News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area
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Since 2004
Loveland, Ohio – Beginning Wednesday, November 6, Cedar Drive from Oak Street to Tall Timbers Drive will be closed for a water main installation. The roadway will be re-opened each evening and on weekends. Construction is anticipated to last three weeks, weather dependent.
Access to properties within project limited will be maintained, although no through traffic will be permitted.
By Kim and Rick Donaldson
As a community, we support the goal of providing high-quality education for our children. But we also need to consider affordability. Loveland is largely a residential community whose local tax burden falls primarily on individual homeowners who are somewhat less affluent than those in surrounding districts. Whereas a one mil property tax raises about $228 per student in Mariemont, $249 in Madeira, $339 in Sycamore and $607 in Indian Hill, it raises only about $191 per student in Loveland. Consequently, we need to recognize that our school budgets are necessarily more limited, and just as a family with a limited budget must prioritize needs and manage money wisely, so must the school district. The proposed building master plan does not, in our opinion, adequately address these budget constraints.
We wonder what other cost reduction opportunities we might find were we provided with a more detailed plan.
In the board of education’s January 23rdcommunity meeting presentation, there is a single slide showing a $65M baseline plan for repairs at all existing building sites, which was rejected because it “does NOT address any of the core identified needs that were discovered during the assessment process.” After evaluating multiple options for addressing these “needs”, the board settled on a $165M plan and a $7.7M land purchase, i.e. $108M more than the baseline plan. From the very high-level cost breakdown subsequently provided by the administration, we can see that the plan includes $10M for athletic facility upgrades and $22.6M for a new fine arts building. That’s 30% of the incremental cost over the baseline plan going toward enrichment programs affecting a subset of the students, not to fundamental academic programs affecting the entire student body. We wonder what other cost reduction opportunities we might find were we provided with a more detailed plan.
To arrive at a more cost-effective solution, we need to start again from the beginning with clear priorities regarding what is needed, as opposed to what is wanted.
To arrive at a more cost-effective solution, we need to start again from the beginning with clear priorities regarding what is needed, as opposed to what is wanted. Building safety and security come first, followed by those facility improvements that have a proven impact on academic achievement. Increasing classroom space to enable reducing the student to teacher ratio might fall into the latter category. We then need to develop facility concepts that satisfy these needs in a manner that minimizes both construction and future operational costs. For example, the current facility master plan envisions three separate buildings for pre-K through 5thgrade. Combining these into a single building would reduce construction costs, reduce heating and cooling costs and maximize the opportunity for sharing resources and occasional use spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, and auditoriums. A two- or three-story building would also provide the opportunity to use an existing site, eliminating the cost of land purchase and development.
These are just a few ideas meant to illustrate the point. Given the right set of objectives and constraints, the district’s architectural consultants would undoubtedly come up with more and better ideas. But the first step toward developing a school facility plan that strikes a reasonable balance between the educational needs of our children and the financial limitations of the community is to vote against the Loveland school levy and bond issue on November 5th.
Reference
January 23, 2019 Community Meeting Presentation: https://secureservercdn.net/50.62.175.49/f0o.a87.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CM3-01.23.19-Slide-Deck.pdf
Daniel Zamagias with his parents Anna and Stephen at the 2019 Community Awards Dinner on October 17
“I’m honored to be selected for the Student of the Year Award and for the amazing opportunities the Rotary Club has offered me,” said Zamagias. “The Worlds Affairs Seminar this summer was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. More than 300 delegates from over 30 nations attended the seminar for a full week of discussion and activities around the promises and perils of social media. It was really interesting to share views and work through issues, like ethical dilemmas and the economic and political ramifications of social media use.”
Zamagias, an LHS varsity soccer player and member of the National Honor Society, was also chosen by Loveland High School to be a student delegate to the Loveland City Council, which involved shadowing a council member and subsequently running a council meeting in accordance with city government rules and regulations.
In addition, Zamagias has volunteered for several organizations; among others, serving as a photographer for the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League and as a counselor in training at the Cincinnati Nature Center. Zamagias’ future ambitions involve a college education in psychology and biology to later undertake research on mental illness.
At the annual Rotary Northeast Cincinnati Community Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 17, he received a $5,000 scholarship as part of the Student of the Year Award.
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This group of Loveland High School seniors spent Senior Service Day at Valley View, a nonprofit organization in Milford with a mission of conserving land, preserving history and sharing it with the community.
Loveland, Ohio – The entire senior class at Loveland High School (LHS) spent Wednesday, October 16 volunteering at nonprofits throughout the area. Beginning the day assembled at New Hope Baptist Church, the students learned from presenters about the value and impact of community service and then spent the afternoon assisting at a range of local organizations and agencies, including: Bethany House, Cincinnati Parks, Freestore Foodbank, Grailville, Granny’s Garden, Greenacres, Hands Against Hunger, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Nest, New Life Furniture, Play Library, Stepping Stones, St. Francis Seraph School, St. Vincent De Paul, and Valley View. The students also assisted in various projects at school campuses across the district.
Throughout the day, students shared their efforts and experiences on social media, using the Twitter hashtag #makeyourmark.
“Our eighth annual Senior Service Day was a great success,” said LHS Principal Peggy Johnson. “I appreciate all the hard work that went into the planning and organization of the event, which involved nearly 400 students, educators and additional volunteers.”
“Loveland FTC Lego Team Striped Might, their coaches Anna Macura and Jay Frazier, and mentors Joanna Reese, Brayden Watts, and Ally Oh, created candy bags – including special robot candy – for the LPD’s efforts to make Halloween in Loveland inclusive of all, especially those who are restricted by disabilities. Inclusion is a core value of the FIRST Robotics program.”
Loveland, Ohio – On Halloween, the Loveland Police Department (LPD) took candy to the homes of children and adults in the Loveland community who were unable to trick-or-treat due to a disability. It was part of the LPD’s effort to include those who otherwise would not be able to participate and make Halloween special for them, too. Loveland Middle School FIRSTLego Robotics team “Striped Might” met with Lieutenant Mike Szpak last Sunday evening to share their supply of candy and gifts to be distributed. Striped Might is a rookie team with rookie coaches – Anna Macura and Jay Frazier – rising up to the challenge of FIRSTRobotics.
“Robotics is not just about the BOT,” said Joanna Reese. “Inclusion is a core value of the robotics program and this is a wonderful way for us to share that with our community.” Reese is a member of the Bionic Tigers, one of two FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics teams at Loveland High School, and serves as a mentor for the younger members of Striped Might.
Lt. Szpak spent about an hour with the team members during their Sunday practice at Loveland Middle School. At the end of the visit, the team was invited to help deliver any Halloween leftover candy to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland High School will present the Lerner and Loewe classic musical My Fair Lady at 7 PM on November 6, 7 and 8, and at 2 PM and 7 PM on Saturday, November 9.
Tickets are $10 for students/senior citizens and $12 for adults if bought online (https://lovelandhstheater.wixsite.com/lhsdrama), and $11 for students/senior citizens and $13 for adults if bought at the door.
by Cati O’Keefe
The prospect of higher property taxes brought on by the proposed Loveland school levy has spawned Tigers Helping Tigers, a charitable foundation formed to help those with limited resources pay their tax bills.
Cati O’Keefe is a resident of Downtown Loveland
The foundation was conceived by Art and Kim Jarvis. Art Jarvis is the president of the School Board, which proposed the ambitious new building master plan for the school system. “My job on the Board of Education is to make sure kids get the education they need to excel in the future. And that’s the purpose of the levy,” he says.
That’s his board member perspective. At home with his wife, however, he found their conversations frequently turning to the impact the financial ask could have on those with limited resources. “The community member Art Jarvis was bothered with the thought that the levy could cause fixed-income neighbors to suffer,” he says.
The Jarvises reached out to friends in the community, started sharing ideas, and Tigers Helping Tigers was born. Jarvis and the fledgling board (currently Kim Jarvis and Loveland residents Deb Ricci and Katherine Dannemiller) sat down with Greg Knake, executive director of The Care Center, and detailed their plan to raise $80,000-$100,000 to launch the new foundation.
Knake was on board immediately, framing the issue as a problem that needed to be addressed long before the current levy. “We’ve seen poverty grow 100% locally from 2005-2015 in Loveland,” he says. “Approximately 15% of kids in Loveland are on free and reduced lunch. This is an eight times faster increase than in urban areas.”
We’ve seen poverty grow 100% locally from 2005-2015 in Loveland. Approximately 15% of kids in Loveland are on free and reduced lunch.
Knake believes the proposed tax relief adds another spoke in The Care Center’s service wheel. “We are trying to bring help and resources to families teetering on the edge, and do it in a targeted way by getting people back to work or into a better job, giving them life skills, and breaking the cycle of poverty with one-on-one coaching and mentoring,” he explains.
The Care Center, which Knake describes as a faith-based organization, is collocated with the non-denominational North Star Church on Lebanon Road. The center is in the midst of a fund-raising endeavor itself, with a new facility slated for completion October 2020. “Our strategy employs best-practice research that has started organizations locally, like CityLink and the Healing Center, and is focused on bringing resources together under one roof,” he says.
Knake highlights the synergy between Tigers Helping Tigers and The Care Center: “ We already have relationships with many of the families who would qualify for assistance from the foundation,” he says. “We have the forms and processes in place needed to prequalify families–plus financial coaches and mentors–because hopefully this isn’t just a little bit of help on taxes but is also integrated with financial coaching to get them to an even better place in all parts of their lives.” (While The Care Center encourages people to discover and use its services, participation in the program is not a prerequisite for assistance through Tigers Helping Tigers.)
Tigers Helping Tigers board members are equally pleased with how the two organizations dovetail.
While The Care Center encourages people to discover and use its services, participation in the program is not a prerequisite for assistance through Tigers Helping Tigers.
“I am passionate about The Care Center’s impact on our community, and Tigers Helping Tigers is just another piece in assisting the marginalized, says Ricci. “The Care Center embodies the culture of our community, which generously gives back to those in need. The work of the Care Center team has helped so many cross the bridge of poverty to thriving in life. Having a strong education system is vital to our youth in reaching their greatest potential. This paired with the resources of The Care Center represents a community I am proud to be a part of.”
Dannemiller, who also serves on the fund-raising executive team for Nest Community Learning Center, believes the partnership will pay dividends for the Loveland community. “We have put six kids through the Loveland school system and stayed for the quality of the schools,” she says. “The levy is a hardship, but bridging the gap for people on limited incomes through the Care Center is a natural fit. The organization takes care of people who need help and creates a continuous path for them to get on their feet. Combining our program with theirs will extend help to people in a way that is impactful.”
At the end of the day, it is immaterial whether the current levy passes, fails, or gets kicked down the road to return in another iteration. Real need exists now.
The process of pondering cost versus value on the levy has, for many citizens, served as a reminder that levies–even modest ones–threaten the fragile existence of some community members and families. At the end of the day, it is immaterial whether the current levy passes, fails, or gets kicked down the road to return in another iteration. Real need exists now. Please consider donating to Tigers Helping Tigers and The Care Center. Inquiries regarding donations, receiving services, or volunteering can be made through Greg Knake at greg@carecenter.com or Art Jarvis at jarvisa@fuse.net .
by Brock Kinser
I feel compelled to ask for your support on November 5th for the Loveland Schools levy request. The District has done a great job of seeking community input and providing detail after detail about the specific request.
Brock Kinser lives in the Loveland School District on Enyart Road
While there are many reasons to support the request, as an educator who lives in Loveland and works in another district, I am particularly sensitive to and supportive of the significant need to upgrade the safety and security of our buildings. We, unfortunately, live in a very different world than we did ten years ago, not to mention 50-80 years ago, when the Early Childhood Center, Primary School, and Elementary School were built. Safety requirements are different today, and the current infrastructure places limitations on the upgrades and enhancements that can be made. We have to do everything in our power to protect our children while they are at school.
The District has been prudent and sought feedback from the Department of Homeland Security and other experts in the realm of safety. Many of the recommendations have been implemented, but others are not possible until new facilities are built.
While there are many reasons to support the levy request on November 5th, we have to address the need to upgrade safety and security to protect our children and staff for the circumstances of the modern world. My second-grade son talks about Tiger Care. What better way can we show Tiger Care than providing our youngest students and their educators with a safe and secure environment in which to learn and lead? If you are in doubt, please go take a tour of the campuses and ask yourself if we should do better for the children of our community. Please join me in voting FOR the levy request on November 5th.
Maria Bashardoust helps defeat Beavercreek in Regional Semi-Final
Monroe, Ohio – To get to the Regional Finals the Loveland Women’s Soccer Team had to beat the #2 team in the nation and a team that until Tuesday evening held the longest winning streak in Ohio history of 43 straight games. The Tigers won over Beavercreek, 3-2 in a game played at Monroe High School. Beavercreek, the reigning Ohio Div. I Champions had not lost a match since they lost in the post-season in 2017.
Caroline Florea, Claire Massey, and Lauren Donavon scored for the Tigers.
Loveland Magazine caught up with Head Coach Todd Kelly after the game…
The Tigers play 19-0-2 Lakota West on Saturday at Princeton High School at 7 PM for the Regional Title. Loveland traveled to Lakota West on August 20 to open their season and lost 1-2.
In 2017, Loveland High School soccer competed for the Division I state title at the Columbus MAPFRE stadium and beat Perrysburg High School 1-0, earning Loveland the OHSAA state championship. Loveland competed in the state championship in 2015 and fell to Walsh Jesuit. They are currently on a 12-game winning streak and have a 16-3-0 record.
Here is a slide show of photos taken at the victory over Beavercreek. All photos are © protected but you can purchase high resolution files by sending an email to Loveland Magazine.
