Olmsted Falls board meeting highlights high-impact family engagement, program pilots and financial updates

Olmsted Falls City Board of Education members heard a presentation on a district effort to standardize “high-impact” family engagement at the primary school and received updates on career programs, curriculum pilots, staffing and finances at their regular meeting.

The presentation centered on a project led by Lisa Williams, principal at the primary school (as introduced at the meeting), and Julianne Allen, the district family engagement and communication specialist. Williams described a set of five classroom stations that invited parents and families into the school to view student work and participate in learning activities. Allen said the district had surveyed families and used that input to design events that let parents “see and hear their child showcase learning,” give families tools to support learning at home, and provide opportunities for classroom visits.

‘‘Family engagement is a full, equal, and equitable partnership among families, educators, and community partners to promote children’s learning and development from birth through college and career,’’ Julianne Allen said. Allen and Williams said teachers used a planning template, the High-Impact Family Engagement Program Activity Planning Tool, to align events with that definition and to evaluate outcomes.

Why it matters: district staff framed the work as research-based and aimed at raising student ownership, attendance and achievement by making family involvement more consistent and purposeful across classrooms rather than episodic. Board members and presenters said the work is intended to reduce variability between classrooms and ensure all families get the same opportunities.

Key facts and results from the district’s rollout - The district reported roughly 225 family feedback responses so far in the school year. According to presenters, 100% of those respondents said the events were relevant to their child’s learning, development or wellness; about 91% said they had the opportunity to view and engage with their child’s work; roughly 88% said they left with new skills, tools or resources to help their child; and presenters reported 99.5% of respondents said they would attend a similar program in the future. Those figures were presented by Allen as results of the district’s feedback form. - The presenters said every classroom this year (32 classrooms) will hold at least one high-impact family engagement event so that opportunities are equitable across the building.

District program updates - Career and technical programs: Administrators updated the board on continuing partnerships with Polaris (the area career center). Staff described an ‘‘earn-and-learn’’ senior program being launched with a health-care partner and said Polaris follows up with graduates to track employment, continuing education or military service. Exact breakdowns by category were not stated in the board report; presenters described the follow-up work as ‘‘real data’’ collected by Polaris but did not provide full tables at the meeting. - Cybersecurity pathway: The district formally launched a Paradigm Cyber Ventures partnership to offer three high-school cybersecurity courses and a certificate. Staff said one teacher has been assigned, will receive summer professional development and the district expects to start with one high-school section in the fall, with interest already among underclassmen. - Preschool and K–5 literacy pilots: District staff said they reviewed state-approved preschool curricula and were piloting benchmark literacy materials. The state provided a one-time allocation for materials; staff said they will present a formal curriculum adoption recommendation to the board next month and that parents can review materials locally when the district posts them.

Staffing and human-resources notes - Recruitment: An administrator who oversees hiring reported a smaller-than-expected applicant pool for several openings, including some high-school positions. He said the district will attend job fairs and is updating recruitment materials to improve candidate pipelines. - Personnel recommendation: The superintendent recommended hiring Mitchell (Mitch) Heffern as a three-year assistant principal at Olmsted Falls Middle School. Board discussion noted Heffern’s prior experience; the recommendation was presented for the board’s consideration but the transcript does not record a final vote on that appointment at the time of adjournment to executive session.

Financial, facilities and benefits updates - Tax settlements: The treasurer reported that delayed county property tax value certifications reduced early advance collections, but March settlements from Cuyahoga and Lorain counties returned receipts to expected levels. The general-fund cash balance reported for February was $9.2 million; comparing prior-year balances, staff said the February balance was lower than the prior year because of the delayed settlement timing but that March should restore expectations. Projections for the fiscal year-end were reported as roughly $32,000 better than previously estimated. - Central administration building: The district’s architect has set a schedule to advertise bids within weeks, with bid openings projected in April and potential award in May so work could begin this summer if bids are acceptable. - Insurance and bond refunding: Staff said property replacement-value increases and recent claim activity could raise liability premiums; they estimated an overall increase in the school insurance program in the low double-digit range and said they will meet with their broker to finalize rates. The district resumed work on refunding outstanding bonds and said a refinancing could yield near $1 million in savings, pending market conditions and approvals.

Public comment and board action - Public comment: A parent and resident, Heather Estimacker, spoke in support of public schools and thanked teachers and staff for their work; a teacher, Greg Jenkins, said he chose to teach in Olmsted Falls because of the district’s culture and emphasized the value of staff induction and design-engaged work in classrooms. - Votes: The board approved the consent agenda (agenda items 6, 7 and 8) during the meeting. The roll call recorded the following votes: Mr. Funk — Yes; Mr. Perez — Yes; Mrs. Newman — Yes; Mrs. Walker — Yes; Mrs. Frederick — Yes. The motion carried.

What’s next: District staff said they will continue to refine the family engagement planning tool, gather parent feedback, finalize curriculum recommendations and proceed with planned facility procurement. The personnel recommendation for the middle-school assistant principal was presented to the board and will move through the board’s approval process.

Sources: Presentation to the Olmsted Falls City Board of Education; public comments and reports given at the board’s regular meeting.