LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS / Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education meeting highlights [online 11-1-2016]

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

• Opening of meeting
• Awards and recognitions
• Public address
• Booklet for district
• Personnel
• High school renovation and change orders
• Surplus equipment, transportation, donations
• Finance
• Board president’s report
• Legislative issues
• Clock tower, high school musical
• Upcoming meetings

Kal Zucker, board president, was absent.

Awards and recognitions

Four Resident Educators Summative Assessment educators were honored. Present to receive their award from program specialist Laurie Chapman were Kristen Kephard and James (Max) Kravitz. Markita Warren and Hillary Nemecek did not attend.

Public address

Lisa Hunt, assistant director of Reaching Heights and volunteer for Citizens for Heights Schools, encouraged a vote for the schools. Joan Spoerl recommended that the walls of Heights High be decorated with pictures and displays to reduce stress.

Booklet for the district

Talisa Dixon, superintendent, reported that the booklet describing the district and the great activities happening in the schools was now ready.

Personnel

The board approved resignations, appointments, change of status, name changes, leaves of absences and a resolution to suspend an employee without pay.

High school renovation and change order

The following change orders were explained by Pat O’Brien, PMC/Regency, and approved by the board:

• Change order No. 69, total value $16,984, to add an elevator generator.
• Change order No. 70, total value $45,040, for unforeseen need to improve the structural beams on a staircase.
• Change order No. 71, total value $11,512, to add conduits for future solar paneling pathways.

Gilbane Building Company gave an update on the renovation. High-efficiency windows have been installed, and the clock tower is complete.

Surplus equipment, transportation, donations

The board declared used surplus equipment (MacBook computers) to be no longer needed for any school purpose, and authorized its sale by public auction. 

The board approved payment in-lieu for bus transportation About 101 students applied for this at $150 per student.  

Donations of $350 to the Delisle Options Center and $100 to Oxford Elementary School were accepted.

Finance

The board approved the summary of cash balances by fund for the month ending Sept. 20, and the five-year forecast.

Legislative issues

Board vice president Ron Register is involved in Partners for Public Education. The group is organizing districts around the state to talk about the monies that go to the charter schools. Register is also a legislative liaison involved in national issues on public schools.

Clock tower, high school musical

The Cleveland Heights High School Alumni Foundation has given a check for the repair of the completed clock tower. The Heights High School Music Department will present “Anything Goes” Nov. 3–7 in Wiley’s [auditorium].

Upcoming meetings

• Facilities Accountability Committee meeting: Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
• Board retreat at the Board of Education administrative offices: Saturday, Dec. 3. 
• Library meeting: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m.
• Board work session: Monday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m.
• Regular board meeting: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 7 p.m.

LWV Observer: Lillian Houser.

These meeting summaries are abstracted from LWV observers’ written reports. The summaries have been edited and prepared by Anne McFarland, Charlene Morse and Maryann Barnes. To receive e-mail postings of full reports, send an e-mail to mbarnes9515@gmail.com or join through Google groups using “lwv-chuh observer reports” as a search phrase.

These reports contain member observation and selected highlights of public meetings and are not official statements of the Heights Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. This disclaimer must accompany any redistribution of these reports.