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Board hears details of state turnaround grant, arts and staffing contracts for district schools
Summary
Superintendent and staff described a $500,000 state turnaround grant for two schools, a new arts contract with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance and continued use of Elevate K-12 for hard-to-staff subjects; the board asked for performance data and written explanations of how the programs will work together.
Superintendent Doctor Lawrence and district staff briefed the Dayton Public Schools Board of Education on Oct. 14 about a set of contracts and program partnerships intended to boost student experiences and accelerate improvement at targeted schools.
Among the items discussed: a state turnaround grant worth $500,000 allocated to two schools and a district contract with MGT Solutions to provide turnaround services; a contract with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance to provide in‑school arts experiences across elementary grade bands; and continuation of Elevate K-12 services intended to support science and math instruction.
Doctor Lawrence described the $500,000 as a state turnaround grant that funds coaching for leadership and comprehensive tutoring supports for two identified schools (named in the meeting as Dunbar and Waggaman). She said these are state-allocated funds, not general district operating funds, and that the state provided a vetted list of four providers for districts in turnaround; the district selected MGT Solutions as the vendor for the grant-funded pilot.
Board member Walker asked whether the figure was a typo; district staff confirmed the $500,000 amount and clarified that it is a competitive state turnaround grant, not money from general funds. Lawrence and staff said the state had provided a short list of vetted organizations and the district chose MGT for its experience, including prior work in Akron.
On arts and expanded elementary programming, staff described a new Dayton Performing Arts Alliance contract that will deliver scheduled performances and in‑school residencies—brass, woodwinds, string quartets, opera exploration and ballet residency—across the district’s elementary schools and at downtown venues. The superintendent said the services are scheduled and that some performances will be free to students under the contract.
Staff also briefed the board on continued contracting with Elevate K-12 for instruction in science and math in middle and high school settings, and said the district will compile and share prior-year outcomes and any available first-quarter anecdotal results upon request.
Board members pressed staff for more written detail about how MGT’s turnaround work will align with the district’s Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) initiative and asked for a written explanation the district can post to the two targeted schools’ websites. The superintendent agreed to provide a written explanation of the two efforts, where they overlap and where they differ.
No formal vote to approve these contracts was recorded during the discussion; district staff characterized several items as “for review” and said formal approvals would follow the usual procurement and board-approval process when required.
District staff also noted the turnaround grant is time-limited and tied to the state application. Staff promised to return with performance data, personnel details, and clarifications of contract scope if the board requested them.
This coverage draws on the superintendent and staff presentation and board members' questions during the contracts and review portion of the meeting.
