[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6274287,"mediaKeyId","2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51","parentId",2993500,"title","Board approves March financials and certifies 2025 tax rates; treasurer cites special‑education and legal cost increases","audioSeconds",759,"startMs",2787000,"endMs",3546000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51&start=2787&end=3546","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51/thumbnail_2787000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6274287/Ohio/Board-approves-March-financials-and-certifies-2025-tax-rates-treasurer-cites-specialeducation-and-legal-cost-increases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6274287-6b7a58b0e6697e9e4a1cd0b9275e29bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940209&Signature=QaUEIfbS4NnWNyhAXGZ8jVe61D6zwIgfC8kS4L9Fka-Nktmfa9nYSUl8mzbjZDICcwVbV6eRZWE6RSStBCYtPOLi-u1hAMecW2S4W7Be~AeZWXDU5g9PrwfvXCGrjHmRluOhU7PhrqllwDaOxjcJO6-08AOz1P4i4BelJp7aJGeMUXPcNOaX3OZpdUDQ2hoUh0VsJqgAQh-~m0iu-MTlBo3WIun6dM3P0x8bo4sNgrQb0b4s-OhOFZ4oyM8Q5qOftUJzyQkXN6St43OY10lASJQ3I15BkNdLZpVFF6dFOgX~Ww0uRlour5l0oKhXi-lvVy~YSfLB8TSmTjc01RoRKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garfield Heights School District","date","2025-04-15T15:14:48.13Z","article","The Garfield Heights Board of Education approved the district's March financial statements and certified tax rates on April 14, and Treasurer Philip Oko told the board the district is seeing higher expenditures in purchase services driven in part by special‑education and legal costs.

Mr. Philip Oko, treasurer, said the district is approaching the end of the fiscal year and noted property‑tax collections are higher in recent reporting \"that is a county issue that we are working through.\" He pointed to major expenditure variances in \"purchase services, specifically around health services, legal, and special ed costs,\" and said one driver is students moving into the district with active IEPs from other districts. \"...these kiddos are coming to us from outside districts, who have been over identified, so Cleveland is a big, perpetrator of this, where those students will move in the district, have the IEPs written with all the services given, and we have to comply with that by law,\" Oko said.

On the tax rate resolution (Resolution 25‑2025‑16), Oko said four key items affect the certified rates: the district's bond millage is ending (the building bond passed in 2001 is nearing payoff and will fully drop off the tax base when the district makes its last bond payment in fiscal 2026), emergency levies that are up for renewal were not included for 2026 collections, and the district requested the county adjust millage collections to match what voters approved on the recent evaluation increase. \"First 1 our bond millage comes off ... we'll make our last bond payments in fiscal 26, which means, about 9 mills will drop off the tax base for Garfield Heights,\" Oko said.

The board moved to approve the March financials (motion moved by Miss Morrison and seconded by Miss Thomas) and adopted the tax‑rate resolution (motion moved by Missus Daniels and seconded by Miss Cox). Both measures passed on recorded roll calls.

During public participation, Joanie Wunderstock, a resident, commented on the board's recognition of the Michael Davis scholarship and praised members of the community and longstanding staff such as Marlene Remish for their work in the district; she said the scholarship and recognition \"mean a great deal\" to the family and community.

Other routine procedural votes at the meeting included adoption of the agenda, approval of minutes from March 10 and March 17, motions to waive the reading of several agenda blocks, and a motion to accept first readings of policies (see \"Votes at a glance\" below).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Garfield Heights City Schools -April 14, 2025 - Regular Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved March financial reports and a tax‑rate resolution; Treasurer Philip Oko said purchases services for health, legal and special‑education have risen and explained that a bond millage will drop off the tax base in 2026.","taxTitle","Garfield Heights City Schools, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",38842,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6274292,"Board receives first readings of multiple policy updates; trustees seek clarifications on immunization and Narcan language",5651,685000,6336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51&start=685&end=6336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51/thumbnail_685000.jpg","/articles/6274292/Ohio/Board-receives-first-readings-of-multiple-policy-updates-trustees-seek-clarifications-on-immunization-and-Narcan-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6274292-6071a334ea4d35bc54f71517d97d2ebb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940209&Signature=myb7MQmRbmh6V1hrye0ed8ZEUp3JQnl9tCXdPxeE7M3DtQkxM5y1k2jRT6isgxaEoleWvi2Z8iEaW8lqNJYbnVZ-djR4uS1M25SmIRD4UHWZdcBYlFY4-MtODYukoFLer-aEYYR6~F~RtAiUibhE0X69JC8h8X03DVEEgy9PryUO7mh4QFEdlzRY62CIf7I-cmPW7jGnTqmBjpaVewrLXNieQAqhzHpkHTCcVVKdJZiJqrbx-vv0Awa-ViP8GnAEIoxKUc2IuPUGvF5JBDMAyHRqeoBCPuGXhWKiMxjBL3Jp8tFFJK7~jLgWN8FvKAK7erjfDn68suQb9vZPi0ybBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Miss Thomas, chair of the policy committee, told the board on April 14 that the committee had reviewed a broad packet of policy updates and that the board would take first readings that evening.

\"We met on April, and we reviewed a number of policies that, we will have our first reading on this evening,\" Miss Thomas said. The committee packet included updates tied to statutory and vendor guidance: Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and home instruction, changes related to Senate Bill 29 and artificial intelligence language, tobacco‑use policy changes, updates to the district's Narcan policy, federal grant reporting procedures, and a new policy (2265) on protections for individual beliefs and political affiliations.

A board member who reviewed the packet asked for targeted clarifications before second reading. \"I did review the policies and I had a few questions in regards to a few of the policies. The Immunization Exemption policy, which is 5320, it says on there that, you know, if a child has an exemption, the superintendent has the ability if there is a chicken pox epidemic to, ask the student to stay home so they aren't exposed. It specifically says chicken pox epidemic and I don't know if we wanted to add measles because there are the increase of the measles cases or if we just wanted to take the specific epidemic out and just put epidemic,\" the board member said.

The same board member raised a concern about the Narcan policy (5330): \"On the Narcan policy ... 1 says call EMS as soon as practicable. And then the other said call before administering Narcan. So I think we should choose 1 or the other the way I read it.\" The board member also suggested standardizing references to the \"Department of Education\" to the \"Department of Education and Workforce\" in several policies (policy numbers she cited included 8120, 3140, 4140, 4121 and 2271).

The board voted to accept the first reading of the policy packet. The motion was moved by Missus Daniels and seconded by Miss Thomas; roll call was recorded as yes by the board members present. Miss Thomas asked the board member to email recommendations to the policy committee so they could be reviewed before further action.

The policy packet also referenced vendor and model language; Miss Thomas said the committee had received guidance from \"Neola\" (policy service) and discussed updates tied to recent state guidance and Senate Bill 29. The board did not adopt final policy language at the meeting; the action taken was to accept the first reading and send suggested clarifications back to the committee for consideration.","The policy committee presented a packet of policy updates (first readings) tied to state and vendor guidance; trustees asked targeted edits about the immunization-exemption wording and Narcan instructions.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6274296,"Garfield Heights High reports academic gains, increased CVCC enrollment and new STEM offerings",1159,1249000,2408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51&start=1249&end=2408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2993500-594bca4567c7dc272bf3888baac1be51/thumbnail_1249000.jpg","/articles/6274296/Ohio/Garfield-Heights-High-reports-academic-gains-increased-CVCC-enrollment-and-new-STEM-offerings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6274296-e65164e1cdd6a06446a8d26f6b85bd5f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770940209&Signature=Szds-RcqMQjmXbiPEet4mZu-mIh0-11rEquFrRRmd9YK6-rdyF4MTBVf-8hrqdaTFaaqn-inVk0zbFOezjfKaFARUTMkEYjdHXjooph7ssx3XmVKwPdSib5d6OocfB01hT0hILZmqK9bf9Of-s9DY~D21x~~ZcyuXqonsgurUBEV-SHhfDrPpMqbSeLO-cPhyKWCijuPqI7cj5dnxOyyx3rcRG7MZF5hgPVYkYx5x6OhJBDQ5tbtmZksg1bb1iEngZYgldiJ3whTtbr41uaooz5bHYPxDCugbi7xpFfCiJeLj9kARxBXHoOHM4RqDgDqIfzFln7jCnmjNnkfIpHFIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Townsend, principal of Garfield Heights High School, told the school board on April 14 that the high school improved its state rating and expanded career and college pathways for students.

\"I am John Townsend. I'm proud principal here at Garfield Heights High School,\" Townsend said as he opened the school's update. He said the building serves \"almost 1,200 students\" with about \"80 staff members,\" and described a jump from a two-star to a three-star state rating based on academic progress and benchmarks.

The principal highlighted career-technical pathways and partnerships. \"So far to date this year, we have over a hundred plus students that have worked tirelessly to get an industry credential,\" Townsend said, listing programs from automotive and cosmetology to health careers. He reported 102 juniors are enrolled at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC) for next year — about 37% of the junior class — and said 43 students have already earned career credentials this year.

Townsend also described growth in dual enrollment under the College Credit Plus (CCP) program: \"This year alone, we had 91% of all students passage rate ... and ... we had 249 college credits earned right here at Garfield Heights High School,\" and said the district expects further increases in CCP participation next year.

On STEM and industry linkages, Townsend described a new hydroponic plant lab and an aspiration to move toward an ag-science and business track. He cited external partnerships for hands-on experiences, including Lincoln Electric and Worthington Steel for manufacturing exposure and a trip to NASA where students worked with scientists.

Townsend also led the school's annual Roses for Teachers ceremony during the board meeting, introducing students who presented roses and short tributes for teachers. The principal and board recognized Kara Miller, a high school sophomore, as a winner of the Maltz Museum’s Stop the Hate poetry contest; Townsend said the contest produced a $2,500 scholarship and a $2,000 anti‑bias educational grant for the building.

The presentation combined academic indicators, career and technical education metrics, extra‑curricular highlights and community recognition events that Townsend said are intended to prepare students \"for what's next after high school.\"","Principal John Townsend told the board the high school rose to a three-star state rating, expanded career and STEM partnerships and increased dual-enrollment credits; Townsend also led the school's annual Roses for Teachers recognition.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves March financials and certifies 2025 tax rates; treasurer cites special‑education and legal cost increases

Board receives first readings of multiple policy updates; trustees seek clarifications on immunization and Narcan language

Garfield Heights High reports academic gains, increased CVCC enrollment and new STEM offerings