LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

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Since 2004

Tag: Loveland City School District

  • Loveland School Board approves first step to place operating levy on Fall ballot

    Loveland School Board approves first step to place operating levy on Fall ballot

    by David Miller

    Loveland, Ohio – Below is the partial draft of the minutes of the Loveland School Board meeting that was held last night. The Board authorized a “Resolution of Necessity” to request that the Hamilton County Auditor certify the projected revenues for a 4.90 Mill levy for the General Election on November 8.

    Members Eileen Washburn. Eric Schwetschenau, Kevin. Dougherty, and Jonathan Eilert voted, “Yes”. Kathryn Lorenz did not attend the meeting.

    This is the first of the two votes needed for the Board to place the operating levy on the ballot.

    The Board of Education of the Loveland City School District, Counties of Hamilton, Clermont and Warren, Ohio, met in regular session at 6:00 P.M, on the 16th day of June, 2022, at the LMS/LIS Media Center, 757 S. Lebanon Road, Loveland, Ohio, with the following members present: 

    Mr. Kevin Dougherty Rev. Jonathan Eilert Dr. Eric  Schwetschenau

    Mrs. Eileen Washburn

    The following members were absent: Dr. Kathryn Lorenz

    Mrs. Washburn moved the adoption of the following resolution:

    LOVELAND CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

    RESOLUTION NO. 22-69

    RESOLUTION DECLARING THE NECESSITY OF LEVYING AN ADDITIONAL TAX FOR CURRENT OPERATING EXPENSES IN EXCESS OF THE TENMILL LIMITATION AND REQUESTING THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO CERTIFY MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.

    WHEREAS, this Board of Education of the Loveland City School District (the “Board of Education”) anticipates levying an additional tax in excess of the ten-mill limitation as described herein;

    WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 5705.03 of the Ohio Revised Code, this Board of Education is required to certify to the County Auditor a resolution requesting the County Auditor to certify certain matters in connection with such a tax levy;

    NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of Loveland City School District, Counties of Hamilton, Clermont and Warren, Ohio:

    That pursuant to the provisions of Section 5705.21 of the Ohio Revised Code, it is necessary that an additional tax be levied in excess of the tenmill limitation for the benefit of the Loveland City School District (the “School District”), for the purpose of current operating expenses at a rate not exceeding four and nine-tenths (4.9) mills for each one dollar ($1.00) of valuation, which amounts to forty-nine cents ($0.49) for each one hundred dollars ($100.00) of valuation, for a continuing period of time.

    That the question of the passage of said tax levy shall be submitted to the electors of the School District at an election to be held on November 8, 2022.  If approved by the electors of the School District, said tax levy shall first be placed upon the 2022 tax list and duplicate, for first collection in calendar year 2023 for a continuing period of time.  The tax shall be levied upon the entire territory of the School District and the ballot measure shall be submitted to the entire territory of the School District.  The School District has territory in Hamilton County, Clermont County and Warren County, Ohio.  

    That pursuant to Section 5705.03 of the Ohio Revised Code, the County Auditor is hereby requested to certify to this Board of Education the total current tax valuation of the School District and the dollar amount of revenue that would be generated by the number of mills specified in Section 1 hereof, and the Treasurer of this Board of Education be and is hereby directed to certify forthwith a copy of this resolution to the County Auditor at the earliest possible time so that said County Auditor may certify such matters in accordance with such Section 5705.03 of the Ohio Revised Code.

    That it is found and determined that all formal actions of this Board of Education concerning and relating to the adoption of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Board of Education, and that all deliberations of this Board of Education, and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action, were in meetings open to the public, in compliance with all legal requirements, including Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, and the rules of this Board of Education adopted in accordance therewith.

    Dr. Schwetschenau seconded the motion, and the roll being called upon the question of adoption of the resolution the vote resulted as follows:

    AYE:  Mrs. Washburn, Dr. Schwetschenau, Mr. Dougherty, Rev. Eilert

    NAY:

    ADOPTED this 16th day of June, 2022.

    Robert Giuffre’, Interim Treasurer

    CERTIFICATE 

    The undersigned hereby certifies that the text of the foregoing resolution is taken and copied from the record of proceedings of a meeting of the Board of Education of the Loveland City School District held on June 16, 2022.  The undersigned further certifies that the same has been compared by me with said record and it is a true and correct copy thereof, together with a true and correct copy of excerpts from the minutes of said meeting to the extent pertinent to the consideration and adoption of said resolution.

    Robert Giuffre’, Interim Treasurer

    RECEIPT

    The undersigned hereby acknowledges this day receipt of a certified copy of the foregoing resolution.

    County Auditor, Hamilton County, Ohio

    Date: June ___, 2022

    CERTIFICATE OF COUNTY AUDITOR

    Pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Education of the Loveland City School District, adopted on June 16, 2022, the undersigned county auditor of Hamilton County, Ohio hereby certifies that the total current tax valuation of such school district is $___________________, and that the dollar amount of revenue that would be generated by four and nine-tenths (4.9) mills per year as specified in such resolution is $___________________ per year, assuming that the tax valuation of such school district remains the same throughout the life of the levy.

    County Auditor, Hamilton County, Ohio

    Dated: June ___, 2022

  •  Lakota East’s Rich Bryant to lead Loveland Athletics

     Lakota East’s Rich Bryant to lead Loveland Athletics

    Loveland Announces New District Director of Student Athletics

    A Loveland resident

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland City School District has announced the selection of Rich Bryant as the new District Director of Student Athletics. Bryant will join the district this summer, pending board approval. 

    “At a professional and personal level, I could not be more excited to join the Loveland City School District. This is an incredible opportunity and I cannot wait to use the platform of the position to positively impact student-athletes, their families, and the entire Loveland School Community.” Bryant said.

    Bryant has served as Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Lakota East High School since 2009 and has previously worked as a building assistant principal in both Ross Local and Northwest Local School Districts. He earned both his bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in education administration from the University of Cincinnati. 

    “As a Loveland resident and parent, Rich understands our Loveland athletics programs have a great tradition and bring tremendous value to the school experience for our students. We’re excited to have a great, experienced AD join the Loveland team,” Superintendent Mike Broadwater said.

    Bryant will be taking over as District Director of Student Athletics from Brian Conatser, who is moving to Loveland High School Assistant Principal after serving as AD for the last 4 years.

  • Loveland High School designated as public cooling center

    Loveland High School designated as public cooling center

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Symmes Fire Department has designated Loveland High School, 11801 Rich Road, as a cooling center. The site will be open all night. Enter door number 12.

    Pets are permitted if they are restrained.

    The school is open for residents from Symmes, Loveland, and Miami Township. No one in need will be turned away.

    You can sleep there if need be. No cots are provided, you will have to bring your sleeping bags and pillows.

  • Special School Board meeting tomorrow – Vote scheduled on Operating Levy

    Special School Board meeting tomorrow – Vote scheduled on Operating Levy

    NOTICE FROM THE LOVELAND SCHOOL DISTRICT:

    “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Tuesday, June 14, 2022 business meeting of the Loveland City School District Board of Education has been canceled. The new meeting date is Thursday, June 16, 2022, at 6 pm in the Loveland Intermediate School Media Center.”

    Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education announced at its March 22 Regular Session that it would have a Special Meeting on June 14, at 6 PM in the Loveland Middle/Intermediate School Media Center.

    The agenda for this rescheduled regular meeting is available on BoardDocs.

    The Board may authorize a Resolution of Necessity to Request Hamilton County Auditor Certification of projected Revenues for a 4.90 Mill Levy for the General Election on November 8.

    Here is the resolution the Board will consider:

  • Brian Conatser will be Loveland High School’s New Assistant Principal

    Brian Conatser will be Loveland High School’s New Assistant Principal

    Loveland Magazine file photo

    Loveland, Ohio – Current Loveland High School District Director of Student Athletics Brian Conatser will move into the role of LHS Assistant Principal beginning in the 2022-2023 school year. Conatser will take over as Assistant Principal as Eric Fry moves to a similar position at Oak Hills High School. 

    “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve Loveland City School District in a new capacity. We have an incredible student body, staff, and community, and I am very fortunate to have experienced this as a Loveland classroom teacher, coach, Athletic Director, and now as an Assistant Principal. I look forward to the new challenge and am thrilled to continue to be a part of an amazing district,” Conatser said.

    Conatser has served as the District Director of Student Athletics for four years. He was Loveland’s Assistant Director of Student Athletics for two years and spent 15 years as a science teacher and coach at Loveland and Sycamore High Schools. 

    A search will now begin for the next Athletic Director. 

    In the meantime, it has also just been announced that Clay George, the current Assistant Athletic Director will be leaving to become the head athletic director at Ansonia JH/HS.

  • GOP passes bill aiming to root out ‘suspected’ transgender female athletes with genital inspection

    GOP passes bill aiming to root out ‘suspected’ transgender female athletes with genital inspection

    BY: MORGAN TRAU –  Ohio Capital Journal

    The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.

    House Republican lawmakers in Ohio passed a bill at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday night that would ban transgender girls and women from participating in high school and college athletics. It also comes with a “verification process” of checking the genitals of those “accused” of being trans.

    “I struggle to understand why we keep discussing bills focusing on children’s genitals.”

    Rep. Dr. Beth Liston

    The ‘Save Women’s Sports Act,’ or House Bill 61, wasn’t supposed to be on the schedule for legislators originally. However, at the last minute, Republican representatives added the language to a completely different bill.

    Read on at Ohio Capital Journal…

  • Loveland School District to hold Special Meeting: Visioning report and finances

    Loveland School District to hold Special Meeting: Visioning report and finances

    Loveland, Ohio – A press Release from the Loveland City School District:

    The Loveland Board of Education will conduct a special meeting on Monday, June 6th, 2022, at 6:00 PM in the Loveland Middle/Intermediate School Media Center for the purpose of considering the following agenda items:

    Visioning Report by Superintendent and District Administrators – Discussion

    Presentation of present and future District finances, revenues and resources – Discussion

    Pursuant to Board Policy 0169.1, there will be no Public Participation at this Special Meeting.

    Robert Giuffré

    Interim Treasure

    In his weekly newsletter issued today , Superintendent Mike Broadwater released the following statement:

    Superintendent’s Message

    Loveland Tiger Community,

    We have been working together as a community over the past few months to build a Strategic Vision. Families, students, community members, and staff have been involved in great conversations, providing feedback about the future they want for our Loveland Tiger students. Together we’ve designed a plan with the goal areas of student success, collaborative culture, community engagement, and fiscal responsibility.

    Review the five-year forecast

    We will unveil our completed Strategic Vision during Launch Night on Monday, June 6 at 5 pm in the Loveland Middle School Cafeteria. I’m excited for everyone to see the results of our community’s hard work. This informal meeting is an opportunity to talk about what our Strategic Vision means for our kids and our district. Following Launch Night, our Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting at 6 pm to review the Strategic Vision.

    During the Special Board of Education Meeting, the Board will hear from our Treasurer about present and future District finances, revenues, and resources. Federal ESSER pandemic relief funds and significant cuts after the March 2020 levy failure have allowed the district to delay requesting additional funding. The district’s most recent five-year forecast projects the district will move into deficit spending beginning in Fiscal Year 2023. You can review the five-year forecast by following this link.

    The timeline for placing a levy on the ballot in November requires the Board to take action over the summer. If any action is taken, we will be sure to update our community. Over the past several months we have had many community members involved in our Strategic Vision process, and we look forward to more great conversations about the future of Loveland City Schools.

    Have a safe, happy summer, and please feel free to contact me with any questions.

    Mike Broadwater

    Superintendent

    Loveland City Schools

  • Jean Schmidt’s newest ‘divisive concepts’ bill enters Ohio House

    Jean Schmidt’s newest ‘divisive concepts’ bill enters Ohio House

    Prohibits all Ohio schools from “teaching or providing training that promotes or endorses divisive or inherently racist concepts.”

    BY: SUSAN TEBBEN –  Ohio Capital Journal

    The newest bill to regulate school curriculums and keep out what legislators see as “divisive concepts” entered the Ohio House on Tuesday.

    State Reps. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, and Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, brought House Bill 616 to the State and Local Committee, which prohibits all Ohio schools from “teaching or providing training that promotes or endorses divisive or inherently racist concepts.”

    Though the co-sponsors said they want to deputize the State Board of Education with making decisions about what those concepts would be, the bill includes “critical race theory,” a misnomer used by conservatives to refer to the teaching of race in American history, and name the “1619 Project,” a New York Times project that laid out the chronology of slavery and racism, as concepts that would be prohibited under the bill.

    “Diversity, equity and inclusion learning outcomes” (DEI) are also named as “divisive or inherently racist concepts” under the bill. When asked to explain DEI and why it’s being prohibited, Loychik connected DEI to “critical race theory,” saying the two are connected based on research he and Schmidt had made.

    “The word ‘critical race theory’ was not very well accepted at that point in time, so it was re-developed into DEI – diversity, equity and inclusion – and based off our research, like I said before, it’s very, very similar to the teachings under critical race theory,” Loychik told the committee.

    DEI trainings have been used in schools to train employees about learning disparities that can happen in education.

    The well-known conservative public policy think tank The Heritage Foundation connects CRT and DEI, saying diversity trainings “pressure employees to become activists or to discuss controversial topics in the workplace.”

    Part of the bill prohibits teaching kindergartners about topics related to gender.

    “It ensures that sexual orientation and gender ideology are not taught in kindergarten through third grade,” Loychik said. “Starting in fourth grade it must be age appropriate.”

    Loychik has made his feelings on gender in schools clear through posts on his Twitter, in which he said “the left thinks a 6-year-old should be able to change their gender but an 18-year-old shouldn’t be able to buy a firearm,” and asks for support not to allow “teaching transgenderism or allowing teachers to discuss their sex life with kindergarteners.”

    Under the newest bill, the State Board of Education would also be required to “establish a procedure by which individuals may file complaints against a teacher, school, administrator, or school district superintendent alleging a violation of the bill’s prohibitions and to adopt rules to govern the implementation of and monitor compliance with the bill’s provisions,” according to Legislative Service Commission analysis of the bill.

    Democratic committee members pushed back on the bill’s language, decrying it as “censorship” and questioning the vague language used, and the state board of education’s role in defining the off-limits topics in school curricula.

    “That’s the responsibility of legislators to define these terms,” said state Rep. Mike Skindell, D-Lakewood.

    The co-sponsors said they would be willing to consider amendments to the bill, but said the focus of the bill is on curriculum, not disciplinary regulations or hallway disagreements.

    Loychik said the school district’s role would be to address disciplinary problems, and “hall monitors” could deal with school-day disagreements regarding “divisive concepts.”

    Schmidt said “invited guests,” such as state legislators, would be allowed to “talk about what they want to talk about,” because it’s not a part of the curriculum, answering a question from state Rep. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron.

    “There is a lot to discuss in the schools, and by no means would any kind of prohibition or any type of censorship be the answer for it,” Galonski said.

    Education groups like Honesty for Ohio Education have criticized the bill as a “nationally coordinated educational gag order.”

    This is the third “divisive concepts” bill to come through the Ohio legislature, with the last bill receiving heavy criticism after one of the co-sponsors said equal time should be given on both sides of Holocaust lessons. Neither bill has passed through the General Assembly.

  • After Uvalde massacre, Ohio GOP hurtles toward arming state’s teachers

    After Uvalde massacre, Ohio GOP hurtles toward arming state’s teachers

    BY: JAKE ZUCKERMAN – Ohio Capital Journal

    The Ohio Senate advanced fast-tracked legislation Tuesday that would allow local boards of education to permit teachers to carry guns in classrooms.

    Passage would eviscerate current law in Ohio that allows teachers to arm themselves only after completing more than 700 hours of police training and receiving approval from their local school board.

    Under House Bill 99 — which was largely rewritten and unveiled at the hearing — a school board could allow teachers to arm themselves. The latest version doesn’t specify any minimum amount of training hours, although it states that four hours must be “scenario-based or simulated training exercises.” Instead, it says teachers would need to undergo “initial instruction and training” to carry a weapon that “shall not exceed” 24 hours. From there, the teacher would need annual recertification training which “shall not exceed” eight hours.

    A local board of education would need to opt in to allow its teachers to arm themselves. That board could choose to mandate additional training, but it wouldn’t be required. The training required in the legislation includes the “scenario-based” training, “tactical live firearms training,” and “realistic urban training.”

    Earlier versions of the bill established a minimum of 20 hours of training, plus concealed carry training (another eight hours). It also called for more specific, somewhat warrior-like training requirements.

    “On signal, take a flanking step while drawing and fire three rounds into the preferred area. Upon completion, take appropriate post-shooting actions,” reads a training requirement of the House-passed version of the bill. “The distance from the target shall be thirty feet, the time allowed shall be eight seconds, and the number of rounds allowed shall be three.”

    The Senate committee vote comes on the heels of the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which a teenager purchased two assault style rifles that he used to kill 19 young children and two teachers. Seventeen others were wounded.

    At Tuesday’s hearing, two men spoke in support of the bill. The rest of the four hours were occupied by dozens of teachers, teachers’ union officials, anti-gun violence activists, and a Fraternal Order of Police lobbyist, all testifying in opposition.

    The teachers who testified argued it’s unrealistic to think an educator would react prudently and fire accurately at a shooter in a chaotic and precarious situation after mere hours of training. They’d need to execute keen marksmanship in a fraught situation to avoid hitting their own students. Several noted the bill makes no consideration as to how teachers must store the weapon, which could yield a flood of gun violence of its own.

    At times, Sen. Frank Hoagland, a Republican who chairs the committee that reviewed the bill, struggled to rein in the testy crowd. After hearing the hours of testimony in opposition to the bill, Republican Senators passed it regardless. The vote was a flex of political power, and drew shouts of “Shame! Shame!” from the crowd.

    Hoagland, and Sen. Terry Johnson, the number two Republican on the committee, both declined interview requests after the hearing. The legislation will likely go to the Senate floor for a vote Wednesday. The House could, in theory, accept the Senate’s changes on the same day and send the bill to Gov. Mike DeWine.

    Republicans in the Ohio House passed HB 99 earlier this year on a 59-33 vote (Republican Rep. Gayle Manning joined Democrats in opposition). Tuesday’s vote came in lieu of the typical process of holding several hearings on a bill before a roll call. Several speakers said they were unable to procure a copy of the latest version of the bill before Tuesday’s hearing.

    As of 2019, 18 states allow anyone with permission from school authority to carry a weapon, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    The idea, which gained popularity after a spate of school shootings in the U.S., is broadly unpopular with educators. In a 2019 national survey of 2,926 teachers, more than 95% indicated they don’t believe teachers should carry a gun in the classroom. Even among the 16% of respondents who were gun owners, only 11.5% of them said being armed while teaching should be a part of teacher’s duties. Gallup polling from 2018 found 73% of teachers oppose the idea.

    More Ohioans died from guns last year than any year on record from the Ohio Department of Health’s data warehouse. Earlier this year, analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine found that firearms have overtaken vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for American children, teens and young adults.

    In the gun friendly and Republican-dominated legislature, the policy response has included eliminating training and background check requirements to carry a concealed weapon; and eliminating a duty to retreat before responding to a perceived attack with deadly force.

    At Tuesday’s hearing, Rob Sexton, a lobbyist with the Buckeye Firearms Association, argued in support of the bill. He said it gives students a “fighting chance” in the face of a shooter. Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp., who sponsored the bill, told Senators at a previous hearing the legislation is about clearing up Ohio law.

    “I’m not here to argue whether or not guns should be in schools,” he said. “I’m here to help clarify a gray area in law that will give schools the tools to protect their students if they wish to utilize them.”

  • Lawmakers propose new ‘self-defense’ high school graduation requirement

    Lawmakers propose new ‘self-defense’ high school graduation requirement

    State Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Township.

    BY: NICK EVANS –  Ohio Capital Journal

    New legislation from Ohio state Reps. Tom Young, R-Washington Township, and Andrea White, R-Kettering, would require next year’s class of high school freshmen to take a course on recognizing and responding to threatening situations in order to graduate. The idea for the so-called “Student Protection Act” came from a number of recent high school graduates as part of an extracurricular project.

    Abby Purdy described how the proposal came from conversations she had with fellow Olentangy High School students Sydney Schultz and Vaidehi Patel about walking to their cars after work in the dark.

    “Everyone had very similar fears, and it kind of just sprouted from there,” Purdy explained. “We had a survey and many of the responses conveyed the same fears and we felt that self-defense would be the best way to help people feel that they have the tools to protect themselves.”

    Patel, Purdy and Schultz repeatedly invoked the idea of self-defense, as did the bill’s sponsors, but that’s a bit of a misnomer. Speaking afterward, Young acknowledged they struggled with how best to describe the course’s aims, but he was clear they’re not envisioning some sort of martial arts training.

    “No, this is not Tae Kwon Do, throwing people across a mat or anything like that,” he explained. “It’s raising an awareness on how to prevent and then respond to an aggressive situation — mentally, and perhaps a way to get out of a situation.”

    Rep. White emphasized the importance of teaching students how to respond to bullying and assault.

    “These behaviors should never be tolerated or allowed to go unreported,” she said. “And reinforcing this message with our young people while equipping them with the defensive tactics and proactive strategies that they can use to help protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations is critical.”

    Although the measure isn’t explicitly meant to teach students how to respond to a school shooting, last week’s shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas looms large. Young offered hopes that the coursework they’re proposing might discourage violence indirectly.

    “I would hope that this would not only raise awareness to prevent things happening to yourself and how to de-escalate, but also hopefully being aware of their classmates or somebody who’s struggling, that it opens up a dialog.”

    Young and White want districts to bring in school resource officers or certified self-defense instructors to provide demonstrations of self-defense. The legislation is silent, however, on who qualifies as an outside instructor or what form their demonstrations should take. Because the course will be part of the health class, teachers will also have to complete a course in self-defense training, but it’s up to the districts to determine which programs qualify.