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PTA asks Parma City Schools to host family-engagement town hall; resident urges clearer levy explanations
Summary
During public participation the PTA requested a joint town-hall to promote national family-school partnership standards and to continue district-PTA collaborations; a resident urged clearer, layman's explanations of levy proposals and year-by-year projections for future ballots.
Two community speakers used the board’s public-participation period to press for clearer district outreach on separate but related topics: family engagement and levy communications.
Heather Acecki (address provided in the meeting) said she was speaking on behalf of the former Health PTA and described a two-year grant the PTA received to promote the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Acecki said Parma City School District already aligns with the standards (welcoming families, communicating effectively, supporting student success, advocating for every child, sharing power and collaborating with the community) and that grant funds remain to continue promotion. She asked the Board to consider cohosting a town-hall-style event to increase public awareness of the standards and to highlight how the PTA and district currently implement them. The superintendent responded that staff would follow up to arrange collaboration.
Resident Robert Provostek addressed the recent levy campaign and its defeat, urging the district to present levy information in plain language. He recommended the district produce a clear five-year historical and forward projection that explains the difference between “inside” millage (the guaranteed 10 mills on property) and “outside” millage (levies voters approve), show where revenue has come from over time, and illustrate the personal tax impact for typical homeowners. Provostek offered to share materials he had prepared previously and suggested the district use modern presentation tools to make levy proposals easier for voters to understand.
Board leadership and district staff acknowledged both requests; staff said they would follow up with the PTA on a town-hall and that outreach materials and explanations of levy mechanics could be reviewed for clarity before future campaigns. No board action was taken during the public-participation period; both items were requests for follow-up and community engagement.
