Community Listening Session Set
A Press Release by the Little Miami District:
With the release from fiscal emergency on the horizon, the Little Miami Local Schools' Board of Education last week prepared itself to regain control of the district and set goals for moving beyond recent history.
Board members led by new president Stephanie Baxter Black set objectives during a special work session on Feb. 11 designed to get Little Miami back on track after nearly 34 months under state oversight.
The Board agreed to:
* Support and work with the district’s treasurer to meet all the conditions required by the Auditor of State for release from fiscal emergency;
* Set dates for a series of informal listening sessions, where members of the community may come and ask questions or discuss school issues;
* Support and work with the district’s superintendent to revisit and revitalize the district’s academic programming, including a possible increase in the number of credits required for graduation.
“These goals are the Board’s first steps in regaining local control,” Black said. “For too long now, the power to say what is best for our students has been in the hands of an appointed commission. As a board, we look forward to May 22, when we can begin to set our own course.”
The May 22 date is the deadline the state’s Financial Planning and Supervision Commission requested of the Auditor of State to release Little Miami from its current fiscal emergency designation. This will bring an end to the Commission and their requirement to approve all local board decisions.
During their discussion on Feb. 11, Little Miami Board members emphasized the need to prudently plan and use district resources wisely on the way to rebuilding Little Miami both fiscally and academically. Along these lines, Black said, it is important to communicate with the community about decisions for the future.
“In the last few years, we have been mostly reacting to situations,” Black said. “Now is the time for the Board to be more pro-active in setting and achieving goals.”
Each Board member will attend at least one community listening session to be held at various locations around the district. This is one way that Board members can deliver information to residents, and can hear residents’ concerns and ideas about the direction of Little Miami, Black said.
The dates and locations of the sessions will be:
* March 11, 9 a.m., Winans Coffee Shop in Maineville. Board members Bobbie Grice and Nancy Journeay will attend.
* Apr. 19, 7 p.m., Harlan Twp. Fire Dept. Board members Black and Grice will attend.
* May 17, 11 a.m., Doughboy’s Bakery in Roachester. Board members Michael Cremeans and Randy Haas will attend.
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