001Good evening and welcome to the January 2020 January 26, 2026 Garfield Heights regular board meeting. I would like to call our meeting to order. May we please have roll call. >> Mr. Dudley, >> here. Mrs. Urban Doer, >> yes. >> Miss Morrison, >> here. >> Miss Cox, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> here. Thank you. May I have a motion to adopt our agenda as presented? >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Cox and seconded by Mr. Dudley. Any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Urban Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> And may we all please stand for a moment of silent and our pledge of allegiance.
002And that will be led by Miss Nson. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. The next item on our agenda is our approval of minutes. May I have a motion to approve our minutes for December 8th and December 15th? So move. >> Thank you. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Mrs. Irvin Doer and seconded by Mrs. Cox. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Thank you. The next item on our
003report is a board president's report. And I do not have a report this evening. Moving on, we have our committee reports. Are there any reports of committees? >> Madame President, >> yes, I have a wellness leazison report. >> Go ahead. Our high school wrestling team is competing and constantly improving. One of their top performance performers is Brandon Herby, who has 20 wins and six losses. Their next tournament is Saturday 131 at Shaker Heights High School. And our senior night for wrestling will be Tuesday, February 10th. Music Express is having premiere night at Garfield Heights High School on Wednesday, January 28th at 700 p.m. The show will open with many acts along with our middle school center stage. Um they also Music Express had their first competition on Saturday, January 24th. We were the overall grand
004champs. We also won the medium mixed grand champs, best in music for the medium mix group. Overall, best music, best show design, best vocals, best male vocalist for the song Halo by Brandon Keys. That's who sang it. And our best performer was Samira Brooks. Uh, pep band will be performing at our high school boys basketball game on Thursday, 1:29. We're having a pep rally at the high school on Thursday for the boys basketball game against Warrenville High School. Um, our boys basketball team has a record of nine and four. These may have changed because this was from last week. Uh, we are currently ranked the third number three team in Northeast Ohio and ranked number one in division three in the state of Ohio. And their next game is Thursday at 7 PM. Uh the
005middle school boys eighth grade basketball has a home game on 2-2. Girls basketball is having a stellar season with a record of 101. The next game is Wednesday the 28th in Warrenville at 5 and their next home game is 27 versus Bedford at 11:00 a.m. And two weekends ago, the band had a fantastic showing at the MOEA District 7 solo and ensemble contest at Madison High School. Of our 14 soloist, seven earned superior ratings of a one and six excellent ratings of a two. Senior Elijah Hall earned a superior rating with an A trumpet solo, the most difficult classification. Other students receiving superior ratings included seniors Ian Boozer, Dion Tilly and Dennis Riley, junior Maya Bonner, sophomore Dion Pope, freshman Milin Wright, and then students receiving excellent ratings were seniors Ian Boozer, Trey Randall, and
006Aiden Bailey, sophomore Rosalie Tony, and freshman Emil Amelia Amelia Anton. Elijah Hall was also accepted into the Ohio State University Honor Band at the end of the month with Ian Boozer and Dion Tilly Tilly being accepted as alternates. And finally, our band director, Mr. Brett Dawson, had a fantastic time performing at the Tournament of Roses parade in California over New Year's with 360 other band directors from around the country and the world. That completes my report. Thank you so much. Are there any other reports? All right, seeing none, we will move on to our superintendent report. Dr. Reynolds. >> Thank you, Madam President. Um the winter weather and cold temperatures have prompted the district leadership to monitor conditions on a nightly basis and and when this we have to make these decisions. Please know that
007we do consider the best interest of our students and our staff and their safety in mind. Garfield Height City Schools has a fair number of student walkers and when the wind and the outdoor temperatures get below a certain threshold, the district must make decisions accordingly. Uh thank you all for your continued patience and support and on behalf of everyone at Garfield High City Schools, we pause for with the words uh that reflect upon the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for from who we have uh commemorated our national holiday last week on Monday, January 19th. Dr. King is a giant in our contemporary era of uh equality, justice, peaceful, responsible and firm advancement of one's cause and a model of conviction of one's belief. The pivotal role he plays played in
008the uh civil rights movement and his dedication to nonviolence is a broad uh broad uh platform upon the shoulders that we all stand. Now, we could learn a lot to deal with the words that we still are are still ringing out today. And I am pleased that the Garfield High City School celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and uses this time to launch his next month of Black History Month and all of the meaningful activities and events our district will share with the community. Uh, on that note, I encourage the entire Garfield High City Schools and the community to mark on their calendars Thursday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m. during which the partnership with Majua uh Dance Collective returns to Garfield High City Schools with the Ain't No Mountain High Enough performance of Black History
009Month concert and celebration. This year's cultural immersion residency uh brings the Mottown era to life through dance, music, spoken word, monologue, and historical narration. The performance situates Mottown within the civil rights movement. Highlights how black artists use joy, excellence, and creativity uh as tools of resistance, unity, and cultural transformation. More information will be coming forth in the near future. So, please save the date for Thursday, February 26. The month of January is board recognition month for in the state of Ohio and is reserved to honor the dedicated work of school board members. Now throughout the month, we recognize their commitment to shaping educational policies, making critical decisions, and supporting students in the community. And the Garfield Heights Board of Education is a valuable liaison between the administration and the community and helps to set strategic
010uh direction for the school district. They provide insights. They answer the call to public service. and will please uh join me in recognizing the board president uh president Ashley M. Thompson uh vice president Tandika Cox uh members Mitchell Dudley uh Khloe Irvine Doer and Heather Morrison. Please join me in a round of applause for our board members. [applause] and the second semester has already begun and and I encourage our students and our staff to continue working hard in their educational endeavors. And this concludes my report. >> Thank you. Next item on our agenda is comments from the public regarding agenda items. >> Thank you. Moving on to item 7.1, we have our financials for December. May I have a motion to approve our monthly financial report? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a
011second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Morrison and seconded by Mrs. Irvin Doer. Is there any discussion? >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes. >> Wonderful. So I know it's uh January 26th and this is December's report, but uh a couple of things for you guys to note. um this uh we have seen about six months through December from July and December in fiscal year 26. So we are starting to see the difference in the year-to-year comparisons for where we had to be with the state of Ohio and with um the implications of our renewal le levy passing. So some of the key things that we uh should talk about is that we are trending on a positive note towards the end of the fiscal year which is fantastic news for us given
012that we have been in um some pretty serious situations financially moving from two years past with the new budget bill and with our levy situation. But I will tell you, since we've been through two um financial recovery plans with the state of Ohio and with all of the changing in state aid and property tax reform, we are looking a lot better than we were at this time last year. Specifically, salaries and benefits, which coincides and correlates directly to what we put together and what the board approved for financial recovery plans this past May and also in November. So, if there's um again, anything you really want to look at and take note in is that the difference in um salaries, benefits, and even purchase services are lowering as we're really cutting back costs where we
013need to cut back cost to make sure we can sustain. And then uh I'll jump ahead real quick to 7.2, which is our transfer resolution. So, um last year we set up a 035 fund. It is a termination slash uh retirement severance fund. So, um a lot of districts didn't have this. We didn't have it. We in uh implemented this because it allows us to move money from the general fund to the 035 fund for retirement and severance purposes. So in theory in in practice historically what happened is a lot of the retirement and severance funds came directly from the general fund. Now we can say we have x amount of teachers administrators retiring. This is how much we're paying out in severance. we can take that out of the general fund so we have
014a better understanding for our financial forecast of where the general fund will be um at the time that we're approving it. So we had two mid-year retirements which is why we're moving uh roughly $61,000 into the 035 uh fund for um in January for December. So I'll be open to any questions you may have on financials or transfers. All right, seeing none, we have roll call. >> Yes, Miss Morrison. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Irvin Doer. >> Yes, >> Miss Cox. >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. Thank you. And may I have a motion to approve item 7.2? >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. That is moved by Miss Cox and seconded by Mrs. Urban Doer. May we have roll call?
015Yes, Miss Cox. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Irvin Doer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Dudley. >> Yes, >> Miss Morrison. Yes, >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Next item on our agenda is to approve a public records training design. Is there anyone who would be interested in being the public records traininee for the district? >> Madam President, >> yes. Can you give um is that our understanding what that role is? Is that new? >> Yes, we can um make a motion and then we'll have discussion. I may have a motion to approve the resolution for the board to designate a public records training design. >> So move. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Discussion. >> Yes. Miss Thomas. So, Miss Cox, um, state law, whenever there's a new election
016or new board members elected, they have to go through the sunshine law training. Um, but school boards of education have the option of appointing a designated to take the training for them. Usually, it's the treasurer since the treasurer under state law is the public records uh officer for the school district. So, in previous years, it was I was designated the um son the public records traininee. Um but it's just to fulfill the sunshine law act because it is an audit requirement for us for the board of education. So every time there's a new board member even if you are reelected you have to go through this training. >> What what is the role? What are they signing up to >> other than that sunshine law training? >> Yeah. So it is it is just taking
017the training. It's a three-hour course through either the audit of state or the attorney general's office. So it's it's three hours. It's all about um responding to public records and open meetings. >> So if there was an event to happen, they're going to go to that person. >> Yes. >> That took that training. Correct. >> Yeah. So actually what happens now in the structure is when we get a public records request, no matter where it comes in the district, it funnels to me and then usually so say if it's for anything other than financials, uh it'll come to the request will come to me. I will have to respond to the request and then the department that's responsible for the data or the records would compile the data give it to me and then I
018would respond directly to the public request public records request for it. So that's the structure that we have that's most districts have. Um boards of educations rarely if ever see public records and that's solely because the Ohio Revised Code designates the the treasurer unfortunate for me as the public records designate through um through the Ohio Constitution. But if you you're more than welcome to take the training. Um all of you are more than welcome. It's a free training. There's no cost to it. It's three hours. Um but it's just someone has to be either appointed a designate or all new board members here have to take the training and have to have the certificate when we get audited this for this fiscal year which would be next year. >> So we can designate you right
019now we can designate you. >> Yeah. So okay it was empty the was empty. So >> yeah. So if you designate me, what'll happen is when I go to log in, I'll I'll take the training myself and then I'll also have two certificates. One for me completing and then one for everyone here. So Mrs. Irvin Doer, Mr. Dudley, and Miss Morrison, we I'll have a certificate saying that I'm the appointed design and that I took the training. So every the board of education's covered for it. But it's solely up to you. If you'd like to take it, you can. Or you can designate me or Dr. Roberts. Is everyone okay with us continuing to have Mr. Oko as our public records officer? >> Yes. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you. May we have roll call?
020>> Yes. Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Urban Doer? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> Thank you. May I have a motion to approve items 9.1 through 10.1? >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Mrs. Urban Doer. >> Yes. >> Miss Cox, >> I have a question, Madam President. >> Yes. >> Sorry. >> Um, this is for Dr. Reynolds. Two questions. >> How many math teachers do we have at um high school and middle school? Um to give you exact numbers I can give you round about numbers. Uh and I give the exact numbers from my team but at the high school we have maybe about six. >>
021Okay. >> We have six and at the middle school we have two per grade level. So six. >> Okay. One more question. What the role of STEM at Wood Foster? What is what is that role? to introduce our kids to hands-on opportunities in the world, science, technology, engineering, and math. It is something that uh I have been pushing us to do more of as a school district because it it increases the level of engagement for our students because they're now putting creating and they're tearing things apart all in the name of understanding science, technology, engineering, and math better. And this is something I want to to actually carry on into all of our all of our buildings. We we have a a hint of those things in all of our buildings, but we need something
022that's is going to be a little more solid. Uh and that's something that we're actually working on as well. So, it starts with our littles and then we're moving up throughout our buildings. >> So, the STEM at William Foster, the STEM person is only at William Foster. It's not at >> No, we we have a person at at all buildings. We have a yes we have a person at all buildings and high school is more of uh the classes are a little bit different. We have a computer courses uh the courses a little bit different they fit within STEM but we are looking for something that's that's actually going to be a uh that's going to push out into all of the the courses meaning the core courses seeing a little more STEM in um
023in our our math classes or a little more in our ELA courses as well. So, we're trying to create a an environment where it's bleeding over where we're we're doing a lot more creating. For for instance, in a in a um in English class, if they're going and they're reading Beaolf, for instance, and they're trying to figure out what Gindle um the monster actually looks like, they can actually use the description in the in the in the the book and actually have kids to really kind of create those things. That's a very simple um uh way of incorporating steam into but we have some teachers especially our teacher at uh Maple Leaf who is really pushing hard to do more steam including the arts pieces around the district. So so this is something we definitely
024want to continue. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you and my apologies for 9.1 to 10.1. We needed a motion to approve and wave the readings. So, may I have a motion to wave the readings and approve? >> Thank you. And a second. >> Thank you. So, that was moved by Miss Cox and seconded by Mr. Dudley. May we have roll call? >> Yes. >> Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Irwin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? Yes, >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes. >> And may I have a motion to approve and wave the reading? Do I need to approve if I'm just doing one at a time? >> If you're doing one at a time, you have to. >> Okay. So, may I have a motion to approve item
02511.1? So, >> thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you. Is there any discussion? >> Yes, ma'am. We have a plan to to work to consolidate departments. That's something that we've been doing for the last couple of years because of our financial situation. And right now we want to go ahead and consolidate a couple of departments. And uh just and and the reason for consolidating these two departments is to kind of streamline what we're doing in our school district to ensure that everything moves as smoothly as it possibly can. And we believe that this is going to be the best way forward for our district. >> Any other discussion? >> Seeing none. And we have roll call. >> Yes. >> Miss Cox, >> yes. >> Miss Morrison, >> yes. >> Mr. Dudley, >>
026yes. >> Mrs. Urban Doer, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. Thank you. And may we have a motion to wave the reading and approve? Nope. Just going to do this one second. May we have a motion to approve item 11.2. >> So move. >> Thank you. Thank you. Is there any discussion? >> Yes, madam president. >> Yes. >> Can someone give some understanding to this row? >> Yes, it it is goes along with what we're doing with the uh with 11.1 with consolidating departments. Um we're we're looking to create this position. Um and and what we feel is this will be something that just to make everything that we're doing in our district just a little smoother. Um um we have someone in our district who has done this uh has been an operations
027director in another school district for several years. Um and so we we want to to create this position to possibly to to actually place this person in this position to ensure that our district is moving ahead in years to come and just so that we're all on the same page with how we're communicating with uh how we're budgeting as well. And we we feel like this position putting our technology department and our operations department together. Actually when I was the director of operations in another school district I was overall uh including uh maintenance technology uh security as well and this position will be very similar to that. >> How would this position h when you bring the two? So you're saying operations and technology >> and will these people report to the person running technology
028now? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> And um with us combining this role into a director position, will that also help alleviate and take some things off of you and feels plates that are not directly >> Yes, tremendously. um what we've been doing when Phil and I um when I first got here and Phil took over these things, it's a lot. It It is a lot. Um and this will take a few things off of our plate to have someone who's done this for several years to actually just kind of um look at the things that we've done, not change the thing because a lot of the things we've done have been awesome. We put a lot of of uh structures in place that just hadn't been there and we plan on keeping those.
029We also want to just tighten up how we're we're communicating, tighten up, you know, just kind of in ensuring that everyone is on the same page with the we've started already production meetings and so on and so forth for events. But we we we feel that this will be a a good move for us and even with um another position transitioning out, this will actually help us to save a few dollars as well. >> Thank you. Any more discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Miss Cox, >> yes. >> Mr. Dudley, >> yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer, >> yes. >> Miss Morrison, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. Thank you. And may I have a motion to wave the reading and approve items 12.1 to items 15.4? Is there a second? second.
030>> Thank you. Is there any discussion, >> Madam President? >> Yes. >> Can we get um 15.1 Yes, it is. >> No problem. Um 15.1 that is the ght ghta for Idaho State University. um the um state board of education um o um prevented or just um stops the use of accepting transcripts from Idaho State University and um that's the reason why you see the salary modification because those individuals those teachers had went through Idaho State University. Um but when the state had said we're no longer able to accept on the in fact of October 10th our legal counselors ask us to hold or just a place pause until they u researched everything. We're now able to proceed with accepting them as long as they completed the courses um by October um 10 of 2025.
031So that's why we went intoou with an understanding that we are no longer accepting those courses. Is there a reason why the state decided to >> Yes. Um the reason the reason why is because of the rigor um they had noticed that people were taking courses um on air maybe 20 minutes and receiving three credit hours. Um and which of course most courses is a 15 I mean several weeks that you have to go through the courses several written assignments homework and in this case um it was not. So they pretty much just the rigor was not aligned to their standards. You're welcome, Madam President. >> Yes. >> I have a question about 12.1 >> um the 1K for additional duties in the educational advancement department. >> Oh yes. Um we've had some uh challenges
032with personnel in uh the educational advancement department. They need some help. they need a little bit of help and what Miss Reed has done is helped uh uh Mr. Hurt in his department just to ensure that things are moving as smoothly as possible with events uh with just outreach to parents as well. And uh she she's actually done a really good job for us as well. >> Is there any more discussion, >> Madam President? >> Yes. with 12.1. Is there a certain amount of hours this person has to put in in that role or is that in addition to is that like a supplemental? >> Yes. Well, this is in addition to her her normal um her her normal duties duties. um she's our receptionist and and uh what she's doing is is outside of
033what she she's expected to do and that's why we we thought a stipen would would be good for her with for this semester. Um we are in hopes that everything would go back to where we are fully staffed um and uh but in the meantime we we needed some assistance. >> Thank you. Um, I have a question about item 15.4. Does this have to do with the grant that a grant? >> Oh, I was going to go into with you. >> You jumped it. Yes. So, Madam President, yes. Um, so no, this is separate from the grant. Um, this is actually the resolution that the board has to pass before we can issue a purchase order to purchase a school bus. So, we use utilize Ohio Schools Council who does the the bidding for us.
034This is the resolution just for us just authorizing the board to go out and use OSC to buy the bus. Now, the board of education was awarded the school bus safety grant $49,900 uh this past week. Obviously with all the snow days and everything, we kind of missed it, but um they're going to pay us, I believe, at the end of the month for it, which is fantastic. So, we we qualified and won that round. I want to give a um huge congratulations to um Carrie Berg Holtz, who really put the leg work in on this grant, did the research, found everything needed, and she basically compiled everything, and when we submitted it, the state really um really liked the application and awarded us. So, she did a very nice job. >> Thank you, Carrie.
035Any other discussion? Seeing none, may we have roll call? >> Yes. Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Urban Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. Thank you. Next we have comments from the public. >> I have no money. >> Thank you. Announcement of our next board meeting. Um we have a special board meeting, our retreat at 9:00 a.m. on February 7th. Will that be here or at the ESC is here? >> They'll be here. >> Okay. Thank you. here at the board of education office. On February 9th, we will have our special board meeting at 6 PM here. And then on February 17th at 6:00 p.m., we will have our regular board meeting here at the board of education office. Item 17.2 is our
036adjournment. May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Thank you. Is there a second? Thank you. And may we have roll call? >> Yes. Miss Cox? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dudley? Yes. >> Mrs. Irvin Doer? >> Yes. >> Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Thank you. Meeting adjourned.