Mantua – At their last meeting, Superintendent David Toth showed a plexi-glass tri-fold, sharing that every student and teacher desk within the district would be equipped with one at the start of school. In addition, thanks to hard work by teachers and custodians, every classroom has been set up to ensure 6-feet space around desks in each classroom. Classrooms can accommodate 22 to 23 students.
In addition, plexiglass will be installed in offices and at the cafeteria, and face shields have been provided for teachers and staff. In addition, the Educational Service Center provided the district with 2,095 medical-grade masks (two for each employee and two for each student), as well as 2,000 disposable masks and 100 cloth masks per building. The Bureau of Workers Compensation provided 1,000 cloth masks for district employees as well.
In addition, the district has used CARES funds to purchase 46 gallons of sanitizer for district buildings and the Transportation Department for use in classrooms, restrooms, and on district buses. According to Toth, the district made every effort to use the funds for items that would still be useful after the threat of Covid passes. For example — the walk-through temperature scanners, after re-adjusting the frequency, can be used as metal detectors. Hand sanitizer, which doesn’t expire, can be used during cold and flu season.
Toth noted that Crestwood had a total of 260 students enrolled in Crestwood’s digital learning, out of the total 1,575 students currently enrolled in the district. According to details released on August 11th by Governor DeWine, 325 public school districts will return to school full-time, while 154 will reopen in a hybrid fashion. 55 districts will return to school remotely, while information on the remaining 78 districts was not yet available.
Building principals have released re-opening plans, sharing details of the changes students will see when school reopens on September 8th. He noted that schools are using gyms and cafeterias to accommodate social distancing during lunchtime, and in some cases, permitting lunch in libraries. Cafeterias will provide grab-and-go lunch options; liberal amounts of hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building. Toth noted that district FAQs sharing building-specific details have been sent out regularly to keep families in the community apprised of the latest information.
Lastly, the board passed legislation enabling them to hold an emergency board meeting on November 4th, should the community pass the proposed earned income levy on November 3rd. The purpose of the Emergency meeting will be to immediately repeal the existing $1.4 mil levy, which will save taxpayers an estimated $200 per $100,000 valuation, offsetting the amount due through the earned income tax levy. It was also noted that earned income tax isn’t due from retired individuals on a fixed income; in addition, if the new levy is passed, property taxes will not increase. According to district Treasurer Sarah Palm, “this is a very good option for the School district and provides a good incentive for the community.” She noted that should voters approve it, the earned income tax levy will provide the district with a more favorable financial situation, meaning “the district wouldn’t need to go back to voters any time soon.”
The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 25th at 7 pm at the Crestwood Primary School cafeteria.
