Statewide Education News

State sets Race to the Top pace (Dispatch)

Despite a change of administration and decisions by some districts to abandon the effort, Ohio is on track to implement sweeping reforms to its public-school system, according to an initial assessment of $4 billion Race to the Top grants. In first-year progress reports, the U.S. Department of Education was largely complimentary of the efforts made by the 11 states and District of Columbia to meet individually set goals for improving student and teacher performance. Read More…

Niles schools edge toward fiscal emergency (Vindicator)

NILES - The Ohio Department of Education may place the Niles schools under fiscal emergency by the end of this month unless the district can produce a plan to eliminate its projected deficits. Niles schools have been under fiscal watch since 2003. A letter to Superintendent Mark Robinson from the finance office of ODE warns that “under the current Fiscal Watch guidelines, your district could be placed in Fiscal Emergency for failure to submit an acceptable financial recovery plan.” “If they aren’t happy with what I give them, they could place us in fiscal emergency by the end of January,” Robinson said. Read More…

Anti-bullying bill clears Ohio Senate committee (WTOL 11 CBS)

COLUMBUS - An Ohio House bill that would expand policies against bullying in schools and online has cleared a Senate committee. The Senate Education Committee on Tuesday approved House Bill 116 known as the Jessica Logan Act. The proposed legislation is named for a Cincinnati teenager who hanged herself in 2008 after weeks of bullying at her school. State Sen. Joe Schiavoni says the bill includes several concepts from a similar bill he has proposed to address bullying. Read More…

Wanted: 2,000 tutors (Enquirer)

Education groups Thursday will kick off the second year of a massive campaign to recruit 2,000 volunteer tutors – enough to help every child in Cincinnati Public Schools improve reading and math scores. The Be the Change campaign and volunteer celebration kicks off 11 a.m. Thursday at Rothenberg Academy in Over-the-Rhine. Volunteers do not have to attend the kickoff to apply; they can also apply online, by email or phone. Tutors are asked to commit to one hour of tutoring a week. Training is provided. Read More…

Local Issues

Hamilton school district looks to focus on improving academics through technology (Journal News)

HAMILTON — At the 2012 organizational meeting of the Hamilton City School District Board of Education, Superintendent Janet Baker said that with the district’s master facilities plan winding down, the district will be able to focus more on improving academic achievement. “A district committee is working with a technology and planning consultant with the goal of creating a comprehensive five-year technology plan,” she said Tuesday night, reporting that a committee met last week for the second time to work on the plan. Read More…

Accounting error might lead to more cuts (Newark Advocate)

GRANVILLE - Granville's new board of education got some grim news Monday night at its first meeting. Board members learned the district's funding shortfall is worse than projected, although not enough to seek another new property tax levy sooner than expected. District Treasurer Mike Sobul said because of an accounting error in 2011 resulting from a keyboarding mistake in the district office, $396,000 in property tax revenue mistakenly was reflected in the general operating fund instead of the debt service fund, where it was supposed to be. Read More…

West Carrollton school district reallows non-school activities (Dayton Daily News)

WEST CARROLLTON — School buildings, closed after school to non-school programs following a Nov. 8 levy defeat, have reopened in the West Carrollton school district. District officials agreed to reopen the buildings after determining it was illegal to close them to recreational sports organizations and other non-school groups, officials said Tuesday. “Basically you have to keep your buildings open,” Superintendent Rusty Clifford. Read More…

Little Miami schools get back on financial feet (Enquirer)

HAMILTON TWP. — Buses will soon begin rolling again in Little Miami Schools, but restoration of other student services and programs – after years of historically deep budget cuts – are farther down the road, school officials said during Tuesday evening’s board meeting. The dubious distinction for the Warren County school system as the most financially distressed in Southwest Ohio will continue through 2012 despite voters in November approving a long-sought tax hike. “We’re sort of standing in a hole right now,” Little Miami Interim Superintendent Greg Power said. Read More…

Amherst schools cut jobs, close Shupe (Morning Journal)

AMHERST — The Amherst school board agreed to close Shupe Elementary School as a part of its plan to cut $2.5 million from its budget. The board approved cutting $1.55 million from the budget to help deal with the deficit predicted for 2012-2013 school year. With the closing of the elementary school, the district will have to restructure its lower grade levels, according to Superintendent Steve Sayers. Powers Elementary will have pre-kindergarten through second grade, while Harris Elementary will house the third and fourth grades, according to Sayers. Read More…

East Holmes BOE outlines ways to cut costs (Times Reporter)

BERLIN — About 75 people attended the East Holmes Board of Education meeting Monday, in which a proposal to cut about $1.1 million in spending was outlined. The plan included $600,000 in cuts that were necessitated by the defeat of an emergency operating levy last November and another $500,000 in cuts that will take effect if a 3.77-mill emergency levy is defeated March 6. Read More…

Editorial

Troubled kids (Dispatch)

Any seasoned teacher can attest that the school struggles of many kids are rooted in emotional and behavioral problems. The longer those problems go unaddressed, the worse everything else is likely to get. That makes two central Ohio programs promising: One requires bullies — and their parents — to confront the ugliness of their actions. Another offers intense therapy for preschoolers, whose behavioral issues are derailing their school careers before they start. Both programs, if successful, would provide a major collateral benefit, as well: making school better for everyone else. Read More…

Test in November (Beacon Journal)

The Akron Board of Education acted wisely in pulling its request for a property tax increase off the March 6 ballot. The school board has opted instead to place the tax request on the ballot for the general election in November. The decision to wait carries some risk, to be sure, because it gives the board only one shot this year to raise new money that would be collected beginning in 2013. With all that is at stake in the district, school officials need time to ensure they have their ducks in a row if they hope to succeed in persuading voters to raise their property taxes. Read More…