Statement on classified/certified contract vote

At last Thursday’s school board meeting, the board voted on new 3-year contracts for certified staff (teachers) and classified staff (support personnel). I voted not to approve these contracts – not because our staff does not deserve a raise, not because they have not done an absolutely incredible job with the new challenges facing them, but because our upcoming financial situation is too uncertain right now. Below is the statement I made regarding my vote. Please email me or post here to ask any questions.

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How does our school board work?

I made the following statement at the October school board meeting. If you still have questions about how the board works, or any other questions, please ask.

There has been recent discussion that the school board is not transparent and is not discussing items during our meetings. I wanted to address this. I apologize for this long statement, but there are several important topics I’d like to cover.

Highlights from 3/14/19 & 4/18/19 school board meetings

Common questions about the Milford Schools bond issue
Cost of proposed Middle School
Milford Schools Master Building Plan: How did we get here?

Here are highlights from the 3/14/19 & the 4/18/19 school board meeting:

Common questions about the Milford Schools bond issue

During this levy season, I have been asked a number of questions about the 4.7 mill bond issue the school district has placed on the ballot. I wanted to address the most common questions here; in addition, please visit the district website bond info (there are videos and lots of other sub-menu items), plus be sure to read the FAQs.

Cost of proposed Middle School

There has been a lot of discussion about the cost of the proposed Milford Middle School and how that cost estimate increased from 2015 to now. Here is a look at these numbers in detail.

Highlights from 2/21/19 school board meeting

Milford Schools Master Building Plan: How did we get here?

Here are highlights from the 2/21/19 school board meeting:

Milford Schools Master Building Plan: How Did We Get Here?

In January, the Milford School Board voted to put a 4.7 mill bond issue on the May 7, 2019 ballot. The bond issue would generate just under $98 million to build a middle school to replace the current Milford Junior High School; build a 1,000-seat auditorium to be shared by the high school and new middle school; renovate part of the unrenovated section of the high school; replace parts of the roof and the HVAC in the high school; and replace/renovate several athletic facilities. This bond is not part of the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) partner program where the district would receive a percentage of qualified building costs (27%) back from the state.

Highlights from 1/17/19 school board meeting

Milford school board places bond on May 2019 ballot
District continues to investigate changing school start times; option for juniors/seniors will be implemented next year

Here are the highlights of the 1/17/19 school board meeting:

Milford school board places bond on May 2019 ballot

On January 17, the Milford Board of Education voted to place a 4.7 mill bond issue on the May 2019 ballot. If approved, the bond will build a middle school (grades 6-8) to replace the current Milford Junior High; add a new 1,000 seat auditorium shared by the new middle school and the high school; replace athletic fields displaced by construction and finish the stadium renovation; and complete some renovations at the high school in the unrenovated portions of the building. Cost of the bond is $13.71/month/$100k in assessed home value.

District continues to investigate changing school start times; option for juniors/seniors will be implemented next year

In April 2018, the Business Advisory Council (BAC) reported to the school board that moving high school and junior high start times later (ideally to 8:30 am) could provide significant health benefits to teens, whose circadian rhythms naturally lead them to a later bedtime and a physical drive to sleep later in the morning. Studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and even experiential data from school districts that have moved their start times support the benefits of later start times for teen students.