001We're all set. >> Call to order the Westlake City Schools Special Board meeting for Monday, August 11th, 2025. Roll call. >> Craft here. >> Here. Lamb present. Lazinski >> present. >> Thank you. Will you all join me with the pledge of allegiance? I pledge algiance 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. >> We do begin always with our mission. We educate for excellence, empowering all students to achieve their educational goals, to direct their lives, contribute to society, as well as our vision. The Westlake City School District will provide a dynamic student centered learning environment. Our district will be characterized by high achievement, actively engaged learners, mutual respect, shared knowledge, pursuit of new skills and
002capabilities, collaborative learning, willingness to take action, a team commitment to datadriven continuous improvement, strategic planning process, and achievable results. Thank you all for joining us tonight and thanks to those who are at line. Moving to the approval of the agenda. I am going to add an executive session to the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? >> So move second. >> Discussion. Roll call. >> Approving the agenda with addition of executive session for matters of personnel. Is that correct? >> That is correct. >> Um Lazinski, >> yes. >> Benin, >> yes. >> Craft, >> yes. Lamb >> yes here not >> yes >> motion carries moving to the hearing of the public the public may address the board during the periods of the meeting designated for public participation we the board of education
003do not engage in a public debate especially do not have a public discussion about an individual student situation in this set each person addressing the board shall give their name and address if several people wish to speak each person is allotted three minutes till the total time allotted is used during that period. No person may speak twice until the fall with desire to speak have the opportunity to do so. The period of public participation may be extended by a voted majority present in voting. Is there anyone that wishes to address the board at this? Seeing none, we'll move to the treasurer's recommendation. Thank you, Mr. President. Um we just added a couple of them announced to get them paid. Um uh as this a special meeting uh nothing out of the terrible ordinary uh I
004do want to say the CT tailor piece this is the work at DIS obviously they have not earned all 275,000 this month and the board did approve up to 275,000 at the June 27th meeting um I did not put a PO in place at that time because it was the end of our fiscal year and so some of the work has been completed and they build us before I had my PO in place so that's why it's to them now I'm asking for the full amount. Right now, it's only I think about $30,000 of work that was completed before the PO, but I put it on the full PO line. So, that's all I have in front of the board. So, obviously, it's just one item. There a motion to approve superintendent's recommendation three treasure.
005I'm sorry, treasur's recommendation 3A, the resolution to issue that certific. Uh yes. So uh we have about two weeks left before the school year. Uh we have a little bit of delay in the class but things are moving along well and we do believe it will be uh completed before students come back. The glass is here, the materials are here. There was one hardware piece that wasn't and then that my understanding was coming in today. So they're able to start putting the glass. I will say that even just kind of looking at it, they did uh the construction workers did a great job with the masonry in the bottom. It it it flows very nicely. They did a really nice job with the ceiling and wall and it really makes a difference because it looks
006like it belongs there. And I think with um matching the style of the windows that are currently there, having that connect the office and the vestibule is really going to be nice. And um I went over there today and spoke to some people and one of the things that I know that the folks in disc are looking forward to and it may seem like a a small deal to add that second door. And for so you understand school was the only school we had that that only had a one door buzzer system. All of our other schools have two layers of buzzers. Now, one of the issues with that is you have parents, the students coming in out of the school. And so, you could be in session during the day and a parent comes
007in to drop off a lunch, they're walking out and another parent is walking in. A lot of times what people do is they're kind. They hold the door open and the person comes in. Now, when you have that happening on the second layer door to where even if somebody held that outer door open, now they're in your vestibule, there's still at least one more buzzer for that person to get in. You know what I mean? So, it's it's something that having that extra layer um is just it's it's just really Yeah, it is. It's nice to have >> Are the uh the security elements going to be ready, too? >> Yeah, they were. That's one of the things. So, they didn't do the glass today, but when I was washing them, they were uh they
008were moving some of the the electronics. And I think one was maybe for a light and another one then they need to move because they're going to take the current door and just move it there and and literally same door. So they just can't then rewrite about in the technology world with tool authentication adding those layers of protection very chance there's a chance to make sure it always looks at it >> right >> I think it will and even more so because when if you recall the outer office glass that when I say outer office from the the office to the hallway to the interior hallway. It was like that glass that had chicken wire in it and and then all the other ones are kind of like this like the silver panel and and
009glass around it. So even replacing now with the solar pan it's going to all kind of should look good. >> So do you anticipate this being on time budget for budget >> wise? I'm not sure. Um I think in our last conversations I'm expecting it to be uh right on budget. Um but uh just in the world we live in I doubt it. >> I think about the um uh fiveyear forecast specifically for PI and I think we originally and maybe the the eventual plan was more extensive and I think that's 500,000 correct course be a lot less. >> Yeah. Well, that's where you're right because we we were originally talking about um building an external structure which then complicates that a significant show and it was actually one of the ladies working in the
010front office who had the idea of saying well why don't just use that space inside and to make the best inside that's a good idea so that they're the ones who operate it Anything else there? Thank you, Mr. Treasure. Moving on to the superintendence recommendations. Dr. K. >> Uh, sure. Did we vote? >> We know we didn't vote. >> Oh, rule pop in. >> Yes. Lamb. >> Yes. Wasinski. >> Yes. >> Thank you, Mr. Treasure. Moving on to the superintendent. Um, first of all, thank you for picking our award session and turn it to a special meeting. This is the time of the year at the end of this month. We will be bringing Well, next week we're going to be bringing back our staff. Soon to follow our students. After that, a lot of
011things to kind of catch up on, get voted in. Uh prior to that, some of these items that we wanted to get wrapped up, uh I have a resolution to approve our strategic plan. Our last work session, um uh Doren from the impact group came and presented, took feedback, adjusted the plan to reflect that feedback. Prior to that, met with numerous stakeholder groups from uh families to support groups to staff to students uh to community members uh to really be able to get feedback as we're going to create this plan. We're excited about um the result and the final deliverable and it's on the agenda for you this week. Um then I just have a resolution to approve a contract. This is Huddle. If you're not familiar with Huddle, if you have heard of that,
012it is HUTL. You know, it's not spelled that this is um uh a program that OHSA has an exclusive relationship with. In some sports such as football, you have to exchange dates. You need to uh so your opponent, you have to exchange that. Um and then this also can the software can be used uh to age practices or games and then or the camera can be used for that the software can put it in the packages for the coaches be able to do that and also um for uh students putting it together highly. So if you do have a student who is trying to play in the college or take the next step with it, um this this is what this is what every district is using as across all it's well I don't think
013we have it for baseball actually. So I I do believe volleyball uh basketball uh soccer and uh lacrosse and and lacrosse. Yeah. So anything on that that main field too. >> Okay. So, but the contract goes across all of our sports. >> Um, and then I have uh in 4 C, seasonal employment for a summer worker. Uh, some additional supplementals, coaching positions in 4 D. And then 4 E uh is uh extended time. This person was left off of the last meeting and we're just shoring that up. Um, if it so pleases the board, I would very comfortable. I'd like to do 4A separate. um with our strategic plan and then E through E would be appropriate to put together. Um one last thing that I asked uh Mr. Craft if I could mention before
014we get moving on it because there really isn't a place for my report. In our last meeting, we did approve our handbooks. Um, and we received an email today from the Department of Education and Workforce that clarified instructional time for the cell phone uh the cell phone ban. Um, to where they did state that instructional time meant the entire day and does not exclude uh times like all travel or lunch at the high school level. um this this is going to be a little more difficult at the high school level than we already that's kind of the plan that's the plan we already have uh K through eight but um when you look at those grade levels they have home room they you know there could be a collection of phones they can have their
015they can do things like that high school doesn't have like the home room where you meet and finish the day um and so we're probably gonna well we're going to have to bring back high school handbook and have an adjustment to it to uh reapprove. Um we do have time because I do not believe Amanda here uh this is supposed to go into place January 1. >> So we can start the year with our current plan and and then um the high school is going to need time to figure that out logistically because when you do think about a thousand students, you know, the first thing is just don't even bring in the building. But you know, you're going to have kids in the hallway. They're going to pull out their phone. They're going to
016do this. Are you giving detentions to everyone? Are you suspending kids? Are you doing or what? You know what I mean? It's trying to figure out now how they're going to with the instructional time in the classroom. It was simply don't take it out. You know, it's not coming out. We're in class and that sort of thing. Um but now you're going to have a cafeteria with 300 kids in there and you know, you're going to be patrolling around saying, "Put it away. Put it away. Put it away. And so they're conversation with that peers. >> Yeah. So, um, uh, Rockwood was ising around because I think >> most a lot of people are now kind of in that same situation, but like I said, it's something where we don't have to have it in
017place until January one. Our thought was very simple. Those type of shifts mid year are more difficult. Um, and so let's start the year with uh that we're going to do it for the rest of the year. Our handbook met the previous interpretation which with Barb and Liz. I did get policy from Neiola and we did edit it. I was going to share it with you, but I I'm not going to share it till Nola comes out with something that matches what DW said today. there's a possibility that the state may uh go back on some of that. I mean, if there's a lot of complaints and issues of the big one's going to be employers now do not have a way to contact your staff at all during the day. >> Well, there's been
018a change for students. >> Oh, >> for our students, we have jobs. They tend to get texts saying work. There's been a change in the schedule, whatnot. They now no longer have the way to reach their student at all while they're while they're in school. Now, I'm not saying they're going to leave work, but it's a matter of being able to hey, cover the ship from 3 to 9 tonight. Yeah, I can. >> You could see them using school email or or can access >> emails are blocked so they can't get in externally. >> Students don't get >> emails from strangers. >> Yeah, there you go. So yeah, there are some there's going to be certain ramifications to this. >> Um obviously there's the carveouts for um we talked before about someone Well, so no,
019I that's >> No, >> really. >> Yeah, I don't think there's the educational I mean uh >> there was >> really >> Yeah, I don't know if we can bypass that for certain. That wasn't clear. So like if if you're doing an app creator pet and and that >> that was not said as part of the NEOLA policy that was sent to us prior we could still check that the principal not the teacher the principal could give approval for use during instructional time and then in what we were sent today by ODU it still does not clarif it did not even touch that. So as of right now to our knowledge that has not changed >> um so to our knowledge that has not changed that the principal can give permission. >> Okay. >> So
020to our diabetes. >> Okay. Monitoring. You have a little thing on your >> medical. But nothing for an academic purpose of developing even if it's a matter if they're taking marketing classes, they're doing social media learning that right as of right now. We did didn't clarify it in the email today, which and this is me speculating that as of Nola's policy, we can still allow that with principal approval, which is what we currently plan on doing. It did not specify it in the update. >> We can start the year now. >> Correct. We have until January 1, >> but you know, you have to your point, you know, when we're at the high school and you have a photography class, um the district does not purchase every student a large. >> Yeah, they do. their
021phones are >> a lot of times they even have a great >> and and and a lot of times phones cameras are starting to get better than cameras we could have bought five years ago. So there they're definitely we'll see we'll see >> I think even National Geographic gives courses in photography using an iPhone. So that's quite the deal. So I just wanted to mention it but like I like I said 4 A um I think if we can approve that on its own and then A through B. I move to approve superintendent recommendation 4K the resolution to approve West City School strategic plan. Is there a second discussion? Thank you for updates. >> Just for the record, because I heard a couple of seconds, I had Mr. Lamb first. Okay, so moved by Craft,
022second by Lamb Craft. Yes. >> Lamb, >> yes. >> Anukin, >> yes. >> Lazinski, >> yes. >> Pa, >> yes. >> Motion carries. Is there a motion to approve superintendent's recommendations 4B through 4 E? So move. >> Second. >> Discussion. >> Uh soccer you said was paying for a huddle up fast. >> Yeah. So that they used it and it well was it almost like a recruiting tool? >> No, I think what I So another thing that you can do through these subtle cameras you all kids, >> right? You can you can so like if there's a game going on you can broadcast it but read field doesn't have air and so that broadcast component was not a part of that and what I think soccer did my understanding is they decide they paid for
023it to kind I don't know if it was a tester to try I don't know what what the full reason why they were carved out but they were paying $3,000 and then the district was paying pay $13,000 that would cover volleyball, basketball, football, and everything. And so when we saw that, it was like, well, why why would we carve out one sport? Let's put that into the the one contract together. That's >> other thoughts, questions. >> Yes. >> Lazinski, >> yes. >> Craft, >> yes. >> Lamb, >> Yes. Motion carries to move on to board comments. A couple things I wanted to bring up. Both Dr. Gagan and I had an opportunity to chat with a West Lake resident with students in schools with regard to calendar. I know we've been very thoughtful on our
024calendar looking out at the next two uh school year. And one of the things that was pointed out is how I know we've had some discussion on this in the past was how our channel owner when you compare it to local u other local districts about you know lake fair homestead but river in particular this year it seemed like we were extending this school year uh for for an additional week and can anything be done about that? uh potentially starting earlier uh ending earlier. Uh it would align with uh other districts. We certainly have staff that live in other districts and their they may have children who school in those districts. They'll their kids will be off. They'll still be working along those things. Um it it was a thoughtful conversation. I know we've talked
025about a little bit before. Any thoughts that you may have with regard to the calendar? >> I'm in favor of moving it up. Fundamentally for the start date, fundamentally your high school students, anybody who's participating in anything fall related, they're back August one at home. Marching band, football, soccer, track, cross country, volleyball, they're all back. The other issue you're running into is on the back end of it. those um there are a number of students who are looking at opportunities in summer camps whatnot and they're having to either choose to not do them or they have to go in and negotiate early exams so that they can do those opportunities because of school. I know that happened within the academy had this year with at least one student. >> Do you have the opening dates
026of some of this around school? I what do you see? I'm just hold Dr. Gagan. I want you to know you and your staff are always very very thoughtful as we put this together and I get these ideas coming from citizenry and families in the districts. Just want to bring it up for conversation. Have some opinion you and other boards as well. I've always been very callous to this idea. Uh what I see happening many times during the school year is a family makes a decision. Um we are going on vacation. We're going to do this uh no matter what calendar is. So we're going to do this non-stop something. They're going to do that. Um the opinion in this conversation was there a lot of families out there having all of them doing something
027on their own. One of the things he would enlighten um is to potentially start earlier, end earlier. one you want to bring it up is just what are you hearing out there as well? >> That's what I'm hearing started earlier and earlier. So just looking at I just pulled up this is bay 2526 and then when we look at Westlake 2526 um our so our first day for students 1 through 12 is August 26th and our last day I think we're on see last day June 9th and yeah, June. And then so I look at Bay starts August 21st and ends on June 4th and Westlake starts August 26th and ends on June 9th. So when you look at that sort of thing, it is at least in that particular example, it is the start
028dates. Now, um, we did talk about this a little bit last time and I guess that and what I had heard from the board at the time was uh, being open to that we but we have approved right now this year's calendar and next year's calendar. >> Right. So what I had heard was the next calendar we do make that adjustment. Um are we saying that we now want to look at the 26 27 calendar instead? Because it you are going to create one shorter sum, >> right? >> Because if you change, you know, your if you're starting earlier after a year that you ended a little later, well, that one for that summer, now it'll even out the next summers after that. But um and then what I had heard last time was well
029people may have already established plans and those kind of things. So start at 27 28. So, do you want us to review 26.7 or Jeff when we go to plan the next calendar that's when we make that change? >> One one of the things I wanted to bring it up is one I wanted to see is this is it real? Is this is this real? Does it seem so? All right. >> And uh what kind of logistics are involved uh if you change 26 27 big deals and big deal? >> It depends. We we would definitely go back to the team that put together the 6.7 count. >> Yeah, we'd go to the count and and try and and revisit it and you know talk about those concern. I was like relatively low hassle. >>
030Well, I mean to your point there may be people on the committee say well yeah that'd be great because I align with you know I would say take it to the thoughts on that. And I've been taking it to the calendar and if they're like y'all then >> I'll look forward to the short summers. >> The high school was rebuilt and how short of summer or how there was a really short summer one year and then a really long summer the next year. Yeah. >> Well, I think your juniors to seniors will care, you know, but I think you'll sack it up. But I can't stick with what we did what we created only because every date as a city feedback ready from staff publish out there. This is you're talking about next year 26
03127 we're right in line with Lakewood but there's only four that are showing uh any data there but >> I don't have a problem with >> them looking at 26 27 Why don't I bring it to him? We'll see what they're saying. We'll start the year and pull that commot. We'll pull that together the other um other board thoughts and music posters will be sending out the their invitations for the session workers tomorrow for the football games. I want to have that. I'll be there. And then W has a first meeting next uh Thursday left at seven. >> Um I believe it's Abby. That's it. I think I don't know. That's what I thought it was. It's not unfortunately the golf got cancelled. So uh the board is aware of this. We've received some very
032thoughtful emails uh with regard to special education, transportation. All of those have been answered with a phone call with very thoughtful conversations as well as phone call as well as an email. Um, one of those, um, one of those emails had to do with, uh, and we've had this conversation before, uh, joining the lawsuits, uh, that that gets the legislators in Columbus with regard to public education. And, um, the way I took it was not the way that the deliverer really intended. I took it uh in this way that the ether is really doing nothing uh with regards to really protecting the district, protecting our students, protecting um really the way that we deliver education. Um and uh that was not the intent behind the email. What I did share uh with that person is
033that really as a board and as a district a lot um we've reached out to legislators. We've had uh specific to the board um those that um have uh special connections reached out even more so than other board members. letters were written, superintendent, treasurer were engaged in uh reaching out to legislators as well as governor's office. Um uh the fact that we're we work very closely with the alliance as well. uh we participate in conversations as well as meetings with the alliance to keep us really aware of everything that is going on and we're very much a part of protecting public education Eric West and really throughout all of the state of Ohio. Um I just want you to know that we had that conversation. It was a good conversation. Every conversation I have with
034those folks it's it's an open door. Obviously, let's keep this dialogue going question. >> I think there's not one way to right and I think that's um and one of the things that that we've really tried to do and a lot of it is through the alliance is yelling and shouting and and doing these kind of things. It's not productive conversation >> and and so it's and a lot of times when you end up talking to legislators, they don't we assume they know every intricacy you know, right? You know, or if you do this, this will happen. Do this, this will happen. And um yeah, there's going to be some that don't care, you know, but there's going to be others that be like, you know, I never thought I didn't know that, you know,
035I wasn't aware of that. But sometimes they get a 6,000 page docs that gets kind of summarized to that sense to where if you don't have groups that are respectfully bringing up the the direct impact to a library or to a school or to something like or to a city um then they're not aware of it, right? So and then just think about yourself um when someone approaches you a certain way you respond a certain way. So I I I get it. You know, there's different ways to advocate, but there's not one way to and and so to have the thought process of you don't do this, you're not advocating that. And again, it's important to know that at the end of this conversation that that individual, those individuals are aware of those tools that
036were used by you as well as your staff as well as the anything else that it does seem like the u the idea going to with no property tax. >> Yeah. You know what? I think it's it's an issue that's not going anywhere. It and and I think it's a it's a legitimate issue that um is going to be a significant discussion and it's not over with the budget bill. It's it's going to continue and it's going to be a big topic. I mean, if they could get a refinement on on it, then pretty hard to the state and figure out what's over and figure out the next four years. No, but hasn't but no property tax. Sure. So, and then income tax is next, right? >> Yeah. >> Isn't that conversation tax? Well, it's
037interesting because I think in our last meeting we discussed the fact that what uh of the property taxes we get. So 51% of it elsewhere. Does that mean that police and fire are going to be cut? >> Well, they're definitely taxed by authority >> library. So, but I I do think that um there's there's definitely going to be reform and when you are a collector of 49% of anything, they're going to reform it. You're going to be all I mean, that's just what it is. But our conversations have been where um to to just come in and say we're going to do this today. Well, they you also have to understand the other side of it is when you do take it away, then you take away opportunities you're going to take, we're going to
038have to cut SAT program. Um, so if there's a longer run, you know, for districts to plan, you know, alternative funding, you know, trying to figure out how you would actually move forward with it, that's more um that that's just seems to be normal way to go about. But as far as the title, I think the conversation is just sales tax. Yeah, I mean I mean we talked about it before with property taxes and what about townships and you know that that's probably not. So it's just how how you going to fix some of those contributors. So, I just think there's they have to put it's it sounds great, you know, but I I don't I'm not an expert on that dealing that actually. >> One of the things that comes uh at the conclusion
039of these conversations is that West Lake City Schools does a very good job with education. West Lake City Schools does a very good job finding sentence of all citizens. Thank you. Uh, anything else? Any other thoughts or matter? >> How did the art show go? >> Thank you. The art show I think was the best ever. >> What's that? >> Hot. >> It was hot. >> Very hot. >> Very warm. So, big art. >> Yeah. Um, one of the uh really fest art shows that we have that's the West Lake art festival uh that I know is West Lake City Schools as well as well as Library collaborate to really for the community together in Bay Village as well as West really outstanding great attendance great artists >> but to Joe's Joe's discussion great arts
040and one of the bits of feedback that we received is that It wasn't totally crafty, but you know, a lot of times when you go to places, it's more like a craft show and an art show, but it had a really great balance of true art as well as stuff that person. So, I thought, you know, Jo is a huge component of that, especially finding the artist and that balance I thought was folks. I have a question about um and I know we've talked about it before but the arch in front of discs um >> yes >> what are your plans for that >> we we're actually talking about rem >> are you attached to the arts you're very much >> well Here's Well, >> so when you're walking under >> when when you get
041up close and personal to that and it's really like a wall, you know, it's got the center white beam to it and when you actually look at the outer sides of it, um, it's not I mean the it it looks like it was built afterwards. So it doesn't look like it was part of the original building because it's not like the your bricks don't intermingle. They are a clean cut on either side. Now what's starting to happen is it's starting to crack and bow and and those kind of things. It's not unsafe, right? So it's not going to fall, but is something that a decision has to be made with it to where that thing in general needs to come down. Now Leco architects probably Mrs. Leco from elementary third grade. >> Yeah. >> But
042so it's one that >> you I mean you can put a new one up if you want. But you know with that being gone that that uh drop down base end and those sorts of things. I agree. I think Barb may have just said it. It would be a really nice clean look >> to have that off and then it just opens right into a courtyard and you have some nice fixtures and stuff in there that a lot of times you don't notice. You do have that structure there. I'm sure it was tremendous wonderful and I will tell you if you got if you want us to rebuild it we can but it's something that exact one there. We move the Holly lane and then >> but um anyway, >> Mr. Hopkins and Mr. House,
043we have a good conversation about the eventual price for that in finance. Okay, it'll continue. >> Thank you. >> Other board com is there a motion to adjourn to executive session for the appointments? The motion to motion for compensation of an employee or official. >> Second discussion. >> Roll call. >> Ozinski. >> Yes. >> Craft. >> Yes. >> Lamb. >> Yes. >> You're in executive session at 6:39 p.m. will take no action in executive session nor we exit.