Maple Heights school board accepts $25,000 donation for student career programs, approves Chromebooks and bus-safety grant
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Summary
The Maple Heights City School Board approved a donor-funded career-readiness program, agreed to purchase Chromebooks to extend 1:1 access to third graders, accepted a $54,186 state bus-safety grant and anticipated $100,000 for a high-school solar array; votes were unanimous. A parent complaint about snowy bus stops prompted staff follow-up.
The Maple Heights City School Board on Feb. 2 accepted a $25,000 donation to fund two student career-readiness programs, approved a district purchase of Chromebooks for third graders, and recorded several grant- and procurement-related updates during a regularly scheduled meeting.
Superintendent Dela Flora told the board the Effective Leadership Academy had selected Maple Heights for a $25,000 donation that will fund two programs: Pathways to Success, an eight-session offering for transition-year students (sixth or ninth graders), and a Career Leadership Academy for 30 high-school students. "They selected Maple Heights, in the amount of a $25,000 donation," Dela Flora said. The donation will be paid to the Effective Leadership Academy to cover programming costs; the district plans a $5,000 contribution from Title IV funds to support the Career Leadership Academy.
"We plan on starting the Pathways to Success this year, and the Career Leadership Academy would start in September," Dela Flora said when asked about timing. A board motion to accept the programming and the district investment passed on a unanimous roll-call vote: Miss Shepherd, Miss Cheeks, Mister Blackwell, Miss Hunter and Miss Moore voted yes.
In a separate agenda item, Treasurer Vaughn said the district is set to receive two new 2027 Bluebird buses and was awarded $54,186 from the state for school-bus-safety upgrades, including lighting and mirrors for up to 18 buses. "The district was awarded $54,186," Vaughn said. She also reported the district expects about $100,000 from the Growth Opportunities Group to help buy solar-panel arrays for the high school.
The board approved a purchase intended to extend the district's one-to-one device program to third graders at John F. Kennedy (JFK) Elementary. Dela Flora described the request as including devices, a "white-glove" tagging service and protective cases so younger students can take devices home and access online programs. "We do believe strongly that third graders should also have 1 to ones," Dela Flora said. Board members and staff discussed device lifespan and reuse of older units; the transcript records the procurement quantity in the phrasing "2 30 Chromebooks," which the superintendent read as the item request. A subsequent motion to approve the Chromebook purchase passed unanimously by roll call.
The meeting also covered routine business: the board approved the Jan. 21 minutes, accepted the full consent calendar (personnel actions and related items) and discussed scheduling standing committee meetings for the year so dates can be posted publicly.
During the public-participation portion, the board relayed a parent's complaint about unsafe conditions at some bus stops after recent snow and icy sidewalks on side streets. Dela Flora said she would follow up with transportation staff and suggested exploring coordination with the city to clear safe waiting areas at stationary stops.
Before adjourning into an executive session on a stated personnel or confidential issue, President Moore said there would be no actions taken during executive session. The board moved into executive session at 7:08 p.m. on a unanimous roll-call vote.
Votes at a glance: - Approve Jan. 21 minutes — unanimous (Miss Shepherd; Miss Cheeks; Mister Blackwell; Miss Hunter; Miss Moore). - Accept Effective Leadership Academy donation/program and $5,000 Title IV district contribution — unanimous. - Approve Chromebook purchase for JFK third graders — unanimous. - Approve consent calendar (items a–k) — unanimous.
What happens next: Dela Flora said staff will follow up with transportation and the city about clearing bus-stop waiting areas; the Career Leadership Academy is scheduled to begin in September pending program logistics. The board then entered an executive session with no immediate action announced.
