001[Music] Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. I've been with CCS for almost 15 years. When I first started, I was an instructional assistant for the ESL department. I did that for about eight years. Then I moved on to helping with first and third grade for a few months. And then I landed in my favorite position, prek, and I've been there for about seven years. I chose to work in Columbus City Schools because it is the school district that is responsible for my education from K through 12 and is responsible for the education of my children K through 12. And so I have an affinity with the district and I wanted to come back and contribute because of the experience that I had within the district. I work
002in a special needs program. So some or one of the most rewarding experiences is just coming in working with our children who don't have language of any kind and teaching them American sign language so that they can communicate with us and seeing them verbalize when they don't have anything to begin with. When I get to have my pre-k promotions at the end of the year, you know, kids are in their caps and gowns and they get to move on to kindergarten and it's like celebrating everything they've done all year. It's like it's a great moment every year. It's like I can look forward to having that memorable moment. I'm the first impression that our parents and caregivers and students have for CCS. I'm that first stepping stone for school. So I feel like I have
003a lot of impact. Like if I can make their first year with us great, then that sets them up as they continue on. So I'm a big believer in the impact of probably one of my most rewarding was when I received the channel 10 classroom hero. I also um was a nominated teacher of the year in the Lynen area. Um and just watching children grow and go off to college and come back to me. So that's really exciting. I think the work that I do and the time that I put into each individual children prepares them for the future prepares them for whether they're going to college or not going to college just so that they become great citizens. You know, I came here when I was 18 as an immigrant and you know the
004district I went here to the district. So, uh as a student they helped me out you know ESL student who don't speak English. So I just felt like teachers were very helpful and and you know and it Now I just want to pay it forward. I just want to help other kids just like how my teachers helped me to be where I'm at today. You know, being the first person to graduate in my family was very hard for me to kind of grasp everything that went to it. But my teachers were there uh from day one to help every single minute. And one of my teacher even drove me from school to to the administration office to make sure that all my papers are in and you know all everything is set so that I
005can start school. the next Monday. So, I felt like that that was so important and how the teachers cared about the students uh their success and things like that. So, I just felt like, you know, hey, this is where I want to be. This is what I want to do, you know, just help kids like myself who need help because if it wasn't them, I would not be sitting where I'm at right now. The diversity um there are so many opportunities in Columbus um that other small towns don't give you. We have a lot of resources here, but just the diversity of the families and the people that live here. For the early childhood educator who's considering a career in Columbus City Schools, do it. We will come a rally around you and you start
006somewhere, but that is not where you end up. We will grow with you and you will be surprised at the amount of per professional growth and personal growth that you will have working with our children in this district. City of Grace, Pastor Michael Young, Pastor Richard Jones. We're excited to support this event. We believe in investing our time, energy, and resources into things that are going to uplift our community and more specifically uplift our young people. So, we subscribe to the vision of the H.B.CU college fair. Uh, it is exposure for these young people to higher education opportunities. First of all, my mother, she's a H.B.CU um, grad as well. She went to Alabama State University. She took me and my friends and my cousins along this H.B.CU tour. Without her, I wouldn't have had
007this experience. I seriously love my university. It's literally like such a family. As soon as I stepped on the campus, I was like, I need to go here. This is where I belong. I am the first ambassador representative to have not only been a student um getting recruited to these H.B.CU, but to now be a current H.B.CU student recruiting um the students. I could have gotten full rise to OSU and all that good stuff, but I knew that my heart and I knew down deep inside that I deserved and I wanted and desired to be at a H.B.CU. I think it's pretty cool. Uh they got a lot of nursing programs and like a lot of number one programs at the HB.CU. I've been to Central State a couple times and then I got accepted
008into Hampton, so I was thinking about going there. I love it at Hampton University. I love the family atmosphere. I've had professors call, text me, hey, where you at? Hey, this is what we did in class today when I said I wasn't going to be in there. So, they actually care about us and they and they love us. It feels good to be the majority instead of the minority for once. Just black excellence everywhere. People are achieving great things at North State. And not just state, all my HB.CU brothers and sisters across the nation. We're all doing amazing things. We're adding to the small percentage of black doctors, nurses, um, physicians, lawyers, things like that. And it's just so remarkable to witness and just knowing our history, understand more where they come from. And many
009times understanding your history helps you prepare more for your future. So to see young people who come from the same classrooms, the same neighborhoods and the same communities as these young people do begins to create a different type of inspiration. Uh and it makes things appear to be more attainable. I shouldn't be alive. And I have the great testimony of being that you stay focused and you stay driven, you will succeed and you will do great things here in life. Dream big. And I know that sounds really cliche, but you're the sky's is the limit. You could do everything you're destined to do. Many times at predominately white institutions, right, there's a certain part of our history that is not told or is left out. My father went to H.B.CU. I'm a product I was
010I was a football player. I got a scholarship to play at the University of Akan, but my father is a product of Central State University, H.B.CU. Uh much of my family from the South, went to Bethone, Cookland, Florida&M, uh predominantly uh black universities, and you know, I've kind of been able to glean from them along the way. real. Okay. Um, you're interested in medicine. Okay. You feel me? You're interested in medicine. Howard University produces the most black doctors in America. Let's speak on it. You're interested in politics. Hi, I'm Ansley Stevenson, project manager for Capital Improvements. We're out here today at Komo Elementary School to highlight our summer 2024 playground project. Here at Komo Elementary, we've installed a brand new set that's rated for 2 to 5year-olds. This will support our prek program that's existing
011at this building. Previously, we had no set that was rated for those kiddos. This is one of several sites we're doing upgrades at this summer. Some of these sites already had a set that was rated for two to five year olds. Good evening and welcome to tonight's uh board meeting. Today is June 26, Thursday. All right. Can we call the uh uh let's appoint a uh treasurer pro Tim? Uh we'll call the role first. Uh thank you. Call the role, please. Thank you. Vice President Dair present. President Cole here. Miss Engles here. Dr. Mr. Pierce present. Re is not here yet. Mr. Simmons present. Miss Vera here. You have a quorum, sir. All right. Thank you. Um I'd like to see if there's someone who would make a motion to appoint uh Christina Vera as
012president. Pro Tim. Motion to appoint Christina Vera as treasurer promp or is it promp treasurer? Thank you. In whatever order. And there's been a second. Second. All right. Motion and seconded. Call the role. Vice President Adair. Yes. Miss Engles. Yes, Dr. Pierce. Yes, Miss Ray. Mr. Simmons. Yes, Miss Vera. Yes, President Cole. Yes. All right. Motion has been adopted. Okay. So, in review of today's agenda, we will go I'm sorry. Ah, Lord have mercy. I'm sorry. Today is just one of those days. All right. We'll raise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Cole has to do is slow himself down. That's what Mr. Cole has
013to do. Okay. All right. So, uh, just prior to adopting the agenda, we'll go into public comment. Uh, I believe that we have two people who are prepared to speak, but I'm not sure if they're online. I don't see anyone in the room present. Um, but we'll go into public comment. Post that. We'll walk into board matters. We'll go through several pieces through board matters. We'll then go through the uh executive reports which for this evening there aren't any. And that is uh section 6 through 8 and then we'll go into adoption of the consent agenda which is sections 9.1 to 26.1. Post that we will adjourn. Motion to approve the agenda as shared. Second. Motion and second. Uh, please call the role. Miss Ingles, yes. Dr. Pierce, yes. Mr. Simmons, yes. Miss Vera, yes.
014Vice President Adair, yes. President Cole, yes. All right. Uh, with that, we will go into public comment. Do we have our speakers here? I don't think we have any tonight. Okay. I did see some here on my my sheet. Okay. Wonderful. We will move right into board matters. And I know at this point in time um because I'm very honored to recognize uh Dr. Tina Pierce uh for today's OSBA acceptance of recognition, but the gentleman who is I think he's dealing with some traffic problems. So, we'll move through uh our board matters and go right into committee appointment update. Uh it is my honor to appoint Mr. Richard Granger of Drive Ohio, um a CTE thought leader for the state and the local community here to welcome him to the academics and facility alignment committee.
015Uh he'll begin his service in August of this year. So, I'm excited to have him on board. Um with that, we will go right into some other really good news, our voucher litigation update. Uh Madame Vice President, thank you so much. Um, I do have a great update regarding the voucher litigation. Um, just for some quick background. Um, we as a board of education approved to join this litigation back in June of 2021. In fact, um, board member Cole at the time, now our president, said, "We are a consortium fighting to ensure the state of Ohio acts within its own legal bounds to ensure that public school districts are not again harmed by how dollars are siphoned off to accommodate illegally and unfairly other schools." And so we voted to join and became the lead
016plaintiff in this litigation. It was filed here in Franklin County. Um and so it it was joined we're part of consortium um at the time of over a hundred school districts that are part of that litigation and now more than 300 districts across the state have joined within the consortium. I do want to uh give an honor to our former uh CCS board member and former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, Eric Brown, who currently is the steering committee uh chair. and he said in 2022 when the lawsuit itself was filed that funding schools that aren't for everyone is not the business of the Ohio General Assembly and it is not the responsibility of Ohio taxpayers to pay for these private schools. So when the lawsuit was filed, um we as the plaintiffs
017along with the other school districts and families and communities um filed five different counts uh in the lawsuit and three of those were successful in our motion for summary judgement. So Judge Paige here in Franklin County um found in our favor on three of them and I just want to briefly go through them because they are important. um our count one which was the creation of one or more systems of uncommon schools. So we argued that the ed choice program unconstitutionally created a second system of uncommon private schools in violation of article 6 section 2 of the Ohio constitution. Um the judge rejected the state's argument that the Edge Choice uh voucher program establishes scholarships, not a system of schools, and that it funds students, not private schools. And so, um, Judge Paige, uh, in
018her decision says that the state provides hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to private schools through ed choice while at the same time, public school districts are are unable to educate their students because the general assembly decided not to fully fund public schools. The expansion of ed choice eligibility has also encouraged private schools to claw back their own scholarships in reliance on public taxpayer funds. Taken together, the evidence presented by us as the plaintiff supported the assertion that in expanding the Ed Choice program to its current form, the General Assembly has created a system of uncommon private schools by directly providing public private schools with more than $700 million in funding, which is in violation of the Ohio Constitution. The second count that where we were successful was around the failure to secure a
019thorough and efficient system of common schools. And so we argued that the state's failure to adequately fund public schooling by not fully funding the fair school funding plan while simultaneously spending large sums on the ed choice program has resulted in a system of common schools that is not thorough or efficient. The General Assembly chose to expand their system of private schools funding by the same amount as Ohio's public schools lost during the general assembly's failure to fully fund the cut Patterson fair school funding plan. So while the public school the judge found that while public school districts struggle to educate their students with inadequate funding, private religious schools receive ed choice funding in addition to unknown amounts of non-public revenue. Such a system is not thorough and efficient. Thus, she found that the plaintiffs, us,
020had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the Ed Choice voucher program violated the Ohio Constitution. And the last count where we were successful was around the unconstitutional state funding of religious schools. We argued that the expansion of the Ed Choice program provided private religious schools with approximately $1 billion in public school funding which was a violation of the Ohio Constitution. This gives a religion um which of the constitution by giving a religion or other sect the exclusive right to or control of part of Ohio's public school funds. Um the judge rejected the state's argument that the ed choice program does not fund uh the ed choice program does not use school funds. Judge Paige reasoned in part that ed choice involves direct payments to private religious schools. no state oversight to prevent racial, religious or
021other discrimination and the involvement of exponentially more private schools uh religious schools and funds. She further added that under the Ohio Constitution, school funds or school funds of this state means state money appropriated for the purpose of paying for schools and includes ed choice voucher funding. The executive director of our coalition, Mr. William Phyllis, added um after the announcement that we were uh successful, that we are pleased that the court affirmed what we have been saying all along. The Ed Choice private school voucher program, which has been diverting hundreds of millions of muchneeded tax dollars from public schools to private schools, is unconstitutional. So, we do know that there are next steps that will happen and we this is uh not finished. Um, and I want to read a statement from Scott Dearo, um, OEA's
022president, who said, "Although this legal victory is likely the first step in a much longer process through the appeals court, the ruling on Tuesday represents a huge victory for Ohio's public school, educators, school communities, and students who have seen critical resources diverted from our public schools for years to fund private school tuition payments for the most wealthy families who children have never attended their local public schools in the first place. So, while we are uh celebrating, we know that we'd still um have a long fight and we do anticipate appeals and going to uh all the way through to the Ohio Supreme Court for ultimate decision. I also want to take a moment and connect this back to what has happened this week um in the state house with the general assembly voting on this
023the state budget. The General Assembly voted to continue to underfund public education and ignore its constitutional duty to fund a thorough and efficient system of common schools by its vote this week. The general assembly did however continue to increase the funding for private schools. The state will continue for CCS to give less than half the funding per student compared to what it is giving private schools for each student using the Ed Choice scholarship. So, let me say it a different way. Under the state's new budget, CCS will receive approximately $3,500 per pupil in grades K through 12, while private schools will receive up to $6,166 for grades K through 8 and up to $8,48 for grades 9 through 12. The Republican majority voted yesterday with no Democratic support to give parents opting out of public
024education and private education in Ohio and sending their children to non-chartered non-public schools. Schools with absolutely no accountability to the state of Ohio. Hundreds of dollars each year to be used towards their education. And that's why our property taxes are so high. You are paying, you citizens of this county, of this state, of our school district are paying for the remaining cost of educating children in CCS while the general assembly continues to siphon off money that should be spent on public schools to subsidize the and sometimes fully fund the cost of education of children attending private schools. 91% of families enrolling their children in private schools are participating in Ed Choice. 75% of these families make more than $80,000 a year. Um so it's really important that we stay um vigilant and we continue our
025advocacy around not only the vouchers but uh school funding and making sure that at this point we call our governor because it's in his hands right now. So that is my update. It is great news on our behalf and all of those that are in the consortium with us and it is a great victory for public education in the state of Ohio. Thank you, Madam Vice President. Thank you so much also for your representation in that in that organization's committee and again I definitely want to give a very warm grat show of gratitude to former judge Brown. Um the work that you all did was stellar. So thank you. We'll continue forward. Uh we'll move on to section 5.4 which is a resolution uh establishing a termination benefits fund. Uh madame VP would you like
026to read that resolution for us or offer a motion? Sure. I will um it's it's lengthy so I will Okay. So this is a motion to um I'll just read it. I guess we'll start at the we let's do the top and then finish with the whereas. So this is a resolution establishing a termination benefits fund which is 035 for the purpose of accumulating resources for the payment of accumul accumulated sick leave and vacation leave and for payments in lie of taking compensatory time off upon the termination of employment or the retirement of officers and employees and to accumulate resources for payment of salaries during any fiscal year where the number of pay periods exceeds the usual and customary number of pay periods. Um, so this basically allows us to uh be ready in case
027of additional severances or payouts and is really a financial best practice for our district. Um, in our five-year forecast, we were looking at future forward looking that we have um an extra pay period, which one of our pay pay periods is a lot of money. And so this allows us to future plan for it. Um so this resolution um whereas in section 5705.13b of the Ohio Revised Code permits the board of education of a school district to establish and maintain a termination benefits fund as a special revenue fund for the purpose of accumulating resources for the payment of accumulated sick leave and vacation leave and for payments in lie of taking compensatory time off upon the termination of employment or the retirement of officials and employees. And such fund may also accumulate resources for payment
028of salaries during any fiscal year where the number of pay periods exceeds the usual and customary number of pay periods. Whereas the board of education um of the Columbus City School District, County of Franklin, Ohio, has determined to establish and maintain a termination benefit fund in accordance with section 5705.13b of the Ohio Revised Code for this purpose. Um where whereas the board desires to transfer money to the termination benefit from fund 035 from other funds of the school district for which such payments may be lawfully made. Now therefore it be resolved by the board of education that in section one the school district is hereby authorized to create the termination benefit fund 035 to be used for the purposes I already explained. Section two, pursuant to section 570513b of the Ohio Vice Code, the B
029the board hereby authorizes and approves the transfer of $15 million from the general fund 001 to the termination benefit fund 035 for the purposes described in this resolution, including the preamble hereto. Section three, that the treasurer of this board hereby is hereby authorized to undertake any and all actions in furtherance of the creation of the termination benefit fund 035 and the transferring of funds to the termination benefit fund as authorized. Section four, that this board hereby finds and determines that all formal actions relative to the passage of this resolution were taken in an open meeting of this board and that all deliberations of the board and of its committees, if any, were resulted in formal action were taken in public meeting and in full compliance with the law requirements in section 121.22. And lastly, that
030this resolution shall be in full force and effect from the immediate uh from immediately upon its adoption. So I will make a motion for uh the passage of this resolution as written and presented within board docs. Not as I read it today. I summarized it. Um but as presented in board docks. Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Motion and second. Call the role. Dr. Pierce. Yes. Miss Reyes? Yes. Mr. Simmons? Yes. Miss Vera? Yes. Vice President Dair? Yes. President Cole? Yes. Miss Engles? Yes. Motion passes. All right. We'll move immediately to section 5.5 which is resolution establishing a capital projects fund 070 for the purpose of accumulating resources for the acquisition construction or implement improvement or of facilities for the Columbus City School District. Is there a motion? Motion to approve um resolution establishing
031a capital budget fund 070 for the purpose of accumulating resources for the acquisition, construction or improvement of facilities of the school district as cited in our board docs. Thank you. Is there a second? Second motion and seconded. May we call the role. Miss Reyes? Yes. Mr. Simmons? Yes. Miss Vera? Yes. Vice President Dair? Yes. President Cole? Yes. Miss Engles? Yes. Dr. Pierce? Yes. All right. Motion passes. Now, let's get into the good part here. We have a representative from the Ohio School Boards Association. Please come to the podium. Thank you so much for joining us this evening and honoring our board colleague, Dr. Tina Pierce. You have the floor, good sir. Thank you, Mr. Cole. And it is my pleasure to be here with you this evening. My name is Aaron Hinchliffe. I have the
032pleasure of serving as your central region manager with the Ohio School Boards Association. OSBA has been around for about 75 years serving as your leading voice for public education here in the state of Ohio. The central region is one of five regions uh and we're the center 14 counties here in Ohio from Crawford down to Ross. The reason I'm here this evening is to recognize Dr. Tina Pierce for earning master school board member distinction through the Ohio School Board Association's STAR program. a recognition that reflects exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to public education. For perspective, of over 3,000 Ohio school board members, only 17 are being recognized with this status. This honor is the result of meaningful contributions across the state, including service on the urban network, OSAA, school liaison committee, capital conference planning task
033force, central region executive committee, and the OSBA board of trustees. These roles demonstrate a deep commitment to advancing student success, effective governance, and educational equity. With sincere appreciation, congratulations to Dr. Pierce on earning this achievement. [Applause] Keep the box because this is like a class. There you go. Very good. Thank you. All right. [Applause] Congratulations, Dr. Pierce. All right. And thank you again. If I could just have a second to say something. Yeah, please. I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Um, so I think we also um just need to acknowledge that within the district, I am not the only individual that participates in our OSBA activities. We as an entire board as well as our administration are very committed to partnering in collaboration and um true advocacy with other board members throughout not just
034the central Ohio region but throughout the entire state. And so while I have been very active and am honored in this moment, we also have active participation from Vice President Jennifer Adair, President U. Michael Co. um ex-president Christina Vera. Um Ramona, I'm not sure if you served, but I'm sure you served in some capacity given all the years that you have been a member of this board. Um a token of appreciation to our superintendent, Dr. Angela Chapman, who makes sure that her team is always well represented in not only participating but presenting at the conference. And so again, I think it's not just I myself who is active, but it is our entire board, administration, and district um all the way down to our students who participate in the student achievement um award. And so
035to the KA students that I had the pleasure of working with when they were featured all the way down to our downtown high school that give the great massages and pedicures and and um various treatments when we are at the capital conference. We say thank you. We acknowledge you. We appreciate you. and let's continue to highlight the success of Columbus City Schools. All right. Thank you. Okay. So, moving on to section 6.1 through 8.1. There are no executive reports, but I definitely wanted to just acknowledge you. Good evening, Dr. Chapman. Good evening. All right. Nothing to say. I do not have a report this evening. Thank you. All right. Mr. Internal Auditor Okconor, welcome. No report this evening. All right. And you are standing in for Treasurer Cook. Dr. Roush. Yes. No report. Thank you,
036good sir, for joining us this evening. We'll move right into accepting of the consent agenda. Is there a motion to accept the consent agenda sections 9.1 through 26.1? Motion to accept the consent agenda. Motion. Is there a second? Second. There's motion and second. Call the roll, please. Mr. Simmons, yes. Miss Vera, yes. Vice President Dair. Yes. President Cole? Yes, Miss Engles. Yes, Dr. Pierce. With the exception of 24.3, which I vote no. Yes. And Miss Reyes. Yes. All right. Motion passes. Uh, thank you all. There is no executive session this evening. Is there a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjurnn. Second. I've motioned and seconded. We can call the role. Miss Vera. Yes. Vice President Deere. Yes. President Cole. Yes. Miss Engles. Yes, Dr. Pierce. Yes, Miss Reyes. Yes, Mr. Simmons. Yes. All right. Thank
037you. We have adjourned. Please enjoy your summer. Let's all have a safe and and exciting summer. Um but let's enjoy our time while we have it in July. Take care everybody.