The Issues

By Pat A. Hendry Sullivan

Finances, aging buildings, communication, and choosing a new leader are the challenges for the Board of Education.

Finances:

The State of Ohio has reduced state per pupil funding to more affluent school districts in favor of maintaining or increasing state funding for less affluent school districts. Unfortunately, Forest Hills School District will receive less money per student.

Further, the most recent school levy, that would have plugged this hole in the District's finances, failed at the polls. We are already in the lower third in per pupil spending (15 out of 22) in comparison to other Hamilton County districts.

As a result, the Board of Education will be looking for any and all areas where costs could be reduced or cut altogether. Where will the Board make cuts that have the least detrimental impact on student achievement? Here are some possibilities that must be considered.

Where do I stand on possible ways to save money and maintain our "Excellent with Distinction" rating?

Larger Class Sizes: While this may be the most immediate way to save money, there are obstacles: NECESSARY AT THIS TIME

• Diminished learning friendly environment
• Fewer one-on-one student-teacher interactions
• Increased classroom discipline issues
• Certain time-intensive assignments such as individual student presentations or essays eliminated. Standardized testing mandated programs will be emphasized instead of in depth reading, writing, and discourse taking place.
• Money for state mandated special education and Advanced Placement programs must be maintained, at the expense of other programs if necessary.

• Research needs to be conducted for instructional methods that are effective or on new ways to assess student learning

• Stress teacher attendance at seminars or conferences to gain knowledge-based research and to study application of new and effective methods in the classroom

• We must keep our excellent educational standards.

• Students lose summer job opportunities to save for college.

• Teachers cannot take summer classes to earn their Masters' Degrees.

• Non air-conditioned schools are not designed for summer heat and packed classrooms.

• Make-up days will now include "heat days" as well as "snow days," further extending the school year.
• How will we pay for personnel when money is already short?

• Large classroom size limits the teacher's ability to have one-on-one student interaction. Excessive testing further limits teacher-student interaction.

• Teaching assignments known to be effective at preparing students to be successful once they leave high school are subordinated to preparation for state-mandated standardized testing.

• Students are "over tested" so let's streamline the process, leaving teachers more time to teach and students more time to learn.

• Since larger classes are a given at this time, let's use the ACT which has proven to be a valid testing instrument instead of the present state tests that are continually changing. The vast majority of our students go on to institutions of higher learning which require students to take the ACT in addition to state tests.

• Continuous advances require constant updating in equipment.
• Literacy needs to be linked with technology. Technology provides tools; technology is not an end in itself.

Aging Buildings:

The Board must address this issue ASAP. Alternative Configuration for our Schools: STUDY THE RESEARCH.

Our buildings are aging and many are not air conditioned. The Board needs to study alternative ways to configure our schools while staying within our budget. How have other districts stayed fiscally responsible while having up-to-date, safe, and comfortable schools that support the best learning environment?

Architectural firms have given input and research has been done regarding the various ways that schools can be configured. The Board needs to study these reports carefully AND survey the community for its opinions on the options that the Board is considering. Then decisions have to be made as quickly as possible.

Communication

Not every Anderson Township citizen has the ability or desire to attend Board meetings, but citizens want to be informed. The Board agenda could be posted on the Forest Hills School District's website in a more timely fashion, perhaps by immediately posting highlights only. School Board members could visit buildings more often and give e-mail responses to questions.

Changes in Leadership:

We will need leaders who are qualified to address the issues discussed above. We need to define clearly our educational goals for the district. Then we need to choose a leader who is aligned with those goals.