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Forest Hills officials say short notice left district scrambling over 'History Rocks' school visit
Summary
Superintendent said the district was contacted at short notice about a U.S. Department of Education–linked History Rocks/America250 stop; board members said the program's sponsors and rapid timeline were not vetted and urged clearer protocols for external presenters. No district-funded spending had occurred and the DOE later rescheduled the event.
Superintendent Larry (first name only in the transcript) told the board the Ohio Department of Education contacted the district on short notice about hosting a History Rocks/America250 presentation, and he initially offered to help without full details. Board members said they learned about the program and its outside sponsors only after community emails and a Department of Education link were circulated.
The district’s superintendent said the program was presented to him as a brief, one-hour celebration tied to America’s 250th anniversary and that the state contact, Steve Dacken, had told him the event might feature a state official. "I said, sure. What do you need?" the superintendent said in recounting his call; later the superintendent said he began looking for more information and that a reschedule notice arrived the same Friday. He told the board, "This is not something that we're doing or organizing," adding the district "does not sponsor, we do not endorse, we do not organize, we do not promote" outside demonstrations or political events.
Several board members said a basic web search of "History Rocks" and material on the Department of Education site shows a tour coordinated with outside organizations that some trustees identified as politically aligned. One board member summarized what she had found on the DOE page and the program partners and said, "That is purely political ... Like, what about this district makes you think we should associate with those programs?" Another board member urged that the district should plan its own 250th-anniversary activities that are "Forest Hills focused," not run by outside groups.
The board also addressed community confusion and online rumors. A principal told trustees that a parent had offered to buy 700 T-shirts at $8 each (about $5,600) in anticipation of the event; the superintendent said he had not authorized any district spending and that, as of the meeting, he was not aware of any money spent. The Department of Education later issued a rescheduling notice, which district staff said gave more time to vet content.
Board members called for a review of the district’s protocols for vetting external speakers and for a clearer, timelier communications plan to inform parents when a high-profile event is proposed. Trustees asked that future requests include: a content summary, curriculum ties, sponsors and funding sources, and confirmation of any outside media or political participation before finalizing plans.
What happens next: Trustees said they want formal, written vetting steps and an advance-notice practice for programs affecting students, and one board member proposed the district plan its own celebration activities for the 250th anniversary to avoid reliance on externally produced events.
