001evening and welcome to the Garfield Heights School District regular board meeting. This evening is April 14th. I call the meeting to order. Could I get roll call, please? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss King? Yes. Could I get a motion to adopt the agenda as presented? So moved. Is there a second? Second. That was moved by Miss Daniels and second by Miss Cox. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Can I get a roll call, please? Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss King? Yes. At this time, I would like for us to take a moment of silence and that will be followed by the pledge of allegiance led by Miss Cops. flag of the United States of America and to the
002republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. At this time, I'd like to entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the March 10th special board meeting and the March 17th regular board meeting as presented. So moved. Second. That was moved by Miss Daniels and second by Miss Cox. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Could I get roll call, please? Mrs. Daniels, yes. Miss Cox, yes. Miss Morrison, yes. Miss Thomas, D. And Miss King, yes. At this time, we'll do the board president's report. Thank you. On behalf of the board of education, I would like to congratulate high school sophomore Cara Miller and middle school instructor Mr. Thompson for being the very first winners of the Garfield from the Garfield Heights City Schools from the Mulch Museum
003Stop the Hate Contest. Stop the Hate contest winners and recipients are individuals from Northeast Ohio who with their responses, essays, or poems demonstrate the highest levels of inclusion while condemning hatred and discrimination of any type. I encourage you all to go to the website or our social media Facebook page and watch Cara read her award-winning poem. Congratulations to all. I've had the opportunity to attend I've had the opportunity to attend a coffee talk presented or hosted by Dr. Reynolds and Treasurer Philip Oko. Another outreach opportunity for the community. To say the least, Dr. Reynolds is engaging and informative and is prepared to answer questions of all sorts. Treasurer OPO has come armed with information to help enlighten citizens as well. We have had parents attend, non-parent community members, past employees, and supporters as well. There
004will be one more coffee talk on Wednesday, April 23rd, and the location will be posted on social media. Thank you to everyone who's making the effort to attend. Finally, on May 5th, a celebration will take place at Maple Leaf to commemorate its 100th birthday in our community. Anyone who at one point or another has called Maple Leaf Elementary is encouraged to attend. We will have birthday cake and sing happy birthday. Please everyone attend this event. Of course, the evening will be extra special, an extra special occasion because it is the day before election day, May 6th, which is a very important date in our district. Issue 20 is the ballot is on the ballot on May 6, 2025 and this is our renewal issue that will not raise taxes. The district has placed the levy
005information page on our homepage on our website and we encourage you to visit the page and get informed. Funding associated with issue 20 has been continually renewed by our community over many years. Please do your part and become aware of the facts about issue th issue 20. This concludes my report. Thank you very much for your continued support. Next, we will move on to committee reports. Are there any committee reports? Madam President, Miss Thomas, I have a committee report for the policy committee. Yes, ma'am. We met on April 4th um and we reviewed a number of policies that um we will have our first reading on this evening. Um you all should have received those policies in your email. I will kind of sum some of the policies up. Um a lot of the policies
006are due to our current and past administration and we've gotten um guidance from Niola for these policies. Um, volume 41, number two, we changed some policies on FMLA and home instruction student handbook. Um, same volume, same number. We updated some things due to Senate Bill 29. Um some updates about AI were in that policy. We updated in that same volume, same number um tobacco use policies. Um volume 42, number one, we updated um some third grade guarantee policies. Also updated our Narcan policies as well as board revision complaints. Um and we highlighted that we do not um counter complaints toward residential properties. Volume 43 number one. Um that was about federal grant reporting. Um a lot of internal things that we have to do in regards to our federal grants and new policy it will
007be 2265. That is our policy about individual protections of individual beliefs, affiliations, ideals or principles of political movements or ideology. Item 42. Number two, um updates on academic intervention services, employee and substitute updates, um more updates on the third grade rooting guarantee as well as transportation. volume 43, number two. Um, drug policies for administrative staff and teachers. Um, some sped resolutions from Niola. Um, additional graduation seals. Our parents bill of rights was updated. Um, the bathroom bill is included in this. And the rat pack um bill is also included in this which is the background check for anyone entering the school building. And we are we will have our first reading this evening. So I would appreciate your support. That concludes my report. Thank you Miss Thomas. Are there any other committee reports? Madame President.
008Miss Daniels. Mrs. Daniels. I have a family and community engagement report. Yes, ma'am. It is an exciting time to be a part of the Garfield Heights City Schools family. Month after month, our district continues to create meaningful opportunities that uplift our students, engage our families, and strengthen our community. February was filled with a with powerful events that brought us together. And March kept that momentum going strong. Thank you to everyone who continues to show up, support, and pour love into our family and community engagement efforts. Your involvement is what makes our district feel like home. March was filled with incredible highlights that showcased the talent, leadership, and unity of our students and families. We kicked off the month on March 4th with the Garfield Heights High School Winter Band concert where our student musicians performed
009in front of more than 250 proud audience members. The energy, efforts, and excellence were all on full display. Later in the month on March 18th, Garfield Heights High School hosted a special recognition ceremony to honor the scholars who successfully completed the effective leadership academy. These students committed themselves to learning and growth and we were proud to celebrate their leadership journey. To close out the month, we hosted one of our most beloved traditions, March Dadness Week, and it was an absolute hit. Each building across the district participated in unique and engaging ways to bring fathers and father figures into our schools. On Monday, schools kicked off the week with breakfast with dads, filling our building conversations, connections, and pride. By Wednesday, the secondary schools turned up the competition with a twoon-o basketball tournament where families came
010out in large numbers to cheer on their favorite teams. Thursday was encore with dads at our primary buildings, inviting dads into music, STEM, arts, and gym classes to share joyful moments with their children. The grand finale was the father daughter sneaker ball, a soldout event that wrapped up the week with dancing, laughter, and unforgettable memories. It was a powerful reminder of the joy that comes with families when families and schools come together. A special thank you goes to the staff and building teams who help make March Dadness a successful week, especially while managing testing and daily responsibilities. Your commitment to creating spaces of celebration and connection is deeply appreciated. As we move into spring, we're filled with excitement for the end of the year activities ahead. Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together,
011we are building a district rooted in pride, purpose, and community. This concludes my report. Thank you, Mrs. Daniels. There any other committee reports? Madam President, Miss Cox, okay, the academic excellence committee met on April 3rd and we were updated on the academic progress of the district. We will be meeting quarterly. That concludes my report. Thank you, Miss Cox. Are there any other committee reports? Madame President, Mrs. Thomas, one quick addition. Um although I for Kaihog Valley Career Center, although I did not attend um our last month's meeting because we were away at a conference, I do want to recognize and congratulate um all of our students who were um inducted into our National Honor Technical Society. Awesome. Thank you. Congratulations scholars. Any other committee reports? I have a wellness report. Um, boys volleyball. Our inaugural
012varsity boys volleyball season is underway and the team is off to a strong start. They've already secured some impressive early season victories, including a 3-0 sweep of Shaker Heights. Baseball has had a solid start to the season as they won their first game in over two years, defeating Cleveland Central Catholic 10 to3. Dory Martin led the way with 11 strikeouts with Orion Camper um having two hits and two steals. Flag football, our inaugural flag football season has gotten off to a strong start as the Lady Bulldogs flag football team has won several games this year, including a 32-6 win versus Berea Mid Park, the first flag football win in school's history. in the school's history. Theater. Our theater department had a successful run of six performing over multiple days to great acclaim. Congratulations to the
013cast and crew on a fantastic performance. Our softball track and field um due to poor weather, neither program has yet to compete in a game. This was as of 49, but both programs have increased the overall number of athletes from the past season. So, congratulations goes out to all of our scholars for all of their hard work and dedication. Are there any other committee reports? All right, hearing none, we will go on to our next um agenda item, and that is a high school update from Mr. Townsen. Now you Good evening. How's everybody doing tonight? Good evening. It's great to see everyone here. Give it a chance to warm up as we uh get this presentation going here for you. I just want to thank before we get started, everyone showing up tonight to show
014support for your students and this high school. Uh I am John Townsen. I'm proud principal here at Garfield Heights High School. It's my second year um up here at the high school. And I know we're all here for the Roses for Teacher ceremony, but I have to get to some good stuff first and share with you guys some of the hard work that your students uh and staff have been doing this year. Some really great stuff. I promise I'll keep it I'll keep it light and I'll keep it moving so we can get to the good stuff. Of course, my clicker me. Thank you. I froze. You did something. There we go. All right. Okay. So, uh, one of the things here you need to know about the high school is I can definitely not
015do this job by myself. It's a big building of almost 1,200 students, 80 staff members, and I have an excellent team to support me in that role. Um, Candace Milton is one of my assistant principles. Dr. Tom Price is back there, he's one of my assistant principles. Chris Sauer, assistant principal. Uh, Latia Taylor, AP. Uh, and new to the staff this year is our dean of culture, Mr. Gamble. skipping. Can you go back? There we go. So, tell you a little bit about the building and some of the vision that we have. We really try at Garfield Heights High School, uh, we're committed to fostering an environment where every student embodies that bulldog pride. And if you look around our school tonight, you'll see a lot of pride signage. And pride stands for being prepared,
016respectful, involved, determined, and excellent. And we really try to embody that everything we do throughout our school day and throughout our school year with our students. Our slogan for the school, as I say it every day, is this is Garfield Heights High School where every student belongs, every day counts, and together we have Bulldog pride. I want to share a little bit with you guys about how we're doing on an academic rating and overall as a school. So, we're very proud here at the high school. Um, when I took over, we were able to improve our star rating from uh two to three stars. Three stars for you guys uh that cannot read the fine print up there. It uh we met state standards. So, that's an excellent excellent thing. Uh we're very proud of
017that. uh our our building and another building uh were the ones in the district to do that and we did it through hard work and also academic progress. Uh those colors at the bottom there show you where we made uh growth. Uh ELA we exceeded growth. That's what that blue bar means. The green and the science and social studies that means that we met state standards in those. And we have a little bit of work to catch up in the orange there. That's mathematics. And we're addressing that next year with some of the creative things we're doing to support students in our schedule. This is kind of a key piece that anchors us all together that we often talk about here at Garfield Heights High School and in the whole district with our board of
018education. It's all about preparing your students for what's next after high school. And one of the things on the bottom there, if you read it, it's career prepared and college ready. Those are real world skills that we're trying to instill in the children every single day to make sure that they're going to be successful in the real world. Our academic focus this year, we focused a lot on getting ready to improve our state test scores. So, there's no secret how we were able to get to that three star building. It meant that we had to sit down and do um quarterly benchmarks. Benchmarks are tests that your students take to get them ready for the real test they just took here in April. And it gets them to practice and then we can take that
019data and look at ways to make improvement. We we also focused heavily on teacher strategies in the classroom. Making sure that teachers have the strategies to keep your students engaged in learning as well as uh a heavily increased amount of principles in the classroom. Not in an evaluative structure, but more to help the teachers uh find out those strategies and see see ways we can improve with those high yield group strategies. Speaking of careers, it's more than just getting ready for college here at Garfield Heights High School. We also participate in a program to have students earn an industry credential and rise up. So far to date this year, we have over 100 plus students that have worked tirelessly to get an industry credential, which means they can go into the workforce if they choose
020to in retail or business and be able to use a certificate in their job search. CBCC. It's a it's a huge partnership and we hear uh you heard Miss Thomas's report on that. I'm happy to say this year that we have more enrollment in CBCC than we've had in the past. 102 juniors enrolled for next year. That means that next year at CBCC, which is our career center, we'll have 37% of all the juniors um will be attending there. And that's we have the highest district next year going in for juniors that'll be at CBCC. So, we're really excited about that. Um so far this year they we have 43 students that are attending that have already earned career credentials. Everything from automotive to cosmetology uh to health careers. All things that could help them
021in the real world after they graduate from us in CBCC. These are just a couple of students I want to highlight that uh go to CBCC. Hold on. Let's get those guys. So we have a number of students uh up here um that have done great things. We have culinary students. We have the health career students. We have a vette program at CBCC. All students that are making excellent excellent career strides here in the building. Mr. Talson, what are you doing here in the building? Well, we're doing a lot to get ready to support those students in their future. And one of the things that we've really tried to focus in on is careers that will be meaningful for students after high school. And if you were at our last state of the schools, you
022might have noticed a theme going on. And that theme is STEM, science, technology, engineering, mathematics. Those are all career fields that have promising futures for our students. So, one of the things that we did this year is try to make programs that address that. So, I'm going to share some of those with you. If you look up there, that plant lab we have growing right now, believe it or not, those are plants that just started growing 3 weeks ago through our hydroponic system. It's a pretty advanced system. and we started a sustainability class. Um the hopes are in the future next year we're actually going to go to an a science and business uh format for some of our students an option which means that they can get ready right for the workforce in the
023growing industry of agricultural business and science. It's much more than just growing things but we started that off and we often go to the elementary schools with our students and teach about sustainability career experiences as well. uh a lot of the experiences we've done in the healthc care industry. Your students have mentioned to us that there's a lot of health care they're interested in. So attending fairs e for me uh college and career fair as well as getting hands-on experience with trained medical doctors to kind of see if they're interested in that field. There's also a growing number of students interested in industries. Uh if you look over there to our left, we are proud this year for the first time to partnership with Lincoln Electric uh a neighborhood um up the street uh manufacturing
024firm. And then the students there in the middle, we partnered with Worthington Steel and they actually had a chance to go out to the facility uh and they were very happy with their hard hats um and walk through the facility and see how that industry uh is manufactured. In the classrooms, we really try to put a a push for STEM and more things that get students hands-on with learning in science. Uh I'm very proud of the team over there to the left. If you look at that picture, that is our data team. So we have a number of students that were really interested in scientific data and they actually competed in a competition and even though they were uh younger this year, our team, they actually placed in the competition. So we were pretty proud
025of them in that in that data problem solving. NASA, we made a trip out to NASA. Uh the kids were excited about that because we got to work with actual uh NASA scientists to build models and to also learn more about careers in aeronautics. Public health and safety was another thing that we tried to bring into the school and we talked a lot about um fire academy and police academy. And as you can see the students were excited to put on the the gear and I can't leave the arts out here. So, we talk a lot about um STEM, but part of STEM, if you add the A, it's STEAM. And the arts here at Garfield Heights High School are stronger than ever. We have our just our play of six that just took place,
026the stop the hate initiative, which we talked about, and also we're very proud of our um band scholars who are several place with high honors in the OMA uh competition, which is great. That's not to leave colleges and careers out as well. A lot of students are interested in going to college still here with us and we made sure we had a strong partnership to bring those experiences in including uh engineering where they're um doing hands-on activities in robotics. One of our largest partners here at Garfield Heights High School and it's a great option for um students in the future is our college credit plus program. It's a great way for students to not only attend classes here, but also attend classes at TRIC C where they can get dual enrollment credit for free, which
027is an awesome awesome thing. This year alone, we had 91% of all students uh passage rate. Um and as well as we had uh 43 credits earned in the summer and in the fall, we had 249 college credits earned right here at Garfield Heights High School, which I'm very, very proud of. That's a 5% increase. Uh as well as next year, we already looked at the numbers. We have a 14% increase in enrollment, 249 college credits, uh and 163 uh credit enrolled for the spring coming up here. So, we're not done yet. So, we're going to even more credits here. And we're very excited to bring ELA CCP right here to the building where we'll have our own instructors being able to have students earn a college ELA CCP credit. Oh, it's a big one.
028So throughout the throughout the year, we work very hard to support students academically as well as culturally or behaviorally. And this building here at Garfield Heights, we actually were able to obtain the silver PBIS award. And we did that through monthly incentives for students. We've had a steady decrease in referral data for the last two years here uh with small group tiered interventions, check-in, one-on-one supports, and we built trust in our students and relationships with our teachers to make sure that we're on that. And this year, we're applying for gold. So, that'd be great. It' be the first time the high school uh would have not only silver, but a gold in the district, which would be a very great thing. And then if you follow us on social media, you might notice the hashtag
029everyday something good. Um I like to shout out every single thing that our students are doing throughout the weeks here in school. Um and it's everyday something good. And there's a lot of great things that happen every single day right here in our high school. And this is just a snippet of some of those. Um we have community events where they go out to the park and they actually clean up the um park through our students of service club. We have, of course, our wonderful, award-winning, acclaimed Music Express team who put on an awesome rendition of Thrill Ride this year. March Dadness, which we heard mentioned earlier, that was our March Dadness first ever uh uh father and student basketball tournament, which was great. National uh Technical Honor Society through CBCC. We had a number
030of students. There's a couple not pictured in there, but they were able to obtain that. And for the only the fifth time in school history, we actually made it to the final four in the basketball tournament. And also, if you look over there, you see Marcus Johnson. Uh he actually won the title of Mr. Basketball for the state of Ohio, which we're really proud of. Um and it was the first time also kind of uniquely that a father and son now were Mr. Basketball because Coach Sunny Johnson also got it back in his day. So that was kind of neat. And here's the band students that I mentioned that won the awards at the OMA band. And last but not least, we have Cara Miller. Killer Cara Miller, who was acknowledged tonight, was a proud
031recipient and winner of a contest for the Maltz Museum Stop the Hate poetry. Like we said before, if you haven't got a chance to hear her poem or go online and see it, it's really amazing. Um, and we're really proud of her for that accomplishment. And now the moment you guys have been waiting for, the roses for teacher ceremony. All right, I'll stick to the formal speech for this one. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, members of the board of education, Dr. Reynolds, Mr. Oko, honor guests, proud parents, scholars, and staff. Welcome to this year's roses for teachers celebration at Garfield Heights High School. And before I start the ceremony tonight, I wanted to do a special acknowledgement. We actually have in here this tonight, Miss Marlene Remish, who started Roses for Teachers, a tradition that
032carries on today. Each spring in the cafeteria, we gather not just to recognize excellence, but relationships, commitment, and resilience that make this ceremony possible. At the center of everything we do are students. And tonight, we proudly honor the outstanding young scholars who have earned a perfect 4.0 GPA sumakum laad recipients, honor recipients. Your drive, your discipline, and your determination have brought you here, and we are proud to celebrate your success tonight. But none of us walk this journey alone. Parents and guardians, your steadfast support is the quiet force behind these achievements. As your child is called tonight, we ask that you stand so we can honor the role you played in the growth and success of your child. Over the course of 13 years in school, students will meet many teachers. But there's always one
033who really stands out. A teacher who believed in them, who saw their potential, who challenged them to become more. Tonight's ceremony, roses for teachers, is about recognizing those educators, the ones who leave a lasting mark. Each student is introduced. As each student is introduced, they will have a chance to step forward and thank that one teacher who made a difference in their journey. Let's take this moment to celebrate the impact of great teaching, the kind that lasts long after that final bell. This year, our school has leaned into academic growth, student leadership, and what we call bulldog pride. Prepared, respectful, involved, determined, and excellent. You are the embodiment of that vision. students, students and teachers together showing that what's possible when we lead with purpose. Congratulations once again to all of our Roses for Teacher
034honores. On behalf of myself, the Garfield Heights High School staff, and the entire Garfield Heights City Schools community, thank you. We are incredibly proud of what you've accomplished so far, and we can't wait to see what comes next in your future. Before I hand it over to the counselors, they're going to announce your students. uh one by one and say a little bit about them as they come up here. At the end, Madame President, when we're done with the ceremony, if it's allowable, we would like to pause and take some pictures with you guys out in the uh foyer here. Absolutely. Thank you. Come on up. I got you. Good evening. Good evening. I am pleased to introduce you to recipient Rhonda Baker. Rhondaiana is an exceptional individual who embodies a strong work ethic, reliability,
035attention to detail, and is methodical. As her counselor, I've had the pleasure of watching her grow the last two years, showing tremendous commitment to her goals and to those around her. Throughout her time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Rana is graduating sum and has received scholarships. She has received the governor's merit scholarship for high achieving students. She will be attending either TRIC's two-year Carthag. Currently, Rana attends CBCC where she is a part of the building and property maintenance program. This year she spent four months working in the cafeteria and has received numerous compliments of her work. She really enjoyed bringing the cleanliness and a better environment for her fellow classmates to eat. She believes that a clean place is a happy place. Riana not only exudes excellence in the academics and her work
036but in the extracurricular activities as well. She has a passion for yoga and wellness. She has been a part of the yoga club for the past three years. I have no doubt that whatever path she takes, she will embody a strong work ethic, reliability, and friendliness wherever she goes. Please join me in welcoming Raana as she presents her roles. [Applause] Good evening, y'all. When I started high school, I thought math was a subject that was both easy and fun to engage myself in. I adored Miss KJ's teaching. She was willing to work with you and give you guidance. She wasn't arbitrary. In fact, if you were failing any of her math classes, she was open to tutoring. But math isn't the only thing she taught. Every Wednesday in the library, we would have our own
037yoga section and bask in a relaxation of meditation. We nailed a yoga club in a performing arts center and focused on our body as our main tool for everything we do and try to appreciate it. Not only was I relaxed after doing yoga, it gave my body more stability to do my work in the cafeteria the next day. Now it's my thought process. I'd like to thank you, Miss KJ, for the experience you've given me. And I hope to learn I hope to live by everything I've learned from you. May God continue to bless you as a woman of God. And from one yogi to another, namaste. [Applause] I know William. Okay, for our next recipient, Aiden Dues. Aiden is a very well-rounded individual who embodies empathy, persistence, tenaciousness, and attentiveness. As their counselor, I
038have had the privilege of knowing Aiden for the last two years. He has shown dedication to his goals and to those around him. Throughout his time here, he has demonstrated excellence in his academic career. Aiden is graduating sumakulate and has received numerous scholarships. He has received the Kent State academic achievement award, Kent State Flashes Go Further, Cornwire Scholarship, Governor's Merit Scholarship, and the Federal Pell Grant. Aiden will be attending Penn State University in the fall and plans to go into accounting or finances. He has also pushed himself this school year, taking multiple CCP courses to get ahead on his college credit. He is working towards graduating with honors diploma. Aiden not only exudes excellence academically, but in his extracurricular activities as well. Aiden is passionate about the following: casual sports, playing anime, video games, reading,
039and can solve a Rubik's cube. Aiden's favorite quote is, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift." That's why they call it the present. I have no doubt whatever path Aiden takes, he will continue to exude dedication and inspire others just as he's done here at Gartfield Heights High School. Please join me in welcoming Aiden as he presents his roses. Hello everybody. Good evening. For my rose, I am nominating Mr. Aluna. The first time I had Mr. Noluna was in elementary school and I really liked his class. We got to do amazing activities on the computer every day and I look forward to specifically his class every single day. One day Mr. Nuna started doing the morning announcements for William Foster Elementary School and he asked me if I wanted to
040be in it. As a kid I was on the shy side and I was skeptical about doing it at first but of course I said said yes since I liked his class so much. Mr. Mr. Nuna really got me to step out of my comfort zone and I'm really grateful for that. A little later, Mr. Nuna asked me if I wanted to help edit some of the stuff for the morning announcements. Obviously, I said yes, and I am so glad I did. I learned so much about editing and creativity while editing the videos and pictures. Sometime later, I reached high school and I hear that Mr. Noluna is working at the high school and I'm excited since I haven't seen him since elementary school. I wanted to say hello to him. So, one day at
041the start of one of my years in high school, I walk past his room and he looked the same as he did about five or six years ago. I go up to him to introduce myself since he probably doesn't remember me since he has tons of students he teaches. And he says to me, "What's up, dudes?" I couldn't believe he actually remembered my name cuz it's been so long since elementary school. Mr. Mr. Mr. Luna has taught me so much about computers and made me like computers so much that one day I want to get an office job so I could be around computers all day. I even have Mr. Nuna's class right now and I'm learning so much great information that will most likely help me with my future career. I just want to
042thank Mr. Nuna for being such a great teacher and inspiration to me throughout peers. Okay. Daisy. Good evening. My name is Mrs. Jackson and it's with great pleasure that I introduce to you recipient Jessica Giddings. Jessica is a remarkable student that embodies determination, honesty, efficiency, and has a huge heart for everyone she meets. She is a standout student with a dedicated work ethic and a strong commitment to help others. Jessica has demonstrated e excellent academic achievement from the moment she entered high school. Currently, she attends the CBCC where she is a part of the sports medicine program. This year, she had the honor of being recognized as the outstanding senior in her class. And on April 17th, she will be obtaining her NASM certified personal trainer credential. [Applause] Jessica is graduating soon LA and has
043received numerous scholarships including the government's merit merit scholarship for high achieving students as well as a merit scholarship to Cleveland State University where she will be studying exercise medicine in the fall. After undergrad, Jessica intends on obtaining a master's degree in occupational therapy. Jessica not only exudes excellence in academics, but her extracurricular activities. She has been a member of the marching band for four years and participated in concert band since fifth grade. Jessica plans to continue her passion by joining the honor band at Cleveland State University. I have no doubt that whatever path Jessica takes, she will continue to excel and inspire others just as she has done here. Please join me in recognizing Jessica as she presents her oath. To start off, I chose Miss Bitsan because she was my American history teacher. I
044chose her to give my rose because from the beginning of the year I could tell that she was really going to make an impact on me. The way she taught was super interactive and I it never was a clear-cut paper and pencil assignment. She immersed us into the lessons and always sent us on scavenger hunts around the room. Nevertheless, Miss Bitson always got to know her students and even became more of a best friend than a teacher to me. She is super personable and I could always stop by her class and talk to her in the mornings for a good laugh. Miss Betsson is that teacher that you'd always want to stay in contact with even after you've finished her class. This statement is agreed upon by many of my peers and even alumni that
045have had her as a teacher before. Forever will I remember her as my favorite teacher in the 12 years of education that I've received and I hope that she makes as much of an impact and difference on the following classes to come. Thank you, Miss Bitan. Did you [Applause] Hello everybody. Thank you guys for coming out tonight. My name is Brandon Johnson, one of the school counselors here at my high school. And I'll be um talking about the next four um students. So I am pleased to introduce you to the recipient, Yan and me. Yan is an extraordinary individual who embodies a dedication, uh resourcefulness, drive, and adeptness. Um, as her counselor, I I have had the pleasure of knowing Yen for two years. She has shown a tremendous devotion to her academics and her
046extracurricular activities. Uh, throughout Yen's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Yan is graduating soon and plans on attending Ohio University in the fall for mechanical engineering. Currently, Yan attends CBCC and is part of the engineering technology program. She has also pushed herself to pass the year taking CCP courses to get ahead on college credit. Yen not only exhibits excellent in academics but in her extracurricular activities as well. Yen has a passion for sports and music. Yan has been a member of the softball team for three years. She's also been a member of the soccer team for two years. Yana shows interest in music express crew has been a part of that this year as well. Yan is a well-rounded student and whatever path she decides to take in life she'd be successful. Please
047please join me to welcoming Zenza Rose who just came from a softball game. Congratulations. Uh, good afternoon everybody. For my roles, I am nominating Mr. Dumbber. Mr. Dumbber is a tremendously great teacher. He is passionate about his class and he works hard to ensure the classwork is well structured and interesting for his students. His projects are creative and engaging as well as fun. Not only this, but he is patient and always has time to answer questions and explain difficult subjects thorally. In addition to carrying pot's class, he also always had open door in case his student needed listening ear or some advice. He supports his students and encourages them even after they leave his class. He has motivated me in many ways to succeed and I'm proud to head in this rose. [Applause] We can't
048find that thing. Thank you. Uh for our next uh recipient will be Gabrielle Abish. I'm pleased to introduce you to her. Gabrielle is an amazing individual who embodies honesty, empathy, determination, and ambition. As a counselor, I have the pres the pleasure of knowing knowing Gabby for two years, she has shown tremendous commitment to academics and extracurricular activities. Uh throughout Gabby's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Gabby's graduated sum and has received numerous scholarships. She's also graduated grading with a career tech honor diploma. Uh she received the freshman academic scholarship housing award work study and governor's merit scholarship. Gabby will be attending Boulder Reese State University in the fall. Caroline Gabby attends CBCC but she is part of the part of the agricultural mechanical design program. Gabby have pushed herself this school year taking
049CCP classes at TRC. Gabby not only not Gabby has not only excelled through academics by shown tremendous devotion um and her extracurricular activities uh through passion of sports and music. Gabby has been a part of the polling team bowling team for the past four years of high school. Uh she has shown leadership as a band manager for three years. Gabby's also part of the national honor society. She's a well-rounded student and I know she might be successful wherever she goes. Please join me in recognizing Gabby as she presents her roles. [Applause] Hello everyone. The teacher Id like to give my rose to is Miss Young, better known as Miss Don. Miss Don has only been teaching here for one short year, but in that year, she has made me love the language of ASL again.
050I speak for many when I say that Miss Don has created a comfortable and confident environment. Miss Don has made me feel as though she wants to teach and that she wants me to succeed. I feel lucky to have been taught by Miss Don. I have learned I am capable of many things. I even learned a finest song from my childhood. In one year of being taught by Miss Dawn, I feel capable of helping the deaf community in the same way she has from a young age. Therefore, I believe Miss Dawn has impacted me the most and deserves this ward as well as many more that will come. To Miss Dawn, please continue to be more than just a teacher to many students. You have impacted me as well as many others in such a
051small period of time. Lastly, thank you, Miss Don. Thank you for being an amazing teacher and the person I can confidently say is the most deserving of this award for me. It's okay. Congratulations for teaching. That's special. Congratulations. Thank you. You're welcome. For our next recipient will be Destiny Price. I am pleased to introduce you to that to I'm pleased to introduce you to Destiny. She is an outstanding student who embodies creativity, collaboration, thoughtfulness, and passion. um as a counsel had the pleasure of knowing Destiny ro for the last two years showing uh commitment to her goals and those around her. Throughout Destiny's time she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Uh Destiny is graduating super colada and also with an honors diploma and numerous scholarships. She received the honor scholarship for a chosen college in
052the fall. She be she will be attending an H.B.CU school and majoring psychology in the fall. She will also she will also be monitoring not monitoring minoring in business admin. Uh she plans on having her own practice one day to help children with mental health issues with which we all love. Currently destiny attends CCP courses to get ahead on on her college credits. She's also a full-time CCP student. Um until all those stats up there about CCP students, she has a big big help with that. So we greatly appreciate her. Uh Destiny not only does well academically but also extracurricular activities as well. She has a passion for cheerleading. Um she also is on a dance team for the past two years. She holds leadership positions such as senior class officer and also national honor
053society officer. I have no doubt that wherever Destiny takes you in body thoughtfulness, passion, and leadership wherever she goes. Please join me in welcoming Destiny Price. Hey guys. For my roles, I'm honored to give it to Miss. Although Miss Hers was one of my last year teachers I had at Garfield High School, she made one of the biggest impacts on me. Last year I was not only taking her in the class, I was also enrolled in additional course and Rana always went above and beyond to help me success in both she she constantly supported me in and out of her classroom and continues to do so even though I no longer her student. No matter the situation, Miss Hunters always found time for me and showed incredible patience. Her class also introduced me to more
054African-American authors, which sparked an interest in reading for me. I can truly say I enjoyed being in her class and having her as a teacher, even though I was almost late every day. Her class was the favorite part of my day. Miss Saunders is one of the kindest, most warm-hearted teachers I've ever had. She's always has had students best interest at heart and there is no one else I would be more proud and happy to give my roles to [Applause] Last but not least, Briana Robinson. Brianna Robinson is excellent vision for body leadership, teamwork, problem solving skills, and a quick learner. As a counsel had pleasure of knowing Brian for the past few years, showing tremendous dedication to her goals and those around her. Throughout Brianna's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Briana
055will be graduating soon colada and also the career technology diploma um and has received numerous scholarships. She received the Ambre Riddle Presidential Scholarship worth $19,500. Woman of excellence scholarship worth was worth worth $5,000 for four years at Arizona State University. The New American University Dean Scholarship worth $6,700. The Polyten scholarship uh worth over 1,500 $1,500 and the ASU Ling Learning Award. Briana will be attending an aviation program to become a pilot. This year, Briana has pushed herself This year, Brianna has pushed herself academically by taking CCP courses to get ahead on college credit. Brianna is also currently a part of CBCC's cosmetology program where she is currently doing an internship. Briana not only does well academically but also in extracurriculars as well. Um she is a part of the key club and other community services
056projects in the area. She's part of national honor society and the national technical honor society. Brianna is a well world wellrounded individual where no matter what path she takes she will do well wherever she goes. Um please join me in welcoming Rihanna. Thank you. I'm going to read Briana's passage from Miss Basam. Choosing to give Mrs. Basama a rose was one of the easiest decisions I've ever made. She's been my favorite teacher ever since I took her classes in sophomore year. She's one of the most genuine people I've ever met. You can tell she cares about her students and wants them to succeed. She makes learning fun through various songs, videos, games and projects. Also, she become a safe space for her students. She not only helped me academically but also personally also encouraging me
057to believe in myself and try my best doing new things. Her kindness, support and guidance has made a lasting impact on me and I'm thankful to have her as a teacher. Miss Thank you. [Applause] Good evening. Um, I am pleased to introduce introduce to you recipient Sayia Sangster. Sayia is an extraordinary individual who embodies optimism, intelligence, self-discipline, and kindness. As her counselor, I've had the pleasure of watching Sayia grow the last two years. I remember the first time I met Sayia. I thought she was the sweetest person I had ever met, and I can honestly say she still is. Not only does her personality shine, but so does her dedication to her goals and to those around her. Throughout Sia's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Sayia is graduating Suma Kumade and will
058be graduating with an honors diploma. Sia will be attending the Ohio State University in the fall where she will be studying nursing. She's in the process of applying for the Choose Ohio First scholarship, which is a scholarship dedicated to students going into STEM backgrounds. This school year, Snia pushed herself by taking multiple CCT courses to get a head start on her college credit. Saya not only exudes excellence in academics, but in her extracurricular activities as well. Say a passion for helping others. She currently works as a home caregiver, she is also a part of Flagline, Crew for Music Express, Winter Club, National Honor Society, and Key Club. Say loves to learn new things and this is apparent in her ability to juggle her academics, work and extracurricular activities. I have no doubt that whatever path
059Sayia takes, she will embody optimism, dedication, and kindness wherever she goes. Please join me in welcoming Saya as she presents her rose. Good evening. Good evening. For my deserving words, Rose, Mr. Dumb Brook has been more than just a teacher. He has been a mentor who has helped me shape my future. His passion for biology made every lesson exciting and thrilling. I would always love the stories and jokes he would used to tell us on Fridays. He is the one science teacher that has made me actually enjoy labs. I loved how I always learned something new and there weren't dull moments in his class. Sophomore year, I had his class early first period and his energy and humor never failed to wake me up and lift my spirits. He took the time to answer my
060questions while also encouraging me to think deeply about things. He showed me to push for the things I want even if it's hard because I'm incredibly intelligent and I can do it. To this day, as a graduating senior, he always checks in on me and I enjoy keeping him updated on my college searches. Mr. Dunberg, I'm very grateful for your support throughout our high school career. I know I will remember your guidance for the rest of my healthcare career. Thank you. [Music] Heat. Heat. I'm pleased to introduce to you our next recipient, Mai Tate. Mai is a wonderful individual who embodies patience, critical thinking, a positive mindset, and a strong work ethic. As our counselor, I've had the privilege of watching Mai grow the last two years. Upon meeting Mai last school year, I was
061impressed not only by his academic achievement, but by the leadership and respect he displays. He has shown incredible commitment to not only his goals but to those around him. Throughout Mai's time here, he has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Mai is graduating Suma Kumade and will be receiving the honors diploma. He has received numerous scholarships s such as the academic achievement award and the governor's merit scholarship for high achieving students. Mai will be attending Kent State University in the fall where he will be majoring in aerospace engineering and minoring in fashion. Micaia not only exudes excellence in academics but in his extracurricular activities. Micaia has a passion for music. He has been a part of the band for four years. Mai is also a part of the National Honor Society. I have no doubt that whatever
062path Mai takes, he will continue to show leadership, positivity, and respect wherever he goes. I believe that he will continue to be successful and inspire others just as he has done here. Please join me in welcoming Mai as he presents his rose. [Applause] Hello everyone. Good evening. I would like to present my roles to Miss Harb. I have had the pleasure of not only being a student in Miss Harb's class for two out of the four years in my high school career, but also being a part of her winter outdoors club where we did fun outdoor activities. From the very beginning of my freshman year, she lit up the kid inside me and encouraged me to grow into the person I am now. I remember how shy I was in her class at first because
063all of her other students were mostly seniors. With her guidance and kindness, I was able to open up in the classroom and learn how to become comfortable with changes in my life. When I had her again in 11th grade, that was the funnest class of the year. I looked forward to coming into her classes because I knew that every day would be a day where she made her students feel welcomed and appreciated. Even in the winter outdoors club, I had the most fun out of all my high school experiences. Her classes were always filled with activities that made me get active, which influenced me to be more creative as a person. I feel that no other teacher deserves this rose more than the one who helped inspire me to have fun in life and I'm
064forever grateful to have the experience of being your student. Our next recipient is Lovely Trailer. Lovely is an exceptional individual who embodies critical thinking, active listening, creativity, and a strong work ethic. As her counselor, I've had the privilege of watching Lovely grow the past two years. She is the type of person that advocates for not only herself, but for others. She has shown tremendous commitment to her academics and extracurricular activities. Throughout Love's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. Lovely is graduating sumakum and is receiving numerous scholarships. She has received the Governor's Merit Scholarship, Kent Honors Distinction Award, and the Kent Academic Achievement Award. Lovely plans on attending Kent State University in the fall where she'll be majoring in biological sciences and minoring in fine arts. Lovely attended the CBCC where she was a
065part of the digital design program. Lovely not only exudes excellence in academics but in her extracurricular activities as well. Lovely has a passion for volunteering. She is currently a hunger center volunteer. Lovely also does tutoring. Love is a part of the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. I have no doubt that whatever path Lovely takes, she'll embody hard work, creativity, and passion wherever she goes. Please join me in welcoming Lovely as she presents her rose. So, even though the teacher that I'm presenting this rose to isn't here tonight, I still want to present it because he really does deserve it. So, for me, Mr. Pavick is a prime example of the phrase, "The best is saved for last." I have always been a fond of my English teachers, but Mr. Pavick has been
066especially inspirational to me throughout my entire senior year. He has engaged with me more than any other teacher and has aided me in finding my own voice. I can say with certainty that I've participated in his class more than any other my entire time in high school. Rather than merely suggesting that I share my ideas, he actively sought out my input to class discussions, making it known that any idea shared by his students was always a useful one. His teaching has genuinely changed my mindset and how I approach my day-to-day life. Having Mr. Pavick as a teacher is a delightful opportunity that any student would be fortunate to have. Okay. And our last recipient is Kira Wilson. Kira is a wonderful individual who embodies resilience, determination, leadership, and empathy. As her counselor, I have had
067the pleasure of watching Kira grow. These past two years, Kira is a type of person that despite what obstacles may be thrown her way, she always rises to the occasion and does so with grace. She has shown incredible devotion to her goals and to those around her. Throughout Kira's time here, she has demonstrated excellent academic achievement. She will be graduating Suma Kumlady and will be attending Kent State University in the fall where she'll be majoring in psychology and communications. Kiara received a rating of one in the highest class A for three consecutive years in a row in the OMO solo ensemble. Kiara has not only exuded excellence in the awards she has received but in her extracurricular activities as well. Kiara is passionate about music. Kira is a part of marching band, concert band, jazz
068band, percussion ensemble and music express. Cara is also a part of drama club, national honor society and SOS. Kira has shown leadership as the co-president of NHS, section leader for marching band, center snare for drum line, and the head of music on the theater board. I have no doubt that whatever path Kira takes, she will continue to embody leadership, selfm motivation, empathy, and resilience wherever she goes. I believe that she will continue to be successful and inspire others just as she has done here. Please join me in welcoming Kira as she presents her rose. Hello. Good evening. Um, I would like to dedicate this rose to Miss Saunders. Um, Miss Saunders has not only shaped my education but also influenced my character in ways that I will carry for the rest of my life. She
069introduced a new way of teaching which allowed me to use my own creative skills which is something I have never been able to do in an English class before. Miss Saunders has shown kindness and empathy, not only in the classroom, but outside of the classroom as well. She takes the time to get to know each and every one of her students. When I was going through a tough time due to medical issues, she was right there beside me, helping and comforting me every step of the way. I am so thankful to have met such a wonderful human being. Thank you, Miss Saunders, for having such an impact on my life in such a short amount of time. And also, thank you for always keeping your snack hatfully stocked. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Excellent job once again
070to all of the 4.0 scholars tonight. Congratulations to all the teacher recipients. Excellent, excellent work. Before we pause for a moment to take some pictures out of the foyer, if I could just have all the parents stand, I want to stand up and and you should be acknowledged for all the hard work and help that you did to get your students to this point. So, stand. All right. Thank you to all of our scholars. Congratulations. And congratulations also to all of our teachers. Excellent. Wonderful job. We will now pause for pictures in the foyer. Welcome back to the Garfield Heights City School District Board of Education meeting. Um we will continue with our agenda. Our next agenda item is our superintendence report. Thank you, Madam President. Before we begin, I I just wanted to acknowledge
071the fact that uh Roses for Teachers is a is an awesome awesome event that we do every single year where we're acknowledging the work of our our students, our families, but especially our our teachers. We've been dedicated and really really working hard for our for our children. So, I want to just take a moment to let you know that I almost lost it a little bit there because it was uh I could see the faces of the teachers as they were being acknowledged by those students and and it was wonderful. But again, thank you, Madam President. Uh, a fantastic few weeks of educational experiences and learning have been underway at the Garfield High City Schools, and I'm excited for our district, for our students, and for our families. Um, no finer example was at the
072high school theater department's uh spring production of six the musical blending talent, vocal performances, musicians from the orchestra and band, the hard work from behind this the behind-the-scenes crew and this year's outstanding performance was was just great. And I commend Mr. uh Benjamin and all of his talented and supportive students for such a a wonderful job. I just saw it again um yesterday and it was it was awesome. Equally creative was our advisors, the cast, the crew who took the field trip to Pinkerton uh North High School in Columbus as inspiration for the uh early this spring to prepare for this performance. So great job in collaboration with our school friends in Columbus. I would also like to thank our many staff members who came out to support those performances. And in other news, the
073Garfield High City School provides an extraordinary shout out to two individuals who've been announced as top winners for the Moss Museum annual Stop the Hate Contest, a yearly competitive uh uh event that celebrates individuals who creatively apply and who are committed to more accepting inclusive society and speaking out against bigotry and hatred. The Garfield Heights High School uh student Cara Miller uh sophomore won first place for the poetry competition, earning a $2,500 scholarship for herself and along with a $2,000 antibbias educational uh grant for the building. Uh you can watch the video on our homepage and our social media. In addition, our very own middle school teacher, Matthew Thompson, was one of the two individuals named as Stop the Hate Teacher of the Year and consequently wins a $1,000 prize uh in recognition for his
074personal commitment to antibbias education. Garfield Heights City Schools has dedicated itself to inclusivity and antibbias and hatred. Uh and Cara Miller and Mr. Thompson represents the finest examples of our Bulldogs applying their core beliefs to a larger scale uh larger stage for all to see and for all to learn from. So congratulations to the stop the hate contest winners. Uh this year summer school um will be July 9th through I'm sorry June 9th through July 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00. uh K5 elementary school uh attendees will be at uh Elmwood Elementary and 6th through 8th grade secondary summer school will be located at uh Maple Leaf. Finally, I'd like to welcome you to this special event uh that's going to happen on Monday, May 5th at the Garfield High City School invites our community
075to Maple Leaf Elementary in order to celebrate its 100th birthday. Uh constructed and opened in 1925, Maple Leaf has been an anchor of educational uh excellence in our school district and also in uh the city as well. And we plan to honor its century of service on Monday, May 5th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. So, please join us. Uh and this concludes my report. Thank you, Dr. Reynolds. Any questions or comments for Dr. Reynolds? All right. If not, we will move on to remarks from the public regarding agenda items. So, we do have um one um person and that is Miss Wonderstock. um at all board meetings of the board and board appointed committees. Um they're open to the public. In order for the board to fulfill its obligation to complete the planned agenda in
076effective and efficient fashion, a maximum of 30 minutes of public participation may be per permitted at each meeting. Each person addressing the board shall give his or her name and address if several people wish to speak. Each person is allotted three minutes until the total time of 30 minutes is used. During that period, no person may speak twice until all who have desired to speak have had the opportunity opportunity to do so. Persons desiring more time should follow the procedure of the board of board to be placed on the regular agenda. The period of public participation may be extended by a m a vote of the majority of the board present in voting. Agendas are available to all who attend board meetings. The section on the agenda for the section on the agenda for public
077participation shall be indicated. Noted at the bottom of each agend agenda shall be a short paragraph outlining the board's policy on public participation at board meetings. Um Mr. Oko, could you give me a three minute? Yes. Calm down. Yes, I can. All right. Thank you. Mrs. Wonderstock, don't count my name and address part of the No, I'm just kidding. Joanie Wanderstock, 10905 Mount View Avenue. no speech. Um it just came to my attention that on the agenda is that you passed the um recognition of the Michael Davis scholarship. Um there aren't enough hours in the day to talk about him. He there's no student in my 40-year career. I knew longer than him. I knew his mother. I knew him. I had the honor of giving his eulogy uh when he unfortunately passed very suddenly.
078And I'm just so happy that you did that. It means a great deal to us. were going to be able to give it um this year. Uh as devastating as his death was, I'm so comforted to know he knew a love like no one else. Um and the girl that was sitting back there with me was the love of Michael's life and she decided to put this scholarship together and I offered to help her. So, I'm really appreciative that you have passed this. It means a great deal to us to continue his legacy. For those of you that didn't know him, Michael was a big basketball star, a total character. Uh, and he was just so full of life and love, and to know him was to love him, especially when he got below the
079surface of that kind of crazy Michael. But, uh, he was a gem, and I'm so blessed to have known him and worked with him. And there isn't anybody that holds a bigger place in my heart than Michael Davis. So, thank you for doing that. I also want to shout out Mr. towns in because I think you're doing a fabulous job. And not only that, but I'm so thankful that you set the record late straight on the origin of the roses of teachers because for years other people have taken credit. And I'm not going to turn her on because she's going to be mad at me, but I have to turn on. But this is Marlene. For those of you that don't did not know Marlene as a principal, I really almost feel sorry for you
080because there this district would never be where it is today without the love, the compassion, the dedication of this woman that grew up in this district that went through all these schools. You mentioned Maple Leaf. She went to Maple Leaf. We'll be there on May 5th. And and we don't get where we are without going through what we've been through. and that there isn't anybody, no disrespect to anybody else, that's done with cheating. And I just reminded her of a story. Am I done with my three minutes yet? Okay. Uh we had a big meeting once and and everybody left. It was just her and I in the office and I could see the door was open and there was like a crack and I could see this kid looking and I'll just say his
081name was Walter just for confidentiality. And I thought, "Oh my god, what does Walter do?" Because he had a go. He was crazy. So we finish our meeting and we go to leave and Walter came in and he said, "Mrs." He had tears in his eyes and this is one of the roughest kids we have ever had. He had tears in his eyes and he said, "I came to pick up my diploma cuz he graduated after everyone else." He said, "But there's I could not pick this up without doing something else." And he gave this lady back here in the red the biggest hug I've ever seen in my life. And he said, "I never would have made it without you cuz she tutored him. She helped him to get that diploma. The likes of
082a Marlene Ramish are I don't even know what to say. and I would never have survived what I have without her. So, thank you, Mr. Anyway, that's it. Am I up? Right on time. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wonder. All right. Uh, could I get a motion to approve the um financials for the month of March as presented? Second. That was moved by Miss Morrison and second by Miss Thomas. Is there any discussion? Mr. OPO, anything you want to highlight for us? Uh, yes. So, um, excuse me. March again coming close to the end of the fiscal year. Uh as we move to June being the last month in our fiscal year, just uh take note that again the property taxes are a little bit higher than you've seen in previous years. Again, that is
083county issue that we were working through. Subsequent to that, the next resolution you have is for property tax rates. Uh we'll talk about that in just a second. But um b biggest uh variances that you'll see across again uh state funding. We are working again to look at data, continually looking at the data, making sure it's our data, we own our data, we know what we're going to get from the third school funding plan this year. And then for expenditures, um we've just seen an explosion in um purchase services specifically around health services, legal, and um special ed costs. One of the biggest drivers of that and we as an admin team spoke about this today is that these kiddos are coming to us from outside districts um who have been overidentified. So Cleveland is
084a big uh perpetrator of this where those students will move into district have the IEPs written with all the services given and we have to comply with that by law. So you'll see um a larger variance in that case uh along with our health services which kind of coincide with that with 504 uh plans and all of that. So other than that, um we are trekking along as usual, business as usual. Our grant funds have been expended at the pace for which we want to expend them. Remember, of course, they're 15-month grants, so they go through the summertime, and we really rely on our title one funds for that summer programming every year. So you'll see that last bit of that to get to that 95% threshold that we usually carry over the five to
085coincide with any needs that we have really expended there through September. Um, other than that, I'll take any questions from you guys. Are there any questions for Mr. Oko? Madame President, Mrs. Daniels, I know that you mentioned um uh regarding the legal fees being um a little higher. Is that due to us having to get guidance on all these federal mandates and things that are coming down? Are we having to incur um extraordinary legal fees due to the guidance that we're relying on our legal team as it relates to the numerous executive orders and things like that? Absolutely. I would say that um it's in this climate it is better to be safe than sorry. So relying on legal counsel for opinions that will guide us through some of this is it will save us
086more money by getting a legal opinion now than to see what happens uh down the road. So I also believe that you know we have seen an uptick in some issues that are pretty you know exclusive to this school year that we don't expect to happen which sometimes you know we have the peaks and valleys over time but from you know the dayto-day on the other side what's happening in the buildings if Dr. Dr. Reynolds, if you have anything to add to that, I can. So, uh, our conversations usually run into the weekends. That's how often we're getting some updates from federal government, government, uh, and also just updates from the state level as well. Uh so yes, we've been in conversations with our legal team very often as as much as yesterday uh just
087to ensure that we are um remaining in compliant to all of the different things that are coming at us from right and left. So yes, uh you probably will see even for the next month as well, you'll see an uptick in in those costs. Um but it is to ensure that we're doing the right things. Thank you. Are there any other questions for Mr. Oko? If not, that was moved by Heather Morrison and seconded by Ashley Thomas. If I get roll call before that, did you wave 9.1 and 9.2 or we doing them separate, Miss King? Okay. Um, I was going to do the resolution separate. Perfect. Okay. Uh, Miss Morrison, yes. Miss Thomas, yes. Miss Cox, yes. Mrs. Daniels, yes. Miss King, yes. All right. Moving on to 9.2, our tax resolution. Could I
088get a motion to approve resolution 25 20,25-16? So move second. That was moved by Miss um Mrs. Daniels and that was second by Miss Cox. Are there any questions around the um tax rate rate resolution? Hearing none, that was moved by M. Mrs. Daniels and second by M. Madam President. Yes. May we um give Mr. Oko a moment to discuss Mr. O. Yes. Um so this is an important resolution um that we do every year. uh it certifies the county rates for collection on property taxes. You'll see that this one compared to last year have seen some major reductions. Uh first one, our bond millage comes off. So this building that was passed in 2001 is fully paid for. Uh we'll make our last bond payments in fiscal 26, which means about nine mills will
089drop off the tax base for Garfield Heights, which is fantastic. It means this is fully paid for. Um, second to that, our emergency levies that we are up for real um up for renewal in May are not included on this rate resolution because they are finished collecting. Um, so 2026 u will not have those included on there which is another drop in the millillage. And then finally, we have made the request to the county to adjust our emergency levy to collect what is actually approved by the voters um in regards to the valuation increase. I just want to make that very clear. The school district, we have made the request to um adjust the millillage to collect which is the process that usually is county submits to us to pass. Whereas we have kind of
090inserted ourselves to make sure we are being as accurate as we can as a school board to be fiscally diligent to our taxpayers. Thank you, Mr. Oko. Are there any questions for Mr. Oko? All right. Hearing none. That was moved by Mrs. Daniels and second by Miss Cox. Could I get roll call, please? Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss King? Yes. Could I get a motion to move and weigh the reading of 10.1 through 15.1? So move. Second. That was moved by Miss Cox and seconded by Miss Morrison. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Could I get roll call, please? Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Yes. Miss Thomas. Yes. And Miss King. Yes. All right. We are at um 16.1 which is the policy
091first reading. Could I get a re a motion to um accept the first reading of our policies? So move. Second. That was moved by Mrs. Daniels and second by Miss Thomas. Is there any discussion? So, I did review the policies and I had a few um questions in regards to a few of the policies. Um the immunization exemption policy which is um 5320. It says on there that, you know, if a child has an exemption, the superintendent has the ability if there is a chickenpox e epidemic to um ask the student to stay home so they aren't exposed. It specifically says chickenpox epidemic and I don't know if we wanted to add measles because there are the increase of the measel cases or if we just wanted to take the specific epidemic out and just
092put epide epidemic. So that's just a question I have on that one. um on the Narcan policy which is 5330. Um to me it the two check marks that we had were contradictory. Um in the way I read it um one says call EMS as soon as pract practicable. Um and then the other said call before administering Narcan. So I think we should choose one or the other. the way I read it. Um, and then the other ones I would just suggest there were a few policies where it indicated department of education and I think we need to add department of education and add the workforce on to the end. So I don't know if you just want to do a fine department of education and do a replace. Um, I do have the policy
093numbers for the ones that I saw, which were 8120, 314, 414, 4121, and 2271. Those are the ones that I caught, but there could be some others. And that's all I all the comments that I have in terms of the policies. A lot of policies. Thank you very much to the policy committee. I know that had to be a lot of work. Are there any other questions or comments in regards to the policies? Madame President, Mrs. Thomas, may you please email your recommendations to the policy committee so that we can review? Yes. I'll do that tomorrow morning. Any other questions, comments, concerns? All right. So, that was moved by Mrs. Daniels and second by Miss Thomas. Could I get roll call, please? Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss
094King? Yes. Could I get a motion to move and wave the reading of 17.1 through 18.5? So moved. Second. That was moved by Mrs. Daniels and second by Miss Thomas. Are there any discussion? Hearing none. That was moved by Mrs. Daniels, second by Mrs. Thomas. Could I get roll call, please? Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss King? Yes. Um there are no remarks for um the from the public regarding miscellaneous school items. Our next regularly our next special board meeting will be on May 12th at 6:00 p.m. and our regularly scheduled board meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. um on May 19th at the board of education. With that, I would entertain a motion to adjourn our our meeting this evening at 7:40. So moved. Second. That was
095moved by Mrs. Daniels and second by Miss Cox. Could I get a roll call? Mrs. Daniels? Yes. Miss Cox? Yes. Miss Morrison? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. Miss King? Yes. That concludes our