Sable calls levy language 'very confusing'
Officials working with union leadership
Medina City Schools officials discussed the district’s May 8 levy and its “confusing” language, as Superintendent Aaron Sable (second from left) described it. Photo by KEVIN MCMANUS
MEDINA – Schools Superintendent Aaron Sable said he wants to make sure the community and staff alike are able to understand the district’s 5.2-mill continuous substitute emergency levy on the May 8 ballot.
Sable gave a levy campaign update to the Medina School Board during its Feb. 5 work session at Medina High School, adding he and Amy Busby, the district’s community relations director, recently met with union leadership for both the teaching and support staffs.
“We both think it’s extremely important our staff has a voice,” Sable said. “It is more important than my voice.”
In addition to a series of community meetings – the first was last month – Sable hopes to include union leaders in informational programming to be aired on local cable access (channels 36 and 37 for Armstrong customers) “so it’s not just coming from the central office.”
Sable also said how the levy will be phrased on the ballot is “very confusing” and he is often fielding questions from residents, specifically why is it technically called an “emergency” levy?
“It’s not an emergency,” Sable said, adding it is only for the same millage as the five-year levy currently in place and set to expire. “It’s a substitute emergency, literally substitutes the emergency levy.”
Sable explained it as a “snowball effect.” He said if the district went back to the ballot every five years, the amount of money it would ask for could increase every five years. He said it’s possible the amount sought could eventually decrease should the proposed levy pass.
“Again, we’re not asking for more money,” Sable said.
Should the levy fail and the district begin to lose the $6.6 million it generates annually, the district’s five-year strategic plan would be in jeopardy and cuts would need to be made. One possible cut off the bat would be all-day kindergarten, which the board approved in December, effective in the 2018-19 school year.
“What we need, right now, is to create stability,” Sable said.
Student recognition
Part of the strategic plan calls for an increase in recognition of students’ academic excellence.
District Director of Instruction Tina Cassidy said she and high school Principal Jeff Harrison have been working on adding awards assemblies for freshmen, sophomores and juniors, in addition to the already-existing senior awards assemblies.
She referred to the program as “the academy of scholars” and said it could be ready by as early as fall.
Also discussed was implementing a program where individual teachers could nominate students for various awards, an idea that stemmed from Medina High School Student Council.
The Norton City School District has a similar program, where teacher-nominated students from each building are recognized monthly at school board meetings.
Board member Doug Eastwood suggested the possibility of awarding academic “letters” to students, similar to the letters varsity athletes earn. Sable said the idea is being considered.
The idea of bringing back the honor and merit rolls at the high school level was also considered.
Sable gave a levy campaign update to the Medina School Board during its Feb. 5 work session at Medina High School, adding he and Amy Busby, the district’s community relations director, recently met with union leadership for both the teaching and support staffs.
“We both think it’s extremely important our staff has a voice,” Sable said. “It is more important than my voice.”
In addition to a series of community meetings – the first was last month – Sable hopes to include union leaders in informational programming to be aired on local cable access (channels 36 and 37 for Armstrong customers) “so it’s not just coming from the central office.”
Sable also said how the levy will be phrased on the ballot is “very confusing” and he is often fielding questions from residents, specifically why is it technically called an “emergency” levy?
“It’s not an emergency,” Sable said, adding it is only for the same millage as the five-year levy currently in place and set to expire. “It’s a substitute emergency, literally substitutes the emergency levy.”
Sable explained it as a “snowball effect.” He said if the district went back to the ballot every five years, the amount of money it would ask for could increase every five years. He said it’s possible the amount sought could eventually decrease should the proposed levy pass.
“Again, we’re not asking for more money,” Sable said.
Should the levy fail and the district begin to lose the $6.6 million it generates annually, the district’s five-year strategic plan would be in jeopardy and cuts would need to be made. One possible cut off the bat would be all-day kindergarten, which the board approved in December, effective in the 2018-19 school year.
“What we need, right now, is to create stability,” Sable said.
Student recognition
Part of the strategic plan calls for an increase in recognition of students’ academic excellence.
District Director of Instruction Tina Cassidy said she and high school Principal Jeff Harrison have been working on adding awards assemblies for freshmen, sophomores and juniors, in addition to the already-existing senior awards assemblies.
She referred to the program as “the academy of scholars” and said it could be ready by as early as fall.
Also discussed was implementing a program where individual teachers could nominate students for various awards, an idea that stemmed from Medina High School Student Council.
The Norton City School District has a similar program, where teacher-nominated students from each building are recognized monthly at school board meetings.
Board member Doug Eastwood suggested the possibility of awarding academic “letters” to students, similar to the letters varsity athletes earn. Sable said the idea is being considered.
The idea of bringing back the honor and merit rolls at the high school level was also considered.
