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District outlines Education Advancement work, McKinney‑Vento services and CTE agricultural launch
Summary
Directors Tim Hurt and Yolanda Hamilton described a new informal staff complaint system, McKinney‑Vento supports serving 19 families, a Parent University pilot, discipline reforms including 'last chance' agreements, and a newly launched CTE agricultural program with community partners and initial student testimonials.
Tim Hurt, director of education and advancement, and district consultant Yolanda Hamilton told the Garfield Heights board that the department focuses on systems, partnerships and program development to raise student outcomes.
Hamilton described an informal, confidential reporting system for staff concerns that aims to improve retention; reporting rose from four cases last year to 13 this year, with seven resolved and six in progress. She said the system helps free human-resources staff to focus on formal complaints.
Hamilton and Hurt reviewed community engagement successes — Mojuba cultural events, trunk‑or‑treat and a back‑to‑school bash — and outlined a Parent University pilot in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri‑C) offering digital‑literacy, ESOL, college‑readiness and workforce‑development pathways aligned to district priorities.
On homelessness services, Hamilton explained McKinney‑Vento protections (immediate enrollment, transportation assistance) and reported 21 students identified and 19 families served this year. The district is building a district-level resource/care closet (clothing, food, an intended computer resource) with funding and community donations; Hamilton said central office will manage donated items and volunteers should contact the central office.
Discipline and alternative processes were presented: the district recorded 61 expulsions this year and has deployed “last chance agreements” to provide supports and keep students in school where appropriate; the district has also worked to correct EMIS codes to ensure accurate reporting.
Hurt and Hamilton highlighted partnerships that supported launching a CTE agricultural science program in August 2025. The initial cohort had about 25 students and achieved a 55% passage rate on a first-year certification exam; students took field trips, worked with industry partners and formed the district’s first FFA chapter. A recruiting video featuring student testimonials was shown.
Board questions focused on recruiting pipelines for the CTE program, apprenticeship benchmarks (Hurt said the goal is experiential learning for every student and that families opt into apprenticeships), and McKinney‑Vento historical counts (staff said 11 families were served the prior year; this year 19 families served).
What happens next: The district will continue to expand Parent University offerings, develop the resource closet (with planned computer purchases pending funding), refine discipline reporting and grow the agricultural CTE program through advisory‑council partnerships.
Ending: The Education Advancement presentation concluded with the CTE recruiting video and applause; the board then moved to the superintendent’s report.
