Education News for 02-28-2012

Statewide Education News

• State officials weigh in on Chardon shooting (News-Herald)

“Please join me in praying for the students who’ve been injured in this horrible crime. Praise goes to the Chardon Police and Geauga County Sheriff’s office for quickly getting this situation under control. I’ve pledged Ohio’s full support to them, the school and the local community in this difficult time.”
— Ohio Gov. John Kasich

“My deepest sympathies are with the students and their families, staff and teachers of the Chardon School District and the Chardon community as they work through the tragic incident on their school campus this morning. Please keep them in your thoughts today. I appreciate the quick response to this situation by Superintendent Bergant and law enforcement and first responders to protect the students and to quickly apprehend the persons responsible for this horrific act.”
— State Superintendent Stan Heffner
Read More…

• In Chardon, the training paid off (Dispatch)

Students and teachers knew what to do yesterday when a gunman started shooting. “We’ve had a number of disaster drills in the past. Thank God we put those in place,” Chardon school-district Superintendent Joseph Bergant II said. “We’ve been training for this.” Under state law, schools are required to practice lockdown drills at least once a year. Locking classroom doors is designed to keep people safe in a building when threats make evacuation unsafe. Some schools run the drills as often as fire exercises. At Chardon High School yesterday, district officials said students, teachers, law enforcement and even parents followed the district’s plans. Read More…

• Superintendents discuss security in wake of school shooting (Times Reporter)

A tragedy that unfolded Monday morning when shots were fired at Chardon High School in suburban Cleveland — leaving one student dead and four wounded — leaves a dark cloud hanging over education, according to one area superintendent. A teenager, described by one witness as a fellow student, is a suspect in the shooting. He was arrested near his car a half-mile away from the school, the FBI said. Bob Fogler, superintendent at Indian Valley Local Schools in Gnadenhutten, said the tragedy casts a pall over all schools. Read More…

• Chardon High School shooting news was spread rapidly by social media, texting (Plain Dealer)

CHARDON - In the chaotic and critical minutes following the shootings at Chardon High School, text messages among students and to their parents almost instantly conveyed news of injury and death - and also messages from those who hid in safety. In this era of rapidly spreading social media, many of the parents who showed up at Chardon High knew their children were safe because they received text messages from them minutes after the chaos began. Read More…

• Some Ohio schools fail to comply with terror drill laws (WEWS 5 ABC)

CLEVELAND - A 5 On Your Side investigation has found that not all Ohio schools are complying with a state law requiring terror drills and safety plans. Since 2006, state law requires public schools to file safety plans and building blueprints for each school with the Ohio Attorney General's Office. In addition, terror drills are required by December 1 of each school year. The records are also supposed to be on file with the local police department near each school. But a spokesperson with the Ohio Attorney General's office says compliance is "about 90 percent." Read More…

• Area school chiefs assess plans after Chardon tragedy (Vindicator)

Youngstown - School crisis plans and safety precautions are in place, but Mahoning Valley superintendents say building relationships with students is the best way to guard against a Chardon-like tragedy. A student is in custody Monday morning, suspected of opening fire inside the Geauga County high school cafeteria before the start of the Monday school day. One student was killed, and at least four others were injured. Howard Friend, superintendent of Sebring schools, said that school district takes precautions to try to guard against similar incidents. Read More…

• School tragedies open communication between parents and children (Beacon Journal)

When a school shooting dominates the news, experts say parents can use the situation as a chance to talk with their children. Kids will react differently to hearing about Monday’s school shooting in Chardon, depending on their age, said Dr. Stephen Cosby, director of the Division of Pediatric Psychiatry and Psychology at Akron Children’s Hospital. Younger children can exhibit symptoms of anxiety, such as fear of going to school or leaving their parents, he said. Teens might say they are “cool with it” but then show their true concerns through angry outbursts or irritability. Read More…

• State schools superintendent speaks at Athens Rotary (Athens Messenger)

Updating outdated curriculum standards and better preparing students for the future are the main goals of state school Supt. Stan Heffner. Heffner, the Ohio Department of Education superintendent of instruction, spoke during Athens Rotary’s noon meeting Monday. Heffner noted that current curriculum standards were originally adopted in 1989 and only expect students to have proficiency in subjects at an eighth- or ninth-grade level. The current plan to update those standards in the 2013-2014 school year — along with changing testing standards and how students take those tests — will be the first manifestations of the strategy to prepare Ohio students for the future. Read More…

Local Issues

• Chardon High School shooting shows value of school security, crisis planning (WEWS 5 ABC)

CHARDON - Nearly 13 years after the Columbine High School shooting, schools across the nation continue to implement the valuable lessons learned from the Colorado tragedy. On Monday, those lessons were put to the test at Chardon High School. Mass parent notification systems, evacuation sites, parent-student reunification plans and methods for quickly mobilizing counselors are core topics school safety experts include in teaching school administrators, crisis teams and law enforcement officers how to prepare for their worst nightmare: a school shooting. Read More…

• Local schools have emergency procedures in place (Morning Journal)

LORAIN — After the tragic incident at Chardon High School, involving a shooter killing one and injuring four others yesterday, local school districts say they have emergency procedures in place if something like that were to occur at their schools. Jamie Montague, safety coordinator and security supervisor for Lorain City Schools, said that they are thinking of Chardon especially since the school is not that far away. He said all districts try to be there for each other. Read More…

• Teachers union pact not done (Dispatch)

The Westerville teachers union will not offer new concessions before voters decide the district’s March 6 levy request, school officials and the head of the teachers union announced last night. “Yes, we would have liked to have had a contract for ratification by now, but those discussions are not complete,” board President Kevin Hoffman said at the school-board meeting, the last before the election. The district’s three other bargaining groups each agreed in recent weeks to two-year freezes in all wages. Read More…

• City, school agree to partner in hopes of sharing bus site (Chillicothe Gazette)

CHILLICOTHE - The city hopes a newly forged partnership with Chillicothe City Schools can result in a savings for both entities if they consolidate their bus facilities. In two separate meetings Monday, the Chillicothe City School District approved legislation that matched an ordinance approved later by City Council authorizing the two groups to apply jointly for a grant feasibility study to move the school district's buses in Yoctangee Park to the Transit Facility at Seventh and Watt streets. Read More…

• Lakota’s latest budget proposal targets athletics (Journal News)

LIBERTY TWP. — Lakota Local Schools administrators are recommending cutting $315,000 from the district’s $2.1 million athletics budget for next school year by decreasing coaching staff, support staff and other sports expenses. This plan released Monday night follows recommendations to cut more than 100 teaching jobs to offset a projected $9 million deficit for next school year. Over the past few weeks, the district has been presenting budget proposals totaling $7.4 million in cuts focusing on preschool, elementary and secondary education, and now athletics. Read More…

• Employees file complaint against Crooksville School District (Times Recorder)

CROOKSVILLE - The Ohio Association of Public School Employees filed a complaint against Crooksville Exempted School District stating the district violated a group of employees rights to form a union. The complaint was filed with the State Employment Relations Board Friday, said Bev Spetz, coordinator of organizing for the OAPSE. Spetz said after several employees at the school district made their intentions clear that they wanted to join the union, the most "shocking behavior" against those employees took place. Read More…

• 2nd Chardon High School student dies of gunshot wound (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND — A second Chardon High School student who was shot Monday morning has died. Russell King Jr., 17, was pronounced brain dead Monday at MetroHealth Medical Center. The hospital notified the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office of the death at 12:42 a.m. today. Russell was described by students as a sociable kid who got along well with people. Read More…

• Two dead in Chardon school shooting (Dispatch)

Authorities say a student wounded in an Ohio school shooting has been declared brain dead, the second reported fatality. Hugh Shannon, administrator at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, says officials received the tragic news early today about Russell King Jr. Shannon says the office is continuing to investigate the manner and cause of death. Read More…

Union members spotlight - day 1

When we predicted that the biggest fight over SB5 was still ahead, little did we think that almost 1 in 3 general assembly districts being contested would have candidates with union memberships, including 14 teachers. With just a week to go before the 2012 primary election on March 6th, we thought we would highlight a group of those individuals each day of the week.

It should be noted that the districts listed below are new as a consequence of the legislative redistricting process that happened last year.

House District 7 - Matt Patten (D)

Matt Patten represented the former 18th District from 2009 to 2011, and is affiliated with Laborers. You can learn more about Matt, here. He is in an uncontested primary and will face current state Rep Mike Dovilla in November. Rep. Dovilla voted for both SB5 and the budget HB153 which contained SB5 like provisions while simultaneously cutting billions from education funding.

House District 16 - Todd Laveck (D)

Todd Laveck is an OFT member, and Cleveland school teacher. He is running in a contested primary, and has garnered the following endorsements: Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers, Northern Ohio Fire Fighters Association, Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, Teamsters Local 407, Cleveland Teachers Union Local 279, Cleveland Custodians Union Local 777, Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton, State Senator Michael Skindell, State Representative Nickie Antonio, State Representative Mike Foley, State Representative Kenny Yuko, Former State Representative Jennifier Brady, Fairview Park Democratic Club, Former North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O'Grady.

You can find out more about Todd, here. If he is successful in winning the March 6th primary, he will face incumbent Nan Baker who also voted against the middle class and schools, voting for SB5 and HB153.

House District 20 - Marco Miller (D)

Marco Miller is a retired member of IAFF (firefighters) having served 25 years in the Columbus Division of Fire. You can find out more about Marco, here. He too is running in a contested primary. Marco is running in a contest primary to replace incumbent Nancy Garland.

He has the following list of endorsements: Franklin County Democratic Party, Greater Columbus/Franklin County United Auto Workers- CAP Council, Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA), Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT), Plumbers and Pipefitters, Sheet Metal Workers, Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio, Immigrant Citizens of Ohio PAC, Franklin County Commissioner Paula Brooks, Franklin County Commission John O’Grady, Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, Franklin County Municipal Clerk of Courts Lori Tyack, Columbus City Council Member Hearcel Craig, Columbus City Councilman Zach Klein, Columbus City Councilwoman Eileen Paley, Madison Township Trustee Edward Dildine, Whitehall City Councilwoman Karen Conison, Whitehall City Council President Jim Graham, Whitehall City Councilwoman Leslie LaCorte, Whitehall City Auditor Dan Miller, State Representative Teresa Fedor, Franklin County Recorder Candidate Terry Brown, Past Franklin County Democratic Party Chairwoman Fran Ryan, Past Franklin County Democratic Party Chairman Denny White

House District 21 - Donna O'Connor (D)

Donna O'Connor is a member of OEA and a special education teacher in Dublin. She is endorsed by the Franklin County Democratic Party, the Ohio Education Association and Emily's List. if successful in her primary she will face incumbent Rep. Duffy whose votes for SB5 and HB153 also harmed the middle class. You can find out more about Donna, here.

District 24 - Maureen Reedy (D)

Maureen Reedy is also a member of OEA. She was Teacher of the Year for the Upper Arlington City School District in 2001 and the Ohio Teacher of the Year in 2002. Maureen is uncontested on the March 6th ballot and will face Stephanie Kunze in november in a contest to replace incumbent Ted Celeste who is running for Senate District 3.

You can learn more about Maureen, here.

Tomorrow we will take a look at another 5 union members running for the Ohio General Assembly.

Education News for 02-27-2012

Statewide Education News

• Ohio school districts operate under 2009 rules as they await Kasich's new funding formula (Blade)

COLUMBUS — How much does it cost to properly educate Ohio schoolchildren? What percentage of taxpayer dollars should go into classrooms or reading help, counseling or the arts? Should struggling districts get more than comfortable ones? How much more? All huge questions. All without answers. Since 2009, Ohio has been effectively without a school funding formula, the equation that answers vexing policy questions and doles out dollars accordingly. Read More…

• State teachers' union names new chief (Enquirer)

DOWNTOWN — Longtime Cincinnati teacher Sue Taylor will retire next month after most recently serving five years as president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Teacher Melissa Cropper of Georgetown, Ohio, in Brown County has been elected as the federation’s new president to succeed Taylor. The statewide labor union represents about 20,000 teachers in Ohio, including about 3,500 part of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers. Read More…

• Overcoming obstacles: School programs help economically disadvantaged students get ahead (Times Recorder)

Haylee Hardwick doesn't have a computer at home. But on any given weekday, the third-grader can be found in the John McIntire Elementary School computer lab, finishing her homework or playing study games on a computer. Hardwick is part of an after-school tutoring program called 21st Century. The program, funded through a Title I grant, targets students who are struggling in math and reading and are considered economically disadvantaged. Read More…

• State oversight commission rejects Little Miami plan to reopen schools (Dayton Daily News)

The state Financial Planning and Supervision Commission on Thursday rejected Little Miami Local School District’s plan to reopen Butlerville Elementary and Maineville Elementary schools. Interim Superintendent Greg Power and Treasurer Terry Gonda presented the district’s reconfiguration plan for 2012-13 to the oversight commission, asking for approval to re-establish neighborhood elementary schools, return to every day, half-day kindergarten, and bring back art, music and physical education. Read More…

Local Issues

• Collection agency to go after lunch debt (Dispatch)

A collection agency will try to recover about $900,000 in unpaid lunch money unless parents of nearly 6,000 Columbus City Schools students pay up quickly. Next month, the district will turn over any account in which the family owes more than $50 for lunches served since the 2009-10 school year. If parents don’t pay after a few months of prodding, the district can notify credit-rating agencies of the unpaid debt, under a contract the Board of Education approved on Tuesday. Read More…

• Cincinnati Public Schools expands choices again (Enquirer)

Cincinnati Public Schools, the state’s third-largest district, will open two new autism units next year to better serve its special-needs population. The district is also being courted by two charter schools seeking partnerships with the district. It’s evaluating their applications to see whether they would be good fits. The developments are the latest examples of CPS’ push over the past two years to expand the number of school choices it offers its 33,000 students. The district is on a mission to attract, retain and better serve students. Read More…

• Liberty board to discuss possible reinstatement of open enrollment (Vindicator)

Liberty - The board of education will discuss and possibly vote on reinstating open enrollment at its Tuesday meeting. The school district currently has 81 open- enrollment students who entered the school before it closed open enrollment in the 2010 school year. Joe Nohra, board of education president, said that it closed down open enrollment because all the student slots were filled. But now the district has a $700,000 budget shortfall for next year even after the board approved $1.2 million in cuts to staff. Read More…

• Schools sharing more costs (News-Sun)

SPRINGFIELD — School districts facing tight budgets are finding savings through shared services — and some officials say there’s still more savings to be had. For example, a superintendent works for two districts, special education classrooms serve students across the county and consortiums help districts take advantage of reduced group prices. “We’re going to look for every opportunity we can find to see if we can be more efficient in our opportunity and yet provide better services,” Springfield City School District Superintendent David Estrop said. Read More…

• Eugene Sanders, former Cleveland schools chief, has no new role with district, officials say (Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND - Have you heard? Retired CEO Eugene Sanders is consulting for the Cleveland school district. It's been the hot rumor for months, but everyone from the district to the mayor's office to the Cleveland Teachers Union says it's not true. He's also not working for any of the major organizations involved with the district. Representatives of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, Cleveland Foundation and George Gund Foundation say they have not hired him and know of no one who has. Read More…

• Oregon City Schools predict large deficit (WTOL 11 CBS)

OREGON – While revenue continues to shrink for local schools districts, Oregon City Schools District Treasurer predicts an $11 million deficit for 2016. The Treasurer recommends the district proceed with caution. The state of Ohio requires all districts to prepare five year financial forecasts, and Oregon City School's budget is in the black for the next few years. In 2015, the forecast shows the district will slip into the red by about $3 million, and $11 million in 2016. Read More…

Editorial

• A funding conundrum: Schools' resistance to change, voter hardship and declining state money create a financing crisis the parade of levies will not cure (Plain Dealer)

The Plain Dealer editorial board endorses in 21 school money issues on the March 6 primary ballot. It will not surprise regular readers of this page that we are supporting all 21, despite serious reservations about some districts' commitment to reform and belt-tightening. That's especially true in the case of the Garfield Heights schools, with a hefty 9.4-mill levy request on the ballot. We were outraged that while kids suffer from reduced options and school hours, both teachers and administrators in the school system continue to take step-up pay increases tied to seniority. Read More…

• Achievement test (Beacon Journal)

David James, the superintendent of Akron Public Schools, outlined briefly in his State of the Schools address on Wednesday the new realities confronting the school system: Curriculum standards are rising; testing is more rigorous; the careers of teachers and principals are on the line with new performance assessments; the demand for workers with post-secondary education has risen. Funding sources have tightened up. The district is struggling to erase a $22 million deficit by June 30. Read More…

• Dramatic proposal (Dispatch)

Those searching for the way to break through the calcified dysfunction of failing big-city public schools will be studying closely the ambitious reform plan proposed by city and school leaders in Cleveland. If it goes forward, it will be a test of some fundamental reform ideas that have been suggested many times but not attempted on such a scale. Its primary goal is to triple, in six years, the number of Cleveland students attending schools rated “excellent” or “efficient” and to close and replace failing schools faster. Read More…

• Cleveland kids' fate rests in legislators' shaky hands (Plain Dealer)

When it comes to Cleveland's future, Mayor Frank Jackson's plan to save the schools isn't a matter of pass or perish. But it's awfully close. As Democrats and Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly begin to marshal their feeble excuses not to give Jackson the legislation he needs to implement his plan -- and they're already busy doing just that -- they should keep this in mind: A "no" vote is essentially a vote in favor of Cleveland's demise. It's a vote in favor of keeping Cleveland's children mired in a life of poverty. Read More…

Education News for 02-23-2012

Statewide Education News

• Group offers bold plan for improving city schools (Vindicator)

Youngstown - A draft improvement plan for the city schools is a start, but representatives of a Cincinnati-based education-reform organization advocate an even bolder approach. KnowledgeWorks representatives met with Vindicator news and editorial staff Wednesday to talk about their recommendations. They’ll make a presentation at today’s city schools Academic Distress Commission meeting. Read More…

• State bill to aid schools has detractors (Journal-News)

A proposed state bill that would allow school districts to explore new revenue streams by earning profits on facilities, services and merchandise does not sit well with some local officials. The bill — introduced Feb. 3 by state Rep. Mike Henne, R-Clayton — would amend current legislation and allow Montgomery County’s 16 school districts to pilot the new program, possibly as early as the 2013-14 school year. Henne said the bill could expand to other school districts outside of Montgomery County, other counties or the entire state. Read More…

• Ohio schools join to fight AEP rate increase (WKYC 3 NBC)

COLUMBUS - Three of the largest Ohio school groups have joined together to fight a sudden jump in their bills from American Electric Power. The groups are asking state utility regulators to give special consideration to school districts at a time of budget cuts and the bad economy. The Ohio School Boards Association, the Ohio Association of School Business Officials and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators raised their concerns in a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Tuesday. Read More…

Local Issues

• Tough decisions ahead for Akron schools (Beacon Journal)

Akron superintendent David James made the case for passing a levy in November with his fourth annual “State of the Schools” address Wednesday. But he delivered no big announcements about the consequences of failing to pass a new tax. The district must eliminate a $22 million deficit before July 1, which could mean the layoff of up to 300 teachers if the cuts were made exclusively to labor costs. Read More…

• Parents say switching schools could result in switching students to another district (Morning Journal)

LORAIN — With Lorain High School students being relocated for four years, starting next school year, to the old Southview High School while a new high school is built, many parents reacted to the news by stating they would seek to enroll their student at another district. However, open enrollment opportunities are few and far between. The Amherst school district is experiencing financial problems and probably won’t have that many openings for students outside the district’s borders. Read More…

• Fight to save Libbey was good lesson for schools (Blade)

As dozens of schools fall in the final stages of Toledo Public Schools' massive building project, the district's remaining aged architecture soon could receive new distinctions and potential protections. Toledo Board of Education members and district officials researched and discussed in recent weeks the benefits and drawbacks of an effort to place older schools on the National Register of Historic Places. Read More…

Editorial

• Shame Is Not the Solution (NY Times – Bill Gates)

Last week, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that teachers’ individual performance assessments could be made public. I have no opinion on the ruling as a matter of law, but as a harbinger of education policy in the United States, it is a big mistake. I am a strong proponent of measuring teachers’ effectiveness, and my foundation works with many schools to help make sure that such evaluations improve the overall quality of teaching. Read More…

Incompetent Teachers or Dysfunctional Systems?

Via

Incompetent Teachers or Dysfunctional Systems?

Education News for 02-22-2012

Statewide Education News

• Columbus City Schools Biggest User of Non-Traditional New Teachers (State Impact – NPR)

We’ve been writing recently about ways to become a teacher in Ohio if you didn’t graduate from a school of education. But you may be wondering: Where are all these usually career-changing new teachers who followed an alternative route to the classroom? (Well, we were curious about it.) Ohio Department of Education data shows that the Columbus school district is likely the biggest employer of new alternative-route teachers this school year. The district was set to hire 19 of them. Read More…

• Beaver district out of emergency (Vindicator)

Lisbon - After just more than two years in fiscal emergency, the state auditor’s office has lifted that designation from the Beaver Local School District. The state auditor’s office declared the district in fiscal emergency Feb. 11, 2010, after the school board passed a resolution in September 2009 stating its inability to develop a fiscal-watch recovery plan that’s acceptable to the state superintendent of public instruction. A Financial Planning and Supervision Commission was appointed to direct the district’s return to financial stability. Read More…

• State consultant calls Lake schools operation lean (Blade)

MILLBURY - After analyzing staff numbers and the financial books, an Ohio Department of Education consultant described Lake Local Schools as lean. "You've been through some tough financial times and have made cuts," said Rob Miller, a former school superintendent who is now a state fiscal consultant to financially troubled schools. "There comes a limit to what you can do without affecting programs. And I know what this board is concerned about." Mr. Miller made his presentation a month before Lake school officials are expected to make budget cuts. Read More…

• Schools close doors as budgets tighten (Enquirer)

LINCOLN HEIGHTS — At Lincoln Heights Elementary recently, tears rolled down parent-volunteer Dominique Langford’s eyes as she imagined what would happen if Princeton’s school levy fails March 6. The mother of two knows about the $6.7 million in cuts the school board recently approved if the levy fails. An elementary school will close, dozens of teachers, aides and others will lose jobs, busing will end for high school and some classes will be crowded. Read More…

• Glenn Urges Focus On Future, Education (WCMH 4 NBC)

COUMBUS - Former Senator John Glenn, celebrating the 50th anniversary of his historic flight into earth orbit, appeared at the Ohio State University today to say that education is the pathway to a bright future. "I think, unless we correct our K-12 education system, we are in trouble," the former senator said during a news conference with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Both men have logged time in orbit and credit much of their success to their education and training. Read More…

Local Issues

• Columbus State partnering with Reynoldsburg schools (Dispatch)

Reynoldsburg students will soon be able to take Columbus State Community College courses at their high school and possibly earn a two-year associate degree along with their diploma, officials said last night. Under the proposal, announced at the district’s regular board meeting, Reynoldsburg High School’s Livingston building would house a Columbus State regional campus where area students and adults could take classes starting this fall. Officials are working out details. The school board and Columbus State’s board still need to approve the initiative. Read More…

• Parents urged to organize to save Youngstown schools (Vindicator)

YOUNGSTOWN - Key ingredients to improve Youngstown city schools are engaged parents and a commitment to long-term involvement, a longtime community organizer contends. “If we begin to create a movement between parents, between educators, between churches and between administrators, we can begin to challenge the status quo,” said Greg Galluzzo, founder and senior organizer of the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation. Read More…

• Perrysburg schools may allow iPads, iPods (Blade)

Perrysburg school officials are considering letting students bring iPads, iPods, smart phones, and other hand-held devices to school. The school board heard a first reading on the policy Tuesday and is expected to vote on the issue March 19. Under the policy, students in all grades could use electronic devices before and after school and during lunch or in class at the teacher's discretion. In December, school officials said they were considering buying such devices for high school students. The move could happen as early as January, 2013, at an estimated cost of $360,000. Read More…

• School board agrees to pay fee for background checks (Findlay Courier)

FOSTORIA - Fostoria school board approved a motion Tuesday to waive a $60 fee for Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification/Federal Bureau of Investigation background checks for district volunteers. The board will pay the fee. Superintendent Steve Pritts said it was an important action by the board to ensure students and staff are safe in district buildings. It was unknown Tuesday how many volunteers serve in the district. Read More…