CPS Board Business Meeting

001All right. So, I don't have a script, so we'll just do this kind of off the cuff. Um, Vice Mayor Kernney, this is really your meeting. We just need to take a vote. So, yours is a healthy neighborhoods. We can lead this together. >> Okay. Good afternoon, everybody. So, you know, this is our quarterly Cincinnati City Council Healthy Neighborhoods Committee and Cincinnati Public Schools Board meeting. So, what we do for those of you who are new to this process is we look for issues that we can collaborate on. How do we problem solve together? So, today I think we have more discussions about different topics than actual presentations, but we'll see how that goes. But um I let me start by introducing everybody while I'll introduce city council and then um my my co-chair here

002uh Dr. Kareem Monree Mafett will introduce CPS school board. Okay. So I'm Vice Mayor Jam Michelle Lemon Kernney, chair of Healthy Neighborhoods. We have committee members Scotty Johnson and Anna Albi here. Thank you both for coming. And let me turn this over to Dr. Kareem Monree Moffett. >> And I I [clears throat] am Dr. Maf. And to my to my right, I've got my Well, let me start. I've got the vice president E Bolton. And then to my right, I've got board member um Why did I No, I I don't know. I lost my train. I thought Kendra Math. I'm sorry. And then to my left, I have board member Jim Crosset and board member Brandon Craig. And we do need to take a vote. Mr. Gustin, roll call vote. >> Okay. Is it working?

003>> All right. Thank you. Um, just need to do a just need to do a call roll call for attendance. Mr. Craig >> here. >> Mr. Crosset >> here. >> Mr. Lindy. >> Miss M >> here. >> Mrs. Weinberg. >> Vice President Bolton >> present. >> President Moffett >> here. And this is being live streamed. And so Rob, do we have any instructions for those that have questions? Maybe want to post it online. Yes, if you'd like to speak during the speaking of the public for um our side, please click the hand icon. We invite you ask your school and uh association to the district and we invite you to come in during the speaking of the public part of the session. Thank you. >> Thank you. And I should also mention that we have

004our director uh for our department of community and economic development, Kareem Kareem. must say Kareem. I've said Kareem Moffett so many times now. Marquia Carter. Everybody's going to be Dr. Kareem. M Karim Moffet. Um Marquia Carter. Thank you so much. >> I thought there was going to be an announcement or something. >> I know. And then from our clerk of council office, um we have our uh deputy clerk of council Nicole Crawford. And we also have Lisa Kerion. Thank you so much for being here. And I think City Cable. Oh, yeah. Steve Soil was here. There's Steve. Okay. and city cable. There you go, Steve Soil. And we do have some public comment. >> And we have from our administration our deputy superintendent, Dr. Alicia Smith. Our assistant superintendent, Amy Randolph. We have our general

005counsel, Dan Ho. We have our chief information officer, Jeremy Gullahue. >> And our board admin, Miss Phyllis Davis. and our treasurer. I'm so sorry, Mr. Michael Gustin. >> Okay. Okay. I I think what Mr. Soil was saying was if anyone wants to make a comment and you're here. Okay. I thought you were holding up the names. I'm like, wait, who are they? So, if anyone would like to to have the privilege of the floor uh here in person, please just go over next to Sergeant Kibbru. And Sergeant Kenibrew, I should have mentioned you earlier. Thank you for being here. and fill out a yellow card and then Rob already gave you the instructions online. Okay, without further ado, I'll turn it back over to Dr. Moffett and we'll get started. Okay. So, we wanted to

006be able to give a a slight update and now we are out of our government shutdown, but SNAP has impacted our students and so we wanted to have our administration and Superintendent Murphy could not be here tonight uh because she's with your husband at the African-American Chamber uh event. However, um we wanted to explain, we've had a lot of questions around what can the district do with regard to distributing food like we did during the pandemic and we wanted to answer those questions publicly and give you all an update on how that impacted us. So, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Smith to be able to provide that snap update. You can sit there or you can stand up and go. >> Okay, I got you, [laughter] Mr. Rob Wilson is behind the

007scenes there. >> I must come here first then I can sit down for the questions. Um so a lot a lot happened when we all heard about SNAP and our young people and families may not have food. Immediately the superintendent um called us together and talking about what are we going to do? Initially what we did we reached out to the schools because our schools have a lot of community input partners. So, we created a spreadsheet of everything that we could possibly do. We did food drives. Um, the community partners came in and gave food. We also let them know where every place in the community they could go if they needed meals. So, we cannot by law give out food and just hand it out anymore. When we did that during COVID, we had

008waivers from the federal government. We no longer have those waiverss. So, we just couldn't hand out food. And that's what people were thinking. Well, we did it before, but that was with a waiver. So, what we know about what has happened now with our schools, if a student is totally impacted and needs anything, they go to the principal, they make sure that it happens. If it need additional support, they reach out to one of their assistant superintendent and then we dig in even deeper. But right now, if you looked at that spreadsheet and the things that that have been done for our young people and our families to walk away with what they need in order to make sure they eat, because that is one of the survival things we need to make sure our

009young people eat. we have a plan in place for them. So, we feel really good about what we did. We we feel even better about our community and our partners that showed up and just was like, "This is what we're going to do and this is how we're going to help you." And we appreciate the city making a phone call immediately and saying, "What could we do?" So, now I can have a seat according to Rob and if I have questions, you guys can ask me. I just want to say I really appreciate that. I know that uh CPS continued to serve breakfast and lunch. Um the concern was really about dinner and also weekends and so thank you for for stepping up with that as well. Um uh my understanding is that all the

010SNAP benefits have been returned at least for now that people are getting their full SNAP benefits. Is is that correct? Is there any confirmation? >> Yes. Now that's what I've heard. >> Okay. Yes. Okay. That's good to know. Okay. Thank you. Well, the next topic is on uh youth employment and afterchool programming. So, there was a question from one of our board members on our side around the police presence around schools and our dismissals. I'm going to let board member Bolton whose question that was expand on what she was looking for. >> Yes, thank you very much. Uh I think we've talked about this. Um matter of fact, last time I think we were in council chambers. uh our big focus at that time was the downtown transit uh centers and then I know that

011we've all started to receive some very good news about improvements there but also improvements as well at the transit centers at uh Oakley and also at North Side. I know I've been to both of those community council meetings during the the campaign time and and heard reports from the police that do a great job reporting in. So that's good. But I think when we last talked about the uh downtown transit center area and downtown concerns, I think we also raised that we have heard uh as well some concerns about the volume of our young people, be they the little people or our teenagers uh at dismissal time. For the young kids, it was really about pedestrian safety at dismissal and really at arrival, too, which is where we do, frankly, have had some serious issues

012over the years, more at the arrival to school for our youngsters, for pedestrians, and we've done a good job, I think, trying to address it, but it it seems as though ever so often we're still having that. I know on maybe four occasions this year so far, we've had uh the pedestrian issue for our uh older students particularly at the high schools for dismissal time. One of the things we raised uh at the when we were in council chambers before was that those high schools that are located and many of them are located on the major thorough affairs for sure and some of them are also located uh very next to a business district. I can think in terms of the Clifton Clifton Heights. I can think in terms of Bond Hill uh Westwood and

013what have you. uh less so a college hill. Uh but still one of the things that we've heard from our students and we've heard from the business folks as well is that at dismissal time the sheer volume of kids and maybe spillage if you will in not just waiting for the buses at the stops by the schools but the spillage into the business neighborhoods has been problematic for both the business folks and the kids because I know I know vice mayor and I know uh council members feel very strongly that kids we want the kids to feel welcome both downtown and also in the neighborhoods but the sheer volume in a very best example would be Clifton Clifton Heights because there's such a density too of buildings so the idea was to think in terms

014of how we as a group and I I'll say this everybody that was already elected to city council was returned returned and everybody that was already elected to uh the school board has returned and so it seems to me that we have a kind of a team and we've been talking together for a couple of years uh about these various issues. So one of the areas that to concentrate is is is there a need for increased police um awareness uh presence at our business districts and high schools during dismissal? not a heavy presence. Is there something that CPD and other uh folks can help advise us and our resource officers and our staff? Our staff is very good about being on the sidewalks, being on the streets during dismissal. Uh Metro has increased the number

015of buses uh and the sequencing of their arrival at our high schools. We have from about five or six of our high schools reduced the volume and I hope deputy you will make sure I'm doing this right but five or so of our uh high schools we've reduced the number of students because we've reduced the seventh and eighth graders and that has had a positive impact regarding volume but I just think of uh what we're hearing business district hearing the kids and maybe they want to shop or want to linger or what have you is there something we all can do together to make the dismissal time uh more um effective and efficient as well as welcoming and also less problematic. I mean we're doing bits and pieces metros increasing the bus sequence. We've reduced

016many of the kids from the high schools but what what are our thoughts regarding the role the city can play uh in those times? Thank you. I'll I'll just start the con continue the conversation because you've already started. Thank you so much by saying we should start I think by getting data on on how we're doing. I mean we're three months into the school year um with the changes that you mentioned. And so I wonder um how the complaints are going. Are they less um you know are the you know is is the volume of of children uh students lessen now? Um let's let's see where we are compared to last year. Uh and we can also um talk to um our our principles and our uh SRO's, our our student resource officers as well

017as other members of um CPD and see where we are. We really haven't received any data on what's going on. Are there more complaints, fewer complaints? Are businesses still upset? You know, like what what actually is going on? >> Uh thank you. Thanks, Vice Mayor. >> I say council member Albby. Okay. >> Yeah. Uh, and I I ap I'm going to raise this as a question just because I I don't remember where it landed, but I remember there was a a question at one point around doing staggered dismissal times to kind of diffuse the number of kids leaving at once to kind of spread it out a little bit. Uh, where did that conversation go or that that land? >> It's it's uh my recollection that happened the first two years after the extra routes,

018okay, >> were done. And indeed that worked. The staggered time helped as well as the increasing of the sequence of the busing. >> Uh and what it is now is it I think it's still the density uh at dismissal. We have a number of kids obviously in our high schools that have tremendous amount of extracurricular activities that are there and and we want them to be able to stay whether it's tutoring or whether it's athletics or art club or whatever. uh that's great when those kids are staying there and we need staff inside our buildings during that time so that they're not uh unsupervised. So uh I think the the staggering work and I think that's I don't know uh if um our assistant superintendent knows any more about if they're still doing staggered dismissal

019times at the high schools. Yeah. Come on. This is Amy Randolph, assistant superintendent, high schools. >> Hello. Good evening. Um, so the 9 through 12 students have to have 6 and a half hours per day. So with the school's start times and end times, I mean, there's just very few minutes that they're able to really play with. Um, so right now in the buildings that are 9 through 12, like WRO specifically because of transportation does have a little bit of a staggered, but it's not it it really depends on how quickly the metros can get there. Um, but the actual school because of the hours of the school day. Um, there's not like 15 to 20 minutes between each group of students, especially in our 9 through 12s. K12's 7 uh the 7 through 12s

020have a little bit more flexibility [clears throat] because of the hours that are required. If I could ask a question. Um, if could you go give us the the names of the high schools where the seventh and eighth grades have been removed and put into our new uh our middle schools. Aken, Hughes, Schroeder last year, um, West High with and with row and Woodward. So, we have six high schools now that are just 9 through 12. and many a few of those were part of the kind of the higher density particularly looking at cues and what have you. >> Um and West High was always been a pedestrian issue I think for >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. So that was one part of the question and um I think Vice

021President Bolton you hit on it in terms of those after school programs, right? I my personal thought is like how do we get the kids to the the F1 activities, right? So, you know, I'm definitely here to help brainstorm of what does that look like? I know um and I saw director Betts walk in. Um I I know our rec centers are often pretty packed uh with after school programming, but I think there's maybe some fun creative ways we can brainstorm how we can partner together because I think all of us would love to get kids into safe activities, whether it's a sports team, a job, or some other type of club activity, etc. Um so, I I'm here to partner on that. >> Great. Thank you. Anyone else? I was going to say I

022wanted just to maybe add a thought onto what council member Ravi said and and maybe clarify some other parts too, but um to one of the things we're seeing in the district, but I I think part of the struggle we talk about this is that uh 9 through 12 are what catch 9 through 12 buildings have their own kind of world to them now that's different than what was there last year when they were 7 through 12. And part of that is that seventh and eighth grade students, so we see this at uh Schroeder now this year and we saw a little bit last year, the seventh and eighth grade end at a different time. They start at a different time and in theory they should be leaving the area >> at the right time.

023>> What we do know happens sometimes is that they then travel to the area where the high school students will be and kind of wait and kind of hang out. And I think there are some opportunities for us to figure out something especially for those seventh, eth, and nth graders where they may not be traditional jobs, but they may be opportunities for them to participate in a program or some type of activity. Um, given their ability to get employment is limited in some ways that's different for 10th, 11th, 12th graders >> because they're at a different age range. They are able to do more things and they are typically going to uh different experiences. I know in in around the UC campus, we saw a lot of we do see a lot of the changeover

024in the mornings and the afternoon is still different because the students are still able to come over and they're not just the students from Hughes that come over to that area. There are students from other schools that come down to the area to hang out with the folks that they they know when it's when it's not cold. Uh so that's the other factor. If we have weather control, that would be a great way to keep some of our students from hanging out. I do think we also will want to at some point and we're working through some of those types of things now is to think about what opportunities that families can be a part of as part of that opportunity after school or there opportunity for students. I I think you know we have

025our community learning centers at our building so we can offer more opportunities for a whole family to come in and learn a skill or learn a trait or work on a project together or be a part of something together. That makes that engagement that might happen where a big brother or big sister can bring their sibling with them back to the building and do something that might be a way to keep all of the family together and and a little bit safer space. center. That was one of the efforts we made with trying to provide transportation opportunities where a older sibling could ride with a younger sibling or a younger sibling could ride with the older sibling trying to keep them in the same buildings. And so I think those are other things that we

026can certainly look at from our community learning center model and some of our community partner models to provide resources. And then the third thing I was just going to say is I I also we're working through it and I know we we I probably talk about it way too much at our board meetings, but uh career tech uh opportunities within our for internships and externships throughout um all of our partners and I I would imagine there would be opportunities even within uh some of the cities to provide opportunities especially for some of our older students to be able to come up and shadow or do some of those type of things that all those things give value to a student's life and I That's the one thing I've been a little bit concerned with when

027we talked about density though is that the incidents have typically not been the majority of the students. It's the five or 10 who do not seem to have the same value for their own life as we would want them to have or as we would have for them who will do things that then make the larger group look bad or do things that would make folks uh or impugn the rest of the group based on those smaller numbers. Um, and so I think when we give folks opportunities to do stuff that is enriching, but also may give them some reason to come back to school every day, >> they're more inclined to not get into stuff after school. Um, and so whether that's athletics, whether that is a club organization, whether that's a job or

028whatever the case may be, [clears throat] I think there's maybe some opportunities for us to do some of that thought process work as well is providing opportunities for internships and externships um both throughout the district as well as, you know, potentially in some of our city partners as well as the city in some cases. >> That's wonderful. I was going to say the city um is expanding its its internship opportunities. I know Mr. uh Daniel Betts, our um Cincinnati Recreation Commission director, just walked in to talk about another item on the agenda, but he's been talking about expanding the city's youth to work program beyond summer jobs to year round jobs. So, we'll we'll give you an update on that soon. Uh but another I know that activities beyond the classroom has a lot of

029afterchool programs. Are they how are they doing? Are they still working in the schools at at I know they get meals and then they have after school activities? Yes, they're still working in the schools and we still have opportunities and we have schedule E but I agree um as Vice President Bolton said looking at the number of kids I think we start with the data of the number of kids who are not involved in an afterchool program right who are not staying after and if we start with them then we can begin to do the things that board member Craig is saying board that you guys are saying like what and then talking to the kids about what do they like, what do they want to do, like what is it that they enjoy doing

030and then we create those clubs along with um I would love to work with um council member Albi to say hey let's sit down and talk about how we can partner as a city and all of the talent that's in Cincinnati. How can we come together and begin to do some things at our middle schools, at our elementaryaries that draw in just what he said with our community learning centers? But I'd love to get the data together about how many kids are not participating because we have schedule E, right? We have clubs at our school, but it's not enough so that we can join together as a city and then we pull another 50 kids out of each one of our schools that stay after till 5:00 or 6:00 and then the number gets smaller

031and smaller as who's transiented and moving around and we actually do what he said, add value to those kids and those famil family's lives. >> Okay, very good. All right. Um, Jim Crosset. >> Yeah. Um, Dr. Smith answered my question, but I did want to add I've been regularly attending the government uh square meetings that are um led by the police in Metro and um I mentioned this to um Dr. Mopet the last meeting that the arrests this time this year versus last year of youth on the square is down 86%. And it it has nothing to do Dr. Maf thought, well, did it have something to do with the closing of Dawn? It had nothing to do with that. They have completely changed their strategy on how to um how to uh what to

032do with the kids that are down there. Rather than arresting them, they're trying to connect they're trying to they're actually trying to identify what their needs are, what their problems are, and connect them to social services. So, it's a complete different approach to the kids. That's that's been um uh changed that landscape quite a bit. And the the other thing that they talked about was that there are a lot of folks in that program that aren't uh are have already graduated from high school. So it's not just high school students with young adults too that are in that category. So >> Okay. >> But they have data. They've got data. >> Okay. So we will get that. Uh Kendra Kendra map. >> Uh yes. So thank you. So Dr. Smith uh really touched on a

033lot of the things that I wanted to say, but having the opportunity to visit some of the schools, um you know, I think it is imperative for us to identify what the needs are, uh what the resources resources, excuse me, are of those particular schools because we have several schools that have a lot of clubs that students are able to engage in and then we may have some deficits in some other areas. So, making sure that we have that equitable um opportunity for resources resources, excuse me, within um all of our schools and find out what those interests are for our students. And then the other thing um I think that it would uh help to do is not only will it help to support with that um you know sense of value to the

034student, but it will also help to support with the culture and the pride of the school um where students want to be more connected and more engaged in the school. Um the additional thing that I would say in terms of afterchool programs being able to build outside of just the uh athletics realm, right? Finding out what clubs um are um able [clears throat] to be offered because all of our students are not interested in the athletic component, right? But maybe it is chess club, maybe it is robotics club. And then additionally, when we talk about the afterchool piece, um I think it is helpful um for us to brainstorm ways for us to identify what offerings are available that may not come with financial implications because I do know that sometimes that is a deterrent.

035Um so maybe we can explore what we're able to offer um that's either cost efficient or um doesn't have a cost at all. Um and then lastly, when we're talking about um just the dismissal process, I know that during the time of the transit uh hub, all of that conversation that was happening around that time, we did uh have resources from the district going to those different transit centers. I think they were paid additionally. If I'm if I'm speaking incorrectly, please um you know, correct me in that uh uh sense. But are we still offering those opportunities to help kind of monitor what dismissal looks like? So maybe it's not at the actual transit center, but maybe it's around the surrounding campus um to again make sure that we're able to monitor and support our

036students during the dismissal time. So Deputy Superintendent or uh Miss Randolph, can you speak to that last piece about um our employees assisting with the dismissal and transit process? Yeah, we went back at the beginning of the year and we did about five weeks of that and with the numbers decreasing, we didn't continue it. We haven't continued it. So that there's opportunity for that and we feel like that's a need. We can take that back to the superintendent, but we did do it for the first five weeks of school to see how things would be to transition from when we did it last year to this year. And they were at the transit centers and uh our security was there. And so as the numbers went down, you know, we felt like the need to

037do it wasn't there. But if there is a need and we feel like it's the uptick of those things, we can definitely go back and visit that. >> Perfect. And I I think that is um if there is the need for that, I think it's really helpful and essential because at least those individuals are familiar faces, right? Um to our students and so may be more responsive to um getting to where they need to be during that dismissal time. I just want to mention too now the city does have ambassadors um Irish roley's group uh and they are at the transit centers every day that that school lets out and sometimes even during times that I think they're actually there later now um you know beyond uh beyond 6:00 or 7. So they're they're at

038the transit centers you know with our kids and checking to see you know as as Mr. Craig said what what resources they need you know what what what issues they have. Also, I was going to say another good partner in this is we mentor Censey. So, that's a a collaborative um of a lot of the mentoring um organizations in the city such as Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and many other there are a lot of mentoring organizations and now they are collaborating and the idea is to have citywide mentoring so that all the students uh who need or want a mentor get one and so that's that's another positive that I think will will definitely help with this >> and definitely Our people were working with Miss Roelly and her team. Yeah. >> Our security people were.

039>> I also want to say we talked about this a little bit uh council member Albby the success of the rec night program with you with the city has just been phenomenal and that's to uh director Betts and his team. But we also talked about we have staff but we can't afford to necessarily pay them the schedule E. >> But the if we could some kind some kind of way merge >> any available funds that you all may have in a pilot to have some of the same programming that recognite had. >> I think that that would be a perfect fit to align with some things that kids are interested in like hair braiding was one of those things. t-shirt making. Um some of those really creative programs that the kids had in the summertime.

040Yep. >> Um but maybe we could or some of our staff and some of our teams could do it on a schedule either way. We pay them just for x number of weeks. They get a small stipen. And so let's also explore some of that too because you all have the ideas, we have the staff. Sounds like a perfect combination. But I think the first step is for us to collect the data. So, uh, to the administration, um, assistant superintendent, Dr. Smith, sounds like we need to survey some students, we also need to find out what they're interested in, but then maybe we could get some information from the city around what are this, what are the incidents, are they having any, are there any neighborhood complaints? Um, so at our next meeting, sounds like

041we're going to be able to get some uh some [clears throat] some more data. Vice President Bolton has >> Oh, Vice President Bolton. >> My my particular interest is to make sure that and I think if folks that are viewing this, all of this is completely interconnected. The the youth employment, the extracurricular activities, uh the mentoring, what have you. And I know I I think the administration put together at least one slide or something regarding the athletic uh athletics and extracurricular by schools and uh kind of a link to go to to find where that is. And we have so much data uh based upon the fact that this has been one of the uh whole child goals and guard rails if I recall. Uh yeah, if we need some of these if or the

042slide itself. There you go. Rob's got it up. Uh but this begins to >> okay >> kind of do the summary of what we have and then think in terms of I like the idea of a polling the the students and hearing the student voice. As a matter of fact, I think superintendent talked about that just the other night. I can't remember what venue it was, but the things that they wanted to add. And then this career piece, I I you know, I kudos to the recreation folks, but the the reality is that the city is the one of the number one, if not the number one employer of our young people, >> and I I think we've even talked about having, you know, uh increasing the internship kind of thing. And I I think

043that whole junior co-op that somebody talked about uh last year or the year before is is cool because that's within the city. It's like the cadet program and what have you. So >> we this the kids have to feel a part of their city and we want them to love their city and this is a way of doing it. But uh extracurricular also the new foundation ABC is morphing into the new CPS foundation and part of what I know 10 or so priorities. One of them is uh internships and career and another is extracurricular activities. So we're we it's happening but the more we can work together it'll be great. >> Okay, we're we're gonna kick it up a notch. Okay. So, just to close this conversation, our next three steps that we'll report back

044to everyone, um we're going to get the data. Uh CPS will identify needs of students and then we're all going to work on programming and bring all of that back to you. So, so thank you so much for that. I see our our recreation uh commission director, Mr. Betts, is here. So, we're going to go on to C on the agenda after school care. And uh I think Dr. Moffett wanted to introduce that one. >> That was a nice segue into Dr. Moffet, you do that. So we received uh at the beginning of the year we had a lot of conversation from our parents that were experiencing what they were asking us for is hey hire some more people so that our afterchool care at the rec centers can be can be staffed. And we

045quickly brought in director Betts and uh he shared with us that they were working on this. It was not a staffing come all the way down this way. It was it was really wasn't a a staffing issue. it was the timing issue and so we wanted to get an update on that and I'm not exactly sure if our administration has any additional context but one rec center was hide park and then I know the rec center by cans was also u impacted as well but director betetts can >> uh the podium please >> yeah this is fair >> and also fair view Okay. Well, first of all, I'm glad to be here. Thank you for having me. Eve, it's good to see you in this space. >> You director, >> you're uh also in spaces

046with us with CRC and glad to have you on our board. I apologize for my dress attire. I I'm uh was not anticipating this meeting. My wife and I on Thursday nights with my oldest daughter, we do yoga and meditation. And so, I'm in my meditation get ready gear at 7 [laughter] o'clock. we won't disturb you. >> So, um that's what we need your >> G. So, your question is about and and let me also just say that uh I'm definitely in the right space when I see young people in the back and parents and clearly the conversation is around after school and young people and employment for young people which is extremely important uh to me as director of Cincinnati Recreation Commission. uh your question around after school uh be it hy park be

047it over at Clifton Fairview in Canes uh I think there was just some miscommunication about uh CRC's ability to staff after school and so I want to set the record straight so the people the viewing audience and this body knows that there is no issue with our staffing capacity with Cincinnati Recreation commission. Uh the issue uh I'll take one at a time. The issue at High Park is an issue of space. Uh we're in the school at the pleasure of the school. The school has space usage and needs for the school and we understand and respect that. So there's always this conversation uh where we're in a school uh with that school principal and with administration around what additional spaces can we occupy to increase our capacity at H High Park. We've been in conversations

048with that principle around our waiting list which we always have a waiting list at High Park. That is nothing uh relatively new. Uh we serve at High Park After School roughly 197 young people. We do it um based on our license where that is not a licensed site. I'll talk a little bit about license sites because I think that there's a little confusion around what is a state license site versus a non-licensed state site. Uh, High Park is not a licensed sites, but all our sites we operate under efficiency around the state requirements whether it's state license or not. Uh, so I want to clear that up. 197 young people. Uh, we're working with the principal to get more space in the afterchool component so that we're able to expand. Now, what that means, it's

049really simple. If we're going to expand, we would have to expand our staffing component at that site. And we would go to our board and to city council and to the city manager and say, "Here's a need. Here's um what that need would cost. Uh would you give us the dollars to expand?" It's quite that simple. It's not This is not rocket science in terms of our ability to service communities where there is truly a need. Um, and so for High Park, we're looking and working with that principal and community to see if we can get additional space. If there's additional space, then we will work strategically internally with our board and with the city to get funding to accommodate that. We're not there yet. So, that's where we're at with that that particular site.

050Uh in terms of believe it was Clifton in terms of that you had asked about in terms of Clifton Fairview >> in Fairview. Right. So we have in the Clifton program 120 kids. We're not in the school there. We're not in either one of those schools. We're operating our afterchool program out of the rec center. In that building, we're only able to accommodate 120 kids under a licensed childcare program. Again, let me be clear, that site is not licensed by the state, but we operate by state guidelines, whether it's licensed or not. So, we're not going to uh put kids in um rooms that won't accommodate kids for child care, closets, small spaces. Uh and also when we're when we're doing licensed child care, the state requires us to have the rooms set up in

051such a way that it is aesthetically friendly to kids and those rooms have to be dedicated. So I can't turn a gymnasium into a child care facility. All right. Um, now far as um what what we have talked about uh at Clifton is having more conversation with Fair View uh and Canes about whether or not they have space in their building. If there's space in their building, then we can do the exact same thing that was mentioned about Had Park. We would then assume that space. we would go to the city and say we want to expand our staffing footprint so that we could be in those schools. Does this make sense? >> So this is that that is the the truth the authentic truth for both of those uh scenarios. The things that uh

052I think sometimes get caught in the weeds or miscommunication is when folks who are not close to it are giving their opinion on it and then the opinion gets uh misguided if you will. All right. Was there something else related to either one of those? >> No. I think as as you've been you've been on the emails that we got at the beginning of the year, they parents were really angry like, "Hey CPS, hire more people." And we were like, "Wait a minute. this is not us. So we brought you into that conversation. We wanted to have the authentic truth directly from you at this space so that parents understood that this is really not operated under CPS and that they had the information directly from you. >> Yeah. So and again we will we

053will continue to work in both of those scenarios uh because there is opportunity. Let's um yeah, child care across our city is an issue for parents. I heard somebody mention affordability. Um when we're the the the caveat for being connected as a licensed child care site is that the parent or the guardian of that child pays a percentage of whatever that weekly fee is. Most often at the most minimum that fee can be $140, $150 a week. Uh you have two or three kids that becomes even for folks who are working with good incomes that becomes very challenging and we're very much aware of that. So for for us, we raise money through our foundation for youth and families who have that challenge, whether they're in a licensed child care site or not, where we're

054able to subsidize. Every year we're subsidizing families anywhere between 50 to 100,000 $100,000 uh out of um non-general fund dollars that our foundation raises on behalf of these youth and families across the cities. And then as far as I you know I heard some conversation about youth to work. Uh, this is a pet peeve for me because nine years ago when I got to Cincinnati from Chicago, um, one of the things I know that helps young people uh, come out of poverty is a job. And not a job just for summer. And it's not just about the income that a young person receives. It's the mentorship. Because when I can put young people who have never been with a police officer and now they're in a police cadet program or the fire cadet program, that's

055relationship. That's something that you can't even put uh a dollar amount or value on to be quite honest with you. And what we've seen is that the young people who are coming through our program are becoming firefighters, are becoming police officers, are becoming city employees, and some even are becoming teachers in classrooms. So, we know that what we're doing is working, but we need commitment from those who fund these programs to fund the programs to allow us to hire more young people. Uh, and so I'm going to continually be pushing for us to move to where we're at now. this past summer hiring roughly about 120 kids which is a reduction from the 500 to 600 kids that we were hiring. Uh that has to change. We have to shift that. Um, and let me

056also say the hiring component talked about mentorship, why that's important, but the other piece of uh hiring these young people year round is we're finding that these young people are coming from homes where they may be the only young adult andor person in the home with a job. Uh, and so it's also changing generational choices. uh that they're seeing in their everyday lives. So, um we want to continue to build that up. So, I'm I'm glad to hear that you guys are talking about how do we do that? And then as far as Wreck at Night, this program is amazing. I know the council council member uh Albi has mentioned that um you know, we'd like to see some expansion. We're we're going to be applying for the uh B1 or B13 grant that recently

057hit the street. We're looking for partners. If you're a partner and you're looking for space, uh CRC has 23 spaces across this city. We would be a great partner for that. Uh but what we're looking to do is expand Wreck at Night because we know that when we started it, it was geared toward the nine neighborhoods where police told us was a uptick of youth violence. Well, what we also know is because we've instituted this program that those very kids who could be in the harm's way of somebody shooting and not, you know, knowing where to shoot or shooting incorrectly be in harm's way and get hurt. We know that we're not only providing safe places, but we're saving lives because young people could very well be if they're not in a rec center or

058not in the school building, um they're on the street and we don't want them just on the street not being able to be in a safe place. So, recognite we're going to actually look to expand it uh from two sites to a couple other sites and maybe even include uh again I'm kind of working with my staff on this a school site uh to address what I think Councilman Albby has been uh asking us to to to to look at. But I'd love to work with the schools to see if there's a way that we could crosspop populate what we're doing in centers in a school. Um, many of you and maybe even the uh the viewing audience don't know that the history of CRC uh we came into being as a result of CPS

059and the parks uh in in in our city. And so we we we are naturally born at the hip, if you will. in terms of serving community uh and this director sees that uh as a real opportunity as I know uh Dr. Smith who invited me to be here. Thank you for invit There you go. Thank you for inviting me for coming uh when she and uh Councilman Kernney says come. I I'm definitely going to be here. But um no, I think there's plenty opportunity for us uh to do more partnering to double down on what we're doing. And I'm glad to see that this body is is clearly interested in that. >> Well, thank you for taking time messing up your chi a little bit for us. Oh, >> I'll get it back >>

060because we we appreciate all of your information. [laughter] >> Council member Albby. >> Yeah. Uh, thank you for being here. Appreciate it. And you know, Wreck Night, award-winning Wreck at Night, so thank you for that. And and and then just to kind of round out what you mentioned and Dr. Moffett and kind of conversations we had. So the the thinking is hey we have this amazing uh blueprint of how recreck night works the type of activities we're getting 200 plus kids each time at each location which is great you know can we bring that type of programming into schools um and help kind of build out the afterchool program. So what Dr. or Moffett had shared uh is that because of the way they do contracting with their uh teachers that that we could possibly

061get some staffing support there which I know is kind of where we're we're tight on our side. So I think in terms of next steps let my office take the lead on setting up time with uh CRC and CPS whoever the correct people are and we can have a conversation about what that could look like. Um so I wanted to tie tie a pretty bow on that. And then one question I had for you director around the afterchool programming. So, I know last year, like early 2024, there was a report CRC did around the the kind of capacity at each of the afterchool programs the rec centers operates. And some of them are over capacity or have a wait list like Hide Park, but there's opening in other places. And I and I'm just curious,

062you know, what what we could do to maybe, you know, use up those spaces that slots are open or even kind of shuffle folks around to be able to make the most of what's available through through CRC. >> Yeah. So, um, we operate out of, uh, the 23 sites, all of our centers operate some level of after school care. Again, whether it's 13 of those sites are going to be licensed by the state. Um, some >> and let me jump in by saying when you first came on board, only one of those sites was licensed. So, that is correct. So, thank you. So, 13, that's that's huge. Thank you for that. >> Yeah. No, thank you for mentioning that. Um, I have a hard time patting my own self on the back. But the reality

063is is that we do this as a team effort. So, it it really isn't about Daniel Betts. It's really about my amazing team. But yeah, we moved from um one when I got here, we had one licensed childcare site and the and we were not moving in that direction. Like child care was not, you know, CRC really was about just drop in programming. And I mean there's people who I still bump into uh who still don't know kind of like we are a youth development organization. That's you know to me that's the heart of who we are. Uh to be quite frank I mean certainly we serve adults and seniors but the heart of who we are is a youth development organization that should be in the space of child care from the ages of

0645 years of age to 12 years. Now we don't do early childhood. We leave that up to the YMCA and other folks who are far better at doing that than we are. But we are good at doing the child care and being a safe place for young people. And so we moved from one to 13. And the reason we are uh not moved from that 13 to all 23 quite honestly is because of our cap. We have a capital challenge. Some of our centers were not built to be uh rec centers let alone childcare facilities. Uh and so we would need uh huge capital investment in order to turn some of these buildings around to make them uh from a space perspective make them accommodating to uh meet the approval and the standards of the

065state for child care. Uh but we're we have a strategy and we've been working behind the scenes on that doing that kind of one at a time uh and getting there. Um I'm sorry you I I kind of forgot your question. >> The the question was around uh capacity. So, we have openings in some of our rec centers and the the after school pro uh programs and we're, you know, got weight list and others. You know, how can we make sure we're making the most of where we have the openings and maybe help alleviating some of the pressure on where we are we have the weight list? >> Two things. One, I would say for parents, um, we have 52 neighborhoods. Um, you know, as a Chicago and a guy who grew up on the

066south side of Chicago, I get the affinity to being connected to neighborhoods. That is just how Chicago is. Um, but the reality is is that what we're finding is some folks who are in High Park don't want to take their kids to Milville for the after school programming. One of the things that I'm adamant about is that every one of our centers should be at the standard of a Mason or Westchester. Uh, we should not dumb down our facilities based on where these facilities are at. So poor folks who are living in poverty who are in a Melville community should have an experience that in a facility that speaks to um something greater than what they're seeing in their own environment. Does this make sense? Yes. >> And so one of the things we see

067is that um centers where there's more affluency, there's more income, they're filling up fast and the centers that are in lowincome areas are not filling up as fast. And we're encouraging people to make that track across the 52 communities. One of the things I love about Cincinnati, unlike Chicago, is you can get to anywhere in this city in 15 20 minutes. That's >> right. That is a beautiful thing in a city uh when you're coming from places like Chicago, New York, some of these big places where it takes train rides and even the train ride is 40 minutes to an hour to get where you're going. So, uh I think there are some territorial lines that uh we've just inherited that we'll continue to call out and be honest about. Uh I think parents uh

068at the end of the day have to put their kids where they feel most safe. But I can tell you that the product that we're offering is going to be just as safe and just as quality at a Millville as it would be at a Mount Washington. >> Thank you, Mr. Betts, for that. And I was going to say I really just want to go back and emphasize what we talked about some of the wreck at night programs. For example, you know, the hair braiding. I was thinking um a friend of mine, Jakari Blackman, she's actually a friend's child, um has a program where she uh teaches young young girls um and and young guys how to do hair braiding and they start making a lot of money at that. And then yesterday I was

069at a meeting and um I think it's called the Destiny School, Nicole School. Um it's a barber school, but she's expanded it to hair braiding and you know, nail salon, all that kind of stuff, right? where where these young people are learning how to how to do the how to have these skills and get certified in them so that they can also make money. So, I'd like to see more of that and I I know you're already including some of that with Wreck at Night. But, um I think as we talk about as CPS does the surveys on what uh what our young people want and then incorporating some of those um activities and skill building sets with uh recognizing it's a great opportunity for that kind of training too. >> Yeah. Let me just

070add to that point that you know one of the things I think a lot of people don't realize is that we pulled together about 15 to 20 young people and we start planning for W night in mid December right before the holidays. So we'll start advocating and reaching out to different partners and asking them to bring two or three young people with them. But the young people really are the driving force behind what you saw at Wreck at night. like what we said is the things that we wouldn't allow them to do cuz there were some off-the-wall stuff that I think young people >> wanted to test us on. But the reality is is for the most part everything you saw at rec night was planned by the young people. we just actually provided them

071the resources and then put caring adults in the room in these spaces with them and that just I think made the magic >> and that's you know that's really really the lesson there that when we're doing programming for people we have to make sure we're doing it with the people that we're serving because they know what they need and want. So thank you so much for that. Um Mr. Craig, >> I be brief and I just wanted to highlight one point that you said that I thought was really important and impactful for one of the conversations that we continue to have with our youth is that the a job is not just about the dollar. For many of our youth, a job is about learning life skills, about learning the things that they want to

072know and want to grow with. And I think that's one of the things that we can certainly partner with some of our resource coordinators as well to think about ways to explain work skills, life skills through their jobs that they may have with CRC. Right? So now you're learning about budgeting. Now you're learning about getting a bank account. Now you're thinking about some of these other things that you could do in partnership that are all the life skill things that we sometimes take for granted because we've been living a lot longer than they have. Um, and so I appreciate you talking about, you know, it being more than just about having a job. And then the other thing is I would say that if we can as much as possible support the efforts with partners

073to >> Yes. both provide resources and funds but also maybe provide partnership opportunities >> within our CRC >> so that they can collaborate and provide maybe even the job itself or even the resources for our students to do work in partnership with you all more because I think that's the other part to this is that more people invest in the uh the programming they're investing in our youth they produce the next generation of leaders in our community and so I think that something of value for them as well >> thank Thank you. Any map has board member map. >> Board member map. >> So yes, I'll be brief. Thank you so much for the information that you have shared. Uh it was truly informative. Um you spoke about the collaboration and so I am curious

074to know has there been an opportunity to work directly with our resource coordinators? Um which they typically have a pulse on all of the things that are going on um with the students as well as the parents and the families and bringing those resources directly into the schools. um and kind of have an idea of what is needed. Um have you had an opportunity to work collaboratively with our resource coordinators? And if not, um I'm curious to know what are some ideas that will help us to drive that effort um forward so that we can make sure that the different you know rec centers are being able to be um filled with our students and and supported. >> Yeah. So the short answer is yes, we have and we will continue to do that. I

075think we can do more obviously. Um, you know, I actually attended the principal's uh I think this was a couple months back where you had a a principal orientation um and training where I had an opportunity to speak to all the principles about the various things that we do uh in CRC. Uh and I do know that at the most local level uh at our rec centers um our facility managers that we call sachs uh they're working directly with resource coordinators. I've had an opportunity and take an opportunity to work with resource coordinators particularly in the College Hill community as well as over in McKe uh to actually activate and do programming. So I feel like we're doing that but I think there's always opportunity for us to do more. >> Can you speak a

076little on what that more would look like so that we can make sure that these are I mean this is the opportunity right in the time and space that we have so that we can ensure that we are impacting change. So it doesn't have to be long, but just I'm curious to know. >> I think real simple. I think things like, you know, just being aware u that we are a resource and what we do. I think oftent times, you know, when I arrived here, one of the cliches from folks who had been in CRC 20, 30 years is that we're a bestkept secret. I don't want us to be a secret. Uh I want folks to know exactly who we are and what we do. Uh and so some of that is not necessarily

077the any fault of resource coordinators or CPS. Some of that is just on us to make sure that we're making connection uh with resource co coordinators and assuring that they know you know what we're doing from the afterchool space to the summer hiring to the year round hiring that we hope to do eventually. I think those are just just making better connections is what um comes to mind for me off top of my head. Yeah. >> All right. Thank you so much. >> Yeah. >> Vice President Bolton. >> Yes. Uh just to uh put a couple uh things kind of a ribbon around a few of these things. One of the reasons that there were several hundred less kids that we could employ through the rec commission in part was the end of a lot

078of federal dollars. I mean or that were no longer there for hiring or what have you. So that the funds make a difference as to what we're able to do whether we're getting it from the state or locally or what have you. Uh I'd also suggest that the what you mentioned about the space issue is so critical. We have that same situation from a standpoint and we've spent all this time regarding how we are uh using our space best and how we can redesign it. And we won't go there right now, but we do know that the recreation uh department and recreation commission has a really good six-year master plan >> for physical development, facilities development. And we know that uh at least at uh 12 or more of our schools, our next door neighbor

079is a recreation center. Whether you're and you're talking about cans in Clifton or Sailor Park or indeed uh you know space is a problem at Hyde Park. It's one of the few schools that we have that we don't have a space for even preschool. Yeah. >> And so you're it's it's an issue, right? It seems as though as we are have been talking and I know Mr. Craig particularly has been involved with this. The planning what our next physical effort, facilities effort would be could easily coincide, easily have a confluence with what recreation needs because the reality is our infrastructure in both of these in entities is such that with a little bit of work together um whether it's cans and the Clifton Recreation center or whether it's uh you know North Aenddale Monasuri whatever

080it is if I would like us to think about what their uh six-year plan looks like and maybe have administration come back and at least talk to us about um what we're thinking. I think there's a chance, I mean, the chance that this could be done well together and the community would value that. They want to see us to cooperate. They really do. Well, I think you know, um, on the recreation side where we've had conversation, uh, anytime we've looked to to build a new facility, uh, I've been outfront in saying that, uh, we really should be far more strategic about, uh, how we, uh, combine facilities, right? Like, you know, I've used Denver uh as an example where we actually built a rec center and a school and that school and rec center was

081combined by the gymnasium. We overtook uh during the school day the all the athletic uh programming for the school and did the after school programming component as well. Um I I think we so so to me I think it part of it is getting out of this this uh mindset that um you know this this this silo thinking or this turf thinking uh when we're serving the same kids uh how do we do that better uh by looking at joint use facilities whether new and or old because there's existing opportunities I think in our city that are old that we can partner on or look to partner on that could make sense. The other thing that I will I just want to um and obviously run risk of but again I you know um I

082I just feel like your comment about the funding. Yes, the funding uh was a part of um the federal uh reduction, but we also have had uh consistent city divestment and funding on youth to work. So, I I just need to clarify that because the reality is is that there's two sides to this, right? There's what we receive from CDBG and that funding and then there's what we receive uh from the city. And again, I'm going to always advocate that the earlier that we're able to intervene in a young person's life and impact them, that is good policing, that helps police, that helps fire, that helps the city. Um there's no city that I've worked in that would that that I've had the experience where when you made those investments in young people that it

083didn't show up. what we have, what we're not good at, I think, and CRC could get better at this as well, is one, being able to tell the story, and two, documenting the data on it because I think that is what um folks that oftent times in municipal world that we compete with funding against, they're able to tell uh a better story and they have data that shows that they're uh reducing violence or what whatever the issue might be. But I have no doubt in my mind that uh one of the key strategies for CRC and for parks, I don't think that this is just a uh you know a CRC initiative. In fact, this is a village approach. Uh but I also think parks plays a role in reducing youth violence uh in our

084city as well. And oftent times that's not talked about. >> So Mr. Betts, uh the next time uh we bring up fund more funding from our city council for the youth to work program, which it's coming back up soon, please come to council and make that same speech. That's >> right. >> That that's what that's what we all need to hear because we need to do that funding. We tried, we failed. We're going to come back and try again. So thank you. bring your whole commission with you. >> And in in the interest of um partnerships, if you need Cincinnati public to assist with data, to assist with telling the story, then maybe that's an area that we can partner in because I believe wholeheartedly that look at your budget and then we'll look at

085your values. And so if you divest from youth programming and don't plant those seeds early, then of course, you know, you're going to have to put more money towards other things that you may not be interested in later. Thank you so much. I appreciate >> your time. Thank you. >> Go get that chi back, please. I know your wife. I don't want her to be mad at us. Go get the um >> All right. Thank you all. Appreciate it. Yeah. Let's move on. >> So, we are going to we had another request by a board member just so happens to be vice president Bolton and she wanted to talk about creating a partnership program around truency. So, um we're calling it truency, but I know you have some creative ideas on that on even the

086word truency. So, I'm going to give the floor to you to talk about what your idea was and your desire from the city and CBS >> and and is this is a matter of of kicking something off rather than necessarily resolving it tonight, but uh we know that on our recent report card, our statisticians and data folks, and I think the deputy will substantiate this, one of the reasons that we missed a part of the reason we missed a half a star, whatever that means, in part is the attendance issue and we are not alone. This is a nationwide problem. It's certainly a big problem in the state of Ohio and indeed uh it has been compounded. Uh I'll get my last dig in about the extra routes. It has been more difficult to make

087sure kids are here. But the reality is after COVID we even like missed children all over this country. We don't even know where they went. Um, and so that's a that's an issue. So, the state of Ohio, and I hopefully administration will help me, defines chronic absenteeism uh as chronically absent, a student has as missing at least 10% of the minimum number of hours required in a school year. That's 10%. Our public actually, I think, thinks that very few of our our children or our teenagers uh are coming to school. The vast majority of all of our schools are well populated by attending students, 80% attendance and what have you, but it's the chronic absenteeism of the uh of those students that are missing 10%. Now, the state doesn't care if it's uh allowed. A

088kid could be fighting cancer and they would be listed as chronically absent. They can be taking a trip somewhere with their family and it so it doesn't matter if it's excused or unexcused. It's just numbers. And one of the things that happens is that those numbers get us to a point where unfortunately we have to hone in then on the real issue of attendance which is those students that are actually often truent. The vast majority of the kids that are absent there is a reason for them being absent. It would be excused anywhere in any of the 22 school districts in Hamilton County. It's a it's an okay ex excuse. It's an excused absence. What we have to deal with is finding a way to work with our young people that are truent. Meaning it's

089not excused. There are reasons they are unable to be there. But it is still listed as truent. And indeed it has to involve the community and the family and the students and the school. And it's not something like uh some places where you people are going around doing a roundup. That's not the idea. This has to be a positive, proactive, supportive plan to concentrate on those students and those families within this school district that are truent and generally there are reasons and there might be things that can be overcome. I give an example of our young people and this is the last thing I'll say about it who are experiencing uh housing insecurity or if we could say it uh homelessness. When you focus on a particular cohort like Cincinnati public is doing now and

090has for a number of years. Focus on a particular cohort and put all your energy, your resources and bring your community together. You can make a difference. They have made a difference among our young people, little ones and big ones that are homeless. Those kids are graduating. Those kids are coming to school. Those kids are receiving services. And it's not just us doing it. The community wants that cohort of children and teenagers to be addressed and taken care of. And thank goodness the city has come through with funding for our our safe lot. I mean, when we work together, I think and I feel very strongly that the that the school district wants those kids that are currently truent to be addressed and dealt with and helped and brought to school and given the support

091and that would make all the difference in the world. But it has to be a concerted effort and we need everybody to help us with that. >> So, um, Vice President Bolton, thank you so much for that. Um, truency is something that keeps coming up and so can you or can anyone from from the board or the administration just tell us what steps are in place now when children are truent? And and does the school also say that truency is the chronic absenteeism that's not excused? Is is that the definition that we're using for truency? Okay. >> It it is the definition. Okay. >> Right. So once a student comes into any school uh as board member vot said after 100 hours they belong to that school. So once they reach those 100 hours they

092are ours. And so once they get to that 10% um they are considered chronically absent. Does not matter what it is. There is no unexcused they are chronically absent. What we have in place is we have a lot of things in place that we're trying to do. I believe that we do need another layer of identifying those kids that continue to be chronically absent. But if the child is uh some kids are medically fragile just they they're sick, right? Asthma, those kind of things can keep a child home two or three days. So, uh, we have a social worker in place at our schools. Um, they do home visits, um, to go check on kids and see where kids are. We have nurses in our school. So, if school, if the kids are sick, we

093try to make sure that they have what they need there at the school. Um, we do all kind of incentives to get the kids at school. We talk about being at school and how important it is. Um, we have meetings with kids like, "Hey, you missed at the high school level, you missed so many days. What's going on? How can we help you?" because there are life is happening to some of our young people. So trying to bring them back in and then wrap as we have the wrap coming the rap in the schools that wrap their hands around them as well to say hey they are they are now homeless or they are now um having some problems with their now in foster care. you know, we have some things that just happened to

094our kids, but we have lots of layers in place, but we still have a group of young people that we need to to um meet and give some additional support to. >> So, so when a child is sick and and you know, I understand what you're saying, some some children are recovering from from different illnesses and really can't be at school, are they still considered truin even if they're at home like with an at home plan? not not where what we're talking about true and now are the kids that may not be sick but that are not coming. Those kids that are considered chronically absent, right? They still fall into the same pot when you look at the state requirements. When you look at us getting our points for students being at school, they all

095fall whether I'm true or sick, we all are in that same pot of chronic absenteeism once I reach that 10%. I think board member um Bowden, she could correct me, is that we're talking about another layer of keys that are not coming that we really want to reach and work and create a program or a process that says how do we now support this layer because they have another layer of barriers that we may have to help them work through in partnership with each other. >> Okay, I understand. And then I want to ask you too because I mean it's really concerning. you were saying during COVID and we've heard this a lot too that um some children just kind of fell off the fell off the grid and so we're not sure where they

096are and it's been hard they've still been hard to reach. So >> yes, that's true and that's happened throughout the country and as the deputy has said the the you know everybody that is um chronically absent may not be truent >> but everybody who is truent is chronically absent >> but it's all that same cohort and that's and there's no differentiation. So I I do think that there has to be another level and and it might not be the city. It it in in reality it might be more of a partnership with the county. Uh when we think in terms of services, family services and what have you or even the courts, uh the superintendent has no interest in in using the courts in a uh penalizing way. As a matter of fact, you kind

097of spoke out against doing something like that to a superintendent at another large district in Ohio, I guess, when they were meeting. Uh uh but there's got to be something we can do for these kids because it's it's it begins to be the end. >> Board member Craig, >> I just also wanted to add a little clarity though on this. And so we talk about chronic absenteeism in some ways about versus truency. So if you showed up late to school every day by 1 hour, you will end up being chronically absent. You're not truent. You're at school, but you are 1 hour late every day. And those hours add up to more than 10% of you missing more than 10% of the school day. So like part of what we are talking about is not

098necessarily the students who will miss an hour or two of day who have medical appointments who have all these other things that add up to them being chronically absent because it's by the hour not by the number of days. What we're really talking about are those students who it's now a pattern of behavior where they're missing more days or missing days for reasons that are clearly um not related to them being late to school, having a health issue or other reasons. I think the other thing to this also in this conversation around truency versus chronically absent is kids who are 10, 9, 8, seven are not truent because they decide they don't want to go to school that day and don't show up. >> They're generally truent because there's a situation at home that allows

099them to be truent. >> Right? kids who are 11th, 12th graders who have the opportunity to not go to school by them using public transportation or other means. That's a different conversation also. And so I think we may be having to have two different discussions around that. >> Excellent. >> Okay. Thank you, Council Member Albi. >> Yeah, thank you. I just think, you know, looking out the crowd, I see two parent networks here. We sell Cincinnati and Cincinnati Power uh parent empowerment network. So when we have these conversations obviously having parents at the at the table and I know those are two groups where parents are actively working hard to be engaged with CPS and with this process. So I do wonder, you know, how can we leverage those type of relationships and networks to

100get to the parents here, right? Cuz I can't blame a kid who can't drive and can't get to school on their own, right? So we do need to get to the parents and bring them to the table. And I think we've got two community partners sitting in the crowd tonight who whom we might be able to lean on and reach out to in this conversation. Great idea. >> Okay, we've got our last topic which I'm going to turn over to the act [clears throat] council member Johnson who we haven't heard from. We get to hear your voice today around the charter amendment passage and any changes. >> Thank you very much uh Dr. Mopet. Um, first and foremost, let me say thank you Cincinnati for uh passing issue two and it was a charter amendment

101change to try to incentivize young people to become Cincinnati police and firefighters. Um, we have a very robust understudy program with the Cincinnati Police and summer cadet program and fire program, fire cadet program that would move people to qualify to pick up five civil service points if they were interested in taking the Cincinnati Police Fire Exam or the Cincinnati Cincinnati Fire Exam or the Cincinnati police exam. Um, this is a great assist and I thank my colleagues and uh once again the voters of Cincinnati. This is a great assist in attempting to properly staff the Cincinnati Police Department. Cincinnati Police Department and Fire Department. The Cincinnati Fire Department is almost there or they may be at their compliment. Cincinnati Police is lagging behind. So, um, let me say this and give you some quick numbers.

102Entrylevel pay for the Cincinnati Police Department, $77,000. After five years, that jumps to $94,936. That's good living in Cincinnati for young pe for a lot of young people. Or it's good living all the way around. Um, then on top of that, I can say this, the opportunity to make overtime is almost endless. [laughter] So, as a Cincinnati police officer, you're with very little overtime, you could be sitting on six figures very, very easy. Uh, Cincinnati Fire Department, you enter as a firefighter 1, you start at $80,610. Firefighter 4, you move up to $89,758. And then there's the fire specialist and the firefighter apparatus at $96,700. And fire department does provide overtime also. So issue two was a is is was a great incentive to to help try to do what we can to properly staff

103police and fire. And um these opportunities, they're not easy jobs, but they are jobs that are very very well compensated. And they are jobs that uh really are actually helping this amazing city that we call Cincinnati. So I salute the the voters. I salute my colleagues and those that are interested for to become a Cincinnati police officer. 513 513 3522971 to become a Cincinnati firefighter. 5133521680. Once again, 5133521680. Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you so much. We are getting really close to closing time and we do have two public comments. So, let me just kind of summarize where we are now and uh talk a little bit about what's going to happen um in the meantime before our next meeting. Uh first of all in terms of uh when we were talking

104about the afterchool um issues and and what happens with that uh we said that the the steps with that first we'll we'll get the data uh and then CPS will identify needs with the students and then we're going to work on programming. Um uh council member Albi is going to work uh with wreck at night. Um that's the Cincinnati uh recck department wants to expand that. My office is already working on the youth employment and and and mentorship um programming that we're trying to really expand under that old CCY model that we're going to make new um and and bring it back. Uh the fourth thing is truency and so Eve Bolton is taking the lead uh on working with us uh as much as we can support um with with you being in the

105lead here uh to create a positive proactive supportive plan for students and faculty. And then at our next meeting we'll talk more about the public safetymies. We're so thankful to CPS for getting those um really you know pushing those forward. My understanding is that the police academy is at Wro High School and the fire academy is at West High. And um I know that our our Sentinels and our uh Cincinnati African-American firefighters organizations as well as others um have been talking about this for about 8 to nine years. And so we're going to bring them to the table as well so that they can have input and we can all get an update. So with that, we are going to now bring up public comment. That ends our agenda for the day. We'd like to

106bring up two speakers who signed up for public comment. The first one, and please both of you come on up to the podium. The first one is Alexis Gaines and the second speaker will be Christian Davis. So you have to come up and go around. Thank you so much. You You understand when when Cincinnati City Council meets with CPS, we don't stay here all night. So, [laughter] >> we run a tight ship. >> It's the room. It's the room. >> We run a tight ship. >> Okay. All right. Miss Gaines, go right ahead. >> Hi. Good evening. I was wanted to piggy back on basically with the um super I mean the >> the deputy superintendent. >> I wanted to I'm a um graduate. My daughter is a graduate of the class of 2025. She

107attended Hu STEM High School and basically long story short, she rushed out and moved out. She's attended UC College. Thank you all. And basically she was in JCG, a program that posted had a follow >> jobs for Cincinnati grad >> graduates. Yes. And basically she was just facing homelessness and I was I paid the rent but I'm thank the Lord but I was piggybacking on her like why don't you build relationships like I was trying to tell her how to uh build a relationship with Dr. Williams and stuff like that cuz I believe I I was a kid that my school was like a second home to me. my security guards, like stuff like that. So, I was piggybacking on GCB, I mean, uh, JCG. And basically, I'm like, why why aren't you still building

108relationship? Why aren't they reaching out to you and furthering you and following you through college and your home and stuff? Stuff that I guess that that's what the program she told me she was a part of does. But now that we detached a little bit and we're moving on to UC, she don't have as many resources. and the uh program that she was in. I felt like why weren't you secure to go back which is I pretty sure like I told her you can go back to Dr. Williams and she can get you back connected with the young lady who met with you but I feel like they still need somebody to follow them throughout once they leave school because sometimes they do make big huge mistakes which is moving out early. Other than that,

109that's what I wanted to ask you about the JCG program with the kids and the uh graduating and moving on. >> I can I can address that if if if you'd like. It's up to you, Dr. Smith. >> Okay. >> Art's name and we'll connect. >> Thank you. >> And I was going to say the same thing. I know that jobs for Cincinnati GR grads works with with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and so I'll reach out to them to see that to make sure they reach out to you and your daughter. >> Thank you. >> And I really appreciate that because the connections are important even after you know after our young people graduate or or after programs are over. We want that relationship to really continue and so thank you for for bringing that

110to our attention >> and congratulation to your to your daughter for uh for graduating and kudos to the parents who I say you know family family needs to get a lot of um att um that's hard work and and the most important work is parenting. So thank you so much. We appreciate you. I've got your name and number here and I'll pass it on to to Dr. Smith. And my one last other qu um concern was back to Dr. Brown. He laughed and I chased him out the room. But diversity, kids being involved. I'm worried about brown kids that look like us. I love that saying and I care about all the kids. But diversity is something that came up with the vouchers and me living in North Aale and my kid being able to

111attend Clifton Fairview Wreck. Well, Clifton Wreck because my daughter is a Fairview kid too. And basically I learned that if I wanted him to be in a diverse connection with the Clifton kids, which he was the last one on the um that got in before they started the waiting list. So I know the uh Clifton parents are able to afford it and get their kids enrolled. But my thing is, why is my kid who down the hill by Richie's excluded from being up the hill with a lot of kids that can he can learn from and also get different and learn how to co-op with kids that have the ability to be able to read better than him and stuff like that and little different stuff. I just felt like why wasn't the vouchers able

112to be taken at Clifton? Why will my son be stereotyped to be at hers where kids parents are smoking doing all type of things that my I'm not doing in front of my kid but the kids are in a we are in a environment where we're stuck and our kids are being held to that stuck standard too. Miss Albany, I'm sorry because this involving both ends. So, I feel like y'all need to open up and piggy back on how a kid cannot want to they parent from Mason would not want to send them to um the get the the lower lower income neighborhoods and how even me going back to North AD when I was a kid, the drop in program for $2, how it's not existent anymore and they don't even have hours enough

113when my kid get out at 4:00 the drop in program is over early or North ADA don't even offer it because they don't have the staffing. So, I just wanted to bring up stuff like that because it's not it's not a lot of young parents like me that's interested in seeking and wondering why we're not getting where we need to be and why our kids are being held in this certain environment. And I was upset. So, I had to not get vouchers that summer and work extra hard, which is not a lot of young womens that got my Thrive, but they still want to get their kids in a different community, in a different environment other than being held at this low income for the summer. >> Okay, we understand. U we understand your point.

114Let me just say this too. So Mr. Betts made a really good point which I loved and that's that all of our children whether they're low income, middle income, high income, you know, they're our kids. We love them all the same and want them all to have the same advantages. So that's really important. We have, you know, the same love and respect for all of our kids no matter what what income level they come from. Uh I do also understand that children from from different neighborhoods need to connect with each other. we don't want we don't want like you know this neighborhood's over here this neighborhood's over here and and our our children never meet and really get to know each other. So I think that's also very important. Um I don't know how that

115voucher program works and so that's something we're not going to figure out right now. Oh, I have an answer. >> But okay, Council Member Albby wants to comment on that, but but to to end I'm sorry, what >> she's going to council she's going to comment on it briefly, but let me say that it is important I just want to emphasize for us to um to make sure that we're loving and respecting all of our young people, number one, and number two, that they all have a chance to interact and get to know each other across the city. >> Yeah. So briefly because I I've gotten this question before. Uh the childcare vouchers are turn are tied to the state state certification and not all the rec center after school programs have that certification so

116they can't accept the voucher. So and I can't tell you exactly which sites it is, but that's part of the the confusion there. So I apologize. >> I hope y'all can work together and get it. >> All right. Thank you so much. We appreciate you. >> Okay, Miss Alexis I mean I'm sorry, Christian Davis. That was Miss Alexis Gains. Miss Christian Davis, come on up. So, and you've done an amazing job organizing parents. We see you all everywhere with the with the blue shirts and you were at at uh State of the City last week and and we see you everywhere. >> And I see you have on our color today. So, thank you. >> Yes, I do. Fitting right in. >> Yes. Um so, my name is Christian Davis. I am the CEO and

117founder of Cincinnati Parent Empowerment Network. Um we are our area's largest parentled organization. So, we have a huge social media following. >> We have about 26,000 families in our network. Um, all 52 neighborhoods as well as different counties. Um, but we recently launched a 8-week paid parent um, leadership fellowship. And in that fellowship, we are really encouraging and training up parents to not only be um better educational advocates but more civically engaged because we believe that the two go hand in hand. Um so parents um we also want our parents to be seen as stakeholders. Um parents are also constituents. They're voting members of the community. um but also they have a voice that isn't always included or heard at decision-making tables. And so um I definitely want to offer up the opportunity to collaborate

118with everyone on today's panel um both in the education sector as well as um local policy sector. Um, so when I looked at the agenda, I was just thinking about how um impactful it would have been to make sure that family and parent voice was included um on whether it's behind the scenes on committees or included on advisory boards. But I definitely want to extend that opportunity to you all that we're here um we have so many parents in the audience that are ready to um be servant leaders um for our community. So, thank you so much for having me >> and and thank you so much. And I was going to say, um, uh, Miss Davis, you you do an amazing job and I'm just so proud of all the parents for being here.

119So, let's make sure we get the we'll make sure that we get the information to you about all these different initiatives that are going on so the parents can help us out because, you know, we really, you know, we can't make programming for you without doing it with you. And so, having parents on the committee, I'm really glad you you made that point. So having the parents and the young people working with us, that's that's a winning team. So thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. Okay. Are there any other comments before we close? We're running a little bit late. Okay. I want to thank all my colleagues, uh, Cincinnati City Council, NCPS school board, all the administrators and staff members, all the parents and visitors, all of you watching us live streaming.

120Thank you so much. a lot of work to be done and uh we are up for the job and looking forward to it.