[{"_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",6250363,"mediaKeyId","3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245","parentId",3202935,"title","Parents urge Westerville board to halt teacher cuts at Mark Twain amid class‑size concerns","audioSeconds",3433,"startMs",1353000,"endMs",4786000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245&start=1353&end=4786","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245/thumbnail_1353000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250363/Ohio/Parents-urge-Westerville-board-to-halt-teacher-cuts-at-Mark-Twain-amid-classsize-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250363-27b8e8c389c9fb714930e5f72e6ff197/orig.mp4?Expires=1770993077&Signature=mj1sZj3I8Ktkt9FVqsjQIdCZ2AG0SrhlgMB27-ZJso3lZW7NA9NBRMIeH2Uk0vSGgehSaH4APp5xrj1uSbJLyFzZrtjOJDhe8otxSycAJme9zJ7mpI69W738ZSOx2zY63TIi~zGdbbaO1eXu3RMLeV25pn~o7-QJQXkooW1IzAOXbRdlq4IdtGiEjiMAQebfBy8Z7sno3MyXv6nwXcsdeQbIMx-nx6AbpkXfdxHZE4Bm5n0SeqRkhhs-eI9zf3vd8PuXSrdIVdE5cLCgkSCUYRc2Ni7ilybMib290t1xUhBOVr2r9mkmrBffxkbWJH~U1ToCoprQd4eQYOHKJi9WPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Westerville City Regular School District, OH ","date","2025-05-06T20:40:58.907Z","article","Parents and several teachers pressed the Westerville City Schools Board of Education on May 5 to reverse proposed reductions that would eliminate a first‑grade and a fourth‑grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary, arguing the changes would raise class sizes and reduce supports for students with disabilities.

The district’s superintendent, speaking during the superintendent’s comments portion of the meeting, said administrators are absorbing positions where possible and reassigning staff as retirements and resignations occur. The superintendent said some reductions reflect “deficit spending” and that teachers with contracts “will have a teaching job next year, just maybe in a different building at a different grade level.”

Nut graf: The board heard repeated accounts from parents and volunteers who said Mark Twain — a school several speakers noted has a five‑star rating — would be harmed if class sizes climb to the levels parents estimated. Commenters cited impacts on individualized interventions required by federal law and on students who use walkers or wheelchairs.

Public commenters described classroom conditions they said would be made worse by the cuts. Jennifer Mizer, a Mark Twain parent, said the proposed staffing changes could create first‑grade classes “each with a ratio of roughly 27 to 1, and fourth grade classrooms, each with a ratio of roughly 29 to 1.” She asked the board to “follow recommended state guidelines of having no more than 25 elementary students in a classroom with 1 teacher” and to review staffing changes with the Westerville Teachers’ Union to ensure contract limits are not violated.

Other parents described how larger classes reduce physical space, limit movement breaks and therapeutic accommodations, and could mean students with disabilities spend more time in restrictive settings. Nicole Melcher, who volunteers weekly in kindergarten, said her son, who has autism spectrum disorder, “requires a less crowded classroom where he can move, self regulate, and access the accommodations in his IEP.” She told the board that reversing the reductions was necessary to preserve students’ progress.

Speakers also asked for clearer communication about the district’s data and decision‑making. Stacy Sayak (identified in the meeting transcript as Stacy Silak/Sayak) said parents need “100% transparency about what is happening, who’s impacted, and the data used to make those decisions.”

District administrators described the staffing process used each year: principals review course and enrollment data and adjust staffing in April, and high‑school scheduling is more complex because of many course offerings and eight‑period days. A secondary administrator said the district reduced seven full‑time equivalent positions at the high‑school level this year through attrition and that schools balance staff across buildings when enrollments change.

Board members thanked speakers for attending and said they would follow up with questions for staff. One board member said she would ask for comparative student‑to‑teacher ratios across buildings and for additional data about the proposed shifts; another encouraged parents to use district resources about the state budget and advocacy.

Ending: The board did not take a vote on reversing the Mark Twain reductions during the meeting. Administrators said they will continue to monitor enrollment through the summer and may add or reduce sections as needed; speakers asked the board to consider alternatives that would preserve teacher positions at Mark Twain.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 5, 2025 Board of Education Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Parents and several teachers pressed the Westerville City Schools Board of Education on May 5 to reverse proposed reductions that would eliminate a first‑grade and a fourth‑grade teacher at Mark Twain Elementary, arguing the changes would raise class sizes and reduce supports for students with disabilities.","taxTitle","Westerville City (Regular School District), School Districts, Ohio","taxId",14537,"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},6250353,"Westerville board approves minutes, a then‑and‑now purchase and personnel renewals; retirements recognized",234,4054000,4288000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245&start=4054&end=4288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245/thumbnail_4054000.jpg","/articles/6250353/Ohio/Westerville-board-approves-minutes-a-thenandnow-purchase-and-personnel-renewals-retirements-recognized","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250353-4bf39439b801e8736ae2aba02784a157/orig.mp4?Expires=1770993077&Signature=Oh9OsrzOxSpd4Jfaomr7RGXKz7KlthgsKoKcwz9iBfmWAZr0xzBno02Jk1u5vJyyUn0pT5q7ZIAIdCkAscYBWEFln50NumyY9YK2lP2RoQMe9fF~HnkjA8wytIK6FqpHzQD1f3nJX8Oh7DN-tHVLHvbyKJDkuytKqU4VurDWJcs6WovfYPdY5iBI8CWxcnwpgz0V7g9p1QLWD3KMCgUvYR3uu3VrN-LRpErpnkVs8k3Yh0LFSk16-xCdKZGQMOSR7kIvnpNIOdNS5rsAc14lGG7lzPgb-P~PPaNfvsoFC97u5m3oO06cJ4MnicD42whvvv6359W3vkZOXzHkoSceaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Westerville City Schools Board of Education on May 5 approved routine business: minutes from prior meetings, one then‑and‑now purchase order, and a personnel consent agenda that included contract renewals and several retirements.

Board members approved the minutes of the April 21 regular meeting and the April 28 special session by roll call. The board also approved a then‑and‑now purchase order for the district’s English learners department to cover interpreter services; the treasurer explained the purchase order was dated after the invoice and requires board approval for payment when it exceeds $3,000 but was budgeted.

Nut graf: The personnel consent agenda included resignations, leaves, one‑time pays and annual renewals for classified staff with expiring contracts. District staff announced and the board recognized multiple retirees during the meeting; administrators said the district collectively is losing many years of experience across licensed and classified staff.

At the board meeting, personnel items were presented by the district’s HR representative, who noted five retirees by name on the personnel agenda: Sally Raymond (19 years), Scott Weston (25 years), Shannon Whitmer (28 years), Katherine Myers (19 years) and Scott Dorn (31 years). The board approved the personnel consent agenda by roll call.

Ending: Board members offered congratulations to retirees and thanked them for years of service. No substantive policy adoptions or final votes on the staffing controversies discussed during public comment were taken at this meeting; several board members said they would follow up with additional questions for staff.","The Westerville City Schools Board approved meeting minutes, one then‑and‑now purchase order for interpreter services and a personnel consent agenda that included contract renewals and several retirements; board recognized retirees earlier in the meeting",{"_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},6250358,"Families say EF Tours trip used district resources and exposed student data; board said attorneys are reviewing",412,3465000,3877000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245&start=3465&end=3877","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3202935-3a532b24bc6cdd81c5e164ce5eff5245/thumbnail_3465000.jpg","/articles/6250358/Ohio/Families-say-EF-Tours-trip-used-district-resources-and-exposed-student-data-board-said-attorneys-are-reviewing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250358-c0fc1997738a26751f75093d61b88a8f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770993077&Signature=A-8XOOhGGxy-fRUDu2HuLWmRspaDn1rKVZe-Diw6o53Ul7B5ZYxTUnhldnnSMxaCVYEIjtG~bYlgvHAewvY2URq~qE0wGc~CalQWgs57JbfGiO7xV-W~mOjYD-HDHrX9BA9Ue69rYddGxfLN87sqZYJI4mwPEeW9Llme4S9jYp5kLnvEFkXkIkDKmygWAducl5-xuW-wVOd0968wzriUL-iKKqgGnX3csv5Y1jowHBtrdMcvjHOTj-VkP2f1MLdI1Es3X0qhFoh9gRD0IhN2sYnNrq0LY2pnprCwjpp2K5WhDWOE4nma~c3wbmSDFytNZIJ-lDjzsbn6nqyhCv3hnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several families told the Westerville City Schools Board of Education on May 5 they believe a district‑connected EF Tours trip violated student‑data and district policies and that communication and refund requests have not been resolved.

Tara Stockdale told the board she and other families were sold a trip that initially was marketed as having 15 travelers but later grew to 85. She said sales were run through a multilevel compensation structure and that teachers received bonuses and travel rewards. Stockdale said the group discovered “unauthorized photographing of our minor children's passports on a Westerville teacher's unsecured cell phone,” and she asked the board to examine the district’s relationship with EF Tours.

Nut graf: Speakers described possible violations of student privacy laws and of the district’s own field‑trip and communications policies. The board told speakers today that its attorneys are looking into the concerns, but families at the meeting asked for clearer answers and for the district to help secure refunds where participants believe they were misled.

Stockdale said she first raised the issue with district administrators on April 17 and again on April 21 and had since received limited information. She said families believe the trip’s marketing and the teacher‑led sales process used district resources, including district email lists and meetings, and that the sales practices raise ethical concerns.

Another traveler, Richie Harris, described feeling pressured to sign up for a “limited space” trip and said that after learning more about the size and handling of personal data he no longer felt comfortable participating and had sought a full refund. He asked the district to advocate for families to secure refunds from EF Tours.

District staff told attendees at the end of public comment that Mr. Reeves had contacted the speakers and that the district’s attorneys were reviewing the potential violations. Commenters said they appreciated that acknowledgement but said they wanted more transparent follow‑up and assistance.

Ending: The board did not announce a timetable for resolution. Families requested prompt assistance and clear answers about whether district policies on field trips, staff use of district resources, and student‑data handling were violated and what remedies would follow.","Parents and travelers told the Westerville City Schools board that an EF Tours trip to Japan was oversold, used district communications and staff time for marketing, and involved unauthorized handling of student passport photos; the district said attorneys are investigating potential policy and data‑privacy violations","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parents urge Westerville board to halt teacher cuts at Mark Twain amid class‑size concerns

Westerville board approves minutes, a then‑and‑now purchase and personnel renewals; retirements recognized

Families say EF Tours trip used district resources and exposed student data; board said attorneys are reviewing