Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at October 12's Board of Education meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
Community engagement office builds its own name-recording tool and reports a bigger Style Drop
Director of School Community Engagement Toya Spencer told the board her office replaced a paid name-pronunciation service with Say It Right, a tool built by district staff that lets teachers record students saying their own names. More than a third of students have recorded names so far, and the goal is every student by the start of winter break. This summer's Back-to-School Style Drop drew 1,102 people, up from 409 last year, and a permanent year-round Style Drop store is in planning. The office also added a kindergarten-through-third-grade lesson on harmful words and racial slurs.
State bill would end the special education holdback, treasurer says
When a student's special education costs pass a threshold, the state reimburses districts for part of the excess. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce lists the thresholds at $27,375 for most disability categories and $32,850 for the highest-cost category.
Treasurer TJ Cusick said the state stopped appropriating money for that program a couple of budget cycles ago and now pays for it by withholding 10% of each district's traditional special education funding, so districts "are trying to compete against our own dollars." House Bill 1012, introduced in September, would restore a dedicated appropriation. Cusick said that would be worth "several hundred thousand dollars a year" to Worthington and that the district is hopeful the bill moves forward, though he said it is unclear what will happen before the session ends. The bill's only recorded action so far is its introduction on September 17.
Cusick also said the county's property tax settlement, normally received in August or September, has been delayed; the district hopes to receive it at the end of October. Net paid health insurance claims moved in a positive direction in September, and enrollment in the district's health plan is down about 30 people. Employee open enrollment is under way.
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E-bike policy heads to a first reading Oct. 26
The board's policy committee, Vice President Stephanie Harless and President Amber Epling-Skinner, reported on a recent meeting that worked through a very large packet of updates from Neola, the policy service the district uses to keep its board policies current. The packet includes a proposed e-bike policy. Harless said the committee adjusted the language to fit the student handbook and that the district is waiting to see whether the state or municipalities weigh in. She described the draft as "our first stab." The city's own e-bike ordinance is a separate track; City Council postponed its vote to Nov. 2.
The packet also holds a 20-page artificial intelligence policy that the committee does not consider ready, so it is being set aside for more discussion. Epling-Skinner said Neola is consolidating its separate staff and administrator policy categories, which will make some edits look unusual.
The board agreed to hold a first reading on Oct. 26 of the policies that are ready: the e-bike policy and an update on the recording of meetings, but not the AI policy. Second readings would come Nov. 9, or Nov. 23 if the board wants more discussion.
Phase 3 facilities task force has met; next meeting Nov. 4
Phase 3 is the district's process for deciding what to do with its eleven elementary schools and Sutter Park Preschool, following the 2018 and 2022 bond-funded work on the middle and high schools. The district is running the process with the planning firm planning NEXT; the project site has building profiles and details on how the task force was assembled.
Superintendent Trent Bowers said the task force held its first meeting Sept. 30 with almost 60 members from across the community, and meets again November fourth. From January through April 2027, residents should expect surveys, school tours and focus groups. Bowers said this first year is about building the task force's capacity and that decisions would come in the second year. Harless asked that the notes administrators send after phase three meetings go to the full board.
In Other News
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Around the District
- National Merit semifinalists recognized. The board honored four Worthington students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists: Caroline Go and Kate Johnson of Thomas Worthington High School and Zayan Shohail and Andrew Stoops of Worthington Kilbourne High School. Harless noted that about 16,000 semifinalists were named nationwide out of more than a million students who take the PSAT. Two of the four attended.
- Student safety lessons. State law requires annual lessons in grades 6 through 12 on suicide awareness and prevention, violence safety and social inclusion, Bowers said, and the district uses Sandy Hook Promise materials. Suicide prevention week and Start With Hello Week have run already; National Anti-Bullying Week is Nov. 16 through 20.
- Teaching and Learning. Harless and Epling-Skinner described the Teaching and Learning committee's first meeting with several leaders new to their roles. Teachers surveyed this year said they wanted a say in district professional development, and the Nov. 3 professional development day will include sessions led by teachers.
- Curriculum Liaison Council. Harless said the council's meeting this week drew PTA representatives and focused on a whole-child approach, including the student support teams that schools use when a student has a behavior or mental health concern. Families can call a principal to ask for that support.
Board Actions
- Consent agenda approved unanimously. Items included minutes, a roughly $47,000 transfer between purchased services and supplies in the general fund, personnel matters and a resolution confirming the superintendent's finding that busing newly enrolled students to Columbus Montessori Education Center is impractical. The board also accepted six donations totaling about $14,000, including $6,007.57 from the Worthington Kilbourne High School Water Polo Boosters and $4,240.64 from CARDS Inc.
- Davis nominated for OSBA recognition award. The board unanimously approved a resolution nominating Davis for the Ohio School Boards Association's Recognition Award, the last of four parts of its STAR award, which tracks service, training, aptitude and recognition over three years. The board then went into executive session.
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting at the Worthington Education Center. The board hears a presentation on the elementary schools' WIN intervention period and holds a first reading of policy updates, including the e-bike policy.
- Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Election Day. Four proposed Worthington Charter amendments are on the ballot. Worthington Schools are closed for students.
- Monday, Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting at the Worthington Education Center, with policy updates on the agenda.
- Nov. 16 through 20 — National Anti-Bullying Week in Worthington schools.
- Monday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m. — Board of Education meeting at the Worthington Education Center, with a wrap-up of the 2022 bond issue.
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Thanks for reading this summary of the Board of Education meeting, you can watch the original full video here