Riverside Local board hears proposals on honors art pilot, Google Workspace upgrade, playground plans and cell‑phone rule

Riverside Local Schools officials on Tuesday outlined a plan to pilot an honors option for high‑school art classes, discussed preliminary state report‑card results and pending value‑added data, reviewed a proposed three‑year Google Workspace (Plus) subscription that would add student security controls and LMS features, and opened preliminary planning for preschool playground upgrades — all while updating the board on a state‑mandated ban on cell‑phone use during the academic day.

The honors art proposal would let students in levels 2–4 choose between general‑credit and honors‑credit tracks within the same class; the honors option would require extra work such as weekly sketchbooks, a portfolio and student reflections. District staff said the goal is to enable students who worry about weighted GPA or class rank to earn honors credit while staying in fine‑arts classes. The district also discussed collaborating with Lake Erie College to expand College Credit Plus (CCP) art options in the future.

Superintendent‑level and curriculum staff framed the honors plan as a pilot for the current school year with the intention of expanding honors opportunities across fine‑arts courses if the model and criteria prove workable.

District staff also reviewed early, unreleased state report‑card data. Officials said overall achievement is largely similar to last year, with one notable area of growth: Algebra I scores showed increases in both competency and proficiency. They noted a small decline — “about a half‑point” — in the district’s performance index that staff called statistically negligible. Third‑grade reading and some early‑literacy indicators drew attention as areas for focused improvement. The district’s graduation rate was described as improved; staff said the district is tentatively at four stars overall but that pending EVAAS/value‑added results could alter that rating.

Special‑education impacts on accountability were also discussed. A district special‑education official explained that Individualized Education Program (IEP) students count in the same accountability measures and that IEPs are specifically considered in the state’s gap‑closing measures. Staff said teams sometimes pursue alternate demonstrations of competency for students who cannot meet particular test requirements.

On technology, the district described a proposal to buy the paid Google Workspace for Education Plus add‑on under a three‑year agreement. Staff said the upgrade would let the district manage separate student domains, restrict which accounts can send or receive email (for example, preventing K–2 students from emailing outside the district), and enable more personalized learning features in the learning‑management side of Google Classroom. Officials said the upgrade could also include an “originality check” tool that could replace third‑party plagiarism software and might write grades back to Infinite Campus, subject to additional campus integration costs. Staff presented pricing comparisons: an incentive price of about $4.50 per student if the district signs soon versus $6.00 per student at a later date; staff also stated an annual cost of roughly $18,000 to be paid from the general fund under the proposed contract.

Board members and staff emphasized training and rollout supports: Google’s online training is available at no cost (certification tests may charge fees), and local teachers familiar with personalized‑learning features would help peers adopt the product.

The board also discussed early planning for preschool playground upgrades. Trustees and staff reviewed differences in surfacing (mulch, poured‑in‑place woven rubber, turf, asphalt) and accessibility concerns such as wheelchair access and trike storage. Staff said some existing turf installations can become hot, spongy or degrade; other surfaces may be more wheelchair‑accessible but cost more. Board members asked facilities staff to convene architects, building principals and CTE (career‑technical education) instructors to identify needs, budgets and potential grant sources; staff noted the district had received a recent contribution from Cleveland Construction (reported at $5,000) and asked staff to verify whether acceptance of that donation had been placed on a board agenda. Trustees indicated interest in pairing CTE student projects (for example, building small play structures or decorative fence pieces) with any playground work, and they directed staff to set a follow‑up meeting with the facilities lead and architects.

On policy, staff described required changes to student handbooks to implement the state budget bill’s prohibition on cell‑phone use during instructional time and the academic day. Staff said the district intends to require that phones be “out of sight and turned off” and that medical exemptions and specific academic uses (for example, student photos for art‑portfolio work or translation tools for English‑language learners) would be allowed. District leaders said they will coordinate communications with families and that policy language will be reviewed by the policy committee prior to formal action.

Other operational items discussed included opening‑week professional development for certified and classified staff (a multi‑day schedule of book study, curriculum training and mandated online compliance modules), an update on special‑education staffing shortages (the district reported one remaining paraprofessional vacancy and plans to use interns and internal candidates to fill shifts), and scheduling of upcoming buildings‑and‑grounds meetings to further discuss playground plans.

Board members did not take formal votes on the honors pilot, Google upgrade, playground work or handbook changes during the meeting; staff presented proposals and requested direction and follow‑up work.

The district identified several follow‑up tasks: confirm the Cleveland Construction contribution and, if necessary, place it on a future agenda for formal acceptance; convene facilities, architects and CTE staff to create a playground scope and cost estimate; and complete the policy‑committee process for handbook changes before public release and distribution to families.

A list of named speakers and staff who contributed to the updates appears below in the article metadata.