ongoing communication, we are able to build strong relationships, increase family engagement, and better support student success both academically and socially. I would now like to welcome our family ambassador, Mrs. Desma Bennett, to offer more information how we effectively communicate with our families. Thank you. Thank you so much. Um as a as a family ambassador in the program, we have six different standards. And the one when I first started, I was very overwhelmed with everything that was presented, and I didn't think I would be able to do it. And one of the
052coordinators at the time said, "Pick one and do it well." And so, I chose communication. And I try to make sure our families understand what's going on, and then I want to hear from them. And if we don't know how to communicate one with another, we can't go any further. So, I um I have this little sign in my space that says, "Diversity is our strength and unity is our power." Diversity is our strength and unity is our power. And at Winterset, we have 32 countries represented, speaking 23 different languages. That's a huge UN. And how our children are able to learn from one another and seeing that diversity and being touched by that different cultural understanding. That and then we also, as the adults in the building, you know, we're changed because it's not
053always the same face, the same way, and we learn from that. Um we have one a program called TAG. It means teachers acknowledging greatness. And if you find a student who is just doing the right thing, they will go out of their way to be kind, to be courteous. They fill out a little form, give it back to me, and I have the wonderful opportunity not only to fill out and give them a certificate, but I get to call that family. And I can you know, and when they see that number, they see Winterset, and I know that they go, "Oh, no, what's going on? What have they done?" And I always tell them, "No, this is a good phone call. This is a phone call you will want to hear." And just get to
054be able to express to our families, "Your child, you know, we see them. We see what they're doing." And we want I want to thank you for, let's you know, working together and being able to do that. And it is so encouraging not only to our students, but I believe also for our staff to look for those little things that our students are doing and reinforcing and acknowledging that. I'll end with this very short example of how that really truly works. We had a cultural traditional family night, and our families were invited back into the school, and they dressed in their their their clothing from their country, they brought food. It was a wonderful time. And because communication is my thing, one of the families came to me and they said, "I want to thank
055you for sending out the flyers in my language." I hadn't thought about it. She said, "It makes me feel seen." And I had to step back step back and take a breath. Because I thought about how would I feel if I went to a country, did not know the language, did not know the customs, and there was something small like translating that and presenting it to you to make you feel a part. So, truly, diversity is our strength and unity is our power. And being a family ambassador gives me that ability to be able to give that to our families and to receive from our families, which will make our school even greater. Thank you for the opportunity to hear this. We know that when adult behaviors change, student outcomes improve. Next, we're going to
056conclude with the final thoughts and questions. As we move forward, I want to pause and acknowledge the context we're operating in. We know that staff reductions and budget constraints are weighing heavily on our schools, leaders, staff, and community. In moments like this, it becomes even more important to be clear about what we protect and why. Under the guardrail cultivating the whole child, our focus on relationships, climate, and attendance is not an extra. It is foundational, especially when resources are limited. When staff capacity is stretched, strong relationships and clear systems help stabilize schools. When adults feel supported and students feel a sense of belonging, we see fewer escalations, stronger engagement, and improved attendance. That matters not just for student outcomes, but for staff sustainability as well. Our goal is to ensure that even as structures shift,
057the experience of students and the support of adults remain steady. I want to close with the message on this final slide. This is not about choosing academics or relationships. It is about embracing the and. Academics and relationships and systems. When adults implement consistent relationship-centered practices, students thrive. Thank you, Dr. Thornton. Thank you. Is there a motion to accept the monitoring report as provided to the board? Motion to accept. Thank [clears throat] you, Dr. Pierce. Is there a second? Second. Thank you, Board Member Katzenmeyer. Discussion. Yes, Dr. Pierce. Awesome. So, I have a couple of points. The first being to the entire team. Chief Hackett, I don't think you were a part of the two-by-two meeting that I had earlier, and I shared a very um a heartfelt thank you to your team for representing our
058district so well at the April 2nd City Council open hearing about juvenile safety. We were the only district that was represented, and we understand that when it comes to safety of juvenile in our community and in our area, a lot of times it's not just our students, right? But the way you all presented the data, the way you answered the questions, the whole child focus and framework, especially Ms. Lauren with with the attendance data that you gave and everything that we do around that, I want to publicly say thank you for that. That was very important that that be shared, and so I appreciate the work that your team is doing. So, thank you. Thank you. Mhm. Um thank you for also adding additional pictures into the presentation. I think it's important to visually highlight
059the work that you all do. The only question and request that I have that I made in that initial meeting was the Panorama data. So, if we can get that and share that with the entire board, so they have that data. Kudos on the tiered partnership data that you guys added and put in here, very appreciative. And I think it would also be helpful for the community to see this, to know how many partners we have working in schools in just this quick, concise form. So, thank you, and please give me the Panorama data. Will do. Thank you. Yes, Board Member Simmons. Thank you, President um Dr. Miranda. Dr. Chapman, we got some proposed guardrail metrics from you a couple months ago. I was just wondering what the I know that wouldn't be included as
060part of this presentation because we haven't really had any additional dialogue on those, but I was just wondering if you could share are there next steps to those guardrail metrics at this point in time? Yes, particularly as it relates to the whole child guardrail, what you heard tonight is a report out on the metrics that we will be prioritizing heavily as a part of measuring the whole child guardrail. So, we'll think about restorative practices, PBIS, our attendance data, and the Panorama data specifically related to sense of belonging. And so, those are the metrics that we are leaning towards to continue to prioritize and focus on particularly for the whole child guardrail. And then for the other guard rails, we'll have more updates that'll be finalized by June of this year. Okay, thank you. Other comments
061or questions? If I could, I just want to also again thank our all of the amazing school based staff members and team members that are doing this work in our schools every day. Tonight, you heard from some of our school based team from the team from Winterset, but all of our school nurses that work in our schools, all of our school social workers, our school counselors, our PBIS coordinators, our SEL practitioners, they are doing this work every day in our schools, and I just want to take a moment to acknowledge their effort, their hard work, their commitment to our students, and for showing up for them each and every day in meaningful ways that are helping to drive outcomes in the classroom, in the school, as well as in our community. So, thank you to
062all of our committed staff members and educators across the district who are doing this work every day. I just have a couple of comments. I want to really applaud you for the PBIS. Um that is very time-consuming. It takes years to be able to implement it. It takes training. So, the fact that we've been able to get uh 70 of our schools to be recognized is really kudos to your team. Hopefully, that will get to 90 in the future. And then, my only other, and it's somewhat of a concern, but you've already addressed it, is the belongingness for our secondary students. And for me, that means there maybe are issues with culture and climate in the school, because that's generally why you don't have that sense of belonging. So, I appreciate the focus that you
063your team will have on that in the upcoming year. I would really love to see those scores um go up. So. Thank you. Yeah. If not, call the roll. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katsamayer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you, Dr. Thornton, for a wonderful presentation Thank you. >> and continued success. Mhm. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. We are going to have committee updates. I'm going to turn it over to Committee Chair Katsamayer um for his committee update. >> [clears throat] >> Uh thank you, President Miranda. So, uh at the uh at the ETRM um committee uh in uh in March, it was it was my first meeting, so uh we started with some some housekeeping and talking about the uh
064the goals and charge of the committee. I I appreciate um everyone's grace as as uh as it as it was the first meeting um for me. We we discussed how we are charged with um with looking at the district at both a a 30,000-ft level um with the advancement of the of the facilities master plan, and also uh at an extremely zoomed-in level considering next steps at um already closed and vacant properties uh in locations all over all over the city. Uh there was no discussion on closing any additional facilities not already um voted on by the board. But, we discussed how our decisions will be made uh at the intersection of of what's best for um for the district, what's best for the specific neighborhood uh in question, and what is allowed under the
065Ohio Revised Code. We then received a presentation on the the current status of of facilities in the district. Just some some stats there. We have over 120 facilities that are on over 1,600 acres, and that makes up almost uh 2% of our entire city. So, um it's it's pretty um a a pretty amazing um We have we have 19 properties that are on that are either just like vacant land or already closed building buildings, uh and we need to act on those over the over the next year. Uh again, the the intersection of of what's best for the district, the neighborhood, and the Ohio what's allowed under the Ohio Revised Code. Uh I I think these results will be collaborations with the community communities, nonprofits, uh city departments like Columbus Recreation and Parks, um all
066sorts of potential partnerships. There will be um there will be sales of land. We'll make decisions to to keep land, uh and and we we anticipate a wide range of of outcomes, none of which are currently predetermined. Um we will not be giving free land to billionaires. Beyond that, we set the schedule through the end of We set the schedule through the end of the year, and are working on the work plan. Thank you uh to my fellow board members on the committee, Board Member Simmons, uh and and Board Member Dare, um and the the CCS team that uh will continue to give their time and knowledge throughout the process. Uh I think it was a uh great start. So, thank you. Thank you, Board Member Katsamayer. And we will have Catherine Mosher, um who
067will be sharing out for the AFAC committee. Thank you, Catherine. Good evening, and thank you. Uh the Academic and Facility Alignment Committee met on April 15th, uh 2026 at C 6:00 p.m. Chair Dare opened the meeting by grounding the committee's work within a broader effort to develop educational specifications for Columbus City Schools. Ed specs are technical frameworks used by districts to define program requirements, space needs, and instructional priorities. Um and we shared several examples from large urban districts across the country, um and introduced a layered framework to help guide the committee's work. The primary focus of the meeting was on layer one, those required academic programs. And during this portion of the meeting, staff not only outlined the compliance requirements for each content area, but also identified the facility and space needs necessary to implement
068our programs effectively. The second presentation provided a review of past community engagement and data collection related to facility master planning. Chair Dare emphasized that the district is not starting over in its community engagement efforts, but will build on input already collected from families, students, and staff regarding their expectations for school facilities and learning environments. Um then the committee reviewed the draft of a community survey that is scheduled to launch in early May. Um and finally, the committee reviewed Board Policy 7105 on school closings, and discussed the process to provide input on potential updates to this policy. The meeting concluded with an announcement of upcoming committee tours to visit new construction in several Central Ohio school districts, as well as the launch of sessions that we're very excited about, educational visioning sessions that will kick off
069next week, um Monday, April 27th at Centennial High School. Tuesday, April 28th, we will be at Columbus Africentric Early College. And April 29th, we will be at West High School. Um and you'll hear more about those ed visioning sessions in just a moment. The committee will meet again on May 13th, and that meeting will take place in the assembly room of 270 East State Street. Uh the full report from this committee meeting is available on BoardDocs. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions for Where are you going, Catherine? No. I'll try. Any questions for Catherine? Yes. >> Um this isn't a question, it's more of a comment. In that meeting, I attended virtually. Um and we have gotten into the habit as a body of when board members attend virtually, it's this idea that we can't
070participate or we can't give comment. Now, there there is a fine line between voting and what you may say, but for general comment, I do think that my colleagues should be open that when one of your colleagues attends virtually, you should say, "Hey, colleague, I see you online. Do you have anything you want to add, share, or say?" Um I think it's a common courtesy that we should extend to one another and model that behavior. Thank you. All right, thank you for that report. Yes. Thank you, President Dr. Miranda. Um I did have um I I wanted to express a bit I feel a bit disconnected from um the work that one of our committees is about to embark on. And I guess I should say I feel it's a bit maybe disconnected from the
071role of our board. I do think it's important to get public opinion and public input, but if public opinion is the driver behind really big, important government decisions, that can lead to um not always the best outcomes. And so, I think the same reason why we wouldn't want school board members designing a new school, um we would want our educators doing that, um who have the experience, the credentials, the background, to um and the understanding of our student population, I I caution why we would um ask our community to design a school. And so, I just I'm I'm not really sure how it relates to the the core work of our board, which is to provide governance, to supervise and you know, manage three direct reports, to set policy, to be custodians of funds. And
072you know, I just I'm not sure this work should really be housed in a board committee. And so, I just wanted to express that. Um you know, and I will say in addition to that, um you know, seeing how other school districts in Central Ohio have built new schools, you know, I I they probably don't spend years and years talking about it. You know, at a certain point, you have to actually have the vote to do the things you want to do. To say to your administration, go build the school. Here's, you know, we've authorized this financial mechanism to do that. And I just I have concerns that we come up with a lot of reasons here for why we can't do something. You know, even the presentation that was given last Thursday, much of
073it was the same similar information to what our district received 2 years ago. And so, you know, I just I have a lot of concerns that we just continue to find reasons why we can't build a new school now. And every year, you know, with the construction sector inflation being about 7%, every year our permanent improvement fund that our community dipped into their pockets to give us, every year that buys us 7% less new school. And so, you know, if we aren't able to really move quickly on new school construction, we will afford less and less and less and less as time goes on. And you know, I I just really caution the board from stepping out of its role of, you know, governance, policy making, you know, being wanting to make sure the community's
074input is there. But again, asking our community members to design schools is is what's a board member but a community member who just got elected. And so, the same reason why the board shouldn't be in charge of that, I think for the board to say we're going to put our community in charge of that. It doesn't really make sense. Public opinion is important, but you know, there's a lot of things that I have the right to do now that you know, folks wouldn't have gotten elected to this body if public opinion was the primary driving force of government. At one point, we wouldn't have had that opportunity. And so, I just I really caution if that is well within the board's role. I also caution if it's going to lead to I wonder if it's
075going to lead to >> Board member Simmons. Thank you. I think yeah, I think you're kind of going off. I would Thank you, Catherine. I would tend to disagree. I don't think we want community input, but I think we also very much are relying on educators because they do know about spaces. This is a collaborative effort. I don't see the board abdicating their um their role. And so, I we've [clears throat] the community has asked for input. And so, I see this as getting input from the community, but I also see the board leading it as well as the educators in Columbus City Schools. Yes. Dr. Miranda, if I may, Dr. Mosier, too. If if you could come back cuz I think this is a an and moment. I think what board member Simmons, and
076and please correct me if I'm wrong cuz I'm paraphrasing what you're saying, is is cautioning is that we've been through this process several times over. And this is yet another iteration of the process. And what I hear you saying is yes, we need to have the community and educators engaged in this process. What I would like Dr. Mosier to speak to very briefly, 1 to 2 minutes, is how is this process different than processes that we've done in the past? Sorry. I will keep it very short. Yes. Um this educational visioning session that we're launching next week is really an introduction to Ed Visioning um in in support of what will later become a set of educational specifications. That's a more technical document. Um I think one of the things that I would name as
077being different is that we are intentionally uh inviting students to participate in the workshop during the school day. We will be launching this at each of the high schools that we will hold an evening session at next week. And so, we have students at each of the schools who will be participating. Um in addition to that, we are doing broad outreach to make sure that we have um staff as well as families and community members at large invited to participate. So, I think the what is quite different is that we're being intentional about student voice from the beginning. Um and we will take students through the same workshop that community will participate in during the evening. In addition to that, this is really an introduction. The sessions that some of the board members and other
078staff participated in with Ohio Facilities Commission last year, it's a day-long session. 6 8 hours. And so, um this introductory series is really just that. It's just to introduce the the process that we go through in Ed Visioning. We would certainly have facilitated uh >> [cough] >> um additional sessions in the fall where we would want um community and staff and more students to participate in the full workshops there session. So, it really is an introductory series. And one additional question, when you say specification, does it allow us to take the information that we got through portrait of a graduate and the Patel work when we were talking about we want open spaces and we want labs where students can do experiments. Will it let us take that data and turn it into hey, we
079need to have 12 buildings that have this particular feature in it in in every region or in every neighborhood. So, in essence, what do you mean by specifications? Absolutely. Dr. Chapman, I saw you pulling the microphone. So, yes and yes and [clears throat] Dr. Pierce, it will include our clear an alignment to our strategic plan, an alignment to previous facility master planning documents. But more importantly, this will ground us in the expectations and the norms that we collectively have as a community for when and when we build a school. So, a facility master planning process talks about, well, if you build a school, how how big should it be? How many classrooms should you have? This process talks about, what do the classroom spaces look like? What does the learning spaces look like? Should you
080have should every room be wired for technology, audio-visual? And what should those spaces look like? Should we carve out spaces in all of our buildings for partners to serve and support our students? Should we have an open library or a closed library? And it really spells that out for us as a community so that when we are making those plans to build, expand, or even just do a refresh at a building, we have guidelines for what we want to prioritize as a part of that process that serves as an anchor for us moving forward. And we don't have to stop and start and recreate the wheel every time. That is a missing is not an artifact or deliverable that we currently have as an organization. And to my knowledge, those we have not had that
081conversation as a community. And so, this is the beginning of that process and I think that it will serve as a guidepost for us in the future and for years to come. And board member Adeer could not be here, but she emphasizes that we are not starting over. We are intentional. One of the things the board is about having deliverables. So, next December, we are hoping that all of this information will lead us to our next plan where we are going to implement something and we can make decisions based on data, based on what the community wants, what educators see as important as well as the board and the executive committee. So, I think that's where I am. I think it can be an exciting time if we see it that way. Um and so,
082I think we're making gains towards that. Um and that's what actually Thursday was about. Was about looking at our city and how what the growth looks like. We know that Columbus is growing, but our district isn't. And looking at where our student populations are. Those are important things that we need to know as we begin to go forward and make these decisions about our neighborhoods and our community. So, um I see it as all coming together. And hopefully in the future by December, we'll be able to have those decisions. Board member Ingles. Just one quick point. I just want to be clear that when we talk about engaging with our staff, we keep saying educators, but that includes all of our staff as well. So, that includes our safety and security who would certainly have
083expertise in how to set up a building so that it is safe and secure for our families and our students. That includes the cafeteria workers, the support aids, the people in the front office who certainly would have important input into the building of the building of a new facility or renovation of a new facility. So, just want to call out we are trying to be inclusive of all staff. And I think our collaboration with City Council will be important as we move forward with this endeavor. So, thank you. Yes, board member Simmons. Thank you, Dr. Miranda. Thank you, colleague Dr. Pierce um, weighing in as well. Um, I do want to thank you, Dr. Chapman, um, and um, Ms. Musher, all the things you listed are are very, very important, but I do want to
084highlight that we have a district right now where about 2/3 of our facilities are legacy buildings and a third are FMP buildings. We built those FMP schools, um, and, you know, we we we have we have students in newer buildings now. The obstacle to facilities in Columbus City Schools is not that our students are sitting in new buildings that were built and don't perfectly fit all their needs. The obstacle is that we have 2/3 of our buildings that are legacy buildings. And I certainly know from my experience as a student, um, you know, when you travel to suburban schools as a CCS student or when you travel to FMP buildings in the district as a CCS student, um, what you're really longing for and wanting for is just a facility that meets most of your
085needs. Um, and so I I appreciate that all that work, um, needs to be done, is an important, um, however, what I didn't hear what was different. You know, you all said a lot of things that you felt were different, but what I don't feel is different and what isn't different is that this is not us building a new school, this is us developing asking our community for input, developing a plan, and then we're going to look at it next year. Oh, and by the way, the new biennium budget's going to come out next year, which means our finances are going to shift again. And so I'm just, you know, if we wait till next year, colleagues, that's fine, but what you're saying is you're okay with our PI dollars buying our kids 7% less
086classroom, 7% less, um, gym, 7% less, um, auditorium. Um, and so, you know, there's costs to waiting. There's real costs here for our children when we don't take action fast enough, when we don't deliver fast enough. It's been over 10 years. We have over 60 properties that all need reconstructed or renovated in some way. It's time to pick one and get moving because our pocket our community's dollars it gets less and less every far, but they're still digging just as deep into their pocket. And so we feel that that money for us spends less, but for our community it doesn't. And so if we're okay waiting another year, just know that means our kids get 7% less of everything out of the PI fund. Thank you, Board Member Simmons. >> Member Simmons. Thank you. And
087thank you, Ms. Musher. I'm now going to turn it over to Chair Engles to discuss items 4.4 to 4.11. Right of it. All right, thank you, President Miranda. So, we have a number of board policies up for review today. Um, I do want to call out some of these, um, are new revisions and some of them, um, are to bring us into compliance. We do have a number of policies that we need to review in order to get into compliance, and so the Policy and Governance Committee scheduled an additional meeting on top of the meetings that we already had scheduled, um, for later in May. And so just want to call out that there will be an additional Policy and Governance meeting because we have so many policies that we need to go through and
088revise and get up to speed. Um, and so thank you to our staff that support our Policy and Governance Committee for agreeing to do said thing. Um, so I'll start with item 4.4, which is policy 5310 health servants health services. This policy was first adopted in 2015 and includes one substantive change that is due to the change in law. As required by Ohio Revised Code 3313.6413, effective in 2023, the district must provide free feminine hygiene products in all school buildings. Just want to call out the district is already in compliance, so though our policy doesn't say the words that we have to have free feminine products in all school facilities, we do actually have them, so we are in compliance. Um, and this update aligns the policy with current practices. Um, so it is necessary
089to, uh, comply with the applicable law. I want to also call out a number of these policies will have some type of graphical error or changes. Typographical errors are the types of things that our team can clean up, um, after we have passed the policy, but what they cannot do is change the substance of the policy. And so any substance of the policy would have to be agreed to by the board and voted on and approved by the board, um, but mere typographical errors, uh, could be cleaned up as as we go along. So, I want to talk through this policy a little bit. Um, we have and and I see you, I'll come down to you. So, we have, um, a couple of changes here. Um, we have uh, the uh, some language in
090the concussion policy, and then you'll see the last, um, paragraph that is the provision of feminine hygiene products, and that is where we include the language that would require the district to provide access to free feminine hygiene products in all school buildings, and, um, they shall be intended for use on school premises, and shall determine, um, each school at each school level where said products are kept. Um, so with that, I want to open it up to my board colleagues. Um, I do not necessarily have a preference on if we pass this policy tonight or if we treat it as a first read and allow it to lay over until the next board meeting, um, because we are legally compliant, um, in our practices. Um, and so want to leave that question open to the
091board my board colleagues as to whether or not you have a preference. Motion to put this policy forward as a second read to bypass first read and just offer a second read. Is there a second to that motion? I will second the motion. Ms. Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katsamyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Okay. Discussion. Huh? That was the waiver. Yes, that's the waiver of the fee. Okay. Um, so just for due diligence, I'm going to go through and just cite the grammatical, um, revisions that I've suggested. Um, the first one is on page one, second paragraph, alphabetically bullet items A through D, capitalize the first word in each of those items. Page one under section concussion, third line, strike the word are. So, my colleagues are
092aware those are the grammatical revisions. For our chair, I have the question, the third line under provision of feminine hygiene products, no, is it the third line? Second line. All products shall be intended for use on school premises. Do we need that line? So, that's a very good question. I think that um, our legal counsel, do you feel like we need that line based on the the language in Ohio Revised Code? My inclination is no, but I will leave it up to our legal legals to tell me what they think. I would agree with you. I think it's a matter of just making sure if if our students need those items to take home with them, I mean, let's give them to them to take home. >> the idea I probably the intent behind it
093is is not the intent to just like stock up and leave, but Definitely not the intent, and I know that a number of our staff members make sure that that doesn't happen. So, I agree with you. Do we need that sentence there? That's good. So, it seems like it's okay for the board to discuss whether or not we would like to keep that. There's no legal requirement. >> I would like to motion to remove it along with the other grammatical, um, revisions I've suggested. Second. Okay, thank you. So, if all of those are, I'm fine with all of the changes. Right. So, motion to accept, uh, with the grammatical revisions as well as striking line two on page two under provision of feminine hygiene products. Second. Call the roll. Call the roll. Dr. Pierce. Yes.
094Mr. Katsamyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Okay. We'll move on to item 4.5, which is policy 5320 immunization. Um, this policy was last revised in 2016 and updated to align with the Ohio Revised Code 3313 .671 and 5104.014, effective October 3rd, 2023. The revision reflects current immunization requirements, including updated age and grade groupings and vaccines required by the US Department of Health and Human Services. It requires all students to be immunized or in the process of being immunized, having received the first dose in the following and following the prescribed schedule to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases. District practice is already compliant. This update ensures the policy aligns with current law and practice. Um, I do want to call out that the specific list
095of required immunizations is removed as it is certainly changing over time and quickly, um, and is replaced with the phrase immunization in compliance with law. And so, um, that is to make sure that we're not at this board table every time the administration wants to change Motion to bypass first read, enter in as second read, and accept as is. Second. Okay, thank you. Any discussion? Yes. Um, Board Member Simmons. Thank Thank you. At the last meeting, we were told we didn't need to do first reads. And so, if that is the case, can we just do the motions? And I I just want us to be consistent. Um, you know, I know it's not your fault, Dr. Pierce, cuz traditionally we have done the first readings and then at some point somebody decided we didn't
096need to. So, if we could just be consistent. Um, but there's a lot of policies to do two motions on tonight. Also, yeah, I That is true, um, board member Simmons. That was a legal that we got is that we don't actually have to wave it. But, um, I do want to call out I will ask for consideration of a laying over and having a second read on maybe a couple of these policies. So, I just want to call that out. Um, So, as I guess as long as there's no objection, we could go ahead to move to second read. Yes. What's your motion? I mean, we just keep the motion as is. We're going through this pretty quickly, isn't it? Yeah, it's You've had a 15-minute dissertation over there, Brendan. Go ahead. Call the
097roll. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Vice President Engles. >> Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Board President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Okay, so that is the passing of the policy. Okay. So, we are going to move on to item 4.6, which is the policy, uh, 5335. This is care of students with chronic health conditions. This is a a policy that is necessary to ensure compliance with applicable law. I do want to call out we incorporated some feedback that we got from some of our labor partners, um, recently. So, uh, if you checked boarddocs like too many days ago, you may not see all of the incorporation. So, just direct the public to make sure you're looking at the document that's actually uploaded to boarddocs. Um, again here there are some typographical errors,
098um, and we do say the words without disabilities instead of chronic health conditions in that first paragraph. So, I would suggest a change there to keep that consistent. Um, otherwise, unless my board colleagues have any >> Motion to bypass first read move to second. Um, in addition to the call out from Chair Engles, uh, the specific call out for grammatical changes are page one, first paragraph, second sentence, replace disabilities with chronic health conditions. Uh, page one, paragraph two, alphabetically bulleted items A through F, capitalize the first word in each one of those. Page one, paragraph four, alphabetically bulleted eyes items, capitalize the first word. Page two, um, first paragraph, alphabetically bulleted items A through D, capitalize that first word. Page two, second paragraph, alphabetically bulleted items A through G, capitalize the first word. And then
099page two, paragraph four, alphabetically bulleted items A through E, again capitalize the first word. So, the motion is just all the grammatical with the change. Um, I see that one of our attorneys has a comment. I do recognize that we have a motion on the floor. We have not seconded yet. Mhm. I just want to make a comment to the, uh, Dr. Pierce's, um, suggestion to replace disabilities with chronic health conditions. Yes. I'm not certain that those are interchangeable terms, um, specifically in the context that's being used, um, in the context of a 504 plan. I think disabilities is a term of art, um, in that context. So, I wouldn't want to do that without at at least, uh, taking a look at the law. Could we, um, backslash disabilities backslash chronic health conditions? That
100way we're keeping both terms. I James, I would That'd be fine. Yes. So, revise my motion to account for that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, so we have a motion on the floor. >> Yes. Second. Okay, thank you. Um, board member Simmons. All right, call the roll. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Vice President Engles. >> Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Okay, we will move on to item 4.7, which is policy 5335.01, food allergies. Um, this policy was adopted in 2015 and required by Ohio Revised Code 3313.719. It is being updated with no substantive changes. It requires parents to notify the district of any student food allergies and directs the district to work with parents, school nurses, and student health care providers to develop a
101food allergy action plan. Um, just want to call out that the last, uh, paragraph does say is it's striking out, um, provisions in the handbook and saying that the policy will be available on the district website to create further transparency. Um, Motion to bypass first reading move to second. Grammatical changes for this policy are on page one, paragraph two, alphabetically bulleted items, um, sub alphabetically bulleted item A, sub alphabetically bulleted item A through C, capitalize the first word. Second. Second. Okay, thank you, um, Vice President Engles. Um, call the roll. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. >> Yes. Dr. Pierce. >> Yes. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. >> Yes. Board President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Okay. Um, we will move on to item 4.8, which is policy 5330.05, procurement and administration of overdose reversal
102drugs. This is a compliance, uh, change necessary to ensure compliance with the applicable law. Ohio Revised Code 3313.7119, House Bill 57, effective January 19, 2026, so earlier this school year, authorizes schools to obtain and use overdose reversal drugs, including naloxone and other FDA-approved medications for treating known or suspected opioid overdoses. This board policy is required if schools elect to obtain and use overdose reversal drugs. Um, so it is my understanding that we intend to obtain said drugs, so we must have said policy. Motion to bypass first read move to second read. The grammatical change for this policy will be on page two under donations section, second sentence, replace treasurer backslash designee with treasurer or designee to align with other board policies that use superintendent or designee. Second. Thank you. Okay. Call the roll. Vice President
103Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Okay. Next policy is a new policy, um, so new to the district. It is the care of students with active seizure disorders. This is a new policy, Ohio Revised Code 3313.7117, enacted through House Bill 33, and effective October 3, 2023. Requires school districts to develop a seizure action plan for each student diagnosed with an active seizure disorder. This plan must be created in consultation with the student's parent or guardian, reviewed annually, and include provisions for administering prescribed seizure medication. Staff members and volunteers who regularly work with the student must be informed of the plan and trained to support the student's needs. Each school building must also have at least one individual, other than the school
104nurse, trained every two years in seizure care and plan implementation. In addition, all administrators, school counselors, teachers, and bus drivers must complete at least one hour of training on seizure disorders, either in person or through self-study. The law recognizes that this training as professional development that may be applied toward educator license renewal. This policy is adopted to implement the requirements of House Bill 33. I will note that this policy is related to 53 policy 5330, use of medications, which the board approved at its March 31 meeting. That policy in part relates to the administration of the seizure medications. Um, in this policy I do want to call out we talk about the Department of Education. It's now named the Department of Education and Workforce, ODU. Um, that is a change that we can make. I
105have a question. Yes. Um, with this policy, and Chair Engles, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for you or our legal counsel, there is an inconsistent use of the term treating practitioner, which is used in the first paragraph, then treating medical practitioner is used in the second paragraph under alphabetical item B, then the definition for the term treating practitioner is given in the first sentence of paragraph three. So, do we have to use a particular term? And if so, can we be consistent with that term that we're using? If our legal counsel is second to think about the question. Uh-huh. >> Yeah. Okay. Um so, bypass first read, accept as second read with the following grammatical changes um in pa- uh page one, paragraph two, uh alphabetically bulleted items A through C, capitalize the word
106um in paragraph, page one, paragraph two alphabetically bulleted item A, replace the parent {comma} guardians with parent {slash} guardian to align with other board policies that use parent {slash} guardian. And then, wherever we see treating practitioner, make sure that is consistent with the term treating medical or is it treating practitioner? Treating practitioner. For those of you at home that did not hear our legal counsel advise that we should use treating practitioner instead of the phrase treating medical practitioner cuz that is what is found in code and therefore defined. And I apologize. The last paragraph on that page is um page one, paragraph seven, replace the Department of Education with the Department of Education and Workforce to align us with the new name. All right. Second. Second. >> Second. Okay. Thank you, um board member Katzemeyer.
107Okay, call the roll. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. Okay. We're going to move on to item 4.10 of policy 5340 student accidents. Um this is a policy that I would ask the board to have some discussion on whether or not we want to hold this over for a second read. And um I will make recommendations as to why I would recommend that we would hold it for a second read. Um the current policy was updated in 2015 and includes no substantive changes, only typographical updates. It outlines the school's responsibilities for providing first aid by trained personnel, summoning me- medical assistance, notifying administrators and parents, and completing accident reports. Um I do want to call out that there is um a
108change in the third sentence that says the superintendent used to say shall develop administrative guidelines to include the reporting of accidents um when appropriate and um it is now being changed to the superintendent may develop administrative guidelines to include the reporting of accidents if necessary. Um so, that is a bit of a different guidance uh to our administration. Um I do want to call out that our internal auditor has made a recommendation um that we do develop administrative guidelines, imposed a series of questions that should be considered when the set guidelines could be developed, including proper steps for staff to take, staff documentation requirements, who receives written clearance and communication um to the affecting staff, where information is retained, reporting processes, who follows up on the purpose of whether or not somebody is clear to
109participate. Um I also want to call out that specifically uh concussions, which is part of the policy, um but this is an issue that is near and dear to my heart as somebody who suff- has suffered a number of concussions and had proper protocol been followed the first time maybe would have had an easier experience in athletics. So, um I do think that this is something that is important and I think it's worth considering whether or not we want to change may to shall. We can make that decision at the board table, but I also think it might be worth having further conversation and dialogue in between now and the next board meeting on that particular line um taking into account uh the recommendations from our internal auditor. Yes. Addition Well, this is just a
110discussion item. As we're considering that element that Chair Engles just brought up, I would also like us to our your committee to consider the use of intermural athletics versus competitive and athletic practices. So, again, I think us being consistent with language is very important. So, if we could um discuss both of those items, I would greatly appreciate it. All right. So, we'll move this to a second reading. Uh-huh. I would be comfortable with a second reading unless any objections. And hearing none, we'll just lay this over for a second read. Um And our final policy of tonight is item 4.11, which is the emergency medical authorization. This policy was adopted in 2015 as a legal requirement. It requires the district to annually distribute an emergency medical authorization form to parents or guardians of all students
111before October 1st. The only change is that the form is now distributed through the parent portal, replacing a reference to a form that does not exist. So, um policy referred to form 5341 F1 doesn't exist. Therefore, we are changing the language to say via the parent portal. Board member >> then my question is, does that hold us to then providing the form on that parent portal? What happens if there's a family that has a language challenge or technology challenge and can't get to it on the portal? Do we have to put in parent portal? Can we just strike that? And I say strike because throughout the policy, we discuss how we will make the form available, how the form will be used. So, maybe this is another one we need to hold off and discuss.
112>> I'm okay with giving this a second reading if we need time to think about that. Cuz I think that's a huge factor. We have a number of families that are are not English as first language and might not have technology. Seeing as how there is discussion, I think it's best >> some teachers still make it available in the office and it's not always >> Dr. Shaw? I know that our team is discussing this, but I know this is this is our current practice. Um as a parent in the district, we complete the form online and I would imagine that when that form is not completed, there's outreach on behalf of the staff to gather the information to assist with either um the family completing the form, the family coming up to the school to
113complete the form, or the staff completing the form and helping the family. So, I just want to note that's current context for how um we're currently um implementing emergency authorization forms. Okay. The back in the day, if I could say, uh we used to send a stack of papers home to families and I'm imagine that families would sit at the kitchen table and they would complete a stack of papers, emergency forms, permission slips, and so forth. And so, technology has given us an opportunity to um shift that focus and mostly all of that work is done online. I can't imagine that there's too much of paper that we actually send home for completing for any forms, but I just think with us using the term, does it beholden us to it has to be completed
114that way? Carol Sullivan from Health Services and I just want to say the reason why it's via the parent portal. It was a card that went home to parents and then it came back and we digitalized that and put it in the parent portal probably 2 years ago, 2 and 1/2, 3 years ago. So, when families come in and they're enrolled, that form is on the parent portal. And for those families who need assistance with filling out that form or not understanding the language, they get the help there at Central Enrollment. So, it's at >> As far as knowing the different languages, if it's in different languages, that I don't know, but I can look into that for you. But it's typically a form that's done at enrollment at the time of enrollment, but updated
115um throughout the year as information may change. You change your phone number, you change your email address, change your address, um it would be updated. >> Correct. And you're also saying that you've been doing this for 2 years. At least 2 years, yeah, since since I've been here, yes. Indicating where the form is is helpful to families too, to know where to look if they need to update it. So, for sure, when someone's first enrolling, it's there and then annually they're asked to update that information. That's where it lives. All right. Uh so, is there a way that we could if I'm a parent who doesn't know this, is is there a way that we could say through the district website on the parent portal or cuz right now it just says via parent portal.
116Can we add, you know, online through the parent portal or a descriptive, an adjective to help parents understand where this this form is? What's the recommendation? Whatever I recommend All right, so here's what here's what we're going to do. We want Do we want a second read on this one, Chair Engles? I don't feel compelled that we need to, but if the board would request. >> Okay, so bypass first read, go straight to second. Grammatical recommendations or changes to this policy where we see via parent portal cited in that first paragraph, first sentence, can we just add online? Um and then wherever throughout the policy we see parent can we please replace that with parent {slash} guardian to align with other board policies? And there are 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 spots
117where that is on page one. Yes. Got it. That's the motion. >> Thank you. Second. Okay, thank you, Dr. Kennedy. Call the roll. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katzemeyer. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. President Dr. Miranda. Yes. All right. Thank you. You're welcome, Sarah. Keeping us busy. That part. All right, um Dr. Chapman, do you have a report for us this evening? Good evening, um board members. I do not have a full report, but I do have a few announcements and certainly some good news to share. Um thank you for the opportunity um to um provide a few remarks. Um this week is traffic safety awareness week. Um I know this was mentioned in our highlights earlier today, but I once again thank Principal Martin at Hilltonia Middle School and
118the entire staff at Hilltonia for hosting us during the busiest time of the day during dismissal yesterday to kick off um the traffic safety awareness week. Thank you to our Mayor Ginther and all of our partners who joined us yesterday to help kick off this important week with our students. Just want to remind everyone that it's everyone's job in our entire community to keep our students safe. Our number one priority should be making sure that all of our um drivers traffic patterns are adhered to and um folks slow down in school zones so that our students can get to and from school each day safely. The good news that I have to share with you today is the 2026 Department of Education and Workforce State Momentum Award uh awardees were announced recently and congratulations are
119in order for several of our schools in CCS that earned this award. This is the kind of news that we certainly love to celebrate in our classrooms and our schools, certainly here at the board table that reflects real progress, strong teaching, and students making significant academic gains. The Momentum Award recognizes schools that are improving student achievement and advancing year after year. To share just a few um background uh on this prestigious award, schools must one, raise their performance index by at least three points. Two, they must show continued academic growth from one school year to the next. And they must earn four stars or higher in value added, which measures student growth over time. We have several of our schools that earned this Momentum Award, so we'll be talking about this and you'll hear much
120more about this later, too. But these schools are Berwick Alternative K-8 School, Cedarwood Alternative Elementary School, Columbus Afrocentric Early College Elementary School, Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, Cranbrook Elementary School, Hubbard Elementary School, Lindbergh Elementary School, Trevitt Elementary School, and Wedgewood Middle School. Congratulations to all of our school communities that are being recognized by ODE to for the Momentum Award. Way to go, and we are very excited to celebrate their progress and we'll continue to spread the good news that's happening in our schools across the district. Good news. Yes, good news. >> [applause] >> Also, um I won't um talk too much about this because Catherine had an opportunity to give a plug about the EdVisioning sessions that are the workshop sessions that are coming up next week on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You have
121a flyer at your seat. You have um there's a copy of the flyer here. This is an opportunity for parents, students, staff members, community members to come out and share with us This is high level of what should our classrooms of the future look like. And so we want to hear from everyone. We'd love to have their input. Please join us next week. We'll be visiting three of our high schools in three communities, Centennial, Columbus Afrocentric, and West High School. We hope um that you will join us for these EdVisioning sessions. And in um two more updates that I want to provide, um tomorrow we would certainly like to invite our community to join us tomorrow on the campus of Fort Hayes, the JROTC will host a commemorative wreath laying ceremony honoring the fallen three
122fallen airmen. That'll be tomorrow at 12:00 on the Fort Hayes campus. That'll be led by our um ROTC cadets. The ceremony will include a formal color guard presentation, wreath laying, a reading of the fallen airmen's names and service roles. Many thanks to Senior Master Sergeant Mike Dudas, Director Erica Dotson, and the Fort Hayes team for helping to organize this important event. And um we also want to thank the Columbus Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in supporting this effort. So please join us tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 on the campus of Fort Hayes for the wreath laying ceremony. And in closing, all of our families um that will be impacted by the decision to eliminate or reduce transportation to our schools that are not 100% lottery schools next year, they will be
123receiving personal phone calls from members of our team. This is We're calling this our CCS Cares Transportation Outreach Campaign. And so I'm just letting you know that if you're impacted by this change, you'll be receiving a one-on-one phone call, a personal phone call from a member of our team. We're going to continue the outreach. We have been pushing out messages to our cell phones through text messages, robo calls, and emails, but now we're going to be following up with direct phone calls to make sure that our families understand how this change and transition will impact them directly and make sure that they understand what their options are. So stay tuned for more information, but I just want to give everyone a heads-up that that outreach and engagement is happening. So thank you for these for
124the opportunity to provide these updates, and um we look forward to sharing more. Thank you and congratulations. All right, um Mr. O'Connor, do you have a report for us this evening? No report this evening. And Mr. Cook, do you have a report for us this evening? Good evening. Just a couple of notes. Um last month I spoke on the delayed receipt of our property taxes. We continue to hold and wait for that to the tune of about 146 and a half million dollars. We know that it's coming. We don't yet know the amount, but I would note that that fund not sitting on our books is resulting in tens and tens of thousands of dollars of lost interest income as as we wait. Um an additional note, there's been a lot of talk with respect
125to this group that's out there, this Axe the Tax. They're going to have an announcement this week, but I want to highlight there's now a work group of at least 65 community agencies, state agencies, partners um that are going to begin to message the importance of property taxes and the services that they provide. So while the narrative has been out there with that Axe the Tax group, there is now a work group that is going to begin to message the importance of the services that are provided locally, one of those being education. So we'll continue to monitor and watch that. I will continue to keep you updated on the property tax receipts. We are in contact with the auditor's office. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to consider [clears throat] our consent agenda.
126Our consent agenda consists of items 8.1 to 23.6. Are there any items a member would like to have removed and voted on individually from the consent agenda? If not, do we have a motion to accept the consent agenda? Moved. So moved. Thank you, Vice President Engles. Is there a second? Second. Okay, thank you. Is there any objection to removing uh items for separate consideration? We're good. All right, please call the roll. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. With the exception of 21.1, yes. 21.1 is no for me. Okay. Mr. Katzameir. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes, with the exception of 19.1 for which I vote no on. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. We will now consider section 24, other legislation which has item 24.1, authority to enter into an agreement with the Ohio
127State University. Motion to approve. Thanks. Second? Second. Okay, thank you. Discussion? If not, please call the roll. Mr. Simmons. Yes. Mr. Katzameir. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. President, Dr. Miranda. Abstain. Motion carried. The chair now recognizes board member Sarah Engles for a motion. I motion that the Board of Education move into executive session pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 121.22G1 to consider the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official, or the investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee, or regulated individual, unless the public employee, official, licensee, or regulated individual requests a public hearing, and G4, preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees considering concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of their employment.
128Is there a second? Second. Thank you. Please call the roll. Dr. Kennedy. Yes. Vice President Engles. Yes. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Mr. Katzameir. Yes. Mr. Simmons. Yes. President, Dr. Miranda. Yes. Motion carried. Please note that the board will adjourn following our executive session this evening. Thank you.