Cuyahoga Falls board sets Nov. 20 work session to resolve school boundary scenarios

The Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education voted Nov. 12 to hold a public work session at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 20 in the high school library to examine proposed school-boundary maps and resolve outstanding questions about how many students would be reassigned under each scenario. The session will be open to the public and the board asked staff to circulate large printed maps and scenario details in advance so members and families can follow along.

Board members pressed staff for granular explanations of moves they called potentially disruptive. “When you have the 9 people going out to one school, but 18 people coming in from another school … that’s what I need answers to,” Board Member Mister Gomez said, requesting street-level justifications. The board signaled it wants the work session to produce clear, actionable feedback for staff to refine the two preferred options (referred to in discussion as Scenario 2 and Scenario 3).

Superintendent Dr. Salica said the district will provide the maps and make the material available on the district website and ParentSquare. He noted the district is using routing software (Transpinder) and that routing staff and student-services personnel will support the presentation. “We have to be comfortable and lock land somewhere,” Dr. Salica said of advancing a preferred plan after the work session.

Several board members urged sensitivity to parent availability and privacy when displaying maps. The board agreed the Nov. 20 work session is intended chiefly as a technical review and Q&A — not a final vote — so staff can return with refined scenarios and justifications ahead of a year-end decision.

What’s next: The board will accept public comment in accordance with its rules at the end of the work-session discussion, then provide staff feedback for refinement of boundary scenarios.