Kenston Board of Education – Regular Session, April 15, 2024
Meeting Details: The Kenston Board of Education (BOE) met in Regular Session on April 15, 2024, at Kenston High School, 9500 Bainbridge Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023, in the High School Auburn Bainbridge room beginning at 7:00 pm. The video was live streamed here and remains posted on the YouTube page here. View the agenda online and any attached documents here by selecting the meeting tab and then the meeting date.
Observer Note: The room was again full of teachers wearing red t-shirts to express their solidarity with contract negotiations currently in progress for the District.
Board Attendance: Jennifer Troutman, Jim Henry, Dennis Bergansky, Beth Krause, and Tom Manning.
Staff in Attendance: Superintendent Steven Sayers and Treasurer Seth Cales.
Pledge of Allegiance with Kenston Intermediate School (KIS) student Lilian Tabor and Mrs. Troutman.
2.42 Min. Meeting called to order.
3.50 Min. Minutes The Kenston Board of Education waived the reading of the minutes and approved the minutes of 1) the Regular Meeting on March 18, 2024 and 2) the Special Meeting of April 9, 2024, both as recorded or corrected. The minutes are posted here as recorded or corrected by selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda and item 3.
4.15 Min. Commendations Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Kenston Board of Education approved the following commendation:
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Eileen Mahoney and Julianne Walker, on behalf of KIS, for receiving the Ohio Department of Education's 2024 Purple Star Designation for Kenston Intermediate School. This star is awarded to schools that understand and support the unique needs of military families and military-connected students.
6.40 Min. Informational Items
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Kenston Middle School (KMS) Principal Adam Fender highlighted some of the extracurricular activities that KMS offers, including the number of students who participate and the many successes of the various sports and clubs.
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After Prom Update - Speaker listed on the agenda was unavailable.
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Administrative Committee Updates - Safety and Security Committee and Technology Committee will meet before the end of the school year. The Policy Committee will place first reading of new/updated policies on the May meeting schedule. The Curriculum Committee met before spring break to discuss programming.
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Legislative Update from Mrs. Troutman - Governor DeWine delivered his State of the State Address the week of April 8th. He spoke of new programs, including the principal apprentice program that is designed to shape future school leaders, the creation of more school based health centers, and expanding funding for career tech education. Mrs. Troutman advised that the Governor also called on the Legislature to add career planning to high school graduation requirements and to require districts to adopt cell phone usage policies that tackle cell phone disruption in classes. Mrs. Troutman noted that, in light of the discussion at the March Kenston Board of Education meeting on Ohio’s voucher program, she wanted to mention that WKYC produced a program titled “Ohio Has Issues” that investigated the EdChoice Voucher Program that might be of interest to the public and it can be found here, with discussion beginning at the 25-minute mark. She stated that, as a School Board and a public school community, there is a need to advocate for our schools and the benefits we have. Dr. Krause mentioned a lawsuit against Edchoice vouchers that is moving forward in the courts. Observer Note: The lawsuit mentioned by Dr. Krause was initiated by public education advocacy group Vouchers Hurt Ohio in January of 2022. Vouchers Hurt Ohio is a coalition of a number of Ohio school districts, with a list of participating districts available here.
18.12 Min. Hearing of the Public on Agenda Items None
18.32 Min. The Board of Education approved Financial Items 7.1-7.5 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 7.
19.02 Min. The Board of Education approved Certified and Classified Personnel Items 8.1-8.8 and 9.1-9.4 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 8 or 9.
21.37 Min. The Board of Education approved Supplemental Contracts Item 10.1-10.2 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 10.
23.08 Min. The Board of Education approved Exempt Personnel Item 11.1 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 11.
23.30 Min. The Board of Education approved Business Item 12.1 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 12.
23.56 Min. The Board of Education also approved Business Items 12.2-12.4 located on the April 15, 2024 addendum which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, the addendum, and its agenda. Business items will be combined in the final minutes.
25.22 Min New Business. The Board of Education approved New Business Items 16.1-16.2 which can be found here then selecting the appropriate meeting date, agenda, and line item 16.
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BOE approved the request of Bainbridge Township to use the Kenston High School property for the presentation of fireworks to be held on July 5, 2024, or the rain date of July 7, 2024.
25.50 Min. Hearing of the Public on Non-Agenda Items
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Terry Kempsky, retired teacher, stated that she moved into the area approximately 30 years ago. All three of her children graduated from the Kenston Schools. She worked in the district for 25 years, and she credits the teachers and staff for the successful experiences of her now grown children. She spoke to the importance of the continued support of excellence in the schools.
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Suzanne Taber described herself as a Kenston parent, teacher, volunteer, and donor and stated that she feels very invested in the Kenston Schools. She spoke to the importance of the continued support of excellence in the schools.
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Kristin Prather has a daughter in the fifth grade at KIS. She is concerned about some events happening at the school. She expressed that she would like to see more communication, especially follow-up communication, when concerning incidents happen at KIS. She said she and other parents become nervous to send their kids into school when they are unsure how and if concerning incidents have been fully resolved and/or remediated. Mr. Manning advised that he would have an administrator follow up with Ms. Prather.
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Justin Czekaj echoed the concerns of Kristin Prather regarding a number of incidents happening at KIS. He said that he believes that there is a problem at this school, and he asked if the Board is aware of the circumstances at the school when a threat arises. He expressed the opinion that more needs to be done beyond just sending emails to parents without follow-up when there is continued aggressive behavior.
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Ryan May also spoke to circumstances at KIS, stating that on March 13th parents received an email from the school that advised that there was a reported comment from a student that was threatening by nature. Over the next couple of weeks, emails with similar reports arrived from the school. As a parent, he expressed concern that this was happening in a school with such young students (grades 4-5), and he felt that more needed to be done to correct the situation.
Reviewer Note: The most recent email regarding threats at KIS was sent by Superintendent Sayers on April 4 and stated the following:
“Kenston Intermediate School Principal, Julianne Walker, was made aware of a note that could be perceived as threatening in nature. The note contained the names of a number of KIS students. The Bainbridge Police Department is investigating the situation. Ms. Walker is also in the process of contacting the parents of the students whose names appeared on the list. The District has responded by enforcing applicable provisions in the Code of Student Conduct. With support from the Bainbridge Police Department, classes will be in session tomorrow, Friday, April 5, 2024, and we will remain vigilant in our safety and security procedures. There will be extra police and administrator presence throughout the day tomorrow.
We respectfully ask for your continued help in reinforcing that writing, speaking, texting, or posting any kind of threatening message, even if done without malicious intent, is unacceptable. Your help and partnership are very much appreciated. Threats made of any nature are very disruptive to the educational process and are very time consuming. Moreover, additional assistance from the Bainbridge Police Department is required as well, precluding them from serving and protecting the residents of our community.
We are steadfast in taking every precaution and proactive preventative measure to provide a safe learning environment for all our students, but we need your help as well. The "See Something, Say Something” philosophy in our community remains key to maintaining a safe learning environment for our students. Reports can be submitted anonymously to the Safer Schools Ohio Tipline, by calling or texting 1-844-SAFEROH.”
The email also contained a link to the Safer Ohio School Tip Line.
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Greg Koltas, Kenston High School (KHS) teacher, spoke about the mission statement of the Kenston School District and his belief that resources and support should be allocated to that mission and the school’s teachers.
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Courtney McIvor, Co-Chair of the PI levy Committee for last November’s election, explained why she believes that the district has a continuing need for the PI Levy despite its failure to pass last November. She also spoke about the qualifications that she believes the next superintendent of the Kenston Schools should have. Reviewer Note: On April 26, Kenston announced that Dr. Bruce Willingham has been selected as the district’s new superintendent effective August 1. More information about Dr. Willingham’s appointment is available here.
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Mark Curtis of Twinsburg, Ohio stated that he was running to be this district’s next state representative of the 35th district. He is a former educator and spoke about his background. He was stopped shortly into his presentation by the Board who advised that political statements cannot be made during the public comment time.
50.50 Min. Treasurer's Report
51.55 Min. Superintendent’s Report
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April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Mr. Sayers used the opportunity to thank the various booster groups, PTO groups, and individual volunteers who give of their time and talents to support students and staff.
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Last Wednesday, the S’MORES (Senior Moments of Rockin’ Entertainment) program was held. This was a dinner theater event that served over 200 people. Andrew Mendez, Nutrition Services Director, and staff provided a meal, and members of the football team served the meal to the attendees. Kenston Center Stage provided a dress rehearsal performance that evening. The musical then had continued performances through that weekend. The S’MORES program happens twice a year with the fall play and the spring musical.
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The Fine Arts Showcase will take place from April 29 through May 2 from 6:00-9:00 pm at the KHS gymnasium. This showcase highlights K-12 district art programs and features art portfolios and music performances each evening at 7:00 pm by the bands and choruses of the middle school and the high school. The community is invited to a closing night reception on Thursday, May 2nd, from 6:00-7:00 pm.
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The school year is coming to a close with commencement on May 23rd. The senior class is highlighted on Kenston’s social media. Mr. Sayers requested that community members like or follow Kenston on their various sites so as not to miss out on the class of 2024.
55.00 Min. A motion was approved to adjourn and the video ended.
Observer Note: This observer attended the meeting virtually.
Next regular meeting: Monday, May 13, 2024 (Retirees' Reception at 6:30pm- outside KHS Auditorium)
More information here: Board of Education | Kenston Local Schools
Observer: Jacqueline Berger
Editor: Anne Ondrey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: 4/27/24
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