Good Afternoon:
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Not too much going on in the school district or school board over the summer break. But, I do want to give you an update on some various issues, events, and upcoming meetings.
Also if you have any friends or neighbors who would like to receive my e-mail updates please let me know and I will be sure to add them to my e-mail list. They can also click on this link on my website to sign up at: http://www.danlangshaw.com/contact/e-mail-newsletter-sign-up/
SINCE MY LAST SCHOOL BOARD UPDATE
The School Board met on July 9th for its’ July Regular School Board Meeting. Some highlights from the meeting. Board approved salary schedules for athletic event workers for the 2012-2013 school year. The board also approved transfers from the general fund to the Athletic fund and Bond Retirement. Also the board approved a resolution authorizing the use of up to three makeup excess online calamity days in accordance with HB 153. Various services agreements for the 2012-2013 school year were approved by the board. Board approved school fees and work calendars for the 2012-2013 school year. The board approved a number of supplemental contracts for the 2012-2013 school year. Board approved various policy updates. The Board approved also various other agenda items, and such other matters that came before the Board.
June 7th Special School Board Meeting Audio Recording:
http://www.northroyaltonsd.org/external/audio/061212SpecialMtg.mp3
June 18th Regular School Board Meeting Audio Recording:
http://www.northroyaltonsd.org/external/audio/061812RegMtg.mp3
June 28th Special School Board Meeting Audio Recording:
http://www.northroyaltonsd.org/external/audio/062812SpecialMtg.mp3
July 5th School Board Meeting Audio Recording:
http://www.northroyaltonsd.org/external/audio/070512SpecialMtg.mp3
2012 Operation North Royalton Cares
The third Annual Operation North Royalton Cares is scheduled take place the weeks of July 30th through August 10th. The mission of Operation North Royalton Cares is to collect school supplies for families of students in need, living in North Royalton. Throughout the week there will be various drop off locations throughout the city for community members to donate items. The program is supported by the North Royalton City School District in coordination with the City of North Royalton Office on Aging and Human Services. I helped organize Operation North Royalton Cares program in 2010 after seeing first-hand members of the community struggling in these tough economic times. Last years Operation NR Cares was even more success, we were able to help over 35 families and 79 students in need by getting them the necessary school supplies to start the school year. With the economy recovering very slowly, the need to help these families and students in our community who are struggling to get the necessary supplies they need for going back to school is very much needed. The community’s generosity and support of this program makes me so proud to live here in North Royalton! Please consider participating and spreading the word about this program. Operation North Royalton Cares will kick off with a free event open to the public on July 30th from 5pm-7pm at the Monday, July 30, 2012 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at The 3 Spot 13855 Ridge Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133. Come enjoy a sampling of light appetizers. Alcoholic drinks not included. All those who attend are asked to donate at least 1 school supply for Operation NR CARES. Backpacks and gift cards to school supply stores are in large demand this year. In addition if those who like to make a donation, there is a wish list of items.
Donation Item Wish List:
Backpacks
USB Flash Drives
Kleenex Boxes
Index cards
Folders
Ruled Paper
Notebooks
3 Ring Binders
Pencils
Pens
Crayons
Red Pens
Markers
Rulers
Scissors
Sharpie Markers
Glue/Glue Sticks
Protractors
Calculators
Headphones
Highlighters
Colored Pencils
$10 Gift Cards or more to school supply stores such as: (Office Max, Staples, Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle, CVS, Drug Mart, Rite Aide, and etc.).
Monetary donations will be accepted. Checks can be made out to the Charitable Fund of North Royalton Kiwanis, in the memo portion of the check please put down School Supplies. If anyone is making a gift card or monetary donation, please drop them off only at the Board of Education Office or the Office on Aging & Human Services.
Items can be donated throughout the week at any of the following drop off sites:
Office on Aging & Human Services
13500 Ridge Rd.
Board of Education Office
6579 Royalton Rd.
St. Albert the Great Church Rectory
6667 Wallings Rd.
The 3 Spot
13855 Ridge Rd.
Royalton Recorder Office
13737 State Rd.
For more information please contact organizers Dan Langshaw at 440-596-0078 or Judy Willey at 440-582-6333
Bond Issue Update
Many of you have been asking about my position on the bond issue or about various aspects of it. You can find my statements regarding the upcoming bond issue that I given have given on the record on my website at www.danlangshaw.com or click on the links below.
A common question I get asked by constituents is how much the bond issue is going to cost home owners. Below is the cost of the proposed bond issue by home value:
$100,000 market value home – $81.27 per year
$150,000 market value home – $121.91 per year
$200,000 market value home – $162.55 per year
Also if you go to www.northroyaltonsd.org and open the “Bearly a Minute” window you can see the first of several video responses to questions relating to the bond issue that are being done. A whole series of these short answers are planned to address some of the questions many of you may have.
North Royalton School Board President Dr. John H. Kelly Letter on Upcoming Bond Issue:
The facilities issues of the North Royalton School District have been discussed for over a decade. The North Royalton School Board commissioned two major analyses of district facilities; one in 2003-2004 by Hayes Large and a second review and re-assessment in 2008 by MKC architects. In 2009, the Ohio School Boards Commission also delivered their assessment; a rating of our facilities based on state standards. These were major analytical projects and all aspects of district facilities were evaluated and assessed. From those studies several recommendations were made. Focus groups met, residents were surveyed, options were evaluated but no proposal was given to the public for a decision. Initial plans ranged in the $150 million range and involved various possibilities which included the new construction of at least one building. The 2008 review led to a decision to comprehensively repair and expand existing facilities without new construction and pared the plan down to proposals in the $100 million range. Still, no proposal was taken to the public given the cost and the uncertain economic forecasts at the time.
The Strategic Plan process which concluded in 2010 confirmed that the facilities issue was a major concern to the public and that something needed to be done to address the needs that had been pointed out for the preceding six years. A feasible plan was needed to position the district for sweeping curricular changes coming in 2014, technological instructional opportunities and growth. It needed to be complete; but free of any frills or extras. Over the last 16 months The Shape Our Schools’ Future Committee toured all the facilities, reviewed every document produced and came forward with a proposal that was presented to the community on March 27. The board would like to commend this dedicated group of residents for their volunteer effort. Parents, former parents, construction experts, architects and engineers were all part of the group that looked at our facilities’ needs.
The charge to this committee was to develop a plan that would be comprehensive; thorough but not ostentatious, so that it would provide long-term solutions that would last for many years to come. It just did not make sense to be incomplete now and have to go back to the public again in five to 10 years to finish the job. The years since the first studies have been filled with “reactive repairs.” That is, each year a “wish list” of needed repairs would be presented and the board at the recommendation of the administration would repair as much as possible within each year’s budget. Every year the list would grow larger as the worst items from the current year would take precedence over carry-over needs.
This brings us to 2012 and the plan that has been developed and presented by the Shape Our Schools’ Future Committee. The committee has looked at all aspects of previous proposals and reduced their recommendation down to the most critical needs. Their plan reduces many items included in the 2008 recommendation:
* Expansion plans have been minimized to address current needs and moremodest growth trends of recent years.
* Window replacements have been reduced to the most critical only, with plans for future replacements a few at a time each year
* Technology and electrical upgrades have been reduced significantly with emphasis given to critical technological needs and projects that pay for themselves with energy savings within a few years.
* Internal finishes and trims have been drastically cut to keep the project focused on what is necessary.
That said, the board also walked through the buildings and held meetings with the committee to evaluate all aspects of the proposal. At the May meeting the board unanimously made its recommendation to proceed; and now the plan will be presented to the public for a vote in November. Ultimately these are your facilities and it is up to you to decide if you want to maintain them for the long term.
Our district has demonstrated tremendous accountability over the years, always ranking as one of the lowest in cost per pupil and one of the highest in academic performance in Cuyahoga County. Recently, North Royalton High School was selected by Newsweek Magazine as one of only 12 schools in Northeast Ohio to be ranked in the top 1,000 nationally. The district’s long term debt is at a minimum with the middle school bond issue to be retired in 2019. The 1.8-mills currently being levied will end at that time. The stadium project, necessitated by an OCR complaint, was accomplished without a tax increase. The community stepped up to raise $1.3 million for the turf and track while the remaining $3.35 million for the renovation project was raised via cell phone tower revenue and a COPS issue by leveraging a portion of our annual Permanent Improvement Fund. The district came up with a creative way to address an immediate problem and need; with a solution that will last for decades to come, without raising taxes.
Without question, the board is sensitive to the fact that the economy is not robust nor do we deny that many residents are faced with difficult budgetary issues on a daily basis. However, we also feel our obligation to make you aware that your facilities are in need of rehabilitation for immediate and long term stability. The cost of money is at all-time lows and construction costs are also low and very competitive. Every community must decide what type of educational program they wish to support. Our facilities are at a stage where they are hindering the education of our children. It is time for us as a community to decide whether to protect the investment we have made in our facilities and provide our children with a level playing surface as they compete in a global environment.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS
Coffee with School Board Member Dan Langshaw
If you are a constituent living in the North Royalton School District, you are invited to attend my next monthly constituent coffee on July 31st at the Coffee Club located at 500 E Royalton Rd. in Broadview Heights from 6:00pm-7:00pm. I hold these coffees in order to stay in touch with fellow residents and listen to their feedback one on one. There is no appointment necessary. Simply stop by and talk to me.
Special Board Meeting on August 8th at 6:30pm @ North Royalton Board of Education Office Conference Room, 6579 Royalton Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133.
August Regular School Board Meeting on August 13th at 7:00pm @ NRHS Community Room, 14713 Ridge Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133.
North Royalton Educational Foundation Meeting on August 14th at 4:00pm @ North Royalton Board of Education Office Conference Room, 6579 Royalton Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133.
Community Day on August 19th 3:00pm-9:00 @ Serpentini Stadium, 6579 Royalton Rd., North Royalton, OH 44133.
E-mail Updates
If you have any friends or neighbors who would like to receive my e-mail updates please let me know and I will be sure to add them to my e-mail list. They can also click on this link on my website to sign up at: http://www.danlangshaw.com/contact/e-mail-newsletter-sign-up/
Stay In Touch with me through Social Networking and the Web
If you like to keep in contact with me you can also check out my Website at www.danlangshaw.com or follow me on Facebook or Twitter at Langshaw4board
My Contact Info
If you ever have any questions or concerns please feel free to give me at call at 440-596-0078 or e-mail me at dan.langshaw@northroyaltonsd.org.
Have a great week!
Dan Langshaw
North Royalton School Board Member
440-596-0078
www.danlangshaw.com
“Putting Students First”