001Welcome to the Monday, March 16th, 2026 Garfield Heights City School District regular board meeting. I would like to call this meeting to order. May we please have roll call? >> Yes. Mr. Dudley, Mrs. Irvin Doer, >> yes. >> Miss Morrison, >> here. >> Miss Cox, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> here. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is the adoption of the agenda. May I have a recommendation to adopt the agenda as presented? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Cox, seconded by Mrs. Urban Doer. Is there any discussion? >> Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. Miss Thomas. >> Yes. Thank you.
002We will now have a moment of silent reflection and then stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> Got it. Perfect. to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nation for all. >> Thank you. Item 2.1 on our agenda is our approval of minutes. May I have a motion to approve our minutes from the February 7th special board meeting retreat, the February 9th special board meeting work session, and the February 17th regular board meeting as presented. >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison, seconded by Mrs. Urban Doer. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes.
003>> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Thank you. We will now move on to the board president's report. Tonight, the high school will feature its annual Roses for Teachers ceremony. Perhaps at no other time during the school year will a room be filled with so much Bulldog pride than during this annual event. On behalf of the board of education, we congratulate the students and staff members who will be honored this evening. Students recognizing their most significant educational influence is a tremendous learning experience in and of itself. It teaches us all that we benefit from a little help along the way. The families here this evening are to be congratulated as well. They are the necessary support system that empowers our students to absorb the education they receive from our Garfield Heights staff members. I would also
004like to shout out the high school staff members who assisted in planning this year's event. You are the ones who helped make this so special for everyone involved. Your hard work does not go unnoticed. I would also like to wish everyone a happy women's history and developmental disabilities awareness month. With this, I conclude my report. Once again, congratulations to the students, staff members, and families of the participants of the Roses for Teachers ceremony. Thank you. We will now move on to committee reports. Are there any committee reports, >> Madame President? >> Yes. I have a few things from Kahhaga Valley Career Center. >> On Friday, January 30th, two CBCC construction trade teams showcased their skills at the Skills USA northeast regional teamworks competition held during the Great Big Home and Garden Show at the ex
005center. The competition challenges teams of four to collaborate on building a detailed project demonstrating expertise in carpentry, roofing, electrical work, plumbing, and masonry. Teams must interpret a complex blueprint, follow special instructions from a pre-competition orientation, and develop a project competition plan to present to the judges. Judging criteria include pres presentation skills, adherence to building codes, job site safety and cleanliness, material organization, tool management, and overall project completion. Our Skills USA student, Ella Mcabe, power equipment technology, and Dante Wilkerson, construction trades, Garfield Heights High School, were featured in an interview with Kenny Crumpton for Fox 8 Fox 8's Kicking It with Kenny at the Great Big Home and Garden show just before the teamwork competition kicked off. CBCC also hosted a public job fair on Thursday, March 5th from 3 to 5. The job seekers ages
006were 14 and older to attend and explore a variety of employment opportunities. And the last thing I want to share is a student highlighted for the month of February is Chris Key. Um, Chris is enrolled in the power equipment technology program where he is taught by instructor Matt Harding. Inspired by his dad and brother, both proud bluecollar workers, Chris joined the program to build practical life skills and explore whether he'd like to follow a similar career path. With a strong interest in trucks and engines, the PET program felt like the perfect fit, especially since he has long considered becoming a mechanic. Chris has truly enjoyed his time at CBCC and is still considering a future in the mechanical field. He admits his dream job is always evolving. After graduation, he plans to attend college and
007is exploring interests in finance and heavy diesel. Mr. Hardin is such a great person and always pushes us to do our best. Chris shared, "He's truly preparing us for our future and success. I love coming to school and getting hands-on experience. Our class is so extensive that even if I don't pursue this field after graduation, I'm thankful I'm learning helpful life skills. One of Chris's favorite Chris's favorite class experiences so far has been operating heavy equipment, including an excavator and a skid steer loader. I had never driven either of those before and didn't think I'd ever would. He said, "I can't explain the feeling of being in the driver's seat. It was just so cool to learn about the controls and actually operate the equipment. Looking ahead, Chris hopes to gain workbased learning experience at
008a local car shop or similar business. Outside of school, he enjoys attending car shows and spending time with friends. Keep up the great work, Chris." And this concludes my report. Thank you. Are there any other committee reports? >> Madame President, >> yes. >> I have a wellness leazison report. >> Music Express participated in their last competition for this season on March 7th in Solen. They won the following awards. First runner up in the medium mix division. Best show moment. Uh Halo Keys won for best male soloist. Leila Russo won for the best performer for Express and overall we ended up in fifth place. We would also like to wish Mr. Pernade a congratulations on his retirement. He will definitely be missed. This past weekend, the Garfield Heights Concert Bam participated in the OMA District 7
009large group adjudicated event at Perry High School. They received an overall rating of two which is excellent including a one superior rating from one of the flora adjudicators and a one superior from the site reading adjudicator. The site reading adjudicator indicated that our site reading performance was the best performance he had heard over the last two weekends. Additionally, a local band director who is well respected throughout the state approached Mr. Dawson after the performance and extended the following comment completely unsolicited. He informed him that he has had the opportunity to hear the Garfield Band Heights band many times over his years educating in Northeast Ohio and he offered that Saturday's performance was the best by far that he's heard Garfield Heights sound in performance. On Friday, March 13th, the middle school and high school bands
010traveled together to Severance Hall for an education concert by the Cleveland Orchestra titled Inspired by featuring music by Mosart, Hayden, Beethoven, Favaldi, Pizzola, Stravinsky, Deucey, and Reil. It was a fantastic opportunity for the entire program to not only hear one of the greatest orchestras in the world, but to bond and enjoy time together. On fi February 26 and 27th, we had three middle schoolers participate in the OMA District 7 honor band at Mentor High School. We had four students accepted, but one was sick. On February 27th and 28th, we had 17 band students, 16 high school and one middle school, participate in the ASBDA, which is the American School Band Directors Association, Allstate Honor Band at Lakeside High School. Uh during the last week of February and the first week of March, um last month
011I discussed that we were going to have three different collegate band directors visit. They were here at that time and all three had very complimentary things to say about the program and our students. We had two students Ian Boozer and Elijah Hall who have traveled throughout the state over the last few months to audition for collegiate music programs. Both have been offered highlevel academic and music scholarships at multiple institutions. Ian has elected to attend the College of Worster where he will study music education and Elijah is still weighing his options, but many programs are interested in him studying music education with them. And finally, the Garfield Heights boys basketball team were the Division 3 district champions and moved on to the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, we did not advance after that game, but we are very
012proud of the team's accomplishments and send them a congratulations. Madame President, that concludes my report. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other committee reports? >> Madame President? >> Yes. >> I have a committee report for community and family engagement. >> Okay. Last Thursday, the middle school PTO hosted their first sports pep rally, which we recognized our student athletes and also highlighted student academics. Several students had the opportunity to select and perform poems during that event. It was a great way to celebrate the talents and hard work of our students. In athletics, 8th grade boys basketball team finished their season with a 13-2 record, which is a great accomplishment for them. And our middle school football team ended their season undefeated. as well as our eighth grader Lamar Davis, who broke the
013Garfield Heights Middle School record for the most touchdowns in a season. Looking ahead, the middle school PTO will be hosting their very first career day in April. So, if you or anyone you might know would like to participate, please reach out for a community engagement and upcoming events. House of Wisdom hosts weekly meetings every Wednesday at the Garfield Heights Civic Center that focuses on peer drug and alcohol recovery. domestic violence awareness and suicidal prevention. The next meeting will be um hosted this Wednesday at 5:30. Mary Mount in collaboration with the city of Garfield Heights and the Garfield Heights PD will host a community safety discussion on March 25th at 6:00 p.m. at the Civic Center. The city will also host an Easter celebration on Saturday, March 28th from 10 to 12 at the Civic Center
014featuring familyfriendly activities including games, crafts, photos with the Easter Bunnies, and like refreshments. Finally, a free legal clinic will be held on March 21st from 10 to 1 at the civic center offering assistance with record expungement, license reinstatement, and employment support. That includes my report, Madam President. >> Thank you. Um, the March 25th safety conversation, um, was it a time for that? >> Yes. >> Okay. Is at 6 PM, I'm sorry, at the Civic Center. >> Thank you. Awesome. I do also have an academic excellence committee report. Um, it was an amazing meeting. I know we have been pushing as a board to get more information about our academic department and the strides that we have made and that we continue to make. Um, very informative meeting. I'm going to try to make this report
015short. Um so we discussed our new course of study. Um curriculums have been becoming mandated by the state. Luckily we have been ahead of the eightball with that and a lot of our curriculums are already um aligned with the mandated curriculums. We use Ohio learning standards. Um we have what's a good word I want to use? We have our scope and sequence is complete. Um that's something that I know when Dr. Reynolds came on was very important um to him and the department has done a really great job creating the scope and sequence and following the scope and sequence. Um we now have STEM at each building. We also have financial literacy in the buildings. We had a discussion about our academic honors diplomas. We talked about different pathways. Um we talked about the middle
016school um having a CTE pathway next year. We talked about our agriculture program and how we would love to add an intro to agriculture into our middle school building for eighth graders. Um, we also talked about seventh graders having college and career pathway programs. We plan on hiring um someone to work with our elementary school next year to work on CTE and college and career pathways with our younger students. We well I received a list of our current curriculums um for each grade and we had a discussion about how our curriculums are aligned and they grow each year with our students. We talked about our portrait of a graduate. Um we talked about our framework for testing. We discussed high school academics um which was very interesting to me. Um our high school academics are
017not mandated but again we are very aligned um in making sure that our students are ready for that curriculum when they get to the high school level. We talked about equipment and technology um and the needs that we have in the classroom when it comes to equipment and technology. We talked about funding for that and the process of applying for grants. Um the department toured a Chromebook repair lab. So that was really cool. Um looking into trying to figure out a way for us to do that here in the district as well. And oh, and we had less um credit recovery this year than we have in the past. So, um that just kind of goes to show that all of their work in our academic um department has really been good and beneficial to
018our students. And in our coming board meetings, you all will see a new course of study to be approved. And as a committee, we would appreciate your support. And that concludes my academic excellence committee report. >> Madame President. >> Yes. You mentioned uh financial literacy in each building. What what age group? And I that might be you, Dr. Reynolds. What age group do we start with financial literacy? >> I didn't mention in every building. I said STEM in every building. We have one STEM teacher or staff member in every building and we have financial literacy in the district. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Good answer. >> Any other questions? Thank you. Next on our agenda, we have our high school presentation and I would like to pass it over to Dr. Reynolds. >> Thank
019you, Madam President. I'm excited tonight about the presentation that Mr. Walters and his team will be presenting tonight as an update on what's happening here in the high school. Uh there have been a lot of changes in the building, a lot of good changes in the building, and I can't wait to allow Mr. Valter to share those with you. Mr. Falton. >> Thank you, Dr. Reynolds. Madam President, Superintendent Reynolds, board members, community. Uh, my name is Samuel Valters. I am the proud and excited principal of Garfield Heights High School. And just a few things that we want to share that we're doing in our high school this year. So, a couple things that we've done a little bit as Dr. Reynolds alluded to. We did a few changes and we have our model and one
020of the things that we're creating is a culture of excellence and our school is committed to that we will create a culture of excellence in everything that we do. Our mission statement is that all students would graduate with a high quality, comprehensive and meaningful education. So, a couple things that we did a little bit differently this year. Um, many of you may have saw and I appreciate our councilman who came out this evening, Council Johnson. We had our first homecoming parade. Homecom parade uh consisted of actually our 9th through 12th grade band members. Um and we actually started at Elmwood came down turnney and into the uh high school where we had a very nice tailgating event. We also in instituted some pep rallies this year. I'm excited to have Miss Cox, our board vice
021president. She did attend a few of our pep rallies. Um a couple of pictures that you see in the middle. When I first started here this fall, the seniors did come to me and they said, "Mr. Valters, if we're going to create this culture of excellence, we want to do a senior sunrise." Now, that's something I've never heard of. And I did ask them, you know, what's the senior sunrise? They said, "We want to come to school and celebrate at sunrise." So, I said, "You mean you're going to tell me you're going to be get here like 6:15, 6:20?" He said, "Yeah, and we want you to come to the sunrise with us." So, there you see us at sunrise for our senior. That's something we did uh fun this year. We're also going to
022do a senior uh versus juniors uh field day. Remember how you did an elementary field day? So, we're going to do that this year as well. Um, another thing that we did that was really fun here, um, we restructured our building and we wanted to establish, uh, structure and order. And so we have on our third floor, we moved our ninth graders to the third floor. Um, our 10th and 11th graders are on the second floor and our seniors on the first floor. And so that improved our learning environment and it helped us uh, also have a spirit of excellence. Another thing that we did um that's I think that's helped a lot with our structure is uh we have our 9th, 10th, 11th grade um lunches on fifth period. 9th graders eat fifth period,
023sixth period, our 10th graders eat and then seventh period 11th and 12th graders eat together. So that's something that we did a little bit different at the high school. I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to Mrs. Beij and her team when we talk about creating a culture of excellence. We also deal with academics and data driven strategies. Those strategies are our TBTs. Currently, our TBTs are um weekly. Um we do it from 2:30 to 3:10 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So, some of the things that we are targeting are tailored assistance, which helps meet our individual student needs. We have instructional alignment. We do have our instructional coaches. We also have improved outcomes. and those focused strategies lead to better student achievements. Um the TBT stand for teacherbased teams. They've
024been extremely instrumental in enhancing our instructional strategies. One of this next slide I want to share with you is specifically to our goals and our data. So this particular slide will go it will talk about where we were, where we're at, and where we want to be. So in the dark blue is where we were in the go is where we're at. And then the green is where we want to be. If you look at biology and US history, you'll see really good trend data. So biology has gone from 24 to 38 to 44. Our US history has increased from 43 to 58 and the goal is to get to 63. So looking ahead, one of the things that we implemented and many of you may have saw this when you came into our building
025today, we have began to really uh focus and promote academic excellence. And so if you look at our building, many of the students names who have achieved uh honor role, merit ro.0 uh scholars, their name is posted soon as in our four years as soon as you walk in. So one of the things that we really began to do and this with the help of our TBTs is promote academic excellence. So this year we had our first annual 4.0 lunchon and the 4.0 lunchon focused in on celebrating students who received a 4.0 first and or second quarter and Mr. Way I might need your assistance on this one. So what we did was and in fact um two of the gentlemen here um who will be speaking who received a 4.0 both first and or
026second semester you're going to see them uh perform later on today. Dion and Elijah who was in our band. We can just uh let's go back. and that's me talking. That's the students eating. That's me talking again. That's my son. Work with me, Mr. W. Let me see. Honor roll. Maybe do like a breakfast uh in the morning or something. New donuts, hot chocolate for those, but then just continue to celebrate our 4.0 lunch. I would love to get more. >> All right, here we go. >> So, this event is really about celebrating our students who have earned a 4.0 GPA. We want to promote academic excellence at our school and so we came up with the idea of having a 4.0 lunchon to celebrate and acknowledge our students who earned a 4.0 first and
027or second quarter. So moving forward um being very transparent got an idea from my son who is also in high school. Moving forward we're looking at doing a smaller event for our 3.0 our barrel roll honor roll students maybe doing like a breakfast uh in the morning or something. new donuts, hot chocolate for those, but then just continue to celebrate our 4.0 lunch. And I would love to get more students who um get a 4.0 and celebrate them. So, we want to try to promote academic excellence and share with other students who maybe had a 3.8, 3.7 says, "Hey, here's what I got when I got a 4.0." So, that's hopefully it get bigger and larger. I am so excited and proud when I talk to our parents, our grandparents, and even our students said
028this. We've never done this anything like this before, Mr. Walters. So, they were excited. Our parents were excited. Said, "Wow, we have a lunchon." And here's the the the caveat, you know, the the icing on the cake, the cherry on top of that says we can leave school just for today, you know, so they they enjoy that. So, uh my pleasure has been seeing our parents, grandparents, and students excited, smile, and feeling good about their academic achievements. >> You know, if you guys are struggling, I would suggest just going to your teachers for extra help and making sure you're going to their study hall periods cuz every teacher has study hall periods and you know, it's best to just get as much time with your teacher as possible. I feel like success in school can
029help you in the future in the long run, especially when you're trying to find a career that requires further education. Um, I feel like doing good in school, in high school, it can really affect you. It can either be a negative or a positive effect in the future. And I think that you should really try your hardest. I feel like freshman and senior year is your most important years in high school that you need to do the best. Of course, you should do the best every year that you're in high school, but I feel like those two are really important because they really shape out the rest of your school year in general. After I graduate, I plan to go to either The Ohio State University or Clark Atlanta to pursue mass media or communications
030to become a professional sports photographer. Currently, I'm doing sports photography for like high schools around the area, and I'm trying to build that and build my portfolio to eventually become a professional one for like NFL or NBA. And that was our 4.0 lunchon. Um, last before I close, one of the things that we want to do this year, and I'm so excited to have a great staff to work with. I want to give a special thank you to Mr. Dawson, um, and Mr. Bernade. So, for our commencement services this year, we're going to do something a little bit different. Um, we're going to have our band students perform Pomp and Circumstance as our students and graduates walk into the uh uh public hall. And Mr. Dawson was so excited that he invited the eighth graders
031to come and join us to play Palm of Circumstance. So, I thought that was awesome. The second thing, Dr. Reynolds, if I may, um, several seniors did walk up to me today. They would like to do something that's very different. They want to put their cap and gown on and they would like to go to each building and walk through with their cap and gowns to promote academic excellence, to promote graduating. And I thought that was a phenomenal idea. So, I did share with them. I'll be contacting our director of operations to get that ball uh rolling. But I'm so excited cuz our students are excited about excellence from academics to culture to school spirit for athletics from on the football field to the classroom. So, I'm really excited about creating this culture of excellence.
032And so one of the things that we've shared this year is that change is inevitable. Growth is optional. And so what what we want to do is really continue to grow. Change is inevitable, but growth is optional. And so our last quote that we share with the students is to have fun, but don't play. Any questions? >> All right. Well, thank you all so much. I'm going to go sit down. >> Thank you, Mr. Ber. The next item on our agenda is our roses for teacher ceremony. So I will again hand this over to Dr. Reynolds. >> Thank you, Madam President. There we go. >> Thank you, Madam President. Uh, good evening everyone. Tonight is a is really about something simple but powerful. Uh, students taking a moment to recognize your teachers for who have
033made a difference in their lives. In education, we talk a lot about curriculum assessments and outcomes, but at the center of everything we do are relationships. Every student can point to a teacher who encouraged them, who challenged them, who supported them, or who believed in them when they just needed it the most. Those moments matter, and many times teachers do the work without even fully knowing the impact that they've had. So, tonight uh gives our students the opportunity to say thank you. So students will be presenting roses to teachers who have made a meaningful difference in their lives. Uh it is a simple gesture but it represents something very real appreciation. And there is no recognition more meaningful than hearing directly from the students whose lives you've helped shape. So to start us off tonight
034and to start us off with uh for music appreciation month, our band led by Mr. Dawson uh will begin with an opening selection. All right. So, we're uh to help celebrate music in our schools month, um we've got a couple of our students who participated in solo and ensemble earlier this year. Um, they're going to do a little excerpt from each of their solos. Minute, minute and a half of each. Thanks. Um, our first up is Ian Boozer. Um, I His solo is about 8 minutes long, so we're only going to do a small snippet of that. Happy you're ready. Come on. Keep going. Heat. Hey, Heat. And then I'm also going to present each of them with their certificates from OMA celebrating scores. Um, Ian took three solos, including that class A Mima solo.
035Um, and a class B Tony solo and a class B snare solo. So, one more time for Ian. All right, next up, Maya Bonner with a very short excerpt from hers. Heat. Hey, Heat. Next up, Mr. Aiden Bailey on the trombone. Oh my go hallelujah. Next up, Mr. Dion Pop on the flute. Next up, Mr. Dantilly on the French horn. Catch your hand. Christmas. Hey la. Wonderful. And last, but certainly not least, Mr. Elijah Hall. I do have a couple more certificates that I've got to give out in class tomorrow, but I do see one. Miss Amelia Antoine, if you'd come up and get your certificate as well, please. tried to go with the upper classman. Amelia is a very very good freshman clarinet player. And then as uh Miss Morrison said, we performed at
036the OMA large group adjudicated event this weekend. Um, band has shown a lot of really, really great growth this year. I'm very proud of them. Uh, we have our certificate here with our excellent rating, which is fantastic. Um, and I hope that I can put a at least a small promise that maybe that'll be a one in the next two year or two. So, we'll see what we can do, but they're doing some good work. >> Great job. Thank you, sir. Thank you again, Mr. Dawson, for for your leadership and great work that you've done with our students. And now we'll have roses for teachers. Hi, good evening. Thank you all for coming. Um, our first recipient, it is my honor to introduce Aiden Bailey, an exceptional member of the class of 2026. Throughout his
037high school career, Aiden has demonstrated outstanding dedication to his academic excellence, earning a GPA of a one, I'm sorry, a 4.1 while challenging himself with honors and CCP coursework. Beyond the classroom, he has actively been involved in band and chess. He's also recognized for NAACP's talented 10th and the governor's merit scholarship. What truly sets Aiden apart is his organization, creativity, and ability to work well under pressure. His commitment to his career path reflects both ambition and purpose. Aiden was accepted into Kent State University's honor college and will be majoring in agricultural architecture. Sorry. Please join me in congratulating Aiden Aiden as he now presents his rose. Mr. Cunningham, my honors English teacher. Um, when I began my second year of high school, English was not a subject I necessarily enjoyed, especially writing multi-page essays on
038different parts of a story. It felt tedious and it was very stressful. um you changed that for me. You often let it help whether it be you giving me an idea on where to start on what making essays or giving feedback or future references. Uh someone willing to sit down and guide you onto the right path instead of just leaving you to fail is why I find important as a teacher. Um your teachings may have stuck with me all this time, but that's not all. to the different activities and your positive demeanor. Uh the subject became more enjoyable from forcing myself to go to to English class to actually looking forward to it. I don't um so some of the activities like being able to sit down and watch a movie on a story like
039The Great Gatsby that it made my time more enjoyable and from time to time you'd be willing to sit down over and talk over a game of chess. So I enjoyed these moments and you also hosted other activities which made my sophomore year way more enjoyable. So I appreciate it. So I must thank you Mr. Cunningham for the experiences he gave me. May God bless you when we join. Good job. It is my honor to introduce Jeremy Ball. Throughout his high school career, Jeremy has demonstrated outstanding dedication to his academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.0 while challenging himself with honors and AP coursework. Beyond the classroom, he has been actively involved in advanced art. Jeremy is also recognized for perfect attendance and honor role. What truly sets Jeremy apart apart from his personal
040qualities? He is smart, curious, and creative. His commitment to his future goals reflects ambition and purpose. He will be attending Kyhoga Community College pursuing a major in math. Please join me in congratulating Jeremy Ball. My art teacher Mayo has profoundly impacted my life by showing my creative freedom with my arts works. Through her encouragement and thoughtful feedback, I have discovered new ways to use techniques and ideas on artwork. Now I am able to express more myself because of male and my confidence as an artist has certainly goes tentally. I could not ask for a better art teacher/ mentor. Thanks. It is my honor to introduce Mary Carol. Throughout her high school career, she has demonstrated outstanding dedication to academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.3 while challenging herself to CCP and honors coursework. She
041is actively involved in music express, drama, theater, national honors society, and has served in leadership positions as a band manager. She is also recognized for the governor's merit scholarship, best supporting actor in the deans list at TRIC. What truly sets Mary apart is her personal qualities, her creativity, detail oriented, and a leader. Her commitment to her future future goals reflects both ambition and purpose. She will be attending Bowling Green State University where she will double major in nursing and an undecided major. Please congratulate Mary. Miss Agor was a highlight of my elementary school years and I first had her in first grade. Her warmth and kindness is something I will always cherish and even years later, she still radiates joy and empathy in her work. She displays openness and patience to me even when I
042was not very bright back then. And that's why I believe she deserves my rose. Yes, please. Um, it is my honor now to introduce Camila Davis. Throughout her school years, Camila has demonstrated outstanding dedication and excellence, earning a 4.1 while challenging herself to honors and CCP coursework. She is actively involved with theater, golf, bowling, national honors society, Nths, and a peer writing tutor. Camila has always recognized has been recognized for her Governor's Merit Scholarship, and Kent State honors scholarship. What truly sets her apart are her qualities as a leader, compassionate, and her determination. Her commitment to her path reflects both ambition and purpose. She will be attending Kent State University in the fall for digital media production. Please join me in congratulating Camila as she presents her rose. Having someone in your corner looking out
043out for your future is the best thing to have in high school. When I first started my freshman year, I had no idea what I wanted to do specifically after high school. Miss Markxberry made sure I took advantage of all the all of all the academic opportunities that I could. She helped me start my journey as a CCP student when when I was a sophomore and continued helping me until the end of my junior year. In doing so, she helped me make sure I got make sure I got the majority of my prerequisites done before I got to college. Thanks to her, I will be graduating with almost 30 college credits. She made me explore different outlets to grow my skills, like when she got me into a leadership camp this summer after my sophomore
044year. Although I was hesitant about going, she encouraged she encouraged me to go and I couldn't have been more grateful that she did. I learned I learned a lot at that camp and it gave me the opportunity to grow my confidence and leadership skills. Miss Mark's very dedication to to students at this high school guided so guided so many students to success. Her supportiveness and generosity is what made her one of my favorite staff members here at the high school. Thank you for everything. Okay. Good evening. We're just going to keep moving right along. Um, it is my honor to introduce Elijah Hall. Um, an exceptional member of the class of 2026. Throughout his high school career, Elijah has demonstrated outstanding dedication to his academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.1 while challenging himself
045with honors and CCP course work. Beyond the classroom, he has active he has been actively involved in show choir combo, national honor society, drama club, band, and filmm. He has also had leadership positions in student council as well as the NHS vice president and band head field commander. Elijah Elijah is recognized for best supporting male actor, honor role, best leader, and is Adobe certified. What truly sets Elijah apart is his personality qualities. He is persistent, a leader. His commitment to his future goals reflects both ambition and purpose. Elijah will be attending the Ohio State University where he will be pursuing a career in music education to become a music educator. Please join me in welcoming Elijah Hall. Um, I've had Mr. Dawson for only about 75% of my high school career and he's been my
046formal teacher for only this year and frankly I wish I had him longer. I had the privilege of being one of the first students to meet him after he was hired and I distinctly remember his my first impression on him. His cool, calculated and sometimes corny demeanor was a standout. I immediately looked up to him and I wanted to know more about what he knew. In many ways he was my musical hero sharing the beauty of being a part of an ensemble. I looked forward to uh whenever he took over for running a band rehearsal one class period there. He showed me what band could really be. He brought a unique sense of band culture to our district and I feel proud whenever I say I'm in band. His teaching style and mentorship has influenced
047me so much that I am now pursuing a degree in music education. Um as my high school chapter comes to a close, I'm excited to say that this has been my favorite year in band and I'm honored that I was able to work with such an incredibly headstrong, resourceful, and intuitive instructor in Mr. Awesome. It is my honor to introduce Jacqueline Miranda Rios, an exceptional member of the class of 2026. Throughout her high school career, Jacqueline has demonstrated outstanding dedication to her academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.0 while challenging herself with honors and CCP course work. Beyond the classroom, she has been act she has been actively involved in Jan I mean b band golly jazz combo of national honor society. Jacqueline is also recognized for scholarships for parental recognition, academic excellence, most
048improved and the honor role. What truly sets Jacine apart is her personality. She's understanding, disciplined, and a great listener. Her commitment to her career path reflects both ambition and purpose. Jacqueline Jacqueline will be attending TRIC C and will be pursuing a career in radiology. Jackie would like to pursue a bachelor's degree degree in chemotherapy. Please join me in recognizing Jacqueline Miranda. The teacher that has impacted me the most was a second grade teacher, Mrs. Mohler. This was probably a small moment to her, but to me it was a lot. In second grade, I was lazy, like really lazy. Whenever we had a test, I was not honest with my work. It did not take her her long to notice and she caught me. I would also do bad because the person I would cheat off
049of did bad as well. I remember when we were going to take a test, she separated me from everyone. I was a little bummed, but I think this was the best decision she made for me. I started enjoying reading and I was answering questions on my own. The feeling was great and moving forward, I was away from students. I of course had some flaws, but I was able to sit next to people without looking at their papers. To her, I could have been a lazy student with poor test scores and she could have ignored me, but she didn't. I'm so glad she saw my potential. I worked truthfully in my academics and I enjoy doing so. She helped me realize that learning can be fun if you try. Now, I enjoy reading random news articles
050and do random questions just because. I will forever thank Mrs. Mohler for teaching me good learning values. Already dry. It is my honor to introduce Jouri Wrencher as an exceptional member of the class of 2026. Throughout her high school career, Journey has demonstrated outstanding dedication to academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.0 while challenging herself with honors and AP coursework. Beyond the classroom, she has been actively involved in basketball her entire high school career, serving as a leader on the team. Jouri has received scholarships such as the Governor's Merit Scholarship. What truly sets Journey apart is her dedication, work ethic, and charisma. Her commitment to pursuing a college degree reflects both ambition and purpose. Jouri will be the first in her family to attend college and will be pursuing a degree in studio arts.
051Journey was accepted into Ken State University. I'm very proud of Journey and know that she will be successful in her future endeavors. Please join me in congratulating Journey as she now presents her rose. I've known Miss Jean for 3 years. She's been the best art teacher I've had without a doubt. She's super She's super reasonable. She always finds a perfect compromise whenever I have a crazy idea for a project. She helped me find my new find new perspectives in life and inspired me to pursue art in college. She has a profound impact on my mindset, confidence, and selfworth. This year she's definitely been has definitely been a rough year for her. I believe you deserve more love and appreciation from others than what you are given. Thank you for all your time, patience, encouragement. understand
052and understanding from the bottom of my heart. I am truly grateful for everything you've taught me. It is my honor to introduce Dion Tilly, an exceptional member of the class of 2026. Throughout his high school career, Dion has demonstrated outstanding dedication to academic excellence, earning a GPA of a 4.0 while challenging himself with honors and CCP coursework. Beyond the classroom, he has been actively involved in band, serving as the assistant field commander, and high breast section leader. Dion has also been actively involved in music express, national honor society, and boxing. A fun fact about Dion is he went to nationals for boxing and is a two time two time state champ. Dion is also recognized as number one in his class BMA solo and ensemble. He has received numerous scholarships such as the governor's merit
053scholarship and 88,000 in m in merit scholarships from Clark Atlanta University. Dion will receive the honors diploma upon graduation. What truly sets Dion apart is his leadership, communication, and passion. Dion does freelance photography for high school sports in Cleveland and the surrounding areas. He'll be majoring in mass media and photography at the Ohio State University where he intends on becoming a sports photographer for a pro organization. I'm very excited for Dion and I know he'll be successful in his future endeavors. Please join me in congratulating Dion as he now presents his rose. Miss Rap has been my counselor for three years, but these past two years have made the biggest impact on me. During my junior and senior years, she showed me that she is not only a counselor, but also a positive role model
054in my life. She she was always there when I needed someone to talk to and she always seemed to have the right answers for the questions or concerns I've had. I've always felt like I could talk to her about anything at any time without being judged. Going to her office never felt like just another office. It felt welcoming and comforting, almost like stepping into another home. Her kindness, patience, and guidance helped me grow both academically and personally. Thank you, Miss Rat, for everything you do and for simply being the amazing person you are. and I wish you the best in this exciting new chapter ahead. >> Yes, it does. >> Thank you. Our last recipient is Nico Wright. Throughout his high school career, Nico has demonstrated outstanding dedication to academic excellence, earning a GPA of
055a 4.2 too. While challenging himself with honors, AP and CCP course work. Beyond the classroom, he has been actively involved in track and field and the National Honors Society. Nico is also recognized for honors role, most improved, and most valuable player in track and field. He has also received a certificate of high honors and the governor's merit scholarship. What truly sets Nico apart is his personal qualities. He is a hard worker, disciplined, and determined. His commitment to his future reflects both ambition and purpose. He will be attending the Ohio State University in the fall where he'll be pursuing a degree in computer science and engineering. Please join me in congratulating Nico as he now presents his roast. Throughout my junior and senior years, Mrs. Jesse has been a phenomenal teacher. The way she makes learning
056interesting and engaging, and she makes me feel like I can ask her any question, she'll have an answer. If it wasn't for her and how she has taught me how to study and stay on track with my classes, I'd be less developed as a student and not nearly as disciplined as I am now. Thank you, Mrs. Yutsi, for providing me with a comfortable learning environment and teaching me important skills I need in life. We have all of our students and teachers go up for a group photo together. student stand by the teacher over here. That's how I like Wait, wait, wait, wait. >> Oh, wait. I'm still on video from from the music. Okay, I'm ready now. Are y'all ready? >> I don't know how to use my phone. Can someone >> Oh, wait. The
057entire voice. >> Let's go. >> Thank you. >> Come on in, Mr. Mr. Vulture. Of >> course we do, >> Mr. Vultures. >> Oh, there he is. There. All right. Ready? One, two, three. Excellent. Give him one more time. Matthew Yeah, I've sent it. >> So, it's not that. I would like to take a moment to again congratulate our students, our staff, and our families. At this time, we are going to continue into the business portion of our board meeting. Feel free to stay, but we understand if you leave. Thank you. And there are cupcakes in the corner. >> Last cupcake. Yes. >> All right. Item 7.1 on our agenda is our superintendence report. Dr. Reynolds. >> Thank you, Madam President. A wonderful evening tonight. Uh celebrating our not only our students, but celebrating our
058teachers. Uh so on behalf of everyone at Garfield City Schools, I would like to commend the students and the teachers who were recognized here this evening uh during the Roses for Teacher ceremony. This powerful bond between uh teachers and students and educators and students in general was on full display this evening and I congratulate everyone who participated tonight. students who care enough to affirm the efforts of their teachers and staff and teachers being recognized here uh for serving as valuable mentors for high schoolers. Uh the the families here this evening deserve recognition as well. So, thank you to all our families who made it out here tonight. And that concludes my report for tonight. >> Thank you. >> All right. The next item on our agenda is remarks from the public regarding a agenda items
059and there are no public comments regarding agenda items this evening. Item nine on our agenda is reports and recommendations of the treasurer. May I have a motion to move and wave items 9.1 to items 9.3? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison, seconded by Mrs. Irvin Doer. Is there any discussion, >> Madame President? Yes. Uh three items tonight. Our normal financial report, our tax rate resolution for tax year 2027, and an approp appropriation amendment for our uh county filing for our tax budget slash their calendar year fiscal year of um how they do business. So, um one quick thing to note, our financials, if you took a look at it, I'll hone in on expenditures. um this time now versus where
060we were last year. Significant drop in expenditures which is in um it coincides with our board approved state financial reports that we had to approve when we were in pris fiscal precaution. We are not in fiscal precaution now which is fantastic. But you will see certain um expenditure categories such as salaries, benefits, purchase services and a lot of the other discretionary funding through our general fund has been uh significantly decreased this year at this point now from where we were at last year. Um and then finally, our tax rate resolution is for all levied taxes outside the 10 mil limitation that the county has to certify and send to the department of tax equalization in Columbus. So, you have that tonight and it's adjusted for emergency requirements for the school district on a 92% collection
061basis. Any questions for me? >> Thank you. An amazing job to you and your department. May we have roll call? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> And Miss Thomas? >> Yes. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is resolution 2026-14, a resolution to honor our music department for music appreciation month. Um, before I read the resolution, um, I would just like to say being up close and personal with our musicians versus seeing them on the football field really showcases like the special talent that they have and that it requires to play an instrument. Um, like Ian, he has two hands and he had four sticks. Like that it's amazing. And so I wanted to again um thank Ian, Maya, Aiden, both
062Dion and Elijah um for their performance this evening. And >> madam madam president, before you continue um I I'd like to concur what you just stated. It's an amazing job that we have with our kids who who can handle this in a way that I I haven't seen before. So, I was able to attend the event last weekend in uh Perry and I was highly impressed by what I heard from our band. From what I saw from our band director, it was an excellent experience and I just wanted to make sure that we added that to that because they are great. They're awesome and they they show it every time they they take the stage or take the field. But seeing this in person or seeing this on the stage and and not in the
063uh while they're marching really shows exactly how much of musicians they they really truly are. So, thank you to the band and thank you to all the band students for for all the efforts and sacrifices that they've made. >> Thank you. And with that, I will read our resolution and then we'll take a vote. Resolution 2026-14, a resolution proclaiming March 2026 as music in our school month. Whereas for more than 40 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education as Music in Schools Month, encouraging communities across the nation to recognize and celebrate music education. And whereas music education is recognized as a part of a well-rounded education for every student under the Every Student Succeeds Act. And whereas the purpose of this annual observance is to raise awareness of the
064lasting positive impact of music education on the academic, personal, and professional growth of students. And whereas music education enhances students understanding of themselves and the world around them and fosters meaningful engagement and learning. And whereas music in our schools month serves as a reminder that every child should have access to a high quality music instruction as a part of their school experience. And whereas music educators, students, and communities throughout the state of Ohio demonstrate the vital role that comprehensive music programs play in the development of young people. And whereas the board of education of Garfield Heights City School District proudly joins its students, educators, and community in recognizing the power and importance of mi music education. Now therefore, be it resolved that the board of education of the Garfield Heights City School District hereby proclaims
065March 2026 as music in our schools month. And be it further resolved that the board encourages all students, parents, staff, and community members to celebrate and acknowledge throughout the year and especially during the month of March that music education is an essential component of every student's well-rounded education. Thank you and happy music in our schools month. May I have a motion to approve item 10.1? So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison and seconded by Miss Cox. Is there any additional discussion? >> Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is superintendent recommendations. May I have a
066motion to move and weigh item 11.1? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Cox, seconded by Miss Morrison. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. Thank you. The next item on our agenda is superintendent recommendations, classified personnel. May I have a motion to move and wave the reading of item 12.1? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison, seconded by Mrs. Irvin Doer. Is there any discussion? >> Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? Yes, >>
067Miss Cox. >> Abstain. >> And Miss Thomas. >> Yes. Thank you. >> May I have a motion to move and wave items 13.1 through 19.4. >> So moved. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison. Seconded by Miss Cox. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Urban Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. Thank you. Item 20.1 on our agenda is a discussion topic regarding elite elite travel. At this time, we will need to postpone this public discussion as it is an ongoing criminal investigation. Item 21 on our agenda is public comments from the public regarding miscellaneous school items. We have no one signed up this evening. Item 22.1 on our
068agenda is the announcement of our next board meeting. Our special board meeting will be April 13th at 6 PM and our regular board meeting will be April 20th at 6 p.m. at the Garfield Heights Board of Education. Item 22.2 on our agenda this evening is our adjournment. May I have a motion? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Cox, seconded by Miss Morrison. Any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Cox, >> yes. >> Miss Cox, yes. Uh, Miss Morrison, >> yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. Thank you. Meeting adjourned.