Loveland, Ohio – Homana Nebel an Administrative Associate with the Hamilton County Board of Elections has told Loveland Magazine that current Loveland City School Board member Michele Pettit’s nominating petitions to run for another four years on the Board has been rejected.
Candidates for the Loveland School Board (provided by Hamilton County BOE)
Nebel said that there was a problem with the petition/s she filed with signatures of Clermont County voters. Candidates need a total of 75 total valid signatures of District registered voters and Petitt ended up with only 55.
Petitt has been notified and can appeal the rejection to the Board of Elections and be granted a hearing but as of 3 PM today they have not heard from her. Another option according to Nebel is for Petitt to file to be a write-in candidate and she has until August 23 by 4 PM to pay a fee and file the needed paperwork with her declaration of intent.
Loveland Magazine has reached out to Petitt asking if she will pursue these two options.
Petitt’s current term is set to expire on December 31. The election is on November 2.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland City School District board member Art Jarvis did not attend the April 30 Board meeting but instead resigned before it started. At the beginning of the meeting, President Kathy Lorenz read a letter Jarvis sent to the Board. You can watch a video clip of her reading the letter below.
Board member Ned Portune attended the meeting and resigned his position after it was over. You can read the statement he sent to Loveland Magazine the next morning below.
Both resignations were effective immediately and follow the apparent overwhelming defeat a vote on an operating levy announced the day before. (Loveland Levy apparently fails by wide margin)
According to a press release issued by the District the day after the meeting, the vacancies are expected to be filled at the May 12 board meeting.
The release also said that the board is now seeking candidates to replace Jarvis and Portune. It says that applicants should submit a “notice of interest” by Email to Treasurer Kevin Hawley (hawleyke@lovelandschools.org) by 5 PM on Monday, May 4.
Applicants should include biographical information, address, affirmation of voter registration, and a short statement describing qualifications and reasons for filling the role of Board Member of the Loveland City School District. Both of these positions would be for service through December 2021.
Remaining Board members are Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, Board President, Michele Pettit, and Eileen Washburn.
For Immediate Release. 5/1/2020
It is with sadness that I acknowledge my departure from the Loveland City Schools Board of Education. My resignation is for personal reasons, and should not be interpreted as a negative reflection of my faith in, and support of, the district leadership.
As I have said previously, students and teachers alike can’t be successful if they aren’t in the right culture of care, support, learning, and high expectations set by their administrators.And as such, our administrative team and educational staff have raised the bar of expectations at Loveland well beyond “average.” The improvements our district has experienced, and the achievements our students have accomplished over the past several years have been tremendous. Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and Treasurer Kevin Hawley are tireless champions for our students, and perform their roles with exceptional grace and integrity, as do Dr. Kathy Lorentz and the rest of the Board.I am grateful to have worked with this team.
As community members, we should all take pride in what we have accomplished together over the past several years, and the reputation for excellence that has been achieved by our schools. This success is only possible with support. I know I am proud to have been a part of a list that includes:
moving key state report card grades to A and B from C, D and F,
improving from 433rd (out of 610 districts) to 22nd in ODE’s Value Added rankings,
LES students performing on average 20% higher than the State average in Reading/Math for AIR and exceeding MAP projections, on average, at 20% higher than the National average,
100% of all third graders meeting the Third Grade Reading Guarantee for 3 consecutive years,
LIS students scoring 20% higher than the state average in 3 of 5 areas, and 15% higher in all 5,
8th grade foreign language curriculum increasing from 150 students receiving HS credit to 227 students, and foreign language exposure in 7th grade increasing from 0 students to 185,
LHS increasing AP offerings to 24 courses serving 428 students, up from 291 in 2016, and our students earning AP Honor Roll for 2 years (a distinction given only to the top 3% of districts in the US and Canada), with 80% scoring a 3 or higher,
Over 40% of our LHS seniors earning college credit through AP or CCP offerings,
LHS adding 20 new elective offerings, and adding Transition to Work programming with multiple community sites,
Developing6-12 College and Career counseling programming, and adding class-leading Teaching, Business and IT programs,
LHS ranking in Cincinnati Magazine improving to 8th out of 80 local high schools, and receiving the Momentum Award from ODE for the last three years.
And this doesn’t begin to address the improvements in gifted and special education services, social-emotional support improvements, or individual awards and accolades our students and teachers themselves have received across all of our schools. Add to that the readiness and excellent implementation of remote learning which has kept our students learning during a time no one could have predicted.Our administrators and educators have truly moved the bar higher for our students, and we should all celebrate that accomplishment.
Today, the district, its staff, students, and parents are entering an unprecedented time in our history. The right thing to do is to be positive, helpful and supportive in keeping our schools operational and our students successful. I believe we as a community will do that moving forward.
It has been an honor and privilege to have had the opportunity to serve our schools and this great community with this Board.I will continue to be a fervent supporter of Loveland Schools and our students.
Tom Grossmann – Commissioner Shannon Jones – Commissioner David G. Young – Commissioner Tiffany Zindel – Administrator Martin Russell – Deputy Administrator Tina Osborne – Clerk of Commissioners
Loveland, Ohio – On November 26 the Loveland Board of Education unanimously passed two motions in response to subjects that had been requested by voters who questioned the need for the operating and bond levy that the Board had placed on the November 5 ballot. The ballot issue was defeated by a 78-22% margin.
The Board first voted to cancel the contract with Allerton Hill Consulting, the Columbus and Washington D.C. based consulting company the District hired to help with “messaging”. The contract was set to expire at the end of March, and Superintendent Amy Crouse said it would take 30 days to end the contract so it will end at the end of December. Crouse said the consultant has been working with the District for the last two years and were hired to help the District as they undertook big projects and to help support the Communications Director. She said Allerton Hill Consulting, increased social media presence, helped reduce costs in some mailings, and provided “structural support”.
Before voting, Board member Ned Portune said, “It goes without saying I’ve not been satisfied with what we have gotten out of the Allerton Hill and I agree with the void of that contract.”
Responding to Portune’s comment, Board member Eileen Washburn said, “I think that sums it up.”
The second action was also a unanimous vote to participate in Ohio Open Checkbook. This will allow the public easier access to District spending.
Treasurer Kevin Hawley said he hopes to get the most recent 12 months of data on-line in two weeks and then each month another year would be added. The Board discussed a target goal of having five years’ worth of data on the site by the end of 2019. The motion that passed said the District would participate in Open Checkbook and the Treasurer’s office will enter one-year’s worth of data within the next 2 weeks.
Below is OPENGOV’s video demonstration of how Ohio Open Checkbook should work for District residents. The City of Loveland uses Open Checkbook and you can check it out HERE.
Users can search by a specific department, date, vendor, or use the Google-style search bar, which will return any value in the report that matches the entered text. Keywords may be searched by simply clicking on the term – one of the most popular ways to explore the data.
In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, you can hear the discussion on these two motions. (From the bottom of the screen are Treasurer Kevin Hawley – Board member Eileen Washburn – Board Vice President Dr. Kathryn Lorenz – Board President Art Jarvis – Board member Ned Portune – Board member Michele Pettit – Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse.)
Lebanon, Ohio – The Southwest Region Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) has recognized the Loveland City Board of Education with an award for reaching the “Gold Level for Effective School Boards.” The award, which signifies the outstanding work of the school board and the positive cooperation and collaboration among the board, district superintendent, treasurer and administration, was presented at the Southwest Region OSBA Spring Conference in Lebanon, Ohio, on March 12.
“We are so grateful to our board members and the tremendous amount of work they put into the decisions for our school district,” said Dr. Amy Crouse, superintendent. “Each and every member is committed to our vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and makes significant contributions to the work we do every day. This award is well deserved!”
Gold level award winners meet at least 23 of 26 criteria determined by the OSBA, including among others, clear goal-setting, serving as a united team with the superintendent and administration, and practicing fiscal accountability. Board of Education members are: Art Jarvis (president), Dr. Kathryn Lorenz (vice president), Michele Pettit (board member), Ned Portune (board member) and Eileen Washburn (board member).
The Loveland Board of Education met on January 10 to elect leadership positions and establish the meeting calendar for 2019. (Pictured left to right: Michele Pettit, Ned Portune, Eileen Washburn, Art Jarvis and Dr. Kathryn Lorenz.)
Board also sets Meeting Calendar for 2019
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District convened for its annual organizational meeting on January 10 to establish the 2019 leadership and meeting calendar.
The board appointed Art Jarvis to continue to serve as president and Dr. Kathryn Lorenz as vice president for 2019. In addition, the board members participate in various committees and initiatives to advance the interests of the district and the board, including policy work, facilities, student experience and safety, among others.
The board voted to conduct regular monthly business meetings at 6 PM. on the third Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted.* The meetings will be held in the Loveland Middle/Intermediate School Media Center on 757 South Lebanon Road. Additional meetings during the month will be designated by the board at a time and place properly announced.
January 22, 2019 (fourth Tuesday)
February 19, 2019
March 19, 2019
April 16, 2019
May 21, 2019
June 25, 2019 (fourth Tuesday)
August 15, 2019 (third Thursday)
September 24, 2019 (fourth Tuesday)
October 15, 2019
November 19, 2019
* No regular business meeting is scheduled for July or December.
The board voted to conduct other regular meetings, primarily as work sessions, on the first Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted.* These meetings will be held in the Board of Education office at 6: PM on the following dates:
February 5, 2019
March 5, 2019
April 2, 2019
May 7, 2019
June 4, 2019
August 6, 2019
September 3, 2019
October 1, 2019
November 7, 2019 (first Thursday)
December 10, 2019 (second Tuesday)
*No regular work session meeting is scheduled for July.
Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family
Judge Brad Greenberg administers the oath of office to Board Member Eileen Washburn.
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District convened for their annual Organizational Meeting Thursday, Jan. 11, to elect new officers and establish the 2018 meeting calendar. Prior to voting, newly elected Board Members Ned Portune and Eileen Washburn were officially sworn in, along with re-elected Board Member Michele Pettit.
Judge Brad Greenberg administers the oath of office to Board Member Ned Portune.
The Board established 2018 leadership, electing Art Jarvis as president, and Dr. Kathryn Lorenz as vice president. In addition, the Board of Education appointed the following Board of Education members as
committee representatives for the 2018 calendar year:
Facilities Committee: Art Jarvis and Michele Pettit
Finance Committee: Art Jarvis and Ned Portune
Student Achievement Committee: Ned Portune and Eileen Washburn
Policy Committee: Dr. Kathryn Lorenz and Ned Portune
Judge Brad Greenberg administers the oath of office to Board Member Michele Pettit.
The Board also voted to conduct regular monthly business meetings for Calendar Year 2018 on the third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted* at 6 PM in the Media Center of the Loveland Intermediate School. Additional meetings during the month can be designated by the Board of Education at a time and place properly announced.
January 30, 2018 (4th Tuesday)
February 20, 2018
March 20, 2018
April 17, 2018
May 15, 2018
June 21, 2018 (3rd Thursday)
August 21, 2018
September 25, 2018 (4th Tuesday)
October 16, 2018
November 27, 2018 (4th Tuesday)
* No regular meetings are scheduled for July or December.
The Loveland Board of Education voted to conduct other regular monthly meetings primarily as work sessions for Calendar Year 2018 on the first Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted on the following dates at 6 PM. in the Loveland Board of Education office:
