[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6050534,"mediaKeyId","3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf","parentId",3462318,"title","Cuyahoga Falls student urges board to preserve privacy and supports for transgender students under new Parents’ Bill of Rights","audioSeconds",158,"startMs",10083000,"endMs",10241000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf&start=10083&end=10241","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf/thumbnail_10083000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6050534/Cuyahoga-Falls-City/School-Districts/Ohio/Cuyahoga-Falls-student-urges-board-to-preserve-privacy-and-supports-for-transgender-students-under-new-Parents-Bill-of-Rights","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050534-391bd862f675701d1a9f23e59312030d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200735&Signature=ChIk69k5Nmg18g4YJVlQwreOrKev7Y~M3hJxDiWAzolJEloinRe3iEBm6AGvEc2TFvTzuUyy8XcL-jOQNiT11OU5b8f1kzWdzsuGIB1nganfxxfZrIUuPQa~CxxieW8ZP43as5CWY8wmn~kruHF70QFj9bsa7sKP9FeA5OaQcJJ20Xu6dfTDZYo4Lh2gs9vtkzQ7XLTyG2284aMyGsP3pV17cL89XNx9O6rOiWYGtovvlPsjpgi9cZnqk5wvKMYsVWEZcEyZMdEM8xsurgSpL3lD0zAnQ7ISxRJIZx~W1HIupQBmgDsUDBX3LVf1ja~Ua4cxdqHG2DwKMpEY5F~j0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cuyahoga Falls City School District","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","A Cuyahoga Falls High School student told the board April 23 she fears the state’s recent Parents’ Bill of Rights will harm transgender students who lack supportive homes, urging the board to preserve school practices that protect vulnerable students.

Meredith Mihalovic Cupp, a high‑school sophomore who identified herself as transgender, described a personal history of mental‑health challenges before receiving family support. “Without a doubt, I truly do not think I would be here today if my parents had not let me socially transition,” Meredith told the board during public comment.

Meredith said some students rely on school privacy and accommodations because going home to unsupportive families can be dangerous. “For some, being forcefully outed at home could put them in real danger, physically, mentally, and emotionally,” she said. “Schools should be a place where all students feel safe, respected, and supported, no matter what their home life looks like.”

She asked the board to continue practices that allow students to use facilities and services safely and to preserve “an inclusive and diverse culture of caring” as the district implements new state requirements. Meredith added she supports clear limits for athletic participation consistent with competition rules but said safety and privacy for students must remain priorities.

Who spoke
- Meredith Mihalovic Cupp — Cuyahoga Falls High School sophomore (public comment).

Context
The student’s remarks came after the state Parents’ Bill of Rights took effect on April 9; during the same meeting the board adopted a Title VI compliance certification and replaced an existing board policy to align with state and federal directives. Meredith’s comment was an appeal to the board as it balances compliance obligations against local practices intended to protect vulnerable students.

What the board said
Board members listened to the comment and acknowledged the difficulty of reconciling legal requirements with student privacy and safety concerns. Superintendent Dr. Celico and board members later discussed the Title VI certification and related policy changes, noting staff would provide updated guidance and communications to families.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cuyahoga Falls City Schools BOE Meeting 4/23/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Cuyahoga Falls High School sophomore told the board that the recently enacted Parents’ Bill of Rights could endanger transgender students who lack family support and called on the board to keep student‑focused privacy and facilities accommodations in place.","taxTitle","Cuyahoga Falls City, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",58172,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6050539,"District literacy coaches report mid‑year gains; plan expands interventions and Orton‑Gillingham training",720,3276000,3996000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf&start=3276&end=3996","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf/thumbnail_3276000.jpg","/articles/6050539/Cuyahoga-Falls-City/School-Districts/Ohio/District-literacy-coaches-report-midyear-gains-plan-expands-interventions-and-OrtonGillingham-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050539-c5a26d440d3bd68e4b78e360613179e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200735&Signature=TN6k1yHHdUBQOglke9qtLk94xKdpl9jZLwxobBjsqjImSapH69ZOAnZ3uetrnpq1i5T1eUmikpoXl~85aOGddlqbHJ2vGQC44T1BZERJqI4Y2MLGvVz64wwURMdrrtMgC8HG-Z3vYLedAkzfKTLJP1W9yk2xWzo9-gGIDUWinaht1Zz6rC~0PdfuAGnrar8UDVxivb3CDt1~CGNve~~r~VdkaTUdskmHF-xLfwlNhgxbGD60N8qfaS-hLbPhH9cHkVyM9T~KmoP3vq7ZhwH1m-LeRfW47bnfjZKfMBY0N3zuFLQl6hFl1ueVPiJomHOZsm3eWg5QrMtTCZGLVx257w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District literacy coaches told the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education on April 23 that classroom benchmarking and progress monitoring show improvements for several early‑grade cohorts and outlined a multi‑year plan to strengthen reading instruction and intervention.

Amanda Heller, Tina Majes and Crystal Hartman — identified by district officials as literacy coaches — described a “beginning‑middle‑end” benchmarking system in which every student is assessed three times per year and teachers use diagnostic follow‑ups to tailor instruction. The coaches said the district has expanded data meetings from three shorter sessions to five or six, two‑hour sessions so teachers and specialists can collaborate on interventions.

Literacy coach Miss Hausman said the district’s assessment results show kindergarten students are reaching end‑of‑year benchmarks earlier than in previous years. “Our kindergarten is already at 66 percent,” Hausman said, citing the district’s benchmark system; she added, “So that’s showing us that what we’re doing is working.” The coaches attributed gains to a combination of consistent benchmarking, coaching support and new curriculum elements adopted over the last three years.

Key proposals and changes
- Increase intervention (‘Tiger Time’) from 30 minutes to 60 minutes daily for students who need intensive foundational work; the top tier of need would receive small‑group Orton‑Gillingham‑based intervention with a trained specialist.
- Add a structured‑literacy specialist position and increase summer professional development in Orton‑Gillingham approaches so interventionists and coaches share a common, evidence‑based method for teaching phonics, decoding and spelling.
- Finalize and publish the district’s updated local literacy plan (district staff said the draft is a 43‑page document) and implement Academic Parent‑Teacher Teams to help parents understand assessment reports and how to support reading at home.

Teachers’ and coaches’ comments
The coaches showed classroom examples of lesson planning and student work at several grades and cited teacher feedback that students are using richer vocabulary, producing longer pieces of writing, and showing increased writing rigor under the new Wit & Wisdom curriculum units and supporting programs (district staff identified schools using Foundations, Wit & Wisdom, Heggerty and grade‑level diagnostic assessments).

Implementation and next steps
The district said summer 2025 is targeted for Orton‑Gillingham training for specialists and that the district will pilot a 60‑minute intervention block in the 2025–26 schedule. Coaches noted that coaching ratios remain high and suggested grant funding could reduce coach:teacher ratios to allow more intensive in‑class support.

Clarifying details
- Benchmarking cadence: Students assessed three times per year (beginning, middle, end) with interim progress monitoring for targeted students (source: Amanda Heller presentation).
- Acadience (district reading benchmark) example: kindergarten cohort improved from 49% (end‑of‑year baseline in one prior year) to 66% mid‑year in the most recent cycle as described by coaches (source: Miss Hausman).
- Tiered intervention model: top tier — 60 minutes of small‑group Orton‑Gillingham intervention; middle tiers — double‑dose Foundations delivered by classroom teachers; tier 1 — whole‑class Foundations instruction (source: Tina Majes and Miss Hausman).

Why it matters
District leaders said the initiative responds to state and federal emphasis on early literacy and to local performance targets. Board members pressed for measurable targets, funding sources for additional training, and timelines for evaluation. The coaches said they will return with grant plans, professional‑development schedules and measures showing whether the increased intervention time produces sustained year‑end gains.

Speakers and attributions in this article come only from district staff and coaches who presented in the April 23 meeting.","District literacy coaches presented evidence of mid‑year gains on benchmark measures, proposed expanding intervention time from 30 to 60 minutes for students needing more intensive support, and recommended summer Orton‑Gillingham training and a structured‑literacy specialist role to boost reading outcomes.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6050545,"Cuyahoga Falls board moves to close an elementary school as budget shortfall looms",1264,5898000,7162000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf&start=5898&end=7162","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462318-cc6afacc908d971c6fbf047764d96ebf/thumbnail_5898000.jpg","/articles/6050545/Cuyahoga-Falls-City/School-Districts/Ohio/Cuyahoga-Falls-board-moves-to-close-an-elementary-school-as-budget-shortfall-looms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050545-a397bdbb77e7df93cb9f4fc1e084787c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200735&Signature=JHPAJcEm6p7wDu8vzgVYM7d8U-v5Q-UHAhqtyxelGlwXQrgOgf5zn0DHWciO~jFofG4cTseCUo1FW6N6FsA60mWLs2D0v0WSluIdmU7vXdqW4Sb7UP17d52ljbW6PxGe~a2v4sF9PvhN7gZrRV84Le-Ew~eB9eFd7zWDE4FxcHO5h3seCPB57wrN-XP-xghfsgZN5sKORUHHGfdBUHHxyivUsjjfSE0rnfEkKTKKFELGavXK-GR~yjUOhVPVLFqov5LUNf~a4wjnNuOR4NrqRPbemzGPyTTs9Pvthsf4YZ4k91QeP1dGbKpeqmsDZHw3o1IKYgGT10khHOneAjCADg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education voted April 23 to move forward with the closure of an elementary school as part of a series of steps officials say are necessary to address a structural budget shortfall.

The board adopted a resolution saying that “due to the financial forecast” it is moving forward with the closure of an elementary building while staff continue to gather data “to further determine the best course of action on which building.” The vote followed a detailed presentation from district financial staff laying out current and projected deficits, enrollment declines and a menu of cost-cutting options.

The move matters because the district’s five‑year forecast shows persistent gaps between revenues and spending and shrinking cash-on-hand. Treasurer Jody (Chr.) Stowe Chwick told the board that the district’s November forecast showed fiscal 2027 was projected “in the red by almost $4,000,000,” and that cash-on-hand would fall from roughly 44 days today to a negative position by 2027 unless structural changes are made. Stowe Chwick said the district and the state require the board to present a plan that brings the forecast back into balance.

Stowe Chwick and staff outlined four broad options the district has considered: closing a building, selling property, changing open-enrollment practices, and seeking additional levy revenue from voters. The treasurer said a one‑time sale of a building yields a limited, nonrecurring benefit, while the recurring savings from a closure accumulate over time.

The board was presented a per-building average savings analysis. Across six elementary buildings the district calculated roughly $3.1 million in gross annual cost reductions if a building were closed; the district’s forecast conservatively counted half of salary and benefit savings when modelling a closure (to reflect positions that cannot be eliminated entirely because of special‑education or other required services). Using that assumption, closing one elementary was shown as producing about $1.9 million in recurring improvement to the forecast in the year it would take effect.

Board members pressed staff on alternatives. Superintendent Dr. Celico said the district has been pursuing attrition, hiring freezes and other cost reductions and that these remain part of the plan. Chris Shaw, who oversees enrollment, told the board that the district is reviewing open‑enrollment placements and sibling accommodations as one way to consolidate class sections without forcing the immediate loss of full‑time teachers.

Board President Miss Coco said staff will prepare communications and that the district will notify affected families and staff promptly. Superintendent Celico said administrators will work on messaging in the next 48 hours and that principals had already been forewarned.

Votes at a glance
- Resolution to move forward with closure of an elementary building (motion as amended): approved by the board on April 23, 2025. Motion text: “Be it resolved the board of education recognizes that due to the financial forecast, we hereby state we are moving forward with the closure of an elementary building while continuing to collect data to further determine the best course of action on which building.” (Motion moved by Anthony Gomez; second not specified in the minutes; outcome: approved.)
- Resolution affirming Title VI compliance and replacing board policy AEA and resolution 20‑124 (required by state/federal request): adopted. (Motion and roll call recorded on the agenda; outcome: approved.)
- Strategic plan goals (culture of caring; facilitating our financial future; steering to student achievement): adopted. (Outcome: approved.)
- Several consent‑agenda employment contracts and memoranda of understanding, including school hires and preschool schedule MOU, were approved during the meeting (see actions list below). (Outcomes: approved as part of the superintendent/treasurer consent agendas.)

What board members said
Board members acknowledged the gravity of the financial picture. Anthony Gomez, who introduced the amendment that made the motion explicit about closing a building, said the board needed to give the community clarity about the district’s direction. Several board members said they preferred to show voters that staff had already taken local steps to reduce costs before asking for new levy revenue.

What happens next
Staff will continue to collect and analyse building‑level enrollment, staffing and transportation data and return recommendations to the board. The board did not pick which elementary school would close; that step will follow additional analysis, community engagement and a separate public decision process.

Clarifying details
- Fiscal 2027 projected shortfall referenced in the November forecast: “almost $4,000,000” (source: Miss Stowe Chwick, treasurer presentation).
- Cash-on-hand examples cited by treasurer: ~44 days currently; forecasted as low as negative 21 days in FY2027 under prior assumptions (source: Miss Stowe Chwick).
- Average, per-building three‑year review savings (six elementary buildings): roughly $3,100,000 gross; district model counted half of salary and benefit savings for forecast modelling (~$1.9 million recurring) to reflect positions that would remain because of specialized services (source: Miss Stowe Chwick presentation).
- Closing savings were modelled assuming closure in FY2026–27 for forecast impact (source: Treasurer presentation).

Discussion vs. decision
- Discussion: The board discussed multiple options including levy timing, building sale, redistricting, open‑enrollment limits, and attrition. Staff presented enrollment trends, state budget uncertainty, and transportation and facility costs that affect net savings.
- Direction: The board directed staff to continue data collection and planning with the explicit directive (adopted resolution) to move forward with closing one elementary building; staff will return with specifics before a final decision on which building to close.
- Decision: The board adopted the resolution to move forward with a closure (see motion above).

Proper names and agencies referenced
Cuyahoga Falls City Schools; Cuyahoga Falls High School; Ohio Department of Education (ODE); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Acadience (district reading assessment system as cited in presentation); Orton‑Gillingham (structured literacy approach referenced in district literacy planning); Summit County Engineer’s Office; Cuyahoga Falls Schools Foundation & Alumni Association.

Community relevance
- Geographies affected: Cuyahoga Falls City (elementary‑school attendance zones).
- Impact groups: students and families assigned to the elementary buildings, classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, transportation routes, special‑education caseloads.
- Funding sources discussed: district general fund, state foundation funding (fair school funding formula cited), levy renewals/ new money, federal/state literacy grants (separately discussed in literacy presentation).","Facing a projected multi-million-dollar deficit and declining enrollment, the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education voted to move forward with the closure of one elementary building and directed staff to continue collecting data to pick which building to close.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cuyahoga Falls student urges board to preserve privacy and supports for transgender students under new Parents’ Bill of Rights

District literacy coaches report mid‑year gains; plan expands interventions and Orton‑Gillingham training

Cuyahoga Falls board moves to close an elementary school as budget shortfall looms