001Okay. Good evening. This meeting is now called to order. >> Welcome to the Lakewood Board of Education meeting Mon. Tonight is Monday, October 20th, 2025. >> Um, we are I am calling this meeting to order. Mr. Zean, can you call the role? >> Mrs. Kassenberger, >> I. >> Miss Shanty, >> I. >> Miss Clark Sutton, >> I. >> Mr. Callahan, here. >> Mr. D. >> I. >> Thank you. I now invite everybody to join us in the pledge of allegiance. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Next, we move to the adoption of the agenda. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded.
002Mr. Mr. Zean, can you call the role? >> Mrs. Cassenberger. >> Hi. >> Miss Shaughnessy. >> Hi. >> Miss Clark Stutton. >> Hi. >> Mr. Ghan. >> Hi. >> Mrs. Do. >> Hi. >> Thank you. And next we'll move to the approval of the minutes for September 2nd, September 15th, and September 29th. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. And next that brings us to the superintendent report. >> Good evening, President Katzenberger. Vice President Shaughnessy, distinguished board members, Mr. Zean. This evening, we want to take some time to provide an update and a deeper look at the preschool offerings that we have throughout the district. I'd like to begin by taking us back to last year for a moment. As
003part of our facilities study, we discussed why preschool matters and explore the potential benefits of bringing all of our early learners together under one roof. We saw this as an opportunity to advance our early learning options, but we knew it was essential to first understand our community's key priorities when it came to K to5 education. Through that process, we learned that our families and community members value smaller class size, reasonable walking distances, and minimizing the number of students that cross major roads. In response, we made several commitments that I shared LA at the last meeting to reduce K to2 class sizes to a target range of 18 to 22 students per classroom to maintain walkable neighborhoods for our students and families and to prioritize safety, ensuring as few students as possible need to cross major
004roads on their way to school. So this evening, it is my pleasure to ask Mr. for us, our director of teaching and learning, Miss Damakia, Dr. Clark, and Dr. Morgan to the podium to share an overview on preschool. >> Good evening, uh, President Kenberger, Vice President Shaughnessy, distinguished board members, uh, Superintendent Nidwicki, and Treasurer Zean. Uh we're going to provide an overview of why early learning is so important. Uh give you some insight into the current preschool offerings that we have at Lakewood City Schools. Uh some of the challenges that exist with our current programming as well as uh some of the benefits of a single site location with the potential of uh the Lincoln Early Learning Center. Um so why early learning? Uh and basically what's happened um over the last 40 50 years
005in education is researchers and educators have realized that one of the most critical stages in human development is that first 2,000 days. So from birth to to the time when students typically enroll in kindergarten is when um 85% of brain growth and development takes place in a child's life. Um and this is uh and basically what researchers have seen is this has become increasingly important as it relates to uh academic success uh social emotional uh and uh healthy well-being. Um and so as you look at this uh students that attend highquality early learning centers have um often been seen to learn to read uh dur at target age levels. Um they develop their social and emotional skills on pace. Um they uh are more likely to meet graduation timelines, more likely to attend college. Uh
006from an income standpoint, they earn more than their peers that don't attend preschool programs. Um and they have reduced involvement in crime and substance abuse. Um, from an early intervention standpoint, uh, when students attend a a high quality early learning program, um, it gives educators, uh, the opportunity to intervene in instances where they need more language development or other, uh, interventions. It could be something related to their physical development um, or even their their social development. And that early intervention often um it takes four to six times as much time if you wait until after third grade to intervene. Um one of the sayings that happens in uh educational circles is 30 minutes of early intervention um will replace 3 hours of intervention at a later grade level. um from a social and emotional development
007standpoint uh in preschool settings um which once again um these aren't uh you know academically intense environments. These are play-based environments um but students learn important social skills through sharing cooperation. They learn empathy as they meet and work with other students and then of course they learn the important skill of taking turns. Um, they learn how to regulate their impulses, which are critical for self-control, and many of these skills also lend themselves to future academic success. Um, from a self-esteem standpoint, um, a high quality early learning uh, center or a preschool provides students opportunities to try new things and to persevere through challenges, which ultimately help them build resilience and a strong self-concept. Um, from a sensory motor standpoint, um, students have the opportunity to draw, paint, play with puzzles, um, play outside on the
008playground. This could be running and climbing. All of these activities encourage the development of large and fine motor skills while encouraging the development of coordination and and muscle growth. Oops, I went the wrong way. Sorry. Um, I think it's also important to note, uh, as a district, we are very proud that we approach our work through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. And early learning centers have proven to be a true uh a true equity um, balancer for communities. Um, when it comes to closing the achievement gap, um, studies have shown that that children in low-income families often have less access to learning materials. This could be books, educational toys, and learning experiences. All of which children's can children can have access to um in a in a high quality preschool setting. Um
009uh from an equity lens, um it also provides students increased exposure to rich language and literacy. Um there are strong correlations between education and income levels. So students from lower income families often hear fewer words at home. Um, and studies have shown that parents experiencing financial stress may talk less to their children than those in more affluent families. A 2017 study suggested that students entering kindergarten um from lower inome families have about a 4 millionword gap between their affluent children counterparts. Um, from a health and well-being standpoint, uh, our district often provides, uh, opportunities for families to learn about health and wellness within their community, connecting families with health, dental, and nutritional resources, and sometimes connections with social services for parents and guardians that might not otherwise have access or knowledge of these programs. Um,
010from a parental and guardian standpoint, um, students from lower income families, uh, a a strong, reliable preschool program that has consistent, um, after school and before school care provides parents and guardians the opportunity to remain or join the workforce, which increases family and economic stability. Um overall what communities and countries across the world are finding is that there is a high return on investment when it comes to early learning centers. Um we're seeing a lot of industrialized countries across the world um invest in universal preschool. We're seeing some states across our country start those conversations. And while um the the Lakewood City schools have made a strong con commitment to um funding kindergarten, which still in the state of Ohio is not fully funded, um a centralized early learning center um would be that next
011step. Um and I think from an educator standpoint, uh if we were starting the education, um system from scratch with all the knowledge we have today, um we would definitely invest and fund in early learning um as it is such a critical time for our students development. At this point, I'd like to turn it over to Dr. Morgan. >> Good evening. Just wanted to take a step back regardless of location to ensure we within the context understand the district's obligations related to preschool. So public school districts have what is known as a childfind obligation. That means we are obligated to seek out and identify any children between the ages of three and five who may have a disability. um whether that comes through their pediatrician, a parent concern, things like that. They're they are referred
012to us through a variety of different sources and it is our obligation under the individuals with disabilities education act to identify and provide services to those children. Uh there are different timelines whether a an um a kiddo comes to us from early intervention services where between the ages of birth and three they've been receiving services um through the county. Uh we have to have an IEP in place before the child's third birthday in those types of referrals. When it is a community referral, meaning the child can be three or four or five, um, and they're referred by a preschool teacher, a parent, a do a pediatrician, whomever, uh, that timeline is within 60 days from the time we get consent from the parent to do an evaluation. Um, so the child find obligation is primarily
013why public school districts have preschool at all. It is because of the special education requirement. One of the advantages that we have here in Lakewood, and it's different than many suburban schools that are our neighbors to the west or the south, we have an early childhood education program, meaning we have elected to offer equivalent universal preschool. So, if you are three, and most of our preschoolers who attend our early childhood education program are residents of Lakewood. However, you do not have to be a resident. If a parent works in Lakewood and wishes to enroll their kiddo in our early childhood program, we welcome them. Um, so that early childhood education offering is unique to us. We're not the only district in the area, but we are of our neighboring um suburbs. Um, and then so
014we have that in addition to our services for students with disabilities. And I think that's important to understand. If we could just advance um to the next slide. It's a visual to help me explain the least restrictive environment that we are obligated by law to provide. Um so the state of Ohio has outlined what is known in special education world as the least restrictive environment. IDEIDA, the federal law governing special education services requires regardless of age, but it's also true for preschool that we educate students with disabilities to the maximum extent possible in the least restrictive environment, meaning where their same age peers are to the maximum extent possible. So um the other thing that we consider is we have to exhaust attempts to educate kiddos in that least restrictive environment and deliver supports and
015services in the general education setting to give that a try before moving to a more restrictive placement. So this continuum you can see um and it's hard to see. I recognize that uh best practice would be having a general education public school preschool class and options whether it's co-taught a head start program or what have you with natural proportions. Natural proportions just means you know whatever percentage of individuals with disabilities exists in our local community that is what we would mirror in that classroom. We most school districts do not tend to have natural proportions because we don't operate enough classrooms or have um that that staffing ratio. The first best placement option below natural proportions is what we have and offer in most of our preschool programs that are offered here in the district and
016that is it's a general education setting taught by a general education preschool teacher. Again, a benefit that was discussed at the last meeting or referenced in conversation. Why come to Lakewood Preschool? Because we have college educated educators teaching preschool. That's not always the case. In addition to the classroom teacher or teachers in the cases of co-taught classrooms where we have a general education preschool teacher and an intervention specialist, we also have related service providers such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, orientation and mobility specialists. lots of well-educated experts who are making visits to the classroom on a regular basis to support students but in the process of doing so collaborating with the other educators that are in that child's presence more regularly. We then also offer um what is known on this continuum right here right
017now as a public school preschool special education class. Those are classrooms um for right now for us that have eight students with disabilities and no peers. We call them our center-based classrooms. And one of the things that we currently, we'll get into this a little bit later, but one of the things if you were to move forward with the recommendation as is, all of these stops along this continuum would be available under one roof. And it would be less disruptive to students and their families if we put them in one placement, exhaust the options, and realize we need to be more restrictive and more supportive because we're not able to achieve the success and progress that we're looking to see. they would not have to change buildings or transportation or all the other details that
018go into um where a child receives services. Okay. The next thing that I would like for everybody to have a little bit more knowledge of and I will admit it's tricky um if you could go to the next slide. Thank you. Um there are a lot of rules and regulations governing preschool. So we have site licensing and if we look it's by um site licensing is overseen by the department of children and youth and job and family services. Every child care center regardless of age has to be licensed in order to operate. Um so whether it's an inhome daycare, a community uh daycare or preschool or our program, we have licensing guidelines. There are a lot of rules and things to meet um to establish compliance for licensing but in a nutshell it is the
019general basic health and safety operational features. So this is where the references to square footage come from. Um, it depends on a lot of things and I don't want everybody to worry about that. But as a general rule, you need 35 square feet of usable floor space per individual receiving services in that classroom for preschool. Um, and then there's lots of different exceptions for what types of restrooms count as floor space, what types of hallways count as floor space. So that's when we get into talking about lensure and the various rules that we have to comply with. There are age ranges that we have to stay within which is why school age population cannot be combined in a before or after daycare program with three, four andor five year olds um as well as different
020square foot ratios, square footage ratios and staffing supervision types of things. So that's licensing. They do both announced and unannounced inspections annually. Um so we we never know when they're coming and we have to be ready. One of the things that they look at which is always at forefront of mind in our classrooms where we have preschool students is ratio. We have to have a certain number of supervision uh adults to the number of children that we serve. Um and then on top of licensing, which every daycare or preschool is required to um attend to, we have as a public school district a requirement to follow through with our step up to quality. So step up to quality is a program that is more recent than licensing, but it is in addition and on top
021of preschool licensing. Step up to quality is of course concerned with the basic operational health and safety. you have to be licensed in order to then engage in the step up to quality arena. Um, but step-up quality is more about program quality, staff quality. There are additional professional development requirements related to step up to quality and you get a star or a a leveled rating, bronze, silver or gold. So, you have a comparison document that I put together just kind of highlighting the differences between licensing and step up to quality. It is a lot of hoops. In order to be considered a site administrator, you have to be on site at least 50% of the time that students are in session. So right now our step up to quality obligations are largely being managed by
022a lead teacher in each location because we don't have a dedicated person on site in that administrative capacity at least 50% of the time because our school age folks are managing the school age expectations of managing a building. Okay, I believe that is all I have. I will now turn it over to Miss Dakia who can tell you a little bit more about what um our services currently look like. >> While we're switching presenters, there's some space here for people to sit if people want to filter in. >> Thank you. Here is an overview of our current preschool classrooms. Emerson Elementary and Grant Elementary House full day general education preschool classes for four-year-olds. These classes are taught by a general education teacher. Taft houses a total of three classrooms. We offer a full day class
023for four-year-olds with extended care options of before and after care. Taft also has two half-day programs serving three to five year olds with disabilities. These are taught by early childhood intervention specialists. Harrison Hayes and Horus man offer our co-taught model. These classrooms have two lead teachers, a general education teacher and an early childhood intervention specialist. These are half-day programs serving three-year-olds in the AM and foury olds in the PM. The co-taught classes serve both general education students and up to eight students with special needs per session. Lincoln currently offers a general education morning class for three-year-olds and an afternoon class for four year olds. This program is taught by a general education teacher. I'd like to review some of the current challenges with the multi-sight model. Each site is an independently licensed program which can
024create a variety of challenges. One challenge is the consistency of services for our early learners. The multi-sight model limits options for families who need extended care. We cannot combine our early learners with our KTO to5 afterare partners due to regulatory requirements such as designated early learning spaces, specific ratios, and staff requirements. Additionally, because programming varies by school, there is an increased transition for students if their needs change and they require a different model such as full day or co-op. Another challenge is the inequitable use of our facilities. There is variability in time. Preschool gets allocated to the gym for gross motor or the media center for reading and book selection. due to K5 needs. Another challenge you see there is staffing. Our related service specialists such as occupational therapist, speech language therapist, they travel between
025sites. This reduces the opportunity for collaboration and direct time spent in classrooms. Another staffing challenge is maintaining ratio of teacher teacher assistant to student. Each site might must be staffed fully and independently by early childhood professionals which reduces the ability to support multiple classrooms as needed. Finally, oversight of multiple sites comes with some additional barriers. Because each school is independent, it limits the feasibility of applying for grants. any grant funding would apply only to that site and would enhance enhance programming at only one site. This limits our ability to access grants for programwide enhancement. It also limits the practicality of developmentally appropriate schoolwide programs such as age appropriate activities and assemblies. Multiple sites can slow down initiatives that require teaming and collaboration such as PBIS and ongoing embedded professional development. Finally, it can slow down
026or limit equitably adding special programs or partnerships. Thank you. Now, I'd like to turn it over to Dr. Clark to discuss the benefits of a single site. Sorry about that. The benefits that I'm going to share with you um will help address some of the challenges that were outlined by Mrs. Dakia earlier. Having all preschool classrooms in one building would allow our district to offer before and after school care and summer programming in partnership with providers for our families. With one site, there will be enough students so that we can provide reliable year-round care in a consistent environment that meets the regulations in a cost-effective manner. Currently, our related service providers, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists spend a lot of time traveling between buildings. In one location, those services can be delivered more
027efficiently, giving providers more time with students and reducing costs related to travel and scheduling. This also means we can streamline materials and supplies which reduces duplication across multiple sites. More grant opportunities would be available if we had all our preschool classrooms in one space. Many of early childhood grants offered through various agencies such as the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce and Health and Human Services favor programs that show consistency and collaboration across staff and services. They also view each site as its own individual program. So having one con one cohesive center strengthens our position by meeting specific profile requirements to apply for and successfully secure those types of funds. As previously mentioned, a single early learning site means we move from having separate preschool sites to one cohesive equitable program. This center could be
028created to include gross motor and nap time spaces, a user-friendly cafeteria, and more in order to meet the needs of early learners. Additionally, Mrs. Makia just outlined the preschool classroom models available for students. These different models are in place to best meet the needs of each individual learner. Having a single site would allow the district to offer the full continuum of services under one roof, allowing for the district allowing for smoother transitions for students when it is determined that they need specialized services that a different classroom model can offer. So essentially we would be reducing the transition for students allowing them to stay in one supportive environment where all services are available. Finally, a single early learning center strengthens connections among teachers and staff who are all working with early learners within the building. When
029all of our preschool teachers are together, they can share ideas daily, plan collaboratively, and support one another in real time. Dr. Andy Hargreaves, a research professor at Boston College, has done extensive research on the impact of teacher collaboration. He talks about the power of what he calls collaborative culture, where teachers have authentic opportunities to learn from each other, not just through formal meetings. When that happens, teachers grow together and that growth directly benefits students. Additionally, John Hattie, a well-known education researcher, takes this concept even further. He found that collective teacher efficacy, the shared belief that teachers together can make a significant difference is one of the strongest influences on student learning. In fact, it's more powerful than almost any other factor in a school. Teacher collaboration builds teacher collective efficacy, therefore having a positive impact
030on student learning. At this time, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Morgan, who will address um frequently asked questions. As an aside, thank you, Mr. Zean, for being my clicker. I forgot it was here on the podium. Appreciate the teamwork. Uh some of the questions that we listened for and heard at the last board meeting or that had been received prior to today uh were incorporated um in this slide. So does preschool cost the same for everyone? Not really. Yes, if you're paying a full tuition, it is the same if you are in the same program, right? that there are additional costs at Taft if you're in the before and or after care. And every child who attends Taft has to be in at least one or the other before or after care
031in order to go to Taft because that is where we have the before and afterare program. So they're paying slightly different amount because they're accessing additional services. students in our half-day programs as um you know depending on whether or not they are placed there by their IEP team may not be paying any tuition because that is part of the free appropriate public education we're obligated to provide for them if they are a child with a disability and there are some different circumstances where perhaps an IEP team places a student in a program for a portion of the day or for some services and depending on the family situation the family decides to have their student stay for a remaining portion of the day, they would be paying for part of that day's tuition because it
032exceeds what's necessary um that to provide it's exceeding what's required for provision of a free appropriate public education. How many classrooms are needed for 200 preschool students? I feel a little bit like a lawyer, but it depends. So, what happens when you have 200 students? That is always going to vary. students. If you go back to we have a special needs preschool and we are obligated to have services for students who turn three. Kdos turn three all year long. So we we kind of have a list that's a heads up from the early intervention services that you know some are coming but sometimes they're dismissed from services before we get to that point in time where we need to talk to them. Sometimes their parents say no thank you. We understand we're entitled to services.
033So, while we have a heads up, we don't know how many community referrals we're going to get because there is no advanced notice of those. So, because kids are turning three and are eligible for evaluation and services and that kind of placement um decision making all year long, we are constantly dealing with enrollment. Um at any one point in time, just as an example, a school psychologist for school age might have, I don't know, seven or eight evaluations open. Uh last week our preschool school psychologists had 22 evaluations open at one time. That's a lot. Um so how many classrooms? It depends on how many uh along that continuum we have. If we have more special needs centerbased classrooms, that's eight students without typical peers at the moment. We would need more of those classes
034if we had an influx of students with more significant disability needs. Um, our other stu our general education classrooms, you know, generally run 12 students without disabilities to eight students with among the three-year-olds. And then we increase that class size to 14 peers, if you will, uh, to eight students with disabilities. So, the class size gets slightly larger. And so, the classroom number is not a black and white number that we can give. However, what I can tell you is I believe it was Roosevelt has about 212 kiddos. Um, so basically our preschool is about the size of several of our elementaryaries depending on an annual enrollment. Um, current weight list, knocking on wood, we have none as of this very moment. We did start one earlier in the school year, but all children have
035been able to placed if their parents wished for them to do so. families move, they change their mind, their work and income circumstances change. So, whenever they're um that's what happened so far this school year, we had a wait list with a few students on it and because of different decisions, we were able to offer and currently everybody who wants a spot in our early childhood education program was able to have one. How will we partner with the current child care providers at Lincoln? Uh we are exploring that. I know several providers have reached out to Mrs. Nidwiki expressing an eager interest in partnering with us. Um, who wouldn't want to? Um, so they're exploring options to become a contractor to provider to work closely with us in managing the before and after care programs
036as well as the summer programming. How can we make sure students in different neighborhoods that might have financial or transportation needs be able to attend an early learning center? I will tell you, many of you know that I'm relatively new to Lakewood, joining as of August 1st, and I am um overwhelmed frequently by the number and the generosity of community supports that we have available to help us problem solve whole child and whole family needs whenever they present. We have, you know, uh funding from Three Arches and the Healthy Lakewood Foundation that uh provide for students and families that have experienced hardships. We do provide transportation in some situations to preschoolers if it's necessary for them to benefit from their special education services. And so, as with anything that is student and family centered with
037Ranger Pride, we would continue to problem solve those particular aspects. Um, can you I need to wear my glasses. How can you or can you provide a full continuum of early learning opportunities at each current preschool site? We do our best to provide the full continuum across the district, but it is impractical to provide the full continuum at each of the seven elementary schools right now given the space limitations, the licensing requirements, the staffing that would be required. Um, so practically, no. I promise we do our very very best to always fulfill our obligation to deliver special education services that are a high quality, but one early learning center would make it a little bit easier for us to be flexible in doing so. Because when you have all your Legos in one building, you
038can build cooler things than when you have to share your Legos across sets. Are there any other questions? >> I have a couple. So in the model that we have now, what would happen if we get an influx of three-year-olds that need services? So like it's the programs at like TAP are full. Let's say Harrison Hayes Horseman, they're full. What happens if we do have three-year-olds who need like SLP or OT or something? If we had an influx of three-year-olds with disabilities, we would again, we are obligated by law to go through that process, evaluation team report through a play-based assessment, generate the IEP that appropriately meets the identified needs. Whether we are under one building or whether we remain in our current model, our obligation is to ensure that we have the services available
039to the students that are identified. And that is not an area where waiverss are readily given. Yeah. So, we would have to be going to Mr. Schlaid's office and explaining that we needed to look for and locate more staffing, find a classroom space, and um expand our program wherever there was room, which might not be at a program similar to the classroom that we're looking to build. >> And are they are we required to provide like the specialized services that they need that they need or just to do they have to also be in a classroom? Does that question make sense? Some students can you explain um the itinerant services? >> Yes. So some students and a lot of our itinerant students and again itinerant or service model or service provider at location uh the
040states changed that perspective a little bit but basically if my kiddo and I'm just going to pick on articulation for a moment. It's the most common reason we do itinerant services. So if my kiddo is three years old, four years old and is typically developing, demonstrating appropriate cognitive skills, social emotional skills, gross and fine motor skills, adaptive skills, they just have some sound errors that are atypical for their developmental age. We would say you can be wherever preschoolers, because again, least restrictive environment is wherever other kids your age without a disability would be. And many families choose to have those kiddos at home going to little gym for a few hours or to the library story time. Some families choose not to put their kiddo in preschool and that's fine. Uh so wherever that kiddo
041would be is where we go um within boundaries to provide the itinerant speech services. Many of those families are enrolled in our early childhood education classrooms. So our speech pathologist stops in on the scheduled basis to deliver the speech therapy either in the classroom or off to the side or what have you. We do also go to Lakewood community partner child care centers. That would not change. So families still have that prerogative to enroll their kiddo in the local Y or whatever um business model child care centers and um itinerant services would be provided there. >> Okay. And then kind of on that same vein, like we talked about related service providers. Um, and just to clarify, so I teach middle school and my middle schoolers when they have like speech, they would like 60
042minutes a week is how they would be with a speech language pathologist. So that is the same for preschool, right? If they required those services, it is like x amount of minutes they get over a certain period of time. >> Correct. That is an IEP team decision. So we would not want to ever say every kiddo who needs speech gets 60 minutes. >> No, I'm sorry. Just as an but they get like x amount of time. So, it is written in their IEP. So, that like if we have um and 60 minutes is a lot. I didn't mean that, but you know, as an example, >> torture to a preschooler, >> you know, but so if we have all of those related services in one building, what would that do for those providers that need
043to find that time for each student? Does that question make sense? Well, and part of what we've talked about is um when we stretch preschool people, like professionals who like the littles tend to like the littles. So, they tend to specialize in preschool. Not that a speech pathologist or an occupational therapist, for example, isn't trained and qualified to work with kiddos and adults actually of all ages. However, people have their affinities. So, a lot of our preschool staff are the ones that tend to focus on preschool and when they're having to get everywhere where our preschoolers are right now contractually. There's minutes that they're required to be given to get from one building to the next and lunch and planning and things like that. So, if we were, again, it's just one of the plus
044sides that if we were able to reduce the number of buildings that they're going to to see preschoolers, we would gain direct service minutes or indirect consultation minutes with other professionals just by the nature of they're not racing across Lakewood in their cars. >> Thank you. >> I have a transportation question if I could. Uh, so currently preschool students are the only ones that are being provided transportation. Um, it is necessary, meaning it's written in the IEP. Is that is that how that how that works? >> Uh, well, we do have school age kiddos whose IEPs call for transportation, too. I don't want to take anything out of context, but related to preschool, >> if it is a disability related reason that the kiddo needs transportation to get to and from their special education services,
045that is what makes transportation a related service. >> Okay. >> So, if um and again, Lakewood is unique because it is a walking district and many families prefer to walk and that's a hallmark of this community and that's fine. I've heard you. Um, so lots of um lots more kiddos here in Lakewood get to school via their family than in some other suburban districts. But yes, we do provide transportation to preschoolers if they are requiring it through their IEP to be able to benefit from their other services. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. So, so then piggybacking on that, um, is does a onecar family or low income qualify as a disability? That would be, >> you know what? Excuse me. To the general audience, I'm going to be the teacher at the moment, okay? Like,
046just stop. This is a public meeting. You're invited as guests. We are running the meeting. Please do not applaud or boo. Sorry, Dr. Morgan. Again, while not required by IDA, which is the special education law, should there be a hardship, we have many staff members and a lot of really student and family centered staff who have chosen this place and this career to benefit students. So, it would just have to be a conversation. Um, just as one example without revealing confidentiality, we had a situation just uh last week or the week before where we were making Uber arrangements for an exceptional circumstance to get a um to get the kiddo to the school for a period of time. Okay. >> Given the family's hardship. >> So, I'm sorry. Um, so you were saying that children
047are identified throughout the year and we welcome them into our programs throughout the year. >> Um, and they're it's part of the IDEIDA uh act and this is part of the federal uh title programs for children who are identified with disabilities that they are entitled to these ser the preschool services. Correct. Just >> so um you said they're free and appro there that those are funded by the federal government. Is that >> partially? So I'm curious about the funding of it is my uh tortured question. Okay. >> Well, I can tell you that Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, whether it's preschool or school age, is not a fully funded mandate. taxpayers are contributing through the general fund uncovered expenses because it is not um an equal dollar um exchange. >> Uh so we do use
048our federal and it's title 6B that is the special education fund. Um and then for preschool 3 through six we receive an early childhood special education allocation from the department of education and workforce. it. The federal money comes through them. Of both of those pots of money, we are obligated to give some of those funds to non-public schools for services to kiddos with disabilities. They don't have the FAPE requirement. They have an equitable service requirement. So, a large portion of that money from each of those grants goes towards the non-public schools for services that through the process of consultation they decide are what they're going to offer on behalf of kids with disabilities attending. And then the remaining funds are ours to use for um we use a lot of ours for staffing, but staffing,
049salaries, contracted, purchase services, supplies, professional development. Um >> Okay. And then you mentioned that the um the full day students that um are at Taft have to participate in before or afterare or both. And that the point of that is because we can offer that at Taft because we have enough students to make it cost >> because that is a condition of attending our preschool program at Taft. You have to take either before or after care or both. We that is how we get an audience large enough to pay for the program to provide the supervision >> because you need critical mass mass in order for it to be >> correct >> cost effective to provide it. Okay. >> So then the Emerson program that doesn't offer before and after care um that's a full
050day program. Um what makes like how is that distinguished? Like it it seems like some of this discussion has been about being sure that we offer before and after school programming like services for children in pre in prek but we have one where you have to and then we have another one where you can't like how does that all because we don't require families to choose before and or after care at Emerson. Hang on one second which is our newest program. >> Yes, >> that is our newest I'm learning. that is our newest classroom. Um there would have to be separate preschool child care before and after school from the school age population given the ratios and the square footage and all of that. Okay. >> So because Emerson does not require a family to
051choose before andor after care, there's no way to gather enough preschoolers who need before and after child care to make it affordable to offer it there. And even if we had enough people there, they really couldn't because that's the whole point of Taft being a separate facility >> because we'd have >> correct because there's not enough >> because there's not a home school attached to Taft where that's providing before and after care services for the K5 kids. Is that have I am I understanding that correctly? >> Yes. >> Well, all of the kids at Taft, if they're Lakewood residents, do have a home school. It's just not preschool services don't have to be affiliated with a home school. >> I just meant like the the kids that are at Emerson, the pre-K kids that are
052Emerson, they cannot we cannot offer before and after services at Emerson because we are offering before and after school programming for the K5. >> Correct. >> We don't have the facilities to do both. We don't have the facilities to do both >> at Emerson, right? >> Correct. It would be very challenging to find an unused space opposite, right, >> you know, preschool and opposite the school age. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> Any other questions? >> Yes. >> Oh, you can go. Go ahead. No, go ahead. Thank you. All right. You had said um and this might be not a big deal. 35 square feet for each individual receiving services. Is that gened and special education or just special education students? That is just the licensing standard for three-year-olds that I happen to look
053up. They vary like infant and toddler has a different rule and that's not our world. So, I didn't look that up, but I had heard the conversation. So, I just wanted to give you a ballpark. >> That's perfect. I just wasn't sure if it was all of the students are only like the kids are receiving the related services. But yeah, though you answer you. >> Yes. Thank you. So, with respect to the special ed requirements um locating and finding um the three um three-year-olds with disabilities um and then um and then offering prek programming. Um if we as a district didn't offer pre-k program, what happens to those children that we are required to locate? But if we don't have any services to offer them, what like >> do we we have to >> gears
054are screeching in my head right now. Um obviously special education services have to be provided. So if we for whatever reason did not do that inhouse or contract services because we have a mix of that right now, >> right? Um it would be like the pendulum swinging back in time >> where there were consortiums or um county preschool programs. Um on that continuum >> of services, the one I didn't talk about, I mean there's other I went too crazy. Um at the very bottom you'll see there's separate school and um other >> okay home and provision >> home and services home and >> so for some kiddos who have very extreme high need manifestations of their disability any one of our settings might not be the most appropriate and we might have to look to
055place them through their IEP at a more restrictive setting which would be a separate school. Uh this is also true of school age. Um sometimes kiddos are so medically fragile that it really is not in their best interest to attend with any other peers. And in those cases it might be homebased services where speech, OT, PT and intervention specialists are going to them to help them um learn and work on their needs. So, we have to serve all students that um with special needs, but we don't have to serve GED students. >> Okay. And then if a parent of a special needs prek student >> did not want to enroll in our program, like they were eligible, they were, you know, um they met all the criteria for being in the class, but they don't
056want to go. Do we then have to provide homebased services? >> Yeah. So, for example, we have a student um that we provide services in perma to the Lakewood, you know, their child care provider is there. So, when people ask, you know, how many students do we have, 171 of our students are sitting in our seat sometime through the week with us. We have over 200 students that um in you know in addition to the 175 that we provide itinerant services to and it is our obligation to serve students where they're at. >> And just to clarify I assume that you were referring to a special education identified student if it was a general ed early childhood student parents have the choice to do >> whatever they want >> like to send to preschool or
057not. It's not compulsory. >> Right. Okay. Um, I'm gonna jump in. So, jumping to cost again, we talked about um that there might be like grants for kids with on have IEPs. Is there a sliding scale based on income? Also, >> uh, Gordana, you can jump in with me as well. there. We used to offer a sliding scale because the early childhood education grant which Lakewood receives because we offer preschool to non-disabled three-year-olds, four-y olds, 5-year-olds. Um that process used to be the local school district could decide eligibility for who received those grant amounts. >> Um it changed just this year. >> It started to change last year. The uh eligibility is now determined by job and family services. Parents have to apply through Ohio benefits or they can complete an uh paper application which
058we'll help them with and then they will get notification from Ohio benefits from the state if they are eligible for the early childhood education grant. >> Okay. >> So yes, but not through us kind of. >> Okay. Correct. Fair enough. And that that eligibility process change has reduced our ability to adjust some of the sliding scale aspects of what we used to be able to do. >> And that's income related. Those are is that the only criteria? It's it's not tied to work or >> is um >> or is it >> like family size and >> related? Is there any >> salary? >> Uh students with IEPs are eligible if they're served in a general education program. students who are foster place, students at or below 200% of the poverty level, or students who are
059unhoused. >> Okay. >> So, um I I'm going to go back to um Mr. Ass's presentation um about the first 2,000 days of life. Um I was just having this conversation in one of my classes about um child development and um excuse me. So Freud may have actually been right after all. Um that what happens in those first few years is going to be your trajectory for the rest of your life. Um >> I'm I'm sorry I might have missed the first part of that. So just the idea that the first 2,000 days of life are just it's just a comment more than a question. But it's just >> like Freud might have been right. I mean, I've been we've been the the field of um sociology and psychology has been teaching that um that
060Freud's emphasis on everything has to be right by the time you're four or five um is false and and following Eric Ericson's philosophy of we are always continually developing. But there's a lot a lot of data in here that says those first four years matter. Mhm. >> I I would I would say we definitely as a district lean into the competency of growth mindset. So, you know, by no means do we look at a student's data um and as students are entering kindergarten, as students you, you know, whether or not they meet the third grade reading guarantee. Um you know, whether or not they're on track for graduation and high school, you know, we continue to put all our efforts behind each and every one of our students. Um, you know, but there are a
061lot of truths um and a lot of correlations that show that um early intervention efforts at a younger age yield much positive results uh faster and get students back on track much quicker uh to their um to their peers if done earlier um in their school age, whether that's between kindergarten and third grade or before they even enter our doors as a kindergartener. >> Okay. Um and then um my last is just a statement. Um this has been very interesting. Um so details regarding the preschool repurposing. Um well the the the possibilities of different setups for preschool. Um I I'm a little um it's all very useful, but it um I think it should have been presented to us a while ago so that we could so that we can consider these variables um when
062we're determining the repurposing. It just it's a lot the night the night of a vote. So, thank you for all the work and the information. >> I do I do think it's really uh valuable information to be receiving and um I think that I first of all I really appreciate the four of you. I think it's really interesting information. I know we've had a lot of this information in sort of different um >> exhibits, >> you know, snippets or not snippets, but we've had parts of it in different parts of this process along the way. Um, and I do think it's it's we've also received a lot of uh questions from folks within the last two weeks or in the last couple of months on a lot of these questions. So, as the um discussion
063of a potential early learning center has crystallized more so um and I know even a lot of folks in this room have asked some of these questions. So, I think having this presentation tonight and answering a bunch of these questions um in the uh level of detail that you guys have provided has been very valuable. So, I really appreciate it. Well, I would also say that we've been talking about this on the board for 30 years of the desiraability of having more not a center but of increasing what we do in the area of um prek and the importance of it and is it possible and it um so the interest has been there. The community has expressed the interest in numerous surveys that we've done. There are always questions about cost and that sort
064of thing for the district, but is it a good idea? I I would I'm confident in saying that the majority of our community values preschool education and knows it's important. So, I would just say thank you. >> Thank you. Could you um could you provide your um presentation to us like through email or something and >> website >> and and post it to the website somehow so that people have the information. >> That's really that's really interesting. >> Yeah. >> Not just the slides. We want to hear it. >> It's on YouTube >> like watch any of these channels. >> Thank you very much. >> That concludes the superintendent report. Thank you. >> Um, that will bring us to our communications uh portion of our meeting. Typically, we offer to the public that if you
065want to move on, but I have a feeling that's not going to happen. Um, so, uh, we're on to the public or the communications portion of the evening. Um, and I invite any of my colleagues if they have any comments they'd like to share. >> Just a a thank you to President Kassenberger for um, you know, obviously we've received a lot of uh, correspondence of late. Um, and I appreciate your leadership in uh, responding to and acknowledging, you know, receipt of of the communications that have come in. So, I certainly want to thank you for that. >> Oh, sure. Happy to do it. Thank you. I I just want to mention I know in a lot of the meetings and communications I've gotten there's been a lot of discussion of wreck. Um I know that
066we will be looking forward to a comprehensive uh report on wreck. I talked to Mr. Walter and we um and found out some interesting things. So I'll just put them out there for you to think about. Uh one is that we've had an increase in our youth participation particularly with girls um in sports which we're very happy about. >> We've had a decrease in adult participation and one of the reasons that we have a decrease in adult participation is that the young people are using all the facilities. um either the um after care in the schools, keeping the gyms for a couple of months or a couple of um months, couple of hours. Um thank you. Or the um or just using the gyms and the fields that there's not as much space for the
067adults. And why is this important? Because we've always uh contributed to the rec department as from the general fund. And we've always tried to keep the um fees that our students, our children are paying so that they can be active. And we've levied a little higher fee on adults. Well, there aren't as many adults and there are more kids. There's also been huge inflationary impacts just on equipment, on helmets, on footballs, on uh referees. um that we're trying to have skilled people to take care of this to be around our children. So what I would say is the CREC meets once a month. Those are open meetings. I know that president and vice president members are really working hard on a strategic plan. They're working hard on looking at every individual program and figuring out
068who it serves, how efficiently it's serving them. So I would just like to say to all of you if you value what the wreck brings to our youth um and the way of education camps camp can do all those things and we obviously want to uh look at costs but I would go to the cereal and talk to them about that. So there'll be more coming to another school board meeting please and learn about it because that's where you can uh get the detail. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> Um so I um I just want to reiterate that um chairs and booths are not um productive. Um I've said that all of us have said this before. Um none of us at this head table woke up and said, "Hey, let's close a school in
0692027." Um so um but I have a couple of other things I'd like to say. Um, thank you to each person who has attended and watched our board meetings. Extra thanks to those of you who have stood up and spoken. Um, you've spoken your values and your experience and public participation takes time and bravery. >> Um, many thanks to those who sent emails to any one or all of us. This is a useful form of public participation because I can go back and reread somebody's comments um and their thoughts and questions as I try to answer them and consider my own positions um on issues. Um to my colleagues, it is an honor to and it is enlightening to serve on this team. Um each of you bring a different perspective as well as life
070experience and parenting experience to the Lakewood School Board. Every one of us puts in puts the collective needs and opportunities of our students at the forefront of every decision. Different answers to a problem can all be grounded in what is best for the students. Um, no place is perfect, but we live in a intelligent, thoughtful, engaged, and compassionate community. Um, I don't want to live anywhere else. Um, we look out for each other and strive to make each year an improvement over the previous year. right now our our world is on fire. Um and it's stressful no matter where you are um in your politics. Um and um and so um and sadly the smoke and the ash are spilling into um Lakewood. We can't even agree on the color of a crayon um in
071our conversations with with our neighbors. Um, and so, um, some of our decisions and conversations, um, I'm not sure that we can, um, well, we can't agree on the color of a crayon, so I'm not sure we're going to agree on what is the best capacity, um, number for a building. Um I um I also want to stay up front upfront that v voting um no never mind. Um I have some specific information I would like to refute. Um first it was a board member who asked that Lincoln be included in the scenarios for repurposing. Um it was not left out. Um, it may have been me, but I do know that I I don't really remember which one of us said it first, and I'm not speaking for anybody else, but I do know
072that I was extremely supportive of drafting scenarios with Roosevelt, Grant, and Lincoln. Um, they are um built at the same time and almost identical capacity figures according to the state of Ohio. And it was important that we look at all options. Second, I never saw a draft of the elementary task force recommendation prior, as it is implied in the Lincoln lawyers bombshell report. I am not supposed to speak on behalf of other board members, but I can say the report and subsequent conversations around town draw a conclusion that is not accurate. >> Nora, would you like to go last? >> Sure. >> Okay. I figured you would. Go ahead, Lisa. >> Thank you. Okay. I was also going to thank a lot of people. So, just like ditto to that. That was part of it.
073Um, I just really want to point out that this this has not been easy for anyone. It has not been easy for anyone sitting up here. I do not believe it has been easy for anyone in the audience tonight. It has not been easy. Um, but I feel like it's gotten lost a little bit and it's always in the forefront of my mind that and then as an educator and a member of the board of education, my number one concern is the education of our students from preK through 12. We want to get them ready for whatever path they choose. Whether that be a career, whether that be college, whether that be they just they decide that they want to be an entrepreneur, they're going to invent something, whatever they want to do, we have
074options for our students here. Um, equity matters and it's always been about equity. Making sure that our classes are equitable. If you have a class of 13, a class of 25, they are not receiving the same education no matter how good the teacher is. I cannot stress that enough. Um, and I have had classes all on the spectrum as as low as 14, as high as 40. it is a different experience for those students and that matters because everybody deserves an education and any school in Lakewood you will get an excellent education and that is what matters. Um I also really would like to point out that if this recommendation is approved one of us will absolutely have a child impacted by this and another of of us will have a child very likely impacted
075by this decision and in the fifth grade. But we have had to look past how this is going to affect us personally because we need to put the best interest of our students ahead of our own interests and that is our job. We are here for our students and what will serve our student body the best. Um I really want to thank our staff and I mean teachers, support staff, uh school nurses, our custodians. I am forgetting a lot of people but our entire spectrum of staff, our directors, our central office, everybody um they do very hard work and it is often very thankless. They make sure that our kids are not only educated but they feel safe and welcome. What they do matters and very often it is overlooked and people think that they
076know better. Um, our educators are trained professionals with lots of degrees, years of experience. Um, and and the way that society treats educators, and I'm going to again use educators as our staff because you learn more than just in the classroom. Um, they are professionals and we trust their judgment. They will absolutely use best practices. They want their students, as we talked about, the least restrictive environment. The idea of an IEP, right, there are students who needed the individualized education plan is that eventually you do want to move off of it and some students don't, but some students do. They work very hard. Our teachers are professionals who know what they are doing. Um, I think that I am safe and speaking for all of us here when I say that we appreciate what the
077entire staff does um, more than anyone will probably ever know. I really want to echo some things. It's been really unfortunate how some people have attacked um, and we can't even leave us out of it, but our superintendent um, looking at these issues and having these hard conversations of is a part of her job. she didn't do this, she wouldn't be doing her duty by the district. Um, she is an educational expert. She has taught, she has worked for different facets of education. She was our assistant superintendent. She has been in Lakewood for a long time. So, I don't like seeing things written or said that she doesn't understand our community. She has been here for a long time. Um, I wish that some people understood her thought process and when we are in meetings
078and how hard she goes to bat for our kids. >> The kids are always at the center of her decision. So, it's really frustrating when people you can disagree with this decision, you can disagree with this recommendation, but she is a professional and she is an educational expert. Again, I'm going to go ahead and say it. She has the years of experience to qualify as that. So again, someone putting an educator down personally really frustrates me. Um, just because she doesn't live in our community does not mean that she cares about us any less. I know many teachers that do not live in the communities that they teach in and it doesn't mean that they care about their students any less. >> Um, I have never lived where I taught and I promise you I
079thought about my kids constantly and worried about them and thought about how we were going to do something the next day. Where you live does not matter. I have zero doubts that the people that I am sitting with right now have nothing but the best interest of all of our schools in mind when we make any decision. We have shown by being we we are we have before we were on the board of education, we were active in our schools. We are active in our communities. And I have no doubt that had we not won our seats that we would still be active volunteers in our schools and our communities because we care about our community. Um, I am one of three people sitting here that grew up in Lakewood and I cannot begin to
080tell you the innate pride that I have being from here and growing up here. Um, for many of you grew up here probably know that we actually used to be answer and trivial pursuit. We were I was raised by a single mom. I was her only child and I had to walk to Garfield Elementary School, Emerson Middle School, and Lakewood High School from the east side of the city for most of my school career. I firsthand understand the importance of walkability and safety on our streets, but it was never something, and correct me if I'm wrong, that we ever talked about. What Lakewood always really prided itself on was its diversity. We strived to welcome people that were different from us and we weren't always successful but we tried. Um we my Lakewood encourages its
081citizens to be empathetic, inclusive and neighborly and we have prided ourselves on being progressive minded. I'm from here. My my whole family is from here and and we choose to we chose to stay and raise our kids here. I want my kids to have experiences that other districts just cannot offer. Um, I want to be very, very clear when I say this because my words were absolutely twisted and taken out of context. Every school in this city is excellent. Every teacher in this city is excellent. There is no best. There is no favorite. There is absolutely not one of them being punished. We need to look at our students and make sure again that they are receiving an equitable education. Um we have less kids than we did when we had 10 elementary schools and
082then went to six and back to seven. Those are just facts. If we think about because we've heard a lot about in the last 5 years how our population has grown as a school. That absolutely makes sense if you are looking at 2020 when we lost students. We lost students that year whose parents couldn't afford to live here anymore. They went to Cleveland. They went to Parma and we got some back. So again, it would make sense that if we lost, I believe it was nearly 200 students last time we saw those numbers, of course, it's increased from 2020 to 2025. But if you go back and look at 2017 2018 and compare it to now, that's where we're looking. Do we have more or less when we compare those years? We have less. Um,
083so it needed to be explored, right? We don't have a choice in how our state rates us, but again, it does not quant does not account for all the unquantifiable things that happen every day in our building from our preschool through 12th grade. Um, Mad Liquid celebrates those programs that set us apart from other areas. Our music and theater programs are award-winning, and for some of our kids, they literally save their lives. Um, we have programs in our schools that are preparing kids for the real world. STEM education in elementary school, which is going to lead the project, lead the way. Again, that starts in our elementary buildings and those prepare students that maybe are interested in engineering. We didn't have that when I was in school and I think I had an excellent education
084here, but it's not the norm in areas around us. The education that we provide here is second to none. And what happens in the classroom is what matters the most. and I can speak again confidently for all of us that we will always do what is best for our students. That's all I have. >> Thank you. Um just to wrap it up. Um I appreciate everybody sharing what you >> No, I Well, we're going to finish board comments and then we'll go to public comments. Yes. Well, we'll have discussion then. Yes. >> I I was just asking about asking about >> conver about um opportunities to make comments whether they would all be now talking about that now. So, >> okay. or whether we would also do it when a resolution is made that we
085have the opportunity to comment and if we would be doing it then and not >> we're going to finish for I'm going to make >> comments my comments will come before we vote >> so we're I'm yes >> excuse me we shouldn't be speaking from the floor um I'm going to be say a couple things and and then it will be time for public comment for the people who signed up. Uh I just I just wanted to say a couple things. I want to thank everyone who's here tonight who have attend and the everyone who attended previous board meetings as well as everyone who uh has spoken as Colleen mentioned. Uh in addition, I want to thank everybody who reached out via email. Uh I want you to know that I've carefully listened to all
086your input and I've read every word of every email. Um, and uh, I'm responsible for sending out replies on behalf of my fellow board members because I'm the board president and um, I would love to while I'm not able to reply to every question and suggestions you share, please, I want you to know that we've taken them all to heart and we've included them in our deliberations. So, I want you to understand that public participation is an is an essential part of the success of our community and we and the board really appreciate your appreciate your input. Um, while many of the comments we receive are positive and supportive, some and are very much appreciated, some are less so, but all input is important. This is because all of you are part of our school
087community, your children, our students in our schools, and our primary reason for being here. We care about them and you, their families, very much. We would never want a time of stress to impact our interactions with each other going forward, such as teaching your child in class, supporting them in a time of need, or having the privilege of handing them their diploma when they cross the stage of the civic center. For all of us on the board and superintendent Nidwiki, Treasure Zean, and the directors, staff, and teachers, we put our students at the center of everything we do and every decision we make. Regardless of what decision we as a board make tonight, later on in the evening, we will still all be part of the Lakewood community tomorrow. I encourage everyone to work together
088to find a way to move forward. At a time when there is so much division in our world, I hope we can find common ground and demonstrate to our children and each other that Lakewood is still a community where we can come together and build a future that offers opportunities for everyone to thrive. And with that, we're going to move on to public comment. >> I would just like to apologize for jumping into >> No, you're good. I think it was a little bit confusing. >> Was out our order. So, I've been reading a school board part meeting participation statement recently and I just will be reading that again. Thank you, Helen. The following procedures govern part public participation at all regular schoolboard meetings. These procedures apply to all speakers. The board does not discriminate
089based on the identity of the speaker, content of the speech, or viewpoint of the speaker. In order to speak during a regular board meeting, attendees must first sign in and indicate their intent to speak before entering the meeting. During the public participation portion of the board meeting, speakers will be called in order of signing in and will be requested to state their name, city, and street. Speakers will be limited to three minutes as indicated by the clock on display. All statements must be addressed to me as the presiding officer. Questions or comments directed at individual administrators or board members will not be permitted. Comments that are repetitive, obscene, and/or threatening will not be tolerated. Participants may be asked to stop speaking and or leave the meeting for engaging in such behavior and for not observing
090reasonable decorum or for being disruptive to the meeting. Participants are encouraged to direct any concerns about individual staff members to the superintendent prior to bringing them to the board. Thank you for adhering to these procedures. I will now be begin calling up speakers to participate. And our first speaker is uh Cara Butler Cohen. Hey, President Kassenberger, Superintendent Nidwiki, and esteemed board members. My name is Cara Belinland Cohen. I'm a proud Lakewood resident and educator. This evening, I will not be addressing the repurposing of Lincoln. I know you'll hear many voices on that topic. Instead, I want to speak about a deeply concerning piece of legislation being considered in the Ohio General Assembly. While House Bill 485, aka the baby Olivia bill, has rightly raised alarm, there is another proposal with even greater potential for harm
091to public education. House Bill 486, known as the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act. I strongly urge that the Lakes Lakewood City School District to publicly oppose this piece of legislation. The bill sponsor, Representative Gary Click, claims it will not burden educators. He is mistaken. HB486 would require teachers to frame American history as being driven solely by Christianity, even claiming that our nation was founded as a Christian nation. That is not only inaccurate, it is dangerous. Our founders deliberately established a secular government understanding that fusing religion with politics would threaten democracy itself. The separation of church and state is not a rejection of faith it is a safeguard of freedom ensuring that all Americans regardless of that belief are treated equally under the law. Public schools exist to educate not indoctrinate. They are space where students
092of all faiths or none should feel included, respected, and safe. Legislation like House Bill 486 would jeopardize that mission, forcing educators to violate both the Constitution and their professional integrity. So, I asked the board, what will you do? Will you speak out against this bill? Will you stand with other districts to defend accurate, inclusive, and constitutional education? or will you remain silent while public education and the truth are undermined? Lakewood has long been a leader in in equality, equity, inclusion, and academic excellence. I urge you to continue that leadership now by publicly rejecting House Bill 486 in standing up for the principles that make our schools and democracy strong. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next speak the next speaker is Megan Tagonado. Do we have Megan here? Okay. Um the next speaker is Birch
093Browning. Good evening. I'm Burch Browning residing on Cohassid in Lakewood. Change is difficult. My family joined the Lakewood City Schools district during the pandemic, moving from another district. My children thrived. One is now in college and the other's a junior at the high school. We came here for the art and music programs along with the engaged community. I served on the task force and I can attest that we worked diligently to review a significant amount of complex information. We immersed ourselves in topics like school funding. Thanks, Ken. We uh state law regarding special populations, facility and certification requirements, and walking distances. I came away with a profound respect for the commitment of our district staff and the board to maintain and improve our children's education. The claims that there was no community input or that
094the district stacked the task force are false. I was asked to join the task force precisely because I had previously pushed back strongly against proposals that reduced elementary music instruction time. None of us joined with the goal of selecting a school for repurposing. However, based on the data we reviewed, repurposing a building may be necessary. If so, using that space to provide an early learning center could be a major benefit for the city. I deeply regret that we are in this current position. I wish that public education in Ohio wasn't under attack by the state legislature. I also wish that an anonymous group had not spread misinformation about the task force, the board members, the treasurer, and the superintendent. It is disingenuous to claim a lack of public input when some of the same people
095worked to shut down the task force before its work was complete. But we must deal with the situation as it is. Regardless of how this vote turns out, we must consider the greater risks. Imagine how detrimental it would be if a charter school group was allowed to claim one of our school buildings. Imagine the negative impact if the upcoming levy were to fail. If you have suggested voting against the levy if the building vote doesn't go your preferred way, you are effectively holding the future of Lakewood students hostage. This is not a sporting event. We shouldn't be on opposing teams. We all need to decide right this minute to decide to support all Lakewood students moving forward. We must set a good example for our children by calmly working together for their benefit. Thank you.
096Thank you. Our next speaker is Aaron Brady. Hi. First, I'd like to say in regards to the information presented today, I love early childhood education. I'm a member of the the educators who deliver that type of instruction. Um, and I don't think anyone here is arguing against the value for early childhood education, but whether this is the right path to address it is our concern. We have no weight list. We are currently serving our young learners with what we are what we have already in the district. Have you considered how the building structure of Lincoln Elementary is ills suited for an early childhood center? There are only six classrooms on the first floor. Have you thought about what it's like trying to get three and four-year-olds to stay in line climbing up flights of stairs,
097let alone those with disabilities that we were discussing earlier? What's going to happen on the third floor? What are you going to do with a big cafeteria and gym, which aren't really designed for an early childhood center? Most preschoolers don't eat lunch at school, and those that do typically eat in their classrooms. Daycarees don't usually have um basketball courts, but they do have indoor playgrounds. These are just a few of hundreds of great questions that have continued to go unanswered. What makes Lakewood special, though, isn't really the buildings, it's the community. Time and again throughout this process, we the community have answered the call to speak up about the process that's been flawed, a premise that is misleading, and a plan that lacks practicality. Throughout this process, you've claimed to care about community input. But
098the community has been very clear at every community conversation, in the survey, at the tabletop discussion. 10 years ago when the community voted to rebuild the elementary schools, in every every opportunity that was truly open to the public, unlike the task force, the public has overwhelmingly favored keeping all the elementary schools. But these objections are being ignored and at times the attitude has been disparaging. People are tired of the focus on parents walking their children to school. But students aren't just numbers that you can swap around the city without consequence. Students are part of families, part of a community. And as you said, we will all be affected by the decision. The community that has been built at Lincoln Elementary is worth something, as are the communities of the special education students. You have underestimated
099the value of these walkable schools, which have become families. you have not proven to us that this is all worth it. And please be sure that we will continue to advocate for our kids in our community today, tomorrow, in November when we vote, and as long as we are all here in Lakewood. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Gina Rhodess. Gina My name is Dr. Gina Rhodess. Um, I live in Lakewood on Virginia Avenue. I'm relatively new to Lakewood. I moved here with my two young children less than a year ago in large part because of the proximity to Lincoln Elementary. So, it is likely that the school board has done a lot of good work that I am uninformed about. I haven't been in this community long enough to know about
100the good work that you all have done. The question I've come to ask you is whether you want this to be your legacy. Do you want to make a decision that will be the reason that some children say that 2027 was the year they stopped liking attending school? This choice is being treated as one that will be an inconvenience for families like mine. But the reality is that this choice will do harm for some families. Real harm. And I'm not speaking hypothetically. I'm even speaking with expertise because I have a PhD in school psychology, which means I know more than everyone on this board about the true impact that this may have on students with diverse academic and psychological needs. And I know that change is the only constant in life. But change needs to
101happen for a good reason. So if this is the right decision, I want to know that you've agonized over it. You should have demanded more than two weeks to review the data, especially considering that we heard very little about an centralized preschool until two weeks ago. This is a wonderful idea, but is a totally separate argument than closing an entire school. And you should have waited until there was redistricting data so that all of the data existed. It should worry you that the superintendent is presenting data about the impact on walkability as fact when those numbers are completely hypothetical. It should worry you that we don't know the true financial impact of opening a centralized preschool. Even if this was the right decision, you should be demonstrating a detailed plan to minimize the impact instead
102of an FAQ that amounts to trust us. We'll look out for you. Why should we trust a board that has responded to heartfelt emails with canned responses? Why should we trust a board that complains about parents' concerns and spends our time in meetings congratulating each other on how brave you're being? If this were the right decision, this community should be feeling that this was the last resort, that the board did everything they could to prevent this outcome. And this board should prove to us that they should be doing it with openness, with transparency, and with integrity. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker speaker is Jason Kyber. Hello. Thank you. Uh Jason Kyber, Virginia Avenue. It will surprise no one that Gina is also smarter than I am. Thank you for those comments.
103Um, since at times it seems the board is impervious to uh argumentation and data, I would like to offer something of a satire. So, let me be clear the following is not true. Yet another set of open records requests has revealed some concerning information. One document makes it clear that there's been a shadow task force operating this whole time. The members include a dana data analyst who was fired from Elon Musk to Doge for being too incompetent. Again, none of this is true. As part of this open records request, we also have video evidence, a video recording a secret meeting dated late November shows seven cloaked figures entering into a dark chamber. The board members, the superintendent, and the CFO. They take their seats around a table, their faces faintly lit by torch light. The
104first 15 minutes are spent praising one another's courage and insight. One board member stands up clapping. Yes. They say, "Now that we have made the difficult decisions of deciding what the task force should decide, we can now," and they're interrupted by another board member saying, "Zack Rob has another article in the Lakewood Observer. It underscores what dozens of other professionals in the community keep saying to us all the time. We don't have a case to close a school. Only 24 people in Lakewood want a centralized prek. We don't have a plan. It doesn't save much money. Where does he come up with this stuff? Says another board member. Uh from us. It's it's it's our data, says another. Well, what should we do? Someone asks. One member recommends packing a board meeting with people heaping
105praise on the single site early learning center. But I thought this wasn't about the early learning center, says another. A silent pause is followed by a chorus of villainous knowing laughter. Remember, when it comes time to ask a superintendent questions, someone says you must say as much as you can without communicating anything useful at all. Furthermore, we must show unity. So no disscent will be tolerated among the board. We are to be like a self-licking ice cream cone. Later, one member uh in the video says, "We must close a school for the sake of prevailing against the opposition. We must be right." At one point, a board member complains that the secret layer is getting too hot. They stand up and peel off their face which is act mask revealing a second Nora. At the
106end of the video, one member says, "Prepare the ritual sacrifice." A bag containing community concerns is then dumped in the center of the table and lit on fire. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker is Amanda Kyber for people didn't hear me. >> Amanda Kyber, Virginia Avenue. All Lakewood School Board members are committed to transparent communication with our community. When you ask them a question, they answer promptly and directly. They reply to emails thoughtfully and clearly, never with form letters or resorting to generic FAQs. Genuine two-way dialogue with constituents is expected, encouraged, and celebrated at every opportunity. All Lakewood School Board members are committed to datadriven decision-making. When they review a proposal, they expect robust, validated, accurate data. If there are discrepancies, inconsistencies, or unclear narratives, the board sends it back to the administration for
107clarity and improvement. All Lakewood school board members are committed to de detailed operational planning before making decisions that affect our students. They insist on detailed budgets, solid frameworks, and robust executional plans. If a plan is light, flimsy, or halfbaked, they don't move forward. Their standards are high because our stu students deserve nothing less. I could go on, but I think everyone in this room knows that these statements are satire, and I genuinely hope that that makes each and every one of us very sad. These statements shouldn't be satire. They should be reality. This is the school board that we should have, the school board our community deserves. We all share so many wonderful values in Lakewood, but we have to hold our board accountable for living those values in ways that are transparent, honest, and
108importantly effective. It's not a radical bar to set. They're reasonable expectations. They're the foundation of responsible leadership. And yet, when we describe them, it's hard not to chuckle and shake our heads. And that right there tells us what a difficult position we are all in. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speakers, uh, we have three girls that are speaking together and they're going by their first names, Kora, Lucy, and Laney. Cora, Lucy, and Laney. Hi, my name is Kora and I go to Lincoln Elementary and I live on Donald. >> I'm Lanny and I live on Silven Avenue. >> I'm Lucy and I live on Ethel. Dear Lincoln board members, as we as Lincoln children want to share with you our views of Lincoln closing and how we and many parents want to make
109a stand for Lincoln, a big one. >> We have so many reasons of motives that we can't even describe, but the ones that we can, we will. One of the most obvious is that many parents, children, former students, teachers, and children who haven't even gone yet are deeply upset with this decision. Our first reason is that this will affect parents and students. First of all, most students will have to take long trips or walks to get to a new school. This will affect parents with morning jobs or middle schoolers during mornings. Second, some children will cross some of our main streets, one of them being Detroit. This is this will be dangerous in many ways including cars breaking or or disturbing laws, children jaywalking or unsafe environments. Last with parents many children already will be
110struggling to are already struggling to get them out of the house. So, with a longer distance, it would be hard for many parents to be on time. And look, we all know it's a war to get your kids out of the house. Next is the big question. Is this really going to help Lakewood and its people? We all know we are looking for a way to have a new building for preschool. What what we propose is as each school is deeply loved by its parents, students, teachers and board members too. >> Thank you all for this time. Please consider our proposal. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Evie. >> Hi, my name is >> Thank you. >> Here, I'll hold it. Yeah. Hi, my name is Evie and I live on Clifton
111Boulevard and my city is Lakewood. I'm a fifth grader and I go to Lincoln. Even though I will not be affected by this, I'm still very upset. I have two siblings that will be affected by this. First, I am very upset because there's no reason you should be closing any school. Is there a reason? My siblings ask my parents and they can't even tell them why. Also, if you make Lincoln a preK, then one floor is for all the students, and what are the other two floors for? I walk up and down the stairs every day, and I'm very tired. Imagine a kid half my size walking up the stairs every day. Also, the playground is not made for preschoolers. There are monkey bars, and I don't think preschoolers can do the monkey bars. They
112could get very hurt from that. Next, traffic. Preschoolers will have to walk to school, and I don't think they want to walk that far. Also, smaller kids are more fragile, so they're more likely to get badly injured. And if the kid's parents are in a hurry and forget to buckle in their kid, the impact could really hurt the kid. Also, gas is very expensive. Being in a car is boring anyway. I love walking to school. I love walking to school because you get fresh air and I love seeing my friends. Me and my friends always walk to school together. Finally, parents working. If the parents can't take the kid to school because it is too far, then they will have to get a babysitter to take the kid to school, but there might not be
113a be any babysitters available. So then one parent will either quit their job or they will have to be late to work. So then they will get less money because they were late or they quit their job. In conclusion, that's why I think you should not make Lincoln a prek. Also, I've been at Lincoln for 5 years and they just remodeled Lincoln in 2015. and finished in 2016. That means we've we've had New Lincoln for only nine years. That's a year younger than me. I love Lincoln so much and I don't want it to be a preschool. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Annie Humphrey. Hi. Well, what an act to follow, right? I mean, come on. Who wants to go after that? Um, uh, thank you all. Obviously, um, I don't
114want to waste anyone's time. We've all been here for a long time, and I think that we can all focus on what we agree on, which is the fact that Lakewood is an amazing district. We have so many people here. there were so many people here on the 29th. It's amazing. I'm so proud of us. Um I do also want to focus again on what we agree on. Um schools are so important. Um I have a very good friend that I disagree with um who thinks that that fortifying our schools by closing a school is the right choice. I think we both agree that um that this administration has really targeted private public schools. public schools are under attack and I think by by closing schools by increasing class size we are putting our schools
115at risk. Um we talked about inequity in public schools. The board members talked about inequity in public schools. 14 members in a class, 40 members in a class. We all know which of those classes is getting a better better education. Lower class size has been proven to be be important and have better educational outcomes. So cramming our classes as full as they possibly can is again to going to force people who have the means to take their kids and move them somewhere with lower class sizes. So while in 2020 we lost students in a really sad way because they couldn't afford to stay in Lakewood, those people who can afford it are going to take those students out of Lakewood again. And and that's just devastating. I think that it's so important to to create
116that equity and make our education as as, you know, the best that it possibly can be. And I think that um closing schools is going to take students out of Lakewood. They're going to take that voucher money. They're going to leave the public schools. And and I think it's the worst possible thing. I see it as a domino that negatively impacts Lakewood in a broader way. As our schools decline, our property values will decline. It's a it's a domino that just has a precipitous decline for the city of Lakewood and I think it's really important for us to to think about the bigger implications. So, thank you all. Thank you schoolboard members for all of your work. I know that we are all so divided now and I think that we can unite on knowing
117that we're just trying to make our schools better, but I do think that it's important to to keep them as they are for now at least. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Suzanne Bednar Chick. Good evening. My name is Suzanne Bernardic and I'm a 12-year resident of Lakewood. I live on Edgewater Drive. I chose to start my business here six years ago as well. In her letter a couple of weeks ago, the superintendent stated something that I think we can all agree with. Quote, "Change is hard." End quote. We know this. We live with and manage the demands from change on a daily basis. Whether it be at work, in our families, in our local community, or on the broader global scale, we've come to live with and accept the age-old saying, the
118only thing constant is change. So, yes, change happens all the time, and change is hard. That being said, we need to recognize that change may not be necessary and change is not always good. To our board members, as you move toward the vote this evening, I present these reflections to you. First, can the why behind the momentous change be clearly articulated? and are the reasons for this change supported with facts and relevant data? Second, have community members been actively listened to or was their input filtered so that a position held could be reactively justified? And finally, is the resistance from the community now being labeled as fear of change rather than being acknowledged as legitimate concern and facts? There is a considerable amount of frustration and disappointment across our community over this proposal. Not because
119of fear of change, but because many do not see a compelling case to accept a proposal of this magnitude. Closing an elementary school is significant and the impact, whether it be financial or human, is not yet fully understood. On top of that, we will will come the unintended consequences that none of us can see yet, and these two will have to be addressed and managed. I respectfully ask that you do not approve the proposal as presented by the superintendent. We must pause, reset, and move forward by building a positive strategic approach to further develop the school system that our children deserve and our taxpaying community supports. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is JP Galty. Hi, my name is JP Gralty and I live on Cranford Avenue. I have an almost four-year-old and a
12010-month-old, hopefully two future Lincoln Elementary students. I'm speaking today to urge the board to hit the brakes and vote no for now. While there are many issues I could raise, I'm going to focus my three minutes on the area where I have a decade of professional experience, community engagement. In my expert opinion, the engagement undertaken by our board and administration has been woefully inadequate. First, the district convened an invite-only closed door task force to check the community engagement box. In a democracy, public business happens in the open through meetings that anyone can attend and contribute to. The task force was the opposite. Then, after concerns about transparency, the district chose to scrap the task force's work and relied instead on internal data plus one community tabletop meeting. I attended that September 29th meeting here in
121this room. And as a community engagement professional, I was appalled. I've since reviewed public records related to the district's contract with the Center for Marketing and Opinion Research or COR, the firm that was hired to design and facilitate that meeting. The district and board did not vet COR's qualifications nor use an open RFP process. CMOR was hired simply because they were, and I quote, a recommended market research firm," unquote. They were paid in full $4,750 of taxpayer money even though they failed to fulfill two of their three contractual obligations. First, their scope of work promised to pose quote research questions," unquote. Research questions must be neutral, not leading. Two of the five questions asked were blatantly leading, presupposing specific answers without adequate foundation and thus did not constitute research questions. Second, CMO charged $1,750 to
122quote facilitate small group breakout sessions unquote. But during the meeting uh during our last uh board meeting, the superintendent said, quote, "We had close to 40 administrators in assistance throughout that night to help with those tabletops," unquote. In other words, our Lakewood staff did the facilitation work that our taxpayers paid CMO to do. In a democracy, it's not only government for the people, but by the people. And that means engaging the public before decisions are made, not after. Ohio law requires meaningful public deliberation. The public must be able to hear the rationale, trade-offs, and viewpoints before the vote, not just see the outcome. For example, today's presentation about the benefits of central preschool. Uh to have a meaningful deliberation about the trade-offs, we would need to have the same type of presentation about the downsides
123of closing an elementary school. >> Thank you. Um Thank you. >> We're going to move on to the next speaker. Our next speaker is Rachel Farmer. Good evening, members of the board. I am here to voice my concerns regarding a centralized prek. First, I want to address the fact that Lincoln is in no way central when speaking in terms of walkability. It is 1.8 miles from Hayes, 1.9 miles from Roosevelt, and 2.6 miles from Harrison. And these distances are just to the elementary schools and do not take into account the families who live in the furthest corners of Lakewood. As we have heard at previous meetings, there are many families in Lakewood who do not have access to a car during the day. A few by choice, but most because they are unable to afford
124one. How are we expecting these families to be able to get their kids to preschool? While discussing test scores at the previous meeting, the board spoke at length about the correlation between socioeconomic status and academic performance, emphasizing the importance of a level playing field. So, I want to ask why are we considering a plan that will limit preschool access to these lower income families and further increase this disparity? I know we did hear some um discussion on transportation options earlier, but my understanding is that this transport is only provided for kids with an IEP. There was mention of a family um having access to an Uber for a couple weeks, but I don't see this being a sustainable option for a large number of sorry for a large number of families both logistically or financially.
125I also want to take a moment to address my concerns regarding the families who are fortunate enough to have access to a car during the day. It has been repeatedly brought up that many students who currently attend Lincoln will no longer be able to walk to school. But what about all the families in the remaining six elementary schools who will still live close enough to walk, but would now be unable to because they have a preschooler? And let's face it, we're talking about elementary school students, and a lot of these kids do have younger siblings. There is simply not enough time to walk to an elementary school, walk back home, get your younger kids loaded into a car, and make it to a second drop off in time. Now, instead of walking multiple kids to
126one school, these families would suddenly be driving not to just one drop off, but to two. This plan would literally add hundreds of cars to the driver lines at our remaining schools. I am concerned that we are not taking into account the safety implications that this change would mean for our young students. Last month, two students in Rocky River were hit by cars while riding to and from school. A crossing guard in Westlake was just killed. I am so scared of the day that Lakewood gets a similar headline. Going forward with this decision puts all of our students at increased risk. Are you really okay with that? Could you live with the burden of knowing that a decision made tonight might possibly contribute to a future tragedy in Lakewood? Please consider our kids safety and
127do it is in the best interest of our students. Please vote no. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Chelsea Dutters. I'm sorry, Chelsea. Good evening, board members. I'm here tonight to give my son a firsthand example of how we come together as a community to work towards positive, meaningful change. As a parent, as a Lakewood graduate, and a behavior analyst who works with children with autism, I came back because I had faith in the Lakewood schools. And I had such a positive experience. I wanted that for my children. Lakewood is a unique blend, a large community of opportunities rooted in small town values and a strong human connection. However, this entire process has felt chaotic and misguided. Why are we doing this and why now? I analyze data on behavior change for a
128living and I do not see the data trending upwards to shut the doors on Lincoln. I want to be clear as a community, we will not pit schools against one another. We will not turn our backs on parts of our community that have the greatest needs. We fully understand the importance of early learning and put professional eyes on children who have additional needs is imperative. I ask, is Lincoln capable for preschoolers and accessible? And what will these changes cost? As a community, we want to strengthen the social, emotional, and problem solving skills of our learners. If centralized preschool is the best option, why are we not exhausting all efforts in Taft Elementary? There's preK currently, expand on that model that would allow for before and after care. We need to return to focus on data,
129on transparency, kindness, and compassion. We want to have connections and conversations with you as a board. There is more at risk tonight. The trust of our families on leadership, the ability of students to thrive in their daily school lives, the capacity of parents to carry more weight on their shoulders. I'm a taxpayer. I'm a parent and an advocate for children with special needs. I believe in this community. And I ask you tonight when you look out at the young people here, the future leaders of Lakewood, I hope you choose to stand in their corner. Keep Lincoln open. Keep Lakewood strong. Thank you. Our next speaker is Emily Lindberg. Good evening. My name is Emily Lindberg. Um, and I have been a dedicated volunteer working with the school and city on the hike and bike program
130for over two years. First, I want to thank the board for the for your service and for the care you bring to this difficult decision. Lakewood is fortunate to have such strong schools uh and they really are a gem in our community. I'd like to speak briefly about one part of this decision that hasn't received much attention, um, which is how closing a school and eliminating walkable preschool locations affects the city resources that keep students safe as they travel to school. Because we are a walking district, every child walks, bikes, or gets rides in private vehicles, except for some exceptions. When schools close and b and boundaries expand, students will have to travel longer distances and cross more major streets or worse, not bike or walk to school at all. That means a greater demand
131for cross for crossing guards, a resource that the city, not the school district, provides and pays for. The LPD oversees the entire crossing guard program from recruiting to training to paying guards and filling in when a guard is absent. When no substitute is available, that responsibility falls to city staff and sometimes on on duty uh police officers which are pulled away from their regular duties to fulfill these roles. The city is struggling to recruit enough crossing guards to cover all the positions that we currently have. This isn't just about one school closing. It's about the ripple effects on community safety and fairness. If district decisions expand walking distances and traffic pressures, it's only right to acknowledge that those costs don't disappear. They simply shift onto the city. Please keep in mind that these community impacts
132are real and ongoing. Safe routes to school depend on a partnership between the city and the district and that partnership is already stretched and at its limit. Thank you so much for listening. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Fran Smith. Mrs. Kenburger, my name is Fran Smith. I'm a Lakewood resident on Summit Avenue. Been there for 20 since 1998. Um, I'm late to the game in this conversation. However, what I've heard tonight has brought more questions than answers in the information that I've had over time. I I wonder if it's been fully thought out. And I wonder what the additional costs are going to be that haven't been disclosed yet. I don't know much about prek and, you know, early education. I know it's important and I know it's a big shift in my
133lifetime to what we're going to in the future, but it doesn't seem to me that what has been presented is in this city's best interest. It's been a walkable city for schools my whole lifetime and long before that. I know a lot has changed. Living on Summit, when the drop off in the morning comes, there's a lot of traffic. I don't know that putting a centralized preschool there is going to make that any better because little kids can't really walk that far. So, there'll be a lot of people getting dropped off. I'm just very concerned that you have not the proper attention has been put to this issue for our community and I hope you really consider what you're going to vote on tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Andrea Salem.
134Good evening and thanks for the opportunity to speak and for serving on the board. Um, I'm encouraging you to vote no tonight on the superintendent's proposal to close the highest performing elementary school in the district, shuffle our students with the highest needs to different schools, and to spend an undisclosed amount of money so far on two brand new playgrounds. Previously, I've spoken about how I think this decision will have a negative impact on student learning, making it harder for students to get to school each day. There's a lot of data about absenteeism and how that has a negative impact on student learning. I would strongly encourage you to keep that front of mind as you make your decision tonight. However, there's another problem. Um, I am a stakeholder with three children in the district, but
135I also have a master's in educational leadership and a decade of teaching experience. And this decision makes no more sense to me today than it did one year ago. And that is a big problem. The board and the district have a transparency problem. smart, dedicated individuals in this room still don't believe these moves need to happen at all, or at least not yet. Not having community buyin should be a problem for the board. And yet, it doesn't appear to matter. Um, maybe that's not true, but to us, it really doesn't appear that that makes a difference. So tonight, I'm asking you one final time to please pause this process, approach this is this issue as I know you want to with a clear strategy and a vision. Take the time to get the buyin from
136all stakeholders. We really do want to stand behind you as we always have. We really do. What you have tried so far in order to get that buyin has clearly not worked. As someone mentioned earlier, every chance we've had to participate in these community conversations, the feedback has kind of come back overwhelmingly the same, that we don't support this. Um, almost 200 residents showed up and told the superintendent exactly that at the community tabletop conversation just three weeks ago in this very room. I voted for all of you at one point or another. And I'm asking um as a constituent to have my voice heard even if you don't personally agree with me and to please vote no on this proposal tonight so we can ensure the success of our district's next steps whatever they
137may be. It just seems like a big big risk to take without community buyin and without a plan for what will happen if this model fails. Students across the district should not have to take the fall for our hasty decision-making. So please vote no. Thank you. Our next speaker is Todd Phillips. Todd Phillips. >> Good evening everyone. Todd Phillips. I live on Maple Cliff. Uh thank you Andrew for teeing that up for what I'm about to say. That's pretty good. Uh well, we'll just roll with it and see what we have here. In partnership with our families and community, Lakewood City Schools will develop responsible citizens who are critical and creative thinkers committed to lifelong learning, invested in a diverse society, and prepared for technological and global opportunities. Okay, most of us have seen that
138or heard that somewhere, but maybe particularly for the group. That is the mission statement of the school district. So, I just want to stress the first part. I'm going to say one more time. In partnership with our families and community, it is not just prudent to understand what the community is saying. It is your elected obligation as stewards of the school system, not acting as individuals on the board, but on behalf of what is best for the education and community. Statements like change is never easy. This is a difficult community conversation. People fear change. Just we've heard it. We don't fear change. We don't trust that you understand the weight of what's going on right now with this facility situation. That is my perception. And it seems that there's a bit of that perception across
139the community. So change is not fear. Change is inevitable. We need change. Lead with change. Change of thought. Change of leadership. If you're not going to listen to me or data or anything else, everyone has their own opinion how they process. Maybe just listen to the wisdom and ex and experience of Princess Anna of Arendelle. Just do the next right thing. Keep Lincoln open. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Katie Solomon. Good evening. My name is Katie Solomon and I live on Clifton Boulevard. I've been vocal on this issue and everything I've criticized about the process and its transparency to date still stands. Today, I would like to tell you a more personal story about my son's positive experience of receiving support in his neighborhood elementary school. It just can't be conveyed in
140writing. My now six-year-old first grader turned one right at the beginning of CO. Plans for child care and early preschool went out the window as he was cared for within our home and with the help of grandparents. He emerged from the pandemic with a speech delay, significant anxiety, and later on selective mutism, which is an anxiety disorder that interferes with the ability to speak in social situations. He never even knew that Starbucks had an inside, being relegated to drive-through experiences for his COVID formative years. That child was identified early on for IEP services as he entered his half-day four-year-old preschool at his home school of Lincoln Elementary. He received outstanding support from the team there. Support that has absolutely changed his life. Shout out to Miss Beer, Miss Chris, Miss Hammond, Mrs. Falp, Mrs. Cavelli,
141Mrs. Gffer, to Mrs. Budsar. He also received so much natural accommodation just by the way of being in his neighborhood school with his big sisters, working up to saying hello to the crossing guard and peers we saw walking to school over a nine-month period. It started with a couple of fingers and and grew into a full hello. A hug in the hallway from my watchful oldest daughter who would see through the cafeteria windows that he was having a tough time entering school and would ask to go to the bathroom so she would conveniently be in the hallway to give him a little extra hug. All of this, including the peer connections he formed, gave him a place and a sense of belonging. That same boy now walks confidently to school a few driveways ahead of
142us with me and my husband trailing behind only as a set of watchful eyes. He carries his football tucked under his arm. And on the days where I have miraculously managed to get all three of my kids moving out the door in time, we arrive early to the front lawn of Lincoln. He whips out the football and casually tosses it tosses it to a group of older boys also waiting to walk into school. An improp game of catch has started. Our son, the one who was not speaking in most situations only one year ago, walks up to these towering big kids and extends his hand saying, "Hi, I'm David." That is the power of a neighborhood elementary school. The power of being known. The greatest service in the world cannot provide that. Please don't let
143tonight's vote turn this story into a eulogy of what Lakewood schools used to be. Let it be a reminder of what we stand to preserve. And I think David's back there running around. And I just want to say I'm so proud of you, buddy. Thank you so much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Michael Drops. Michael, Marlo Avenue. Um Uh today you covered the Lakewood City Schools compendium for least restrictive environment. My understanding of IDEA is that preschool is an environment that is split 50/50 with typical students and students with disability. My understanding of the idea law is that a student on an IEP is to start in the regular classroom with support and services and only when that fails do we consider moving them to a restrictive environment. Why would we start an environment
144that takes them away from their natural support system, their neighborhood schools? Secondly, I hope that you took the opportunity to go to Lincoln and walk to the surviving schools. I believe that it would be hard to decide what would be good for others, especially small children, without experiencing this yourself. the citizens of Lakewood elected you to represent them in providing oversight for the Lakewood School District. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Angela Joerger. Hi, I'm Angela Joerger, Arthur Avenue. I want to say to the kids, they did a great job giving a comment. Um truly this um this is not my first uh public comment anywhere, but my very first one was actually a school my high school closing in 1995. It didn't go my way. Um, but I do I
145do want to say we expect an incredible amount from public schools. Um, child care, we expect them to be transportation. We expect differentiation. And despite all those challenges that we we expect our district to to attain to, our district continues to meet those challenges. Lakewood schools are transparent. They publicly report data. They engage stakeholders. and they're bound by the state requirements for openness while private schools are not. Um, Lakewood shoulders the responsibility of educating our most vulnerable and deserving students. Private schools select who they serve. I really appreciate that Lakewood stays committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including students with disabilities. Um, fun fact, the state can still make changes to our funding until December 2026. And the state, as I've said like 50 times up here, has moved a billion dollars this year from
146public education to private education. And and there's a slew of legislation in the state house in Ohio and federally. And House Bill 486 is just one of them. And because of that, I just want to say to the board and to my friends who will hold me accountable later, I commit to continuing to stay active and advocating for our public schools, including working on a levy campaign. I said it, hold me to it, friends. Um, but the fact is we all need to be vigilant. I want us all to be vigilant of those who will tell this story as a community divided as schools that are failing. Uh I want to be vigilant and cautious about anti-UN statements. I want us to be vigilant and critically examine campaigns that will end property taxes, defunding public
147schools with no plan to replace those funds. We have to stay vigilant about that. The fact is we need to market and celebrate our schools with our words and our actions. And as the authors of the education wars, a great book, probably above the kids reading levels, um would remind us, there is no way to realize the promise of a multi-racial democracy without a strong public education system that brings people together. And Lakewood does that beautifully. And I know you all will continue to do this. and just thank you for your leadership, your integrity, and your steadfast commitment to our students and our city. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Sharon Schult. >> Good evening. My name is Sharon Schultz. I live on Buns Road. I was a member of the elementary facilities task
148force. I served with Jason and I uh think I'm going to make it into one of his stories. I was a little confused and frankly a little bit appalled by what I heard. But um I'm here really first and foremost I want to say thank you to Superintendent Nidwicki, Treasurer Zean, and the board of education for your work on this process over the past year. It has been a long and I'm sure at times overwhelming process, but you have all approached it with tenacity and integrity. I'm so grateful for your leadership. I can't imagine that it has been easy to be treated the way that you have sometimes been treated. I even here tonight, I admire your strength and determination to do what is right for our community. As a task force member, I did
149not once feel intentionally misled or deceived. I felt the process was open and honest. I do not believe that any decisions were made before the task force began. I heard many thoughtful conversations and opinions and I'm grateful that you are all willing to hear from the community in so many different ways throughout the process. I think that there is a false narrative that if a school is repurposed that it means our board is trying to take away neighborhood schools in Lakewood. Even if only six elementary schools remain, we still have neighborhood schools. I cannot think of another district that would have six uh elementary schools in such a small square mileage. Um we would still be one of the most, if not the most, walkable districts in the area and even the state. Regardless of
150the way that the vote goes tonight, I trust that our superintendent made a decision that she felt was in the best interest of the entire community. And I trust that the board will vote with that in mind as well. One thing that I want to say that wasn't part of what I wrote down. If this happens and there is some type of accident, I'm actually appalled that someone would get up here and say and insinuate that the board, if they go through with this vote, that they would be responsible for a car accident of a tragic nature. That's appalling no matter what side of this issue that you were on. and I am really upset by that. Um, the last thing I just want to say is I hope that we can all come together
151and work hard to support our amazing staff and teachers and work together to pass a levy next year so that our district continues to be able to offer such a wonderful and wide array of classes and programs for all. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh the next uh speaker is Peggy Seelback Meisen. >> Good evening. Thank you so much for listening to all of us this evening. I'm Peggy Sbach Meisen. I live on Edgewater and yes, I'm fighting for Lincoln because it's my neighborhood school and two of our four grandchildren attend there. However, I would be fighting for any school in the district. I respectfully suggest that you table this vote tonight. I would like the board to consider two maybe three maybe one open community meeting with no public comment but we can hear
152all of you discuss this among yourselves. I think it's very important for the community to understand how you all are interacting with each other. I know according to the rules and regulations you were not to be discussing this with each other prior to this the last couple meetings. I would like to know what each of you together around a table how you would present your yay your nay let's table let's not that's my comment for tonight thank you thank you our next speaker is Aaron Hartland good evening Evening. I'm Aaron Hartland. I live on Ramona Avenue. And beyond what's already been said, repurposing a building that's inappropriate for PK prek, no redistricting data, underutilization of TAP, transportation concerns, and location. I just wanted to point out that lots of or most of the consistent findings
153for long-term um educational benefits come from two things. One is median income of the community which we don't really have control over. And the second is class sizes. Capping a class size at 18 seems to be like the highest number of class sizes where there is consistent good outcomes for students. I have not heard that argument being made in any of the meetings I have attended or listened to. So I just wanted to make sure that was at top of mind. And I heard a specific Boston University study being mentioned today um that said that touted the benefits of prek learning early education. But what was not mentioned is that was for kindergarten readiness. It did not have an impact on long-term educational outcomes. maybe one or two test points, but not a significant benefit
154over the long term. Um, career readiness, graduation from high school, admittance into college or anything like that. So, it is important. I agree prek is important, but it is not something to base a decision like closing a school on and disrupting our neighborhood community schools. So, um, I would urge you to consider what you can control, which is small, small, small small class sizes, as small as possible, which is not something I feel like I've heard enough discussion about. And then just a personal comment. Um I just find it really difficult to hear that I should not be cheering or commenting when you are elected officials and meant to be a liazison between the community and the superintendent. So I just I feel like I just lost a lot of trust tonight. Um, I feel
155like we were meant to feel bad by commenting by some of the comments by the school board. So, I just wanted to make that clear that it it felt like we are wrong for coming out in droves and expressing our support of keeping all seven elementary schools. So, that's all. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Amber Callahan. Hello. Hello. I'm Amber Callahan. I'm back. I have five kids now. I have two in middle school, two in elementary school, and a five-month-old. You may have heard earlier that had to go. So, I'll try to be quick. I just wanted to say that I'm speaking both as a parent and a community member who cares deeply about Lakewood's public schools, especially Lincoln. A centralized learning center sounds lovely, not at the cost of an elementary school.
156Preschool is not free. So, a district preschool would still compete with all the other preschools and daycarees in and out of the city. Didn't we just sell off a few buildings for very small profit? wouldn't have made more sense to keep and renovate one of those properties rather than a whole citywide shift. I urged the board to pause and reconsider this proposed closure. The superintendent's recent message cited the need to efficiently use our spaces while preparing for potential funding and voucher changes, but that's the key word, potential. There's no financial or ele enrollment emergency requiring us to close a thriving school. Responsible governance should be based on data, not speculation. Enrollment is stable. Lincoln alone welcomed 21 new students this year, none of them kindergarteners. Our budget is sound. In fact, recent state adjustments have
157added funding, not cuts. The narrative of urgency simply doesn't align with reality. The board often speaks about equity and diversity in core values. Yet, closing a walkable neighborhood school like Lincoln would directly contradict both. Lincoln's district includes over 450 multifamily properties. Many families walk because they don't own cars. Removing their neighborhood school removes their access to education. Meanwhile, over 600 new housing units are being built citywide. As new developments attract higher income residents, the smaller multifamily homes nearby will become more attainable for single family parents and for working families. That's how housing markets rebalance. So, if we value inclusion, why would we make it harder for these families to send their children to a neighborhood school? Lakewood's reputation, property values, and sense of community all hinge on strong, walkable, high-erforming neighborhood schools. Closing Lincoln would
158repeat the same overly cautious mistakes we made during the prolonged pandemic closures. Decisions that cost our families and trust. Please lead with transparency, facts, and courage. There's no emergency, only a community asking you to protect what makes Lakewood strong. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Colin Weaver. Sorry. Uh, my name is Colin Weaver. Um, I live on Nicholson Avenue. I have three little kiddos, all of whom were in Lakewood public schools. none of whom would be impacted by the Lincoln School of Closure. Uh I have no dog in the fight when it comes to its impact on my family directly. Just to make that super clear up front. Uh I know many of you personally. Uh I've volunteered my time coaching your kids for years in soccer and it's been my pleasure
159to do so. Um I know all of you are kind, good-hearted people. Um and I'm sorry about any personal attacks you've had against you. All of that is completely unacceptable. Before I get into my reasons for not moving forward with this proposal, as somebody said a few minutes ago, I'd be remiss if I didn't share my frankly visceral reaction when I heard the comments today by board member Clark Sutton that all of us in the audience needed to be quiet and that we were only allowed only allowed here as invited guests of the board. As an elected public servant, I found to be incredibly dismissive, condescending, and against the idea of trying to solve our problems together. I agree with board member Dottman that this is about equity, but I don't agree with the direction
160the board is clearly going tonight. Admittedly, I'm coming to this late, but closing a school, as in closing a school in which hundreds of students attend, should be an absolute last resort. Enrollment is stabilized, but probably unequally across all of Lakewood. Doing redistricting is probably a necessary thing we should look to explore. Why can't we try the obvious, far less burdensome approach of redistricting first or really any other approach before closing a school? If the enrollment was rapidly declining, I get it. We have to make tough decisions, but enrollment is stabilizing. Let's do everything we can before closing a school. Why can't we wait and see how enrollment plays out and revisit this conversation every two years before making such a significant step? Lastly, I believe that moving the gifted program to the Hayes is
161a mistake. You are moving a central program to a far extreme end of Lakewood. As one example, it means that for c certain people who live in Lakewood, it is a 28 minute roundtrip car ride from their home twice a day to Hayes just to have their kids attend a school that meets their needs. But most importantly, let's try every single thing possible before taking such amenous decision as closing a school. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Kyle Robinson. >> Good evening, Kyle Robinson, Clifdale Avenue. I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight and thank you to the board members who raised concerns last week about the superintendent's recommendation to repurpose Lincoln Elementary. I believe you as board members care about Lakewood and understand how serious and permanent this
162decision is. Also want to thank the teachers and staff for what they do at all the Lakewood schools. I'm not here just as a resident, but as someone bringing the voices of neighbors who couldn't be here tonight. After countless conversations, one thing is undeniable. The overwhelming majority of Lakewood residents do not want Lincoln repurposed. Nor do I. You've heard it in public comments, at tabletop discussions, in emails, and in person. You say us here. You say you hear us. I know you hear us, but are you listening? People I talk with are asking basic questions that still haven't been answered. What's the long-term strategic plan for our schools? Who's actually asking for a centralized prek? Is there a demand? How are we marketing and growing the current enrollment? And why this decision? and why. Now,
163Lakewood schools are at the heart of our community. They're not just buildings. They're anchors for neighbors. They are part of why families move here and stay here. They're part of our identity. And Lincoln, like every neighborhood school we still have, keeps Lakewood walkable. One of our core values that makes our city special. Once we lose a walkable neighborhood school, it's nearly impossible to ever get it back, no matter what is promised or what was presented. Closing a school isn't just about shutting down a building or repurposing space. It's about cutting off opportunity, breaking neighborhood ties, and unraveling the very fabric that makes with Lakewood thrive. The ripple effects go far beyond the classroom. When a school closes, it does doesn't affect students and staff. It impacts the surrounding community. Nearby public spaces like the parks
164where our kids play, lose energy, and foot traffic. Those shared spaces are part of what makes our neighborhoods feel whole. And the effects don't stop there. Closing or repurposing a school can lower property values, weaken neighborhood stability, discourage future investment, and ultimately shape a long-term direction of Lakewood. A decision like this requires absolute certainty. 100% certainty. But from the superintendent's own presentation and from the questions raised by board members, it was clear even you aren't sold 100%. If there is doubt, and there is, then we cannot move forward. Lakewood deserves a plan rooted in transparency, data, and community trust. I know this is a hard decision, but sometimes the right decisions are the toughest ones. The ones where we pause, demand clarity, and choose to protect what makes community strong. Please listen to the people
165you represent. Keep our neighborhood schools open. Keep our community whole. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next next speaker is Parker Edmund. Parker Edmond Quail uh Quail Street. Um I want to say first that I have respect uh for the administrators who presented today. And I want to thank you for everything that you uh presented and everything that you did. Um you clearly have more expertise than I do on school administration. Um and I don't want to misspeak for you or put words in your mouth. Um but I do want to tell you how I heard your presentation as a Birdtown resident. I also want to say that I think we have a lot of shared values here. I care about diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am a progressive. Um I am I'm somebody who
166cares about that, who's really worried about what's going on in our world today. But I want to break down some numbers for you. Um from Birdtown Harrison, it's about 2.6 miles. I'm going to be conservative and say two. Um that's about um um uh 1,400 miles each year. If you think of the cost of driving at about 30 30 cents a mile, which I think is really conservative, um that's an extra $432 a year. If you think of it as what some estimates put it at at 82 cents a mile, that's $1,100 per year. For many Birdtown residents, these costs are unsustainable. This will increase co costs for parents like me. Um, the school district's response to this, and I want to say with all respect, is to take away the dignity of Birdtown residents
167by forcing them to rely on a theoretical charity that does not exist yet, that is controlled by interests outside our influence. I think there is potential benefits to having a pre-entralized prek, but I haven't heard them. And to be frank, the potential benefits that focus on providing more college educated teachers and kindergarten aligned curriculum to children reeks of a kind of progressive and managerial class that is increasingly unattached from the needs of working families. When I see the economically disconnected presentations and comments from our progressive leadership at the local, state, and national levels, no wonder why we see working families moving away from progressive leadership and towards more radical leadership. Here is my message to you. Costs matter. Kitchen table issues matter. Um, we need affordable, accessible, clean environment to bring our children that allows
168us to work. That's our bar. And I know it's low. We want a place that our children can be happy and that they don't get hurt or bit, which is a real concern for parents. Um, this doesn't make sense. Please don't do this. Please listen to us. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Nick Chern. >> Hello. So, I want to start off to say that I speak for myself and myself only. You know, I intentionally stayed out a lot of the Facebook, social media stuff because I wanted to be able to have a clear head and be able to weigh the decision into proposals very carefully. And I have to balance out my role as a parent, a community member, and a longtime public educator. And what uh has concerned me about
169this whole process, as committed as I was to maintaining an open mind throughout, is that you've had this messaging change. Initially at the first meeting that I attended at Lincoln there was such a focus on the financial ramifications of keeping the schools open and that gradually changed and as you know I tried to understand the information collect more data throughout that I I found that it wasn't that significant of an issue and then we see today a major focus on the benefits of having this early childhood center and while all that may be very true the fact that this fairly informative presentation happens moments before we're expected to have a vote on it is not particularly appropriate in my mind. If if this argument is so persuasive, it should have been one of the initial
170arguments to come out not saved until again right before we end up voting. Um beyond that and thinking about alternatives, I heard stuff about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Well, if enrollment, which was also a presented issue early on, were really that resident, there's been no no discussion about open enrollment at all. And when I look around this room and we talk about equity and inclusion, I don't know, a lot of people kind of in the same status. And I think that if we are really committed to that idea, there's workable ways to find these solutions. I work for a school district that just started doing open enrollment. It's a very small school district. And you know what? You wouldn't know. But whether or not open enrollment would work in a district like Lakewood's size or
171whatever financial considerations are involved on it, that's all that's all secondary to the fact that it wasn't even seriously discussed. Um, you know, and again, when I hear these discussions about repurposing for early childhood center, I keep hearing arguments that are making life easier for adults. And that's a question that was always presented me when you know while we're doing department meetings, whatever type of leadership position I'm in within the school building is that is this decision or what we were saying is it about it making it easier for us and a lot of the questions about what goes on at having these schools all over the early early childhood in different places is administrative questions that frankly all this time and energy that's dedicated towards making the argument to repurpose Lincoln that time and
172energy used to try to find creative solutions to those administrative problems probably could have been resolved. So that's my time and uh pretty clear on that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Michael Alexander. I wet my whistle. I got a couple things I got to say. Michael Alexander, uh, Rosley Avenue, uh, proud dad of Lincoln graduate and a, um, Lincoln second grader, the superintendent, Mr. Treasurer, board members, city of Lakewood Police Department officers, for some reason, all of you folks, the camera, which camera am I in? Which one? Folks at home, I know you couldn't be here because you have children to take care of, right? My wife was here for a while. I think my kids were probably eating ice cream in front of the television because we weren't able to
173pay attention to them this evening or other Mondays. Um, I wrote you an email and I assume you read it. I got a a wonderful copied and pasted response. I appreciate that. And I wanted to say that to summarize just for some of the folks who haven't requested the public record yet. Um, this to me is a is a substantial amount of people. Um, some of which agree with me, some of which maybe don't, and that's fine. Um, I just wanted to say that if we went back in time and all seven schools were on this chopping block, how big would this crowd be? You'd have to get a different venue. Am I I mean I honestly believe that I I don't I don't I didn't pay enough attention in the early stages of this
174process to understand why there were only 42% of you know affected kids the the Grant and the Roosevelt and the I mean it's three out of seven. I'm not good at math but it's it's it's less than half. And so by effectively pacifying and and and silencing those other four groups of parents um this is the group that you ended up with. And I feel I I think it's substantial. It was referenced as a small group. Um I don't believe it is. Um I guess we've you know in the talks with my fellow neighbors and Lincoln parents you know they we've all kind of agreed like you know we got to talk about numbers and we've got to talk about real data and information and things like that. I don't know how well that's working.
175So I'm going to talk about the emotional side of this for myself and other people. you have chosen or well the situation it presents itself with is two very emotional things. The shelter upon which I have chosen for my family to raise my kids in. I don't know any home buyer that's ever had a rational decision when they're buying a home. They buy it because of the things that they get from it. and also my children who I love dearly and I the experiences to me are very close second to the information that they receive inside of your buildings. And so I just want to take the last 20 seconds of my time up here to let you think about that. And I hope you vote no this evening. Thank you. Our next speaker is
176Elena McCort. Elena McCort, Lake Avenue. The definition of lying is making statements with the intention to mislead or deceive. Today, I thought I would try again to explain how the superintendent and board have been lying to our community using a few of the latest examples. Last week, the superintendent and board once again used Infinite Campus, a tool intended to communicate with families about attendance, paperwork, fees, and report cards to inappropriately send political propaganda to every family in the district. This heavily biased email was clearly written in support of their decision to repurpose Lincoln and included a list, another list of frequently asked questions. One question was, "Does the school board want to remove walkability for over 200 students?" their response. Under the proposed Lincoln scenario, the average walking distance difference compared to existing boundaries is
177minimal, ranging from negative.5 zero five to 0.2 miles with most changes very close to zero. First of all, the number of students at Lincoln is over 260. Saying it is 200 students is misleading. Secondly, most Lincoln students will have a significant increase in walking distance with some students expected to walk almost a mile and a half, a 44minute walk to school. Minimizing the number of impacted students and vastly understating the increase in walking distance is intentionally misleading our community. In other words, it's lying. Another frequently asked question related to why students are leaving the district at the middle school level. The answer, enrollment at the middle school is lower because it serves fewer grade levels. I beg your pardon. Nobody's frequently asked question was whether three grades is less than six. And you know that.
178It reminded me of a previous round of FAQs when the question was, "Why aren't we examining the enrollment decline at the high school?" The board responded that the e the high school had excess capacity, so we relocated the Franklin School of Opportunity. Neither of these answers even begin to address the actual question of why middle and high school students are leaving our district. Claiming that middle school enrollment is lower because there are just fewer grades is intentionally deceiving our community. In other words, it's lying. In an email sent to me by board president Katzenberger on May 6th, she said, "Our eventual decision will focus on what we feel is best for all of Lakewood's children. The October 6th recommendation will eliminate walkability for hundreds of Lincoln students, remove accessible neighborhood pre-K for low-income families in
179Burtown, disrupt our special needs students who benefit most from routine, and drive more families out of our district. You cannot claim to care about all children while sacrificing some. All children means all children. Your egos and your desire to win have clouded your ability to see the many flaws in this concept of a plan. and our district is suffering greatly because of it. Voters of Lakewood, rise up. Regardless of how the board votes tonight, we deserve leadership that will never again try to manipulate or intentionally deceive us to advance their own agenda. We deserve real leaders. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Mark Cipiel. Hi, Mark CPL, Andrews Avenue. I don't know if you saw the crowds out there earlier. Boy, what a turnout. Great job, guys. I don't know if you heard
180the car horns out there, too. Great participation. I don't know if you saw them. I don't know if you heard them. I don't know if you saw and heard us. Really not sure if you see and hear us now. We're dis we're disappointed both in the prospect of this decision, in the process that led to it, and the lack of vision of the school board, out of alignment with the voice of Lakewood values, which has been loud and clear again and again. There's no urgency to make this choice tonight. There were no budget emergencies identified, no evidence that closing a school would meaningfully save any money. In fact, the only real urgency tonight is the urgency that so many Lakewood citizens feel about the need to stand up and speak out to protect our schools
181before our school board, protect our community assets that we voted for and that were built less than 10 years ago. I think you said you're looking at data that's more than 10 years old. Yeah. the enrollment data that you said was so important to look broadly and widely, not just five years, look to 10 years. But wait, Lincoln was built nine years ago. So what we're asking is to hold our vote to your hearts. When we voted to build that school, we also hoped that we entrusted you to protect it. Today, we don't have a voting voice to stop this, but on November 4th, we do have the opportunity to vote for new leadership. And I encourage all Lakewood residents to really think about whether this school board's decision tonight reflects your values and is
182the kind of leadership that we deserve and demand of our of our for our schools, or whether it's time for change, time to bring more balanced thinking and better representation of Lakewood on the board. I'm running out of time here, but I want to say a few things you guys have acknowledged. You've acknowledged that community feedback overwhelmingly supported redistricting first. A first a reversible decision, an easy decision to balance class sizes before making any permanent changes. Yet, you paired redistricting with closing a school. As if both were immediately necessary, why not redistrict first? The data that you provided acknowledged that Lakewood's elementary enrollment has been stable for the past 5 years, not declining. Yet, you're trying to find a way to justify closures with some decades old data, pointing to broad national trends and state
183trends. Having a wide lens is fine, but where's the local lens? Where's the focus on recent data? The bar for closing a school is high and it has not been met. Finally, we've heard you say this is not personal, but for families and children and really all Lakewood residents, closing a school is deeply personal. Thank you. >> permanently affects the >> Thank you. We're going to move on to the next speaker. The next speaker is Jeff McCquort. >> Everybody, Jeff McCord Lake Avenue. So, I was speaking of crowds. I was at the uh no kings protest on Saturday rallying against fascism and authoritarianism and it dawned on me that uh we too have an authoritarianism problem right here in the Lakewood school board. You all cite threats from the ruling party in Columbus and in
184DC. And you're right. I personally agree that Columbus is trying to destroy public schools among other things and that DC is trying to destroy democracy. We agree on those threats and for what it's worth, we likely agree on many policy issues and I'd stand arm-in-arm with you in fighting those battles, including supporting a levy. Where we differ is on process, on what good government means, and on the need for proper and strategic and financial planning when we make decisions of this magnitude. I'm glad to hear that evidently you're rolling out a strategic plan for the recck department in the near future, but you are about to vote on closing a brand new elementary school with no strategic plan in place. Above all else, we disagree on the idea that tyranny by the majority is acceptable.
185My concern here has never been about Lincoln or any other school. My concern is about a broken process, a broken culture in our school leadership. You're voting whether to close a school based on two powerpoints and about an hour of discussion. A decision that could send our community into a death spiral. If you're wrong, regardless of which way you vote tonight, all of Lakewood needs to understand how recklessly you have acted with our community's trust. How indignant and manipulative and dismissive you have been towards the legitimate concerns and questions of your constituents. All of Lakewood needs to know how recklessly you've operated with our most precious public resources to let this process get so badly botched and go this far. All of Lakewood needs to understand how you've dismissed parent concerns by spinning narratives that
186anyone who questions the king is just an emotional insignificant minority. The majority of Lakewood does not care. Maybe you're right. Maybe the majority of Lakewood voters won't vote. They probably won't on November 4th. Maybe they'll take the club ticket, a club I'm a member of, by the way, and vote you back into office without thinking. Either way, it's not okay. Authoritarian Authoritarianism is not okay in DC. Authoritarianism is not okay in Columbus, and authoritarianism is certainly not okay in Lakewood. We need change on the Lakewood School Board. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Amy Seiel. Amy Hi there. Thank you for letting me speak. I'm Amy Sepiel. I live on Andrew Avenue in Lakewood in the Lincoln district. Um, I really hate public speaking, but I keep thinking to myself, I don't want to
187be sitting in a carline one day wishing I would have said more or done more. So, here I am. Um, uh, so, you know, I in the past two weeks keep thinking about something that was said by a board member. I don't want to say who because I I wanted to verify it but um you had said that when you were building the schools rebuilding the schools that the motto then was build it they will come and like that motto kept kind of playing in my head the past two weeks build it and they will come and I believe that was sort of the motto and the rationale behind like rebuilding the schools that you guys did rebuild. And then I happened, you know, a few days later to stumble across a photo. I was
188I was trying to Google the dates that Lincoln had um been built and when it had opened. And I came across a picture. It was March of 2015. And you guys are standing there. I see you, Mrs. Shaughnessy, and you, Mrs. Kenburgger, with uh engraved shovels pitched to the pitched in the ground. and you're smiling on what was then the dirt that would be built up as Lincoln Elementary. Build it and they will come. Well, we are here. You actually did it. The vision is alive. I see it every morning and every afternoon at drop off and pickup. And it's such a beautiful thing. I wish I had a picture I could put up so you know to show everybody. But it's, you know, kids running around with their school friends and they're climbing on
189stones and they're rolling down the hill and parents are chatting and connecting and there's bikes and scooters buzzing by and our car line is impressively short. It's amazing. You built it and we did come and we're here. So why are you reversing course now? It feels like a bait and switch. You don't think the school was a factor in purchasing property around Lincoln? And it has been open for what, less than 10 years? Like what was the timeline for this plan? Because less than 10 years seems like an awfully short time. And our our numbers actually hold up pretty well considering we had hits from COVID and vouchers where we lost some enrollment to families opting for homeschool or private school. It's amazing really. We should be celebrating the accomplishment of a vision realized. A
190vision you had when you broke ground to build Lincoln. You did it. None of us can understand why you would reverse course now. We're all clearly baffled, confused because closure makes no sense. Why disrupt something that's working well, highly rated, and well attended? Instead of viewing that as something to disrupt and distill throughout the district, build on what's working. Build on what you already built. Your vision is here. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Our next speaker is Kayla Cipiel. >> Okay. Our next speaker is Scott Stall. >> Hi Um, so yeah, I want to say a couple things uh about what's already been said. One thing I keep hearing people say is that the population, the KTOI population is stable. Um, relative to our projections, uh, we're actually above our um, our
191expected population by 8%. So to build on what the last uh, speaker was saying, we are uh, more successful than our projections based on live birth data and population trends expect and we should be celebrating that. Um, but I want to continue to talk about something else. Um I want to talk about the process uh that has led us here today. Uh and I want to compare this process with another recent process in the city of Lakewood uh the Buns road redesign. So I want to start by saying the city has an active transportation plan. Uh and the Buns redesign was informed by those public priorities. But now I want to go through the public uh the public comment timeline public engagement timeline and summary that the city of Lakewood posted about the project. Uh
192they started on April 25th, 2024 where they sent letters out to residents. They posted yard signs and they had the plan from the start as part of the initial proposal. They said, "This is what we're expecting to do." Two weeks later, they had a public meeting with the city engineer, planning department, public works, engineering department, answering questions from members of the public that were in attendance. Uh that meeting marked the beginning of the public comment period. Meeting attendees were provided with comment cards they could turn in. The planning commission meeting happened another month later where they had weighed a couple proposals and decided to go uh forward with one. Public comment period then ended and six months later they updated the plan based on public comment and they listed the places that they responded to
193public comment and updated their plans accordingly. Now, the reason I'm saying this is that if we vote yes on this plan tonight, uh after just two weeks of the plan being public and this being the only meeting giving time for people to give considered public comment in response to that plan, you are telling us that we value community input on the closure of an elementary school and the commitment to a centralized prek less than the city of Lakewood values community input on simply redesigning a road. This should be the start of the discussion, not the end of it. Um, and finally, one more thing I want to say is I get the feeling that some of you find parents incredibly annoying, and I think you would find them less annoying if you actually engaged with
194them as a community rather than having discussions with yourselves and consultants behind closed doors. Thanks. >> Thank you. Our next speaker is Kelly Moyer. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Kelly Moyer and I live on Lakeland Avenue. Tonight, you're being asked to sign off on a recommendation that will reshape our community for generations to close Lincoln Elementary, redistrict families, and relocate our district's special education programs. This isn't just a facilities plan. It's a decision that affects children's sense of belonging, families daily lives, and the safety and fabric of our neighborhoods. I'm asking you, I'm pleading with you to pause, to vote no on the recommendation as presented, and hold off on these sweeping changes. There is too much at stake and too much we still don't know. You are currently in the
195process of hiring a new treasurer, and yet you are looking to vote on sweeping financial and structural changes before that person even begins their work. This is the perfect time to pause and get that new administrator to look at all the current issues with fresh eyes. We have not had a full accounting of enrollment trends postco data that could dramatically alter the assumptions that this plan is built on. Two of you, including the current president, are up for reelection in just two weeks and we have a looming levy ask coming in 2026. Why now? Why this urgency when the decision may be irreversible and the justification remains incomplete? Closing a school should be the last resort, not the first response. We are working from a reactive place instead of a proactive one. To the board,
196we ask you to be leaders, not followers. We ask you to be thinkers, not just reviewers. We ask you to pause, to listen again, to gather more data, and then come back with a plan built on full knowledge, not a rushed first draft. This decision does not need to be made tonight. As has been repeatedly stated, there is no emergency. Your vote tonight will send a message to our children, including the ones that were brave enough to speak tonight. You matter. Your school matters. The consistency of your childhood, and your education matters. This is our last chance to speak on this tonight, but we will remember what decisions were made, how quickly they were made, and what was sacrificed in the rush. We will continue to stand up. We will continue to speak, and we
197will not be dismissed. So, I'm asking you, board members, vote no on this recommendation. Keep all our schools open for now. Send the plan back for deeper study. Let the new treasurer enter their role. Let the pandemic's full effects be documented. work on uniting the community behind the 2026 levy. Then decide what is the best path forward with full facts, full community backing, and strong alternatives identified. We are here. We are watching and we will hold you accountable. Thank you. >> Thank you. Our next our next speaker is Paul Centurali. Paul Sinarali on French Avenue. Um, I've been in Lakewood since first grade. My wife was born and raised in Lakewood. Our two daughters are born and raised in Lakewood and ch and products of the public schools. I appreciate this seems to be a
198very difficult decision, but it doesn't seem that the real reasons and facts are clear. Maybe I'm repeating what others have said. That there's a true urgency for such a major decision or that all options and concerns have been evaluated at this time. Our population will likely continue to change, such as when we decided to close some other schools. For example, has a board looked at the potential population mix and growth with the new apartments being built? Has the board considered having residents vote on a levy to cover budget shortages to keep the current schools open the way that we are? My wife and I request the board vote no, re-evaluate the situation, and provide additional options like residents voting on a levy to cover the required cost to keep all the schools open with the
199smaller classes that many have referred to, more teachers and other professionals to enable those smaller classes, which is really the foundation of a good education. Let the parents and taxpayers ultimately decide. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Zach Robach. Good evening, Zach Robach, French Avenue. I was a member of the task force. I'd like to start by echoing that we have a great school district here in Lakewood. It's this incredible asset that's mobilized the community to advocate against unnecessary school closure and disruption. I also want to stick up for Colleen. Many don't know this, but she is tirelessly engaged in genuine community listening during this process. I don't know how she'll vote, but she has earned my trust. Taking action against overwhelming community sentiment should be a strong caution to the board and
200administration. Unpopular decisions are sometimes a difficult work of public officials, but those decisions should be methodically researched, planned, pressure tested, and communicated empathetically. This recommendation has not. Here are just a few key questions and concerns. Walkability. You state this will minimally impact community walkability, but have not presented any district maps or meaningful data to support this. If there are preliminary maps, those should be shared. If not, how can you make such claims? And how could the board make a decision based on the information provided? Financial responsibility. I've noticed a shift. There are no demonstrated cost savings associated with this plan in the materials and the district slides make no claim that this will save money. There are 88 K through5 classrooms in use today and the slides project 88 K through5 classrooms after consolidation. The
201district will still own and operate seven buildings. Do you anticipate savings? If so, how? How much will all of this cost? Elementary afterare. Elementary aged afterare at several schools including Lincoln and Horseman are already over full. This has been a problem for years that will only worsen with consolidation. Questions were asked two weeks ago. What is the concrete plan to address elementary afterare? Building utilization. One of the key reasons given for consolidation is building underutilization. According to the district's own slides, this plan will increase utilization by 3%. 3% from 66 to 69%. That's like the number one issue on why are we doing this for all the turmoil and added cost you're asking the community. What tangible benefit does this 3% actually accomplish? Preschool, there are 180 current preschool students. 180. Most are AM only
202or PM only. So there's less than 180 preschool students in a building at any given time. That's less than 42% utilization. What research gives you confidence that you're going to attract another 100 to 200 students? There's no wait list for Taft. Hayes has 20 classrooms. There are three current gifted classrooms and eight current champs classrooms that would be moved there. That leaves only nine general education classrooms. 3 + 8 is 11. 20 - 11 is nine. To have two sections of each K through five class at Hayes, you would need at least 12 classrooms. So, you're three classrooms short. Transition committee. Who's going to be on this committee? Won't this committee conflict with the levy committee that we need in order to successfully execute both plans? >> Thank you. >> The next speaker is Aaron
203McDonald. >> Hi. I am Erin McDonald. I just moved to Avon Lake because of property taxes. Um, the definition of lying is pretending you don't know who was behind a legal action that threw an absolute grenade into this whole process. The definition of lying is posting Betsy Shaughnessy's name next to a text that she didn't send. Definition of lying is saying that Kent Zean squandered money when it was a clerical error. That's the definition of lying. Um, I went to a League of Women Voters event about public school funding a couple weeks ago. One of you was there. So the reason that it's a problem is because if we keep seven schools open as much as everyone wants to and even if we redistricted a levy would ask taxpayers for an additional 1.5 mills. People
204leave Lakewood for Cleveland or Parma. They leave because it's expensive, not because there's a better school district anywhere. Enrollment has stabilized, but the last time enrollment was this low was 1915, I think. Um the new building in the pit has almost 300 units. There will be families moving in there. Seven of them are three bedrooms. The rest I don't think families will be moving into. Why are we speculating? Preparation is not speculation. Everyone wants to wait for an emergency. You don't want to wait for an emergency. You want to plan ahead so kids can transition. Um that's pretty much it. But if you have to close Lincoln, it's a pretty good use for it. Thanks. >> Thank you. And our next and last speaker is Amy Moore. Good evening. Um, I would like to say
205first, um, this is my first time speaking at a board meeting ever. Uh, my name is Amy Moore and I live on Mayor Park. I have two children, one a 2025 graduate of Lakewood High and a current college freshman and the other a current sophomore. There have been many comments, articles, and online debates over these past months about the potential proposal to redistrict and consider the repurposing of an elementary school. I am here to give a voice to those of us who fully support the superintendent and the school board in making what decision they feel is best for the district. A little background about my perspective. It was the early 2010s and Lakewood schools were considering closing one to two elementary schools, Grant, Lincoln or Roosevelt. We lived in the Grant neighborhood at the time
206and my oldest daughter was enrolled at a local preschool about to start kindergarten in 2012. We did research about the options in the area and both my husband and I being products of public school educations felt strongly about considering Lakewood as a top option. We were first-time parents worried about our daughter wanting what we thought was best for her. I met principles. I talked to community members, but the unease that we had about the potential closure of Grant and the disruption she might have led us to enroll her in a local private school. Fast forward and now, as I said before, I am the proud parent of a Lakewood High graduate. For a multitude of reasons, sorry, we switched our daughter to Lakewood schools in 2015 when she was starting third grade and our youngest
207was starting kindergarten. It's one of the best parenting decisions we've ever made. By that time, we were an Emerson family who then eventually had to readjust again to Grant. Our family have bounced all around this city and still received a fantastic education in all of their Lakewood public schools. The high-quality teaching staff, the vast programs and extracurricular opportunities, and the wonderful families we have met through Lakewood schools are second to none, and they exist in every corner of this community. While I appreciate many families are feeling hurt by these potential changes, I believe that our kids are more resilient than we ever give them credit for. I'm grateful to be a citizen of a community that cares so deeply about the education of their children. We, as a community, elect thoughtful, informed, and passionate leaders
208to represent us and our best interests. I believe we can trust them to continue to do so. Thank you. >> Thank you. Before we move on to um additional business, um I deeply apologize for any offense that people may have taken from my comments. Um I I'm very sorry. Uh, I appreciate public attendance and public input and I apologize if I did not say that correctly. >> Okay, thank you. Um, next we'll move on to the consent agenda. Um, do we have a motion to adopt the consent agenda? >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Mr. Zean, can you call the role? >> Mrs. Catsburgger, >> I. >> Miss Shaughnessy, >> I. >> Miss Clark Sutton. >> Hi. >> Mr. Callahan. Hi Mana. >> Hi. >> Thank you. And next we will have the
209human resources report with Mrs. Shy. >> Thank you very much. >> I believe we can combine these, can't we? Thank you. Um, we have 166 certified actions, 34 classified actions, four classified non-emp employee coaches advisors actions, and six community recreation uh actions. And I move adoption of the resolution. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. All in favor? >> I I Any opposed? And moving on um to other board business, Mrs. Shaughnessy. >> Thank you. We have one request for an approval on one reading of a classified uh retirement and I move adoption with the roll call vote. >> I second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Mr. Z, can you call the role? >> Miss Shaughnessy. >> I sorry. >> M Gatsberger. >> Hi. >> Miss Johnson. >> Hi. >> Miss Clarkton. I
210>> Mr. Callahan. >> Hi, >> M. >> Hi. >> Thank you. And that brings us to our last item of the resolution adopting the October 6th, 2025 elementary facility recommendation of the superintendent. Uh, do I have a motion to adopt? >> So moved. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Is there any discussion? >> Plenty. Um would anybody like to just start at the end if you want? >> Sure. Um there are a few sentences from resident emails that I have received that I would like to highlight. Be a role model of critical thinking for our kids. When new evidence is found, we must re-examine our decisions and actions. Um, also there is power in humility and please decide with grace instead of speed and reflection over reaction. We can model most of
211the competencies of a Lakewood Ranger in a no vote tonight. We can demonstrate empathy. We are listening to our residents. We can demonstrate critical and creative thinking, a growth mindset and collaboration. by by delaying this with a no vote that places it on the on some future agenda. We can acknowledge that communication is a key part of being a Lakewood Ranger and we could have done better as a district to make information more readily accessible to the general public. We need to as a as a district as I mean as a board um I suggest that we focus on increasing trust through careful planning. Um it is not surprising that residents within an elementary school neighborhood would be the most active in this topic. Um to Mr. I don't remember your name's point um the
212locations of Lincoln and Grant have a history of discourse about optimal location. Um when the district said it was closing Franklin Elementary uh several years ago those parents came to meetings and wrote emails. It is logical that the people who are most directly affected um would be the most vocal about our decision. Um I I've been in a lot of places in this in the last um 18 months. Um and for a long time I operated under the idea that the vast majority of Lakewood voters expect the school board to manage our fiscal resources as carefully as possible in order to provide varied excellent educational opportunities for our students and professional development for our staff. and therefore they will trust us if we decide to repurpose a building and reconfigure elementary school boundaries. In the
213past two weeks, I have spoken to a few dozen residents and have only found three who said, "This stinks, but if it saves money, I support the recommendation." Um when people ask me what are the specific areas where we are saving money, I cannot give them a clear answer. We will lose one principal and there may be some others staff positions that don't get filled as people retire. But I don't have a financial analysis that includes a tally of transition costs and moving costs that are necessary to make a prudent decision on this particular resolution. So, I'll start with that and see what just to clarify, we wouldn't lose a principal because we would still need one for the seventh building. >> Well, right. It would be a a >> a shifting >> a prek
214a prek director, right? Yeah. No, you're right. Um, so yeah, we're not really >> Yeah. No. And it was never I don't think about it wasn't about finances. >> It wasn't about finances. It was about >> was about equity and student enrollment and class sizes. >> I think it was about capacity building utilization. >> All right. So, I think we need to take a breath here for a second. First of all, I want to make sure that everyone understands that Superintendent Nwiki took on this most recent process to make a recommendation to the board uh at the request of the entire board, all five of us and with the endorsement of all of us. Um, so I want to make sure everybody here understands that that this is not something that was that we all
215uh were behind this effort and that we very much appreciate the work that she put into this and that that is something that we all supported that that we all agreed that this was the best thing to do right now and the best time to do it. Um, and maybe it's worth taking a a step back. We've been having this conversation. And I know there's been a lot of emp emphasis in the last two weeks. We've been having this conversation for the well over a year. I mean, we there was years and years. I mean, there's a we started the process even a couple years before that. But this has been a very engaged and detailed process at this particular one for since at least last August. Um, and there have been a lot of
216um, aspects to it. And it's difficult when you have folks kind of moving in and out of the process at different points because I think different people have different perspectives on what has and hasn't been said and what data has or hasn't been shared. Um and what uh and then there's been other perspectives and points of view shared online and uh I think it it definitely muddies the waters in terms of what um what what is being discussed. I think this conversation started as every conversation starts in this district. what is the best educational experience for the children in this district? That is >> y >> always the most important thing to all of us sitting at this table and that's sort of what we started talking about. Um we it led us to focus
217on several factors. We talked about the declining birth rate. We talked about declining enrollment or the drop in of enrollment in the district. And yeah, we do go back a little further. Yes, COVID through uh is a is a factor that we all know is a different thing than we've all any of us is have experienced in our lifetime. So, you do have to look at that statistic in a certain way. Um but we have lost a building's worth of elementary students in the last 10 years and that is just a fact. So, that is something we have to think about when we look at how to plan for our district going forward. We do have unstable class sizes across the district that w that and the superintendent Nwiki and her administrators have done a
218masterful job of managing that and you know managing through attrition not you know trying to move teachers around. Um it's they've reached the point where there's no more give in the system. It's stretched as thin as it can be. And we've I know of one teacher that opted for early retirement this year rather than be moved and and it's a loss to the district. We've gotten to that point and the uneven class sizes does produce uneven education for our kids. And that is something that is we have to address. We absolutely have to. And then we also do have to start talking about capacity in our buildings. Um this is a a step toward having that discussion. I know that um we that there was a talk about things happening at the state level this
219summer and it did not end up being part of the budget this time. But I know that anybody who's familiar with how things work at the state level that these are things we have to keep a really close eye on that we have to really understand that um we have to protect what we have in our district and the people at this table what that is exactly what we're trying to do. We are trying to protect neighborhood schools. We are trying to protect walkability. We are trying to keep our kids safe. We're that's those were all the factors that we've been looking at with a close eye when we've been when we embarked on this process and that's that is what was discussed with the task force. That is what we've been focusing on this
220whole time. So um th those are just some factors I wanted to make sure that everybody understands that this has been part of the discussion for not the last two weeks. It's been well over a year, right? And this those are the things that are very very important to everybody sitting at this table. >> Um and all the people involved in this discussion for this, you know, the folks from our community >> um the and and all the people in our district, the teachers, everybody who's put all their blood, sweat, and tears into having this conversation. So I want to make sure that this is not a capricious decision and not something that's only been that the people at this table have only been thinking about for two weeks. It goes way beyond that. >>
221Oh, sure. Absolutely. I just wanted to make that point very clear. >> So one point of order and Mr. Zean can probably say it. We have a motion a resolution on the table that's been moved and seconded. So this will be discussion and then we will need to vote on that resolution not to replace it with resolution. That's the correct. >> So we're in the disc. Is that correct? I just wanted to >> make sure. So we'll we'll need to vote on this resolution we have in front of us >> and then discuss >> then if it if it whatever then we would >> yes >> we could ask for a different resolution >> or table it. >> Yeah. >> How do how do amendments or revisions proposals of amendments and revisions work? Like Is
222this in this time period or is that >> If there's a a motion to amend it, it would need to be seconded with those amendments in place. >> Okay. Does anyone else have any other comments? >> I appreciate uh if I could, President Kenberg, thank you for your your comments. Um, as a board, we must consider what is best for all of our our stakeholders um and truly look at the situation. And I know it's a cliche phrase, a wide lens, but with that with that the best interests of the community as a whole in mind, um, a community as an aside and that I care very very very deeply about and I'm honored um to serve. Uh, so needless to say, this is a very ch it's a very very challenging uh decision. It's
223a challenging uh time. Um, I do hear you. We do hear you. Um, and that's moving. Um, it it it is. Um, I do believe that this resolution has the best interests of all of our learners in mind. Um, thanks to the efforts of the superintendent and thanks to everything that that that's gone into it and all of our comm community members in mind. um to the extent possible considering uh the facts the facts surrounding enrollment again a thousand fewer since 2015 500 of which elementary um classroom utilization uh class size uh movement of of educators um and um you know the specials of of of course um but I I just I believe that we how we best educate um our children is at the very center uh of of this of this resolution.
224So >> thank you. >> Mr. Zean, I have a question about how is capacity in a in a classroom determined? >> Well, you have capacity, you have utilization, right? So capacity is based upon the Ohio you know facilities commission again designates 25 kids per classroom for regular education and then utilization depends on what programming is being done within those classrooms. So again if you have a classroom that requires uh you know a special programming that only allows for eight. The utilization of that room is eight. However on the Ohio Facilities Commission that would still be a classroom that could hold capacity 25 students. So if Ohio was looking at our capacity, they would still look at like if there were eight students in a 25 student classroom, they would look at that as less than
22550%. >> I I believe that the capacity issue comes into question, some of those things will be taken into consideration. I don't believe it'll be complete blanket, but understand that the programming a building has doesn't designate its capacity. >> It will look at what build what classrooms are designated as regular classrooms by the Ohio Facilities Commission. what then are designated as those for different types of of programming, right? And utilize those and look at those classroom capacities to determine the overall capacity of ability. If we choose to use and we have 18 kids in a classroom, that's the utilization, >> the capacity of that still is 25 by the Ohio Facilities Commission. >> Okay. And is there any way to go and ask that to be adjusted? Can we say like we only want our
226classes capped at 22? Do we want that 25 changed >> under the I again depending upon how law would be proposed there could be that potential >> but as it stands now >> there is not no >> so then does that mean that like if if we created a a single prek building and the prek license requirements um say that you can't you know it's 14 >> 14 in a room >> um and it's that's a full utilization of that classroom by the law of prek, but the bill the the classroom could would hold 25 regular ed kids. So, does that mean that we're too low? Like >> a single use of a facility dictates as well. If it's the only building that houses that programming, then there's not a capacity discussion for that. So
227again, a a a district that has one high school and it's less than 60% capacity, they're not going to say you need to no longer have a high school. If you only have one prek building, then the capacity, you only have one. They can't come in and say you're lower than the 60% capacity. >> Okay? So if we have a in our current layout where we have prek built classrooms that have 14 or 16 kids in them and then K123 are or K12 um are generally smaller >> um and then you know tw 18 and then um then 345 we've acknowledged that they can handle a little bit more room a little bit more people like but so that's our utilization And like when when a school decides that um you know the enrollment has
228dropped and so they're they're using their space effectively by creating an indoor recess space. >> Yeah. It doesn't >> but the state that if that's a regular classroom it would be considered part of the capacity. >> Right. >> Okay. Um >> so to that point of the capacity is it the um rooms that the state gave us money contributed a percent of the money that it costs to build because there are also locally funded initiatives for rooms that we wanted like music art rooms that we wanted that we fully paid for. So, so the the program agreement that we had with the Ohio uh Facilities Commission was a preK 5 building. Um the once the project's completed, then it's the district's property and the only thing that was in the project agreement that's required is
229that that building is used for public education. >> Okay. >> So, rooms aren't pulled out. There were ones that we p we paid for. >> Okay. Thanks. Um, can I ask um, Superintendent Nitwiki um, a couple questions? Am I allowed to do that in this discussion part? Um, so >> I'm sorry. >> It's discussion. >> It's Yeah, Lisa, I'm sorry. Mrs. Dman asked a question of >> Go ahead. >> Yeah, go. Sorry. So, um, okay. I just um the the district disc um scheduled a tabletop conversation at the high school. We've talked about it's been already noted 175 people attended. Um I was advised not to attend by district attorneys. My husband Tom attended and took some notes. Um he was surprised that in the report outs um he had two things he came home
230with. um first that not a single table talked about a desire to keep taxes as low as possible and that just floored him and floored me because we've just always been like we have to be efficient. We have to be careful with all of our resources. Um and then he also told me that every single table said they do not want us to repurpose a building right now and they prefer redistricting. This was confirmed in confirmation conver conversations with other people I know that had attended two weeks ago. You presented the participants at the table con you your one of your slides um and your presentation said that participants at the tabletop conversation prefer reversible steps while monitoring such as redistricting while monitoring indicators. a 100% report and participants prefer conjures some different images in
231my head. um in and so >> you said 100% report >> well like 100% of the table is reported please don't repurpose >> I don't know if it was 100 but I did say so the those five points and I shared this with you this week >> sorry been a long night uh so I did say that those five bullet points that specifically came from all the facilitator notes so it was protect walkability and neighborhood identity Lead with transparent data, enrollment trends, housing pipeline costs, instructional impacts, prefer reversible steps, first redistricting while monitoring indicators. Invest in growth strategies, marketing programs, child care rather than quick cuts. If repurposing occurs, overinvest in transition uh supports to reduce disruption and retain families. Those were the the >> Yeah, I have a copy of that and I remember
232um so I'm just It's a word choice thing in terms of like how we are being presented information. Um participants prefer um reversible action um as opposed to every table said we want we we want reversible action. Um it just it just >> so I didn't collect that data. That data was collected by our facilitator and this report was given to me. So that the information collected was never >> right. So I mean I and thank you for forwarding us the Seymour report and she and the author of that report uses prefer. Um >> is there a difference between what? Well, as I understand it at that at the tabletop discussions, there was individual responses as well as >> correct. >> So there were a range of attendees at the um tabletops. >> So the
233tabletop started so that everyone filled out their individual survey. So that information was also collected not just by the report out. So she received all the information from the individual survey that was not given to me and the information and and that was purposeful and then all of the facilitator notes again were given to the researcher to compile all that information. So that was one of 14 months of data that was collected. And so I think you know maybe you're asking the question is should this one event take precedence over any other information collected >> just a different weight. No, what I'm what what I'm wondering is there's the anecdotal observation of hearing what the each table reported out which would have been the collective report out of that table which is definitely one aspect
234of the meeting which is valuable information but that there were also individual responses that reflected each individual point of view and I know that there I think that those are two separate but important buckets of information. >> So, um I So, I think I think that what I'm the point I'm trying to make is each each individual table might have collectively come to a majority conclusion, but that there may have been a range of uh >> sure >> opinions and my understanding and that that point might reflect that the individual opinions might be more diverse than the each collective table, >> but I'm just saying okay um okay so I'm going to move on to another part about the tabletop conversation. So, um, in a Cleveland, uh,.com article a couple days later, um, Superintendent Newswick,
235you were, um, quoted about the tabletop event. Um, quote, "We had a great response. About 175 people attended." I'm going to shorten parts of it. Um, the tabletop reassured me that our instincts were right. The two buildings, Grant and Lincoln, being considered for potential repurposing, are not yet ready to move forward. Hearing directly from parents helped confirm that reality, and I am grateful for their honesty." End quote. I've read this quote a couple of different ways. Um, you acknowledge that people are not ready for a building repurposing. The community event shared a very strong consensus with you in favor of redistricting and against a school being repurposed, but this is not what was presented at the October 6th board meeting. So, I'm I'm surp I was really I I'm surprised. I I still am unsure
236of the leap between your tabletop event Cleveland.com quote and your recommendation to the board. So can you walk me through that? >> Yeah, sure. And I and we've had some conversations around this. So >> I can absolutely have some more conversation with you about it. >> So the tabletop conversation was mainly um two and I think I had I forget if it was 53% of them were from Grant or Lincoln. And so of course that would be the sentiment that would be occurring within that room. And the other participants were from the other five participating elementary schools. And and so with that being said, I think a couple things resonate with me. I know that redistricting sounds like an easy fix, but in three to five years, if you need to do something else, you've
237just disrupted K to5 education. Again, that weighed heavy on me. In addition to that, because there's more than just that tabletop conversation. This has been 14 months of conversations. This was seven individual community conversations at the building level. So when I hear that there hasn't been that I think I forget who said it depends when you've come to the table that is very very true and it's hard to double back and remind people of all the information that has been sent out all the presentations all of the data that was put out and then organically allowing our community task force that was brought together to again ask for multiple different variables. So I tried to add all of those different components. Part of that 18 to 22 in a classroom was brought up through community
238involvement. The major thoroughares and the major road crossing was brought up through community involvement and was highlighted as that is why that's a good choice for one of the for Lincoln because that was the one that had less children crossing major thorough affairs. We have kids every day crossing roads. Every road is a dangerous road. And so I think it's really important that the the recommendation that I gave was all-encompassing of conversations. The choice to add some of our specialized units to that was about safety and security for some of those students. and the conversations that I sat and had at the building level like I do every year with our staff of over 800 employees. And so the recommendation wasn't just based off of one data point. >> Oh, I know it shouldn't be.
239No, I know. I just >> Well, I mean, I think that and I know you've had some conversations with Maggie about it. So I don't know that focusing on a Cleveland.com quote is gerine to the the meat of the of the substance of superintendent NWiki's recommendation to the board. I mean I think what I'm wondering what your actual question is. >> I also believe that I've given a recommendation. My job was to give a recommendation and I have done that. At that point in time, that is my recommendation, my key findings that I have worked very hard on for the last 14 months. I absolutely respect if somebody anyone at this table would like to table it or vote no. That's my professional recommendation. And and so and we have talked a bit about this.
240Um I mean I um so can I just I'd like to say just a couple things and then maybe then we go to a vote and then it'll see if what happens. Um, and I am just going to say that the fact is that this enrollment in seven elementary buildings seriously impacts the quality of many of our children's classroom experiences and the teaching and learning that takes place. That's a fact. The fact is we're not giving up on walkable neighborhood schools. I'm doing I will vote the way I believe what will save our schools and that's to adapt to an evolving Lakewood. We are a vibrant welcoming city. We're just comprised of a different subsection of human beings here. So, I'm not giving up on making sure every child in every classroom has the benefit
241of a class s size that allows the teacher to meet the individual needs of each student to feel seen and valued. And I would fight for a district with a bright future. So that's my responsibility as a board member to ensure that we could are able to educate all of our students to prepare them for their futures work further education military service life as a productive contributing and I really hope happy person. So some and I will say that I am one that has been talking about finances because I know that 1.5 mills can be around a million dollars. So when critics say it's only a million dollars. It's only this amount of money. You know what that money is? That's money for STEM, for art, for music, for mental health work with our students.
242It's wellness programs. It's tuitionfree kindergarten. It's professional education for our teachers. It's compliance with mandates. That's what only a million dollars or only a mill is. And that's why I've been on here a long time and many people have pointed it out as well as they have some other um issues they have with me. But I am going to say and the speaker was correct. The last time our enrollment was this low was the 191516 school year in Lakewood. So we have stabilized over a few years. We have stabilized at the lowest point we've been since 1951 16. So I I hope that we have more kids. We have the capacity in six buildings to take hundreds of new residents if they come into Lakewood. We we still have the capacity. We're still at extra
243capacity. We're in the 60s. But what's important for us is what goes on in the classroom. what kids are exposed to, what they learn, their teachers. And that's what that's why I'm making my decision. That's why I have made a decision over 14 months over I don't know 32 years of serving on a school board. >> So, thank you. >> And I don't usually listen to people that yell at me from the audience. So, >> and I And I um I appreciate your um longevity of experience because um I think Mr. Callahan is the one who said I'm the next one and I've been here six years. So um so we have a gap in our our history um in terms of um who is on the board and and you do help me um
244put things into a longer view and more context and so I really I value that um in our conversations. I and yes um I mean every dollar is a decision. Um you know and um and so I I concur on the one mill or one and a half mil and I created a chart for myself about like what does that look like for people with a house that's worth $300,000 and what's a mill mean um an extra mill on top of whatever we're asking for. So, um, and it's it's not it's not small. Um I guess some of my struggles with and my why I am voting no and that I hope that um some of my colleagues will too is that um on the one hand we've been considering options for realigning our real
245estate and expanding our prek offerings for over a year and I don't think Mr. Kirk is here, but that probably means that he's watching it. Um, so full disclosure, when I first got elected to the board and we had a special board meeting and we were presented with scenarios of we have too much real estate. And um and I said, "Yeah, we do. Um, we probably need to take a building offline." And that was where I started. Um and and then I looked at the numbers and I was like, "Oh my goodness, we we may need to take two buildings offline." Like this is this is crazy. Like the numbers were not great. The stabilization of four years is fabulous. Please market us to as many people as you want. Um we provide an awesome
246education and that is what is available to anyone who wants to come here. Um but my My struggle has been with the timing of some information. Um, I mean, tonight's information was super super important and very useful and I am I'm aggravated that it came tonight. Um, I I would like to respond to that. So, it was it, you know, it's easy to rewrite history. >> Sure. Um, and I think a little bit that might be happening, and I'm not saying by you, but by maybe others, is that remember it was don't be don't have a perceived >> notion of what we should be doing with our building. >> And then people dug into 10,000 pages of emails to make sure there was never a pro any work done to show that we were planning
247for this elaborate early learning center. and it never came to fruition because there was no elaborate plan to provide an early learning center. The early learning center came out of the idea when we started talking years back with the first facilities task force and it was about the capacity of the buildings and what we could do and then we halted it >> and then throughout you know we had a demand letter in May and we had to stop definitely talking about things per our legal counsel and so I think it's easy to say we would have loved to have it but I heard very clearly all last year like let's keep talking about what K to5 would want what are the priorities or key findings for K to 5 and then if there's space for
248the early learning center in addition to that all year anyone could have come up with any other idea that if we were to repurpose the building what would be another great idea for that building some people not many but some believe we need more recreation space. So, we brought that to the table. We did talk about open enrollment. >> We had professionals and our community members sitting together talking about that. You're right. All of those conversations did not happen in public. But it is very difficult to hear that we have not gone down many paths or rabbit holes for all different ideas for all the right reasons. Putting a task force together is the right thing to do. Having community people at the table is the right thing to do. Was it painful? Yes, >>
249absolutely. >> And we were we were campaigned against early on and trying to keep up with a community that's going to campaign against their own board and their own community members is very difficult. And what we won't do as campaign event, and I stated that multiple times to all of you sitting on the board, when can we send this out? Can we send that? We will not do that. I will not do that as a superintendent. I will not campaign against the community that I work for for the staff and the students that I have been spending my time here with for the last eight years. So, it wasn't that we're not willing to listen to multiple conversations, but that any time we spoke about the preschool, and there was a preschool presentation at the
250task force, right? >> There was plenty of time spoken about what we what the preschool had because we wanted to give the people that were in the room that were all throughout this community, all different members of this community that information. So that is why the preschool conversation happened today, but it has happened throughout this past eight or 14 months and and I yes there was a a preschool presentation um to the task force and I was there to listen whether I should be or not. Um and um and so it has been um >> Can we move to a vote? I mean, >> can I can I make a motion to um amend the resolution and can I explain my amendment? >> Vote first. >> I think we should vote and then >> motion's
251been made. >> Okay. >> Motion to the motion's been made and second. >> Oh, she wouldn't need a second. >> Oh, so we the motion has been made and seconded to vote on the proposal as it is. >> Correct. Then we have a second. We have to vote on >> well we have a second motion to amend. >> Yes >> that would need to explain what the amendment is and then there would need a second to move forward. >> Okay. >> So we need to follow that process. >> Okay. So I so I explain my amendment. So um this is the longest most detailed resolution that we've had to consider since I've been on the board. Um, and so there are um it's it's just a lot. And um and so my amendment is to
252separate the um this the CHAMPS program as its own resolution. um because there's a lot of safety involved with that one. So that's I want to separate that one and make it a separate vote. And if nobody seconds it, it dies. That's fine. But >> so a motion's been made. >> Is there a second? >> No. >> Okay. Are we ready to vote on the initial? >> Anybody else? >> Okay. All in favor? >> I >> Any opposed? >> Nay. >> Motion carries. >> Do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> So moved. Second. >> Meeting is adjourned.