Buckeye Local Talks Improvements
DILLONVALE-Improvement in education, facilities and safety led the Buckeye Local Board of Education’s agenda
during the Sept. 15 regular session. Leaders met at the administrative office in Dillonvale, where Superintendent Coy Sudvary shared the latest Ohio State
Report Card. Sudvary said while the district received good marks for graduation rates, early literacy, and college, career, workforce and military readiness, there was need for improvement in the areas of achievement, progress, and gap closing. Buckeye Local earned three stars each for the graduation rate, which was over 90 percent over the past five years, and early literacy, which measures reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade, plus it gained four stars for exceeding state standards in preparing students for future opportunities such as college to the workforce. However, the district yielded 2.5 out of five stars overall, meaning it needs support to meet state standards. Two stars each were given in the categories of achievement, which measures how well students performed on the state tests, and gap closing, which measures the reduction in educational gaps for student groups. It also earned one star for progress, noting it fell short of student growth expectations.
Individually, Buckeye North Elementary earned 3.5 stars overall with Buckeye South and West each gaining three; Buckeye Local Jr. High School received two stars and Buckeye Local High School had 2.5 stars as a result. Sudvary said steps were being taken to remedy the lower marks through supports for teachers and students alike. “The elementary did well,” he said, adding that officials were going to target areas of need. “We’re going to track the kids and provide an instructional coach for teachers at the high school. We’re eligible for additional funds to help improve instruction.”
Sudvary added that the district was collaborating with the Ohio State Support Team 12 (SST-12) to monitor the situation and are working on data to track students. Other plans are to contract with instructor Carri Meek of Instructional Growth Seminars and Support for coaching and professional development and also to purchase a license for IXL, a math instructional tool, to help bolster learning and math scores.
Discussions also included structural and safety support at the meeting. District Maintenance Director Tony Panepucci updated the board on projects, including preparations at World War II Memorial Stadium for Homecoming and utilities to be added to the high school FFA greenhouse, as well as ongoing replacement of the track. Officials questioned the state of Panther Gym roof at the high school, commenting that there had been leakage problems in the past. Panepucci said leak areas had been reviewed and repaired for now, but there has been no rain to detect more issues. He added that he contacted a company since the topper was still under warranty for another year, but it needed to be replaced. “We need to think about a roof replacement,” he said. “It’s just been snowballing year after year. As soon as we found leaks, we sealed them.”Improvements-2 Board members asked if the project was in the current timeline but district Treasurer Merri Matthews said it was not.
“It’s in the future budget but not next year,” Matthews replied. When leaders asked if could be considered, she replied that it would need addressed at a finance committee meeting.
Sudvary later said leaders would start making plans, but the roof has several sections and will not need overhauled all at once. Additionally, Board member Ashley West said she took part in a recent virtual safety meeting and learned the district did not receive a $40,000 grant through the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to add metal detectors at the high school building. “I know we were hoping to get that,” West said, adding that it should not wait. Panepucci, who also serves as safety director, explained that funding was depleted before the application was received but he was working to get options and pricing. Sudvary added that district policies must be in line before the detectors were in place. “When we discussed it years ago, we discussed filtering kids through one detector,” added board member Brooke Stingle. “Are we talking multiple detectors?” Sudvary responded to the affirmative, adding that generally a school resource officer and administrator would handle those duties but it might be a stepped process.
In other matters:
-- Leaders accepted the resignation of teacher Brent Holloway; employed Greta Gazda-Roe as a long-term substitute teacher; employed Nicole Billingsley, Lindsey Farmer, Abagale Schrickel and Ashley Krzys as site coordinators for the 21 st Century Grant Extended Learning Center (ELC) program; approved supplemental duties to Jeremy Drysdale as head boys’ track coach, Tyler Blanco as weightlifting instructor fall, Isaac Rine as weightlifting instructor winter, and Chris Kiedaisch as weightlifting instructor spring at BLHS; approved pupil activity contracts to J.D. Nidle as seventh-grade boys’ basketball coach and D.J. Eddy as seventh-grade wrestling coach at BLJHS; and employed substitute custodians Mike Belon and Brian Young, cook Courtny Canterbury, and aide, cook and custodian Stephanie Lewis;--Stingle said school student representatives and groups who wished to speak at future meetings could contact her;
--West updated the board on the latest actions of state legislators;
--The board was updated on a variety of themed activities planned by food services, with global days to try meals from
around the world and “Freaky Foods,” where kids would sample different foods they may not have tried before.
Meanwhile, the annual pancake buffet at BLHS was set for Sept. 26;
--Officials learned the Buckeye Local Classroom Teachers Association set a tailgate on Oct. 10 from 3-6 p.m. at Warren Township Park that included food, raffles, and a chance to earn $200 worth of instant tickets. Cost is $10 per person;
--The board approved the second reading of a NEOLA policy regarding personal communication devices, primarily student cell phones. The policy falls in line with the state’s ban during school hours and district officials said there have been little to no complaints on the action;
--Leaders thanked Pastor Jason Elliot and the Smithfield Presbyterian Church for a donation to Buckeye West Elementary;
--The next regular session was set for Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the administrative offices in Dillonvale to accommodate discussion about the five-year forecast. Matthews said a finance committee session would be scheduled before then.