Mantua – At the last board meeting, the school board unanimously approved the placement on the May 2017 ballot $23,000,000 improvement bonds and the levy of an additional tax of .5 mills to provide funds to the School District. The proposed resolution, if passed by voters, would fund the renovation and construction of a grade 7-through-12 school campus. If voters agree to proceed in May, the district will receive an estimated 30% of State funding for the project.
Later, Superintendent David Toth recognized Deborah Wesley and Jacob Page as employees of the month. Middle School Principal Julie Schmidt credited Mrs. Wesley for working well with students, both as school librarian and in her role heading up the CICU program. “She is thorough, patient and kind,” Mrs. Schmidt shared. She continued, “Debbie goes out of her way to get requested books in the hands of students. We’re lucky to have her as a part of our team.”
Next, High School Principal David McMahon credited Band Director Jacob Page with empowering students to be the best they can be. Mr. McMahon continued, “Jacob surrounds himself with great people; the passion he shows is contagious.” McMahon credited Page with creating a collaborative environment where students help lead each other, creating a pillar of what you want to see in a classroom.”
Next, the board approved the sale of the former Board of Education building located on West Prospect Street in Mantua to Willis Carlton Properties LLC in the amount of $11,500. The building, which is in need of renovation, cost the District an average of $1,000 per month to maintain. In the fall, the building was vacated, with board offices moving to the Intermediate School.
In the Academic Report, Principal McMahon shared that students have undergone pre-assessments to define subject areas where improvements are needed. Based on students’ results, personalized study guides have been created, providing students with a time line of materials to review, based on their re-testing dates. According to McMahon, 100 students are participating in this program. Moving forward, McMahon shared that at the start of the new year, they’ll begin the scheduling process for grades 8 through 11 for the 2017-2018 school year.
At the Middle School, Principal Schmidt shared that her students are preparing for assessments as well. She also commended students for their charitable activities this year, which included food drives, the Giving Tree, and the Hope Tree project. She also commended a student who raised money and awareness for Down Syndrome, a congenital disorder that afflicts this student’s sibling.
At the Intermediate School, Principal Michelle Gerbrick shared details of the MakerSpace after school program where fifth graders will have the opportunity to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) projects, including Little Bits electronics, simple machine design, Lego® construction and clay exploration. The program takes place from January through March.
At the Primary School, Principal Cindy Ducca thanked her entire team, congratulating them on being one of six schools in the state to earn bronze and silver status at the 2016 Ohio PBIS Award ceremony in Columbus for the school’s positive behavior ‘Crestwood Cares’ program. In addition, Mrs. Ducca applauded Beth Marlow for helping the Crestwood preschool program achieve a Five-Star rating from the state.
In his Permanent Improvement update, Geoff Bronder reported that the new storage sheds have been completed and occupancy permits issued. He shared details of the work recently completed at the Red Devil baseball field, where improvements were made to the field and the walkway by the dugout area. In addition, he shared that he’s currently reviewing the security contract.
The next School Board meeting will be held on Monday, January 2nd in the CHS library. The 2017 Organizational meeting will begin at 6:30 pm; the regular January Board meeting will begin at 7 pm. The community is encouraged to attend.
