Tag: impact on taxpayers

  • Loveland Board to hold special meeting Thursday to discuss reopening plan

    Loveland Board to hold special meeting Thursday to discuss reopening plan

    August 26 is the first day for all students.

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Thursday, August 6 at 5:30 PM to discuss the progress pertaining to the opening of Loveland Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
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    The special meeting will be held virtually and live-streamed on the Loveland Board of Education’s YouTube channel.
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    The link for the meeting will be available in advance of the meeting on the district’s website at lovelandschools.org/BoardofEducation.aspx or go directly to the YouTube channel to view the meeting. The recording of the meeting will also be archived and available on YouTube.

    August 6 Board Special Meeting livestream link:
    https://youtu.be/rcCLCHcHWE0

    The district is currently offering both in-person and online learning options for the upcoming school year. Loveland parents/guardians must select the learning option (in-person or online) for their child(ren) for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. Loveland City School District has extended the deadline for online parent choice for all grade levels to August 9, 2020. Families can listen to the progress update at this special board meeting.

    “We want to ensure that our parents have the most current information and data available to support their decision-making for their child’s learning option this semester. We know many parents are struggling with this decision and we want to offer the best guidance possible,” said Loveland Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse.

    Loveland’s selection form for grades “K-12” will now be open until Sunday, August 9 at 11:55 p.m. Parents also have the option to change their selection by the August 9 deadline.

    August 26 is the first day for all students.

    Click on the links below to access the online selection forms.

    2020-2021 Selection Form: Grades K-4

    2020-2021 Selection Form: Grades 5-12

    The District also held a PK-4 virtual information meeting today and you can view it HERE.
  • [Watch Video] What will a day for students in grades PK-6 look like?

    [Watch Video] What will a day for students in grades PK-6 look like?

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District hosted a virtual meeting today to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year for students in grades PK-6.

    In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan

     

    Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse, Loveland Early Childhood Center Principal Jesse Kohls, Loveland Primary School Principal Kevin Fancher, Garth Carlier the Principal of Loveland Intermediate School, and Andrea Conner Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning spoke during the meeting.

    Yesterday the District hosted a similar virtual meeting for grades 7-12 and you view that meeting HERE.

    Here is the link for the Reopening Plan.

    You can also read the Reopening FAQs.

  • [Watch Video] What will a day at Loveland High and Middle School look like

    [Watch Video] What will a day at Loveland High and Middle School look like

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District hosted a virtual meeting today to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year for students in grades 7-12. (In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan)

    Superintendent, Dr. Amy Crouse, High School Principal Peggy Johnson, Middle School Principal David Knapp, and Andrea Conner Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning spoke during the meeting.

    Tomorrow they will host the same style virtual meeting for grades  PK-6. You can watch tomorrow’s meeting on YouTube HERE. The meeting will be “live” between 11:30 AM and 1 PM. Thursday’s meeting will stream at https://youtu.be/-0z4eb_teFU.

  • District to host back-to-school information sessions

    District to host back-to-school information sessions

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District will be hosting both virtual and in-person meetings to share the reopening plans for the 2020-2021 school year. (In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan)

    District and building administrators will be present to answer parent questions.

    The in-person sessions are reserved for families of current Loveland students.

     


    Wednesday, July 29   Students in grades 7-12

    11:30 AM until 1 PM  VIRTUAL MEETING via YouTube Live: https://youtu.be/idOPdhoSi8g

    Submit your questions in advance via this Google form.


    Wednesday, July 29   Students in grades 7-12

    6 until 8 PM  IN-PERSON MEETING in Loveland Intermediate School Cafeteria

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Sign up in advance at the following link in order for the District to maintain appropriate numbers (half of the normal capacity) and physical distancing: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c45a8ac2faaf49-backtoschool

    Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.


    Thursday, July 30   Students in grades PK-6

    11:30 AM until 1 PM  VIRTUAL MEETING via YouTube Live: https://youtu.be/-0z4eb_teFU

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Please submit your questions in advance via this Google form.


    Thursday, July 30   (students in grades PK-6): 

    6 until 8 PM  IN-PERSON MEETING in Loveland Intermediate School Cafeteria

    Presentation and Q and A.

    Sign up in advance at the following link in order for the District to maintain appropriate numbers (half of the normal capacity) and physical distancing: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c45a8ac2faaf49-backtoschool1

    Masks or facial coverings are required. Temperature checks will be given prior to entry into the meeting.


     

    The District says that recordings of the meetings will be posted on the district website.

  • Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall

    Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall

    Here is how the Great Oaks campuses will open in the Fall.

    Please note:  The following information applies only to high school students at Great Oaks campuses.

    Our community, and the world, continues to adapt to the ongoing pandemic. In all that we do at Great Oaks, the safety and health of our students, staff and visitors is our highest priority. Whenever students, staff and visitors are together in a Great Oaks building, we expect that social distancing (at a minimum of 6 feet) is practiced, face coverings will be worn by all, and the buildings and equipment will be frequently cleaned and sanitized. We also encourage such healthy personal habits as regular hand-washing. 

    The following information reflects the most recent planning; information can change if circumstances change.

    Update July 20, 2020

    Academic classes will be held online

    In order to maximize the amount of hands-on, career-technical education available to students, all in-person classes will be in the career lab with the career-technical instructor.  English, mathematics, social studies, and science classes will be held remotely.  Students will spend all day two days per week in their career-technical program.

    As part of this schedule, students will have time to meet individually with academic instructors while on campus, which will support their online learning.  It also means that the same group of students will stay in the same room—their career lab—for the full day, reducing the number of times per day needed to sanitize rooms as we would if students changed classes for multiple periods daily.

    Students will attend the campus on Mondays and Thursdays as part of the A group, or Tuesdays and Fridays as part of the B group.  During the remaining three days, students will work remotely on academic work and other homework, with Wednesday set aside for one-on-one remote assistance.

    This schedule will run for the first quarter, until October 16.


  • School Board gives go-ahead for $66K “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” services

    School Board gives go-ahead for $66K “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” services

    On whether schools will open on the date planned, Dr. Crouse said,

    “It’s sort of a dance there on whether we will be able to do that fully at first or whether we have to roll into that.”

    Loveland, Ohio – With a unanimous vote this afternoon in a Special Meeting the Loveland School Board gave authorization to the administration to sign a proposal from LJB Inc. for “Pandemic Preparedness and Planning” services.

    LJB will provide the services for a “lump sum fee” of $66,250.

    The “terms of the contract” were not available for the Board and after questions from Eileen Washburn about them, Superindent Dr. Amy Crouse said she did not understand the question. After further discussion by Washburn who asked about a cancellation clause and other things in a typical contract, Board President Dr. Kathy Lorenz pointed them to a sentence in the proposal that said, “A formal professional services agreement will be sent for your review and signature upon receipt of this Authorization.”

    Kevin Dougherty said it would be standard to negotiate terms. Crouse said she doesn’t currently have it, “But I can provide that to you.”

    Dr. Crouse said that after the first week of the study, which will be of the Elementary School, there may be a need to have further discussion about whether classes can begin as scheduled.

    The complete study will take four weeks and will begin on Monday, July 27.

    At a previous Special Meeting on Wednesday, July 15, with a unanimous vote, the Loveland Board of Education approved a reopening plan for the Loveland City School District for the 2020-2021 school year. Preschool, kindergarten, and 1st through 12th grades will attend 5 days per week at “full capacity” (no “all-day” kindergarten) with the option of choosing to attend school online.

    The first day of instruction for all students is scheduled to be Wednesday, August 26.

    Michele Pettit asked if after the study of the Elementary building was complete would the opening of instruction go as planned or would there have to be a delay.

    Crouse answered, “It’s sort of a dance there on whether we will be able to do that fully at first or whether we have to roll into that.”

    Crouse also talked about the unknowns of COVID 19 spread in the community.

    Crouse told the Board that it is likely that there will be times throughout the year that they will not be able to provide in-person learning, and the study will provide guidance for that.

    Loveland Magazine will up-date this story when the “Terms” of the contract are known.

    The meeting was live-streamed and you can still view it here: https://youtu.be/KcKJMKUCiMU


  • DeWine announces statewide public mask order starting Thursday evening

    DeWine announces statewide public mask order starting Thursday evening

    Loveland and the Loveland City School District: Warren County now joins Clermont and Hamilton with public mask order

    By David C. DeWitt for the Ohio Capital Journal

    Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a statewide public mask order set to go into effect Thursday evening at 6 p.m.

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    DeWine said Wednesday that he needed to “bring Ohioans along” getting on board with wearing masks over the last few months, after first issuing a statewide mask order on April 27 and reversing it the next day.

    Earlier this month, DeWine began issuing county-by-county public mask orders as he unrolled a four-tiered, color-coded system for projecting coronavirus community spread. By last week, 19 counties were under mask orders representing over 60% of Ohioans.

    During his news conference, DeWine pointed to the evidence in the scientific community for wearing masks and what he called “a little bit of evidence” from the counties currently under mask orders that it’s contributing to a slowdown of the virus.

    “The goal is going to be, for those counties that are orange, for the counties that are yellow, our goal is to keep them there so they don’t move into the red,” he said.


    David C. DeWitt

    David C. DeWitt is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience covering Ohio politics and policy. He has worked for the National Journal, The New York Observer, The Athens NEWS and Plunderbund.com covering topics such as education, health care, crime and courts, poverty, government, business, labor, energy, environment and social issues. His work has also appeared in Government Executive, the Columbus Dispatch, Girlfriends magazine, Bleacher Report and the Ashtabula Star Beacon, among others.

     

  • Reset and Restart Planning Guide for  Ohio’s Schools and Districts

    Reset and Restart Planning Guide for Ohio’s Schools and Districts

    Since the ordered school-building closure began on March 17, Ohio’s education community stepped up to ensure a student-centered approach to caring, teaching and learning. The entire system turned on a dime to meet the nutritional needs of the whole child through meal deliveries and grab-and-go sites, and through the delivery of remote teaching and learning opportunities that drove education continuity. These efforts were geared toward challenging, preparing and empowering students for future success—and they were unparalleled, especially given the challenges that accompany a pandemic.

    This page is intended to spur local-level, partnership-based discussions and decision-making in areas critical to the start of the 2020-2021 school year by sharing a coordinated and collaborative approach for codesigning and framing various considerations in planning the Reset and Restart of Ohio’s schools.


    Resources

  • CDC’s Interim Guidance for Administrators of  K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs

    CDC’s Interim Guidance for Administrators of K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs

    Who is the CDC guidance for?

     

    This interim guidance from the Center for Disease Control is intended for administrators of public and private child care programs and K-12 schools. Administrators are individuals who oversee the daily operations of child care programs and K-12 schools, and may include positions like child care program directors, school district superintendents, principals, and assistant principals. This guidance is intended for administrators at both the school/facility and district level.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: To follow the links in this guide go HERE to the source of this guide.

  • As we reopen Loveland Schools: CDC director blocked from appearing before Congress to testify about reopening schools

    As we reopen Loveland Schools: CDC director blocked from appearing before Congress to testify about reopening schools

    CDC Director Robert Redfield

    The Loveland Board of Education voted unanimously on Wednesday to fully re-open schools. During their discussion, we heard repeatedly how the devil’s daily details are not yet known because staff and administrators are waiting for advice and guidelines from various local, State, and Federal agencies that have yet to be released. (In unanimous vote Loveland Board of Education approves reopening plan)

    Chris Wallace asks Education Secretary Betsy DeVos if she has authority to pull funding from schools that don’t reopen and about safely re-opening schools

    Meanwhile, we find out today as Bianca Quilantan reports in Politico that the White House is blocking CDC officials from testifying next week at a hearing on reopening schools.

    Separately, the CDC confirmed that more guidance for opening schools won’t be released until later this month. The report was expected to already be available.

    House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott (VA-03) had invited CDC Director Robert Redfield, or a designee, to testify before the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee on July 23 at a hearing on safely reopening schools.

    CNN’s Dana Bash speaks to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about whether or not she has a plan for schools to safely reopen for students as Covid-19 cases surge in the US.

    Scott asked Redfield to discuss the immediate needs of K-12 public schools as many districts, including Loveland, Ohio schools, prepare to reopen in a few weeks.

    “It is alarming that the Trump Administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the Committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators,” Scott said in a statement to Politico. “This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall.”

    Ohio’s COVID 19 DASHBOARD today at 7:48 AM

    Aides, speaking on background, said the committee was told that Redfield would not appear, at the direction of the White House according to Politico.

    Science and evidence-based resources and tools could provide additional information for administrators, teachers and staff, parents, caregivers and guardians in Loveland, as they work towards the public health-oriented goal of safely opening schools this fall.

    House Education and Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott

    Scott released this statement on Friday:

    “School reopening plans must be guided by the advice of public health experts. For that reason, we asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to testify in a public hearing to provide greater clarity on the steps we can take to help schools reopen safely.

    “It is alarming that the Trump administration is preventing the CDC from appearing before the Committee at a time when its expertise and guidance is so critical to the health and safety of students, parents, and educators. This lack of transparency does a great disservice to the many communities across the country facing difficult decisions about reopening schools this fall. 

    “The administration’s strategy of prioritizing politics over science has had a devastating impact on our country throughout this pandemic. It should not make that same mistake when it comes to reopening schools.”



    Hamilton County COVID 19 Dashboard today at 7:55 AM

     

    Ohio Public Health Advisory System The Public Health Advisory Alert System is a color-coded system designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a data-driven framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and others in their response and actions. (7-18-2020)

     

    Warren County COVID 19 Dashboard today at 8:02 AM

     

    Clermont County COVID 19 Dashboard today at 8:02 AM