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Board Meeting Preview: October 5, 2021
Columbus City Schools
Board of Education Meeting
Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at 5:30 p.m.
The Columbus Board of Education will meet in person at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at the south administrative building located at 3700 S. High Street, Room 825. Masks are required inside all District buildings.
Any public participant wishing to make comments have the option of addressing the Board in person or by telephone. To sign up, public participants must call to leave a voicemail with Customer Relations at 614-365-8888 or email customerelations@columbus.k12.oh.us by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5. Speakers will need to provide their name, topic, and phone number. Click here to view the meeting agenda.
Meeting attendees will need to enter the north-facing door toward the west end of the building. All attendees/participants will be required to wear face masks during the meeting regardless of vaccination status (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use).
The meeting will be streamed via Facebook Live and on the Columbus City Schools' YouTube Channel, which allows the public to attend virtually.
I Know I Can Partnership
Board Members will be asked to approve a service agreement with I Know I Can (IKIC) for $1.5 Million. Since 1988, I Know I Can’s promise to Columbus City Schools students has been “Dream Big. Work Hard. We'll Help.” IKIC’s mission is to inspire, enable, and support Columbus City Schools students in pursuing and completing postsecondary education. IKIC focuses its services in the following three areas:
- Early awareness services
- Enhance students’ and families’ college aspirations
- Help connecting educational choices with postsecondary goals
Services include college counseling, ACT/SAT preparation, college application completion, and fee waivers. Here are some highlights from the I Know I Can Partnership from the 2020-2021 school year:
- $1.7 Million in grants and scholarships awarded to the Class of 2021
- 80% of graduating seniors participated in one or more one-on-one advising sessions with IKIC
- 60% of graduating seniors submitted at least one college application
- 55% of 12th grade students completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- 91% of graduating seniors took the ACT at least one time.
Professional Development for Teachers at Ashland University
Since 2003, Ashland University has worked hand-in-hand with Columbus City Schools to provide outreach courses for the professional development of certificated staff. That is why Board Members will be asked to enter into an agreement for $184,950 with Ashland's Founders School of Continuing Education. The university will offer up to 27 courses from October 6, 2021, through June 30, 2022. The District is charged a tuition rate that is 52% less than the tuition for traditional courses. Participants will receive one semester hour of graduate credit for successful completion. The District also partners with The Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology for Outreach courses.
Last school year, 569 Columbus City Schools certificated staff members earned graduate credit in 27 different outreach courses. Outreach course topics include gifted, technology integration, social/emotional issues, culture and diversity, poverty and at-risk students, trauma-based learning, and math and reading workshops. These classes address specific trends and needs of the District and allow certificated staff to stay current in their practice. Teachers return to the classroom with knowledge and strategies to meet the needs of their students.
Improving Pre-School Literacy
Using Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funding and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief ESSER Funds, the Board of Education will be asked to approve a service agreement with the Waterford Institute for $2.4 million to prepare pre-school students for success in the classroom.
The Waterford Upstart program provides family support in the area of literacy. Preschool-age children will use Waterford UPSTART in the home for 15-20 minutes a day, five days a week. The usage model falls well within the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) recommendations of no more than one hour of screen time per day for four-year-old children. Families receive a personalized curriculum in reading, math, and science with an emphasis on reading. Each family is assigned a coach to ensure strong parental engagement. Waterford UPSTART provides a Family Education Liaison to each family to form a partnership with parents and caregivers to ensure all children obtain the education necessary for success in school. The coaching is provided in 32 languages, including the five major languages used in CCS.
Face Masks
Board Members will be asked to use Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds to purchase two million children's disposable face masks for a total cost of $64,000. The District has an ongoing need for children’s disposable face masks due to COVID-19 and in-person learning.
Donations
Maize Elementary School requests authority to accept a cash donation of $17,000 from Office Depot/Office Max. With the pandemic creating the most challenging teaching environment on record, Office Depot/Office Max store kicked off a donation campaign from July through September to raise money to help support teaching staff and students in the classrooms.
Clinton Elementary School requests authority to accept a cash donation of $10,000 from the Clinton Elementary School PTA. The donation will be used to help with COVID mitigation. Some examples of how the donation will be used include:
- Providing more than one school bus for field trips
- Paying for software licenses for social-emotional learning videos
- Reducing the cost per student for the dance and movement program known as Momentum.
Upcoming Dates
October 6: Facilities Master Plan (FMP) All Regions Meeting (10 a.m.) Columbus Main Metropolitan Library (96 S. Grant Avenue)
Region 3 FMP Meeting (6 p.m.) at Shady Lane ES to Sherwood MS
October 11: Region 4 FMP Meeting (6 p.m.) at Huy ES to Medina MS
October 13: Finance and Appropriations Committee Meeting (4:00 p.m.)
October 14: Policy Review Committee Meeting (8:30 a.m.)