Category Archives: schools

Ohio budget to change education law

Posted on March 17, 2009 by | Leave a comment

We’ve seen this before. Sixteen years ago Ohioans fought and won a battle against outcome-based education, which would have required the testing of students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes for promotion or graduation. These changes in state law were being pushed through in the state budget legislation. After huge public protests, the Legislature pulled the language and restricted state testing to academics.

Now the Education Bureaucracy is bringing OBE back.

Parents expect schools to teach rigorous academic skills. Yet Governor Strickland’s plan will require state standards and assessments (K-12 and graduation) to include interpersonal skills, social skills, collaboration skills, flexibility, creativity, work ethic, cross-cultural skills, leadership, and more. There is no way to score these highly subjective personality traits without discrimination or bias. Why would overburdened schools even want to try?

We already have a state assessment system that has lost its rigor. Now the state wants to add more requirements to the testing load for teachers to ensure children are creative, flexible, have good social skills, demonstrate leadership and much more. This means even less time for academic instruction. No wonder the governor is also calling for the addition of one entire month to the school year.

These new psychological standards and a longer school year will cripple local and state education budgets and force new and higher taxes. Teachers will need to learn to teach to psych evaluative tests and school systems will be at risk for lawsuits when graduates are denied diplomas due to their personality scores. These lawsuits could cost Ohio taxpayers millions more.

The only way to stop this plan is to show up at the public hearings and tell the finance committee members to reject this untested plan and stop experimenting with Ohio’s children. There will be three days of public hearings this coming week. We need to pack the room with parents/teachers/educators/taxpayers who are willing to tell legislators that these changes need to be rejected!

Tuesday, March 17, 1 pm
Public Hearing
Ohio Statehouse, Room 313
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Wednesday, March 18, 7 pm
Public Hearing
Ohio Statehouse, Room 313
Columbus, Ohio 43215

In addition, call your own state legislator. Firmly ask for a NO vote on the budget (HB1) if the Governor’s reforms are not removed from the state budget bill.

Source: The American Policy Roundtable.

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Posted in economy, education, Governor, history, news, Ohio, politics, schools

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Ohio Education Plan HB 1 : To Assess Attitudes and Behaviors

Posted on March 14, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Governor Strickland has proposed very expensive and controversial education reforms in the state budget, which is currently under consideration in the Ohio House (HB 1). His school funding reforms are fairly complex and repeal the concept of the state basic aid being based on a per child amount and will virtually hinder school choice to the point of extinction. He is also intending to lengthen each school year by one month.

By far, the most controversial portion of his changes to state policy (not receiving much media attention) is an expansion of state mandated testing to include the attitudes and behaviors of students (K-12), including scoring criteria of interpersonal skills as a part of earning a diploma. These changes will directly affect every student in public and chartered private schools. But every taxpaying citizen in Ohio should be very concerned. A less rigorous academic focus (which we have been experiencing for quite some time) will continue to contribute to the decline in our economy. How will it help the economy if students are enthusiastic, flexible, collaborators with substandard academic skills?

We fought this exact same battle sixteen years ago (also in the state budget) against outcome-based education. It is back and we need in the short term heavy public engagement. The House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education is having general public hearings Monday through Wednesday this week. (see schedule below) Every concerned citizen should also be calling their state legislators with the message to vote no on House Bill 1 – the state budget if the Governor’s education reforms are not removed.

The Subcommittee hearing schedule is as follows:

Monday, March 16, 4 pm
Public hearing
Stivers School for the Arts
1313 East 5th Street
DAYTON, Ohio 45402

Tuesday, March 17, 1pm
Public Hearing
Ohio Statehouse, Room 313
COLUMBUS, Ohio 43215

Wednesday, March 18, 7pm
Public Hearing
Ohio Statehouse, Room 313
COLUMBUS, Ohio 43215

Public testimony can and should be brief. It is very simple to stand before the subcommittee members and tell them you oppose these types of state assessments.

Phone calls are also necessary. Please contact your state legislators and express your concerns with the state mandating these assessments. For a directory of Ohio legislators, go to www.legislature.state.oh.us.

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Posted in education, news, Ohio, politics, schools

Democrats attacks school choice – thousands of children are at risk

Posted on March 6, 2009 by | Leave a comment
Free choice is for the privileged and liberals
 

For years Congressional Democrats told us they were “for the children”. Their policies were “for the children”. Their tax increases were “for the children”. Recently they were given a chance in Congress to prove their pro-child philosophy. The price tag was a mere 15 million dollars, a fraction of the one-trillion dollar stimulus they just passed. But House Democrats decided they could not find $15 million to save the D.C. Voucher Program. Instead they cut the funding and are throwing 1,900 children out of the school of their choice. Kids, whose parents on average make $23,000 per year. Kids who did nothing wrong other than have the courage to make a change for the sake of their future.

At the same time in the state of Ohio, Governor Ted Strickland and the Democrat-led House are on a crusade to wipe charter schools off the map. They want to force thousands of Ohio students back into failing schools in troubled school districts.

This is the purge mentality of the Democrat Party. They despise school choice. They owe the education establishment and the unions. The payback comes in destroying the lives of kids who have done nothing wrong.

At the same time, the leader of the Democrats, President Barack Obama, has placed his daughters in the school of his choice: Sidwell Friends, the most exclusive and expensive school in D.C.

There is something you can do about this injustice. First take a look at the video from the kids in D.C. Then join their plea and call the White House switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Politely ask the President to restore the D.C. Voucher Program.

Next, for those residents of Ohio, contact Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. Let him know you support charter schools in Ohio. Tell him you want more choice in education, not less. They may give you a bunch of rhetoric about “for profit” management companies that run charter schools. That’s a smokescreen. They want all choice eliminated. They are picking on the management companies today. The rest will follow.

Source: American Policy Roundtable eNewsletter

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Posted in economy, education, news, Ohio, politics, schools

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Democrats Show Their Anti-Christian Bigotry

Posted on February 12, 2009 by | Leave a comment

An overwhelming number of Democrats in the Senate voted today to reject a religious freedom amendment to Obama’s stimulus package. The vote was 54-43.

“Democrats showed their anti-Christian bias by rejecting South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint’s amendment that would have protected religious freedom in colleges and universities receiving federal funds,” said Traditional Values Coalition Executive Director, Andrea Lafferty today. “DeMint’s amendment simply struck the anti-Christian discrimination section from the bill.”

The so-called stimulus package contained a section that forbids federal tax dollars from being used to modernize or repair any educational facility that permits religious services on its premises.

It discriminates not only against Christian schools by forbidding funds, but targets secular schools as well – including universities with divinity schools. This bill shuts off secular colleges from permitting religious services on campus if they receive any federal money from this stimulus bill.

“This is just the beginning of aggressive anti-Christian bigotry that we will see over the next four years,” said Lafferty. “We suffered a significant defeat to our First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom and free speech today.”

Traditional Values Coalition opposes passage of this trillion dollar wasteful spending bill, but DeMint’s amendment would have at least corrected one of the most glaring problems with it.

“I commend Sen. DeMint for standing up for religious freedom for all Americans – and especially those who attend colleges and universities,” said Lafferty. “Shame on Democrats for supporting anti-Christian discrimination.”

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Election Results November 4, 2008

Posted on November 8, 2008 by | 2 comments

Voter Turnout

Greene County registered voters can stand tall and proud this election season. Their patriotism out- shined the rest of the state 70% to 67.5%. That was the level of voter turnout this presidential election. Ohioans exceeded the historic high of 65% of voter turnout by 2.5% and Greene County voters by 5%.

Presidential Race

In Greene County, McCain and Palin were the winners with 58.8% of the vote. That means only 39.7 voted for the Obama/Biden socialist ticket. Other parties voting received only 1.5% of the total number of votes, which means Democrats had no chance of winning in Greene County, Ohio. We can all be thankful that Greene County voters continue to uphold original liberal principles. We can look forward to another season when more Americans across the nation return to honoring those same principles.

Do you remember the battle between Ohio Democrats and Republicans over giving new registered voters the immediate right to early voting and the issue over voter record discrepancies? If I remember correctly, the number of questionable voters was around 250,000. Isn’t it an interesting coincidence that Obama won Ohio by a little over 200,000 votes? If I were McCain Republicans, I would make certain those 204,156 popular votes were legitimate. Who knows maybe McCain actually won a slight majority of Ohioans hearts and votes, but I suspect many of those votes were for Sarah Palin too.

I also suspect conservative feminists are just getting started.

US House of Reps Plus State Legislative, Executive & Judicial Races

Greene County voters were delighted with the campaigns over one Congressional race and many races for legislative, executive, and judicial offices.

Republicans running for seats in Congress and in both Ohio houses won by similar margins. Steve Austria took over Dave Hobson’s seat in the US House of Representatives. Austria beat Democrat and millionaire Sharen Neuhart 65.3% to 34.7%. Rep. Chris Widener is moving into the Ohio Senate because he won 66.3% of the vote to poor Roger Tackett’s 33.7%. Young Jarrod Martin also did well as demonstrated his gaining 59.8% of Green County votes. The more seasoned Bill Conner earned 40.2%. Was it the Republican version of yes we can change or something else? I’m not sure. Whatever it was. Martin now represents the 70th District taxpayers. Running for the 84th District was Republican Robert Hackett and Democrat Connie Crockett. Hackett hacked off Crockett when he won 62.1% of the votes to her 39%.

Woe, tears, and agony on ….

In the race to win the top law enforcement spot, Republican Mike Crites took 53.8% of the votes for Attorney General to Democrat Richard Cordray’s 41.6%. It’s too bad that Crites did win all of Ohio. A bright spot in the race was the fact that independent Robert Owens earned 4.8% of Ohio votes. I for one hope Owens keeps coming back to eventual win a place in Ohio government.

Let’s not forget how political public education actually is. The winner of the race for a seat on Ohio’s Board of Education for our district was Jane Sonenshein. She won 38.6% of the Ohio vote. Runner-ups were Jeff Hardin with 35.8% and John McHenry with 25.6%. If you know any of those candidates who will make many decisions effecting education in Greene County, you are either an educator, a friend of an educator, or a politician. No one does, but all should.

It would be a crime to forget the races for the judiciary. Given their reputation for activism and making law, it might have been a crime you didn’t. Being serious, Ohioans elected two Supreme Court justices. The lucky women were Maureen O’Conner and Evelyn Stratton, both Republicans thank God.

Wait a minute! Am I still allowed to use the G—word in the public domain. Those pesky ACLU and ASCS troublemakers are always stalking and lurking.

Anyway, O’Conner stole Russo’s thunder by winning by a whopping 67.3% of the Ohio vote to Joseph Russo’s 32.7%. Ohioans overruled Democrat Peter Sikora attempt to gain a place on the Court. The Ohio verdict was in favor of Straton 63.1% to Sikora’s 36.9%.

Unfortunately, Judge George Reynolds (R) got benched (sports term) being outperformed by Jeffrey Froelich (D), who won by a small margin of 52.6% to Reynolds’ 47.4%. I have to admit that my disappointment was not only the result of voting for Reynolds but because one of my grandparents last name was Reynolds.

Ohio Constitutional Amendment Issues

Possibly more important than who were elected to office were the six Constitutional amendment issues this election cycle. Amendments one through three and five won by nearly a 3:1 margin or approximately 70% to 30% while amendment six lost by the same margin. Amendment 4 was removed from the ballot.

Amendment 1 requires earlier deadlines for statewide ballot initiatives. Amendment 2 gives the state the ability to create funds for environmental preservation through bond issues and consequently through higher taxes. Amendment 3 redundantly adds to state law protection to private property owns and adjacent water use rights, but with the same exceptions as before. Amendment 5 places long overdue restrictions on payday lenders who have been bilking the poor to make themselves rich for years. This practice was sanctified by bipartisan politics until the terrible reign of GW Bush. Nevertheless, I still image that even the world’s Supreme Judge is pleased. Issue 6, the last Constitution amendment, was soundly defeated by Ohio voters. Casino gambling, its harm to communities and families, was once again rejected by 63.8% of Ohio voters. Only 37.2% favored it. Ohioans thus gave Providence reason to smile a little more.

Races for Greene County Government Offices

Greene County government is still the provenance rock-solid Republicanism. During This election cycle, most of the incumbents retained their titles and paychecks. Rick Perales defeated newcomer and Democrat Eddie Baumann, otherwise known to some young adults as professor. Perales earned 64.3% of Greene County votes to Baumann’s impressive 35.7%. Sorry, Eddie we like your religion but not your party. Like George Patton, I’ll be back Marilyn Reid is indeed back in office. She won a smiling 54.7% to Democrat Jerry Sutton’s respectful 45.3%. It’s good to have someone who cares about the common good back in county government–not that the one she replaces was not. After all of the trouble, Republican Eric Sears still won the County Recorder position by 19.6 points. After the party was over, Sears was showered with 59.8% of the votes and Democrat Mary Taylor received 40.2%. Then there was race for County Treasurer. It’s true. It is all about the money and incumbent James Schmidt gets to keep counting it. Schmidt defeated Democrat Corrina Grooms to the County gold by count of 65.3% to 34.7%. What amazes me is how Republicans can win even without any competition. I won’t name names, but you can read about them by going to the Greene County Board of Election website.

Greene County Levies & Bond Issues

Three out of four countywide issues passed. Greene County Children Services Board Operating (Issue 21) levy increase was passed by 51.6% of voters to 48.5%. Greene Memorial Hospital Operating (Issue 22) renewal was favored by 58.4% of Greene County voters to 41.6%. Greene County MRDD Operating (Issue 23) renewal was approved by 61.3% to 38.7% of voters. The last issue was the Greene County Mental Health and Recovery Board Operating (Issue 24) levy increase that was opposed by 56.4% to 43.6 of Greene County voters.

Local School Levies & Bond Issues

Almost all schools in the county had either a levy or a bond issue on the ballot. Beavercreek’s bond issue was approved by 53% of the voters. Seventy-one percent of Cedarville voters passed their school improvement levy. Jamestown voters once again rejected efforts of their school district to increase funding. About 50.1% of voters said no to an income tax proposal. So did Bellbrook voters. Sugar Creek School District’s proposed income tax was rejected by 58.8% of their voters. Wayne Local Schools current operating levy was opposed by almost 73% of voters. Last but not least was the Xenia Community City Schools Income Tax & Bond Issue (Issue 20). Fifty-eight percent of Xenia voters turned the opportunity to increase taxes on two fronts.

Booze Wins Big In Greene County : A Puritan Perspective

I’m not certain about this but it appears that the boozers won big throughout Greene County. All but one business seeking approval to sell liquor was favored by their local patrons—I mean voters. I almost wrote saints. I refrained, however, for one simple but profound reason. Saint Paul encourage boozing for health purposes—like Tylenol or Nyquil, but not for pagan partying nor for mixing drinks with tears of self-pity. I recently read that Puritans, who were also Paul’s disciples, liked rum. They liked fermented molasses a lot. This sheds some light on the debate about whether the early church disciples consumed real wine like Lutherans and Catholics believe. Just keep in mind though that back in those ancient times people didn’t have cars and trucks. No, they were lucky to have a donkey. Only the rich had real horses or chariots to loose control of and to harm themselves and others.

Remember that the next time you are tempted to mix your blue tears with some modern liquid painkiller after another partisan election.

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Posted in Beavercreek, Bellbrook, business, Cedarville, election 2008, Greene County, health, House of Representatives, issues, Jamestown, news, politics, schools, Senate, Xenia

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Xenia Deserves Better Schools Than Proposed By Issue 20

Posted on November 3, 2008 by | Leave a comment

By Daniel Downs

I agree with the many of our city leaders that Xenia needs new schools, but not now. The fact is Ohio Schools Facilities Commission funding will still exist for school districts needing capital to build new schools. What will no longer be available is the huge pool dirty money ripped off from tobacco companies whose products clearly state that if you consume their products you might get cancer or some other related disease. I realize many people don’t care where or how the money was obtained by the state. However, when you build upon fraud and injustice, the oozing toxins of injustice eventually spread.

I also agree Xenia needs good teachers and school facilities so that students will be prepared for good paying jobs, but I have to wonder how many residents work at good paying jobs located in Xenia. Jobs paying less than $35,000 a year are not good paying jobs they are less than average. Almost two-thirds of Xenia residents have below average incomes, and a third are at or below poverty level. These people cannot afford more taxes, inflation, economic recession, or anything else that raises their cost of living.

If Issue 20 passes, Xenia taxpayers will be paying off a $79 million levy for 28 years. The author of a letter published in the Xenia Daily Gazette by the title “Give intelligent voters real facts in Xenia” noted that the high school is only 32 years old. Will administrators then decide that Xenia needs another new one in 30 years?

Besides feeling bullied by the fanatical school levy cheer leaders, the same author observed that the schools have not been properly maintained. But, how could the administrators show how badly the school district buildings need replaced if they had kept them in good repair? Just look at the school budget. It is very low, which suggests that school administrators planned for their deterioration and obsolescence. Additional proof of this is present by one of the Xenia’s well-paid official cheerleaders, who wrote that the permanent improvement levy of $400,000 a year has not been enough to keep Xenia’s 10 school buildings in good repair. Gee, I thought it was an addition to the then maintenance budget and not meant to be the only funding source for maintaining good and healthy school buildings for the benefit of all of Xenia’s children.

A more important concern is whether the $79 million will result in better education. Ohio law requires the building of small schools—like many small neighborhood schools—while at the same time permitting large schools that the law acknowledges are ineffective learning environments. Although many Xenia High School’s 900+ students demonstrate exceptional achievement levels, students in other schools like Warner are not doing so well. Maybe it’s because those schools have too many students to be effective. Surely, people do not believe children from middle- and low-income home are learning somehow deficient (dumb)? As proven by education research, small schools are key to student achievement. The plan to combine schools into even larger units will not produce better prepared students.

The Xenia School Facilities Plan (Issue 20) is about getting money and not what is best for Xenia’s kids or the future of the community. Xenia taxpayers and parents of school children should demand the best educational environment their tax dollars can buy. That is another reason why Xenia should not vote for Issue 20.

My research of the Xenia School Facilities Plan includes:
Future of Xenia Under One Roof?

Xenia Community Schools Rebuilding Plan: What I Learned at the Forum

Xenia Community Schools Rebuilding Plan: Why Small Schools Are Best

Xenia Community Schools Rebuilding Plan: It’s All About the Money

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Posted in education, news, politics, research, schools, taxes, Xenia, Xenia Community Schools

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Future of Xenia Under One Roof?

Posted on October 24, 2008 by | 1 comment

By Daniel Downs

The Xenia Community Schools Under One Roof (UOR) plan is an exciting new innovative concept. A campus combining existing community organizations like the YMCA, Senior Citizens Center, hospital, Athletes in Actions, and others sharing costs and resources is popular and unproven. For example, a hospital serves people from outside the community as well as local residents. Connected facilities increase the potential for our youth to be targets of unsuspected criminals. A previous writer raised concerns about post-9-11 requirements for enhanced security and UOR increases that need even more. The UOR model like the Lake Local School High School in Union Ohio is too new to know what problems may or may not occur with great confidence. It is also not likely those that already have occurred will be advertised.

Another issue that needs to be raised is why should high school students alone benefit from the UOR plan? Why not junior high and elementary students? I understand why only senior high students would benefit from a hospital-based medical training facility. An on-campus hospital would provide beneficial services to both athletes and the elderly. That’s all good, but shouldn’t other Xenia students also benefit from the YMCA, Athletes in Action, medical services, potential interaction the elderly, and from similar affiliations?

I believe neighborhood schools with small class sizes and real parental involvement are the best kind. In California, Colorado, New York, Texas, and other states tried supersized schools and found them very problematic. Reports shows they have returned to small neighborhood or specialty schools because they are more effective and less problematic learning environments. That’s why Xenia’s plan to supersize elementary schools is a bad idea. An alternative to both supersized and neighborhood elementary schools is building small neighborhood sized elementary schools and middle schools on planned UOR campus. Why not revise the UOR plan to include all schools so that all Xenia children benefit? Yes, it would increase the current plan costs considerably. It would even increase the cost of busing, but it might be worth it.

What does not make sense is replacing one of the newest buildings in the school district. At least three elementary schools, all of them older than Warner Jr. High, actually should be rebuilt. If Xenia is going to invest in the UOR plan, why not go all out and either rebuild all schools on the new site, or rebuild other schools in their neighborhoods with an Olympian size swimming pool, health service facilities, upgraded science labs, and high tech communication and computerized infrastructure. Why let politics and unjust government funding strategies (government rip off of tobacco companies) rule Xenia’s future? Why not spend the extra dollars to build the best possible educational facilities meeting future needs today?

Well, here is a brief answer. About 62% of Xenia households cannot afford more taxes and the rising cost-of-living. The annual income of 32% of Xenia families and their children is at or below the poverty line. Another 30% have incomes at or below $40,000. Families with that level of income are also eligible for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). We should not forget that about 11% of Xenia householders are senior citizens. They certainly cannot afford more taxes along with rising cost of gas, food, heating, water, and most everything else. That leaves only 38% or nearly 4,100 households to pay for most of the over 50 million dollar Under One Roof bill. That is if the bond issue passes.

Besides the money issue, education is not about swimming, sports (can I hear a boo?), sex, or computers. It is about learning to read, write, do math and science, understand the lessons of literature and history, prepare for good citizenship and a profitable career. When it comes to school facilities, warm, cool, dry, safe school buildings are of utmost importance not the latest and greatest technologies and services, big high-tech labs, pool facilities, or sports stadiums. However, the amenities would be pretty nice and maybe even beneficial.

So what can Xenia residents do? First, remember the UOR bond issue is our school officials’ latest plan to get Ohio School Facility Commission money to build new schools. If memory serves correctly, they’ve been trying to get a bond issue passed for 10 years or more. Second, low income and elderly citizens must also vote this November making sure their voice is heard concerning the UOR/school rebuilding plan. If Xenia citizens (especially, the 38% who will pay the most) decide to rebuild better schools now, why not go the extra mile and make sure the best plan for the best schools are built and paid for now. The often-chanted mantra is still true: ‘Costs will only go up’ and the nearly $50 million in tobacco industry ‘blood money’ will no longer be available.

Originally published on February 27 in the Xenia Daily Gazette

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Posted in economy, education, news, politics, schools, taxes, Xenia

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Xenia Community Schools Rebuilding Plan: Why Small Schools Are Best

Posted on October 22, 2008 by | 3 comments

By Daniel Downs

Part Two

As mentioned in part one, Xenia school administrators want to rebuild four elementary schools and convert Central Middle School into another. The rationale for reducing the number of elementary schools from seven to five is based on the state’s contradictory 350 minimum enrollment rule. The state will fund neither school renovations nor new buildings with projected enrollments under 350 students. For Xenia, super-sizing our schools mean almost all 1,100 middle school students will travel by bus to what is now the high school. It also means no more neighborhood schools for families now attending Spring Hill, Simon Kenton, or Cox.

I find two additional problems with both Ohio’s 350 rule and Xenia’s rebuilding plans. The first is with the Ohio Revised Code regulating school buildings. Ohio law requires the “[s]upport and facilitation of smaller classes and the trend toward smaller schools” while also requiring projected or actual school enrollment to be 350 or more. The Ohio School Facilities Commission may also waive this rule when “topography, sparsity of population, and other factors make larger schools impracticable.” Here is an apparent contradiction in Ohio law that needs changed to reflect acknowledged best practice criteria, which also related to the other problem.

Urban school districts have tried super-sized schools. Both student behavior and academic performance declined significantly enough to cause many urban districts to return to smaller neighborhood schools. These are facts revealed in a study titled Reducing the Negative Effects of Large Schools. A national study called Smaller, Safer, Saner Successful Schools found schools with less than 350 students have better learning environments in which academic achievement is higher, dropouts are less, behavioral problems are fewer, and teacher satisfaction is greater than for larger schools. However, an older study by Kathleen Cotton titled School Size, School Climate, and Student Performance sets the maximum at 300-400 for elementary schools and 400-800 for secondary schools. As mentioned in Ohio law, the best schools are small schools.

Under Xenia’s rebuilding plan, enrollment at all combined elementary schools, except Tecumseh, will likely be over 400 students. The combined middle school enrollment will be over 1,100 and the high school currently has over 1,400 students. The above research presented case studies of successful large schools that were reorganized into smaller schools or units. Many were restructured similar to the magnet school concept but the various specialty schools were all located in the same building. By creating smaller schools under-one-roof, teacher and student interaction increased resulting in greater satisfaction and higher achievement.

Still some question whether super-sizing Xenia schools will adversely affect teacher performance and student learning. Fairborn City Schools latest test results suggest that students in larger elementary school settings can perform relatively well—comparable to some of Xenia primary schools. Yet, a comparison of all Xenia elementary schools shows that the top performing schools have enrollments under 300. In three of the four top performing schools, 54 to 62 percent of students come from economically disadvantaged homes. The percent of students from low-income homes at the fourth and the highest performing school is about 24 percent. This school also has the fourth highest percentage of minority students. Two of the other higher performing schools had the highest percentage of minorities in the school district. All of which points to smaller schools as the primary factor for more students achieving a proficiency score or higher on state achievement tests. The four highest performing schools also produced a higher percentage of students achieving accelerated and advanced scores locally and two of these schools exceeded state averages as well.

One attendee at the Xenia Community School District Forum brought up another issue that Xenia residents should consider. By 2011, Wright Patterson AFB will have gained 1,100 new military personnel who are being transferred mostly from the Brooks City Base located near San Antonio, Texas. They will be looking for new homes. Families with children will be looking for communities with the best schools and good neighborhoods. Xenia will have a hard time attracting them without bringing our schools up-to-date. As noted above, the best schools are small schools. According the study titled School Facility Conditions and Student Academic Achievement, the best schools also include safe, well lighted, and temperature-controlled learning environments with the presence of windows.

During the building tour, Robert Smith said state maintenance leaders rate Xenia maintenance staff and schools very high. Nevertheless, schools like Cox need building upgrades and repairs. One of the pictures on the School District website shows standing water near the building. Current environmental safety law, also known as Jared’s Law, mandates the elimination of the causes of any standing water near school buildings, flooding, or any other water damage. The law also mandates that plumbing and electrical systems be in good operating condition. As mentioned in part one, Cox requires considerable plumbing and well as well as electrical system renovation. One of the boilers is inoperable, some of the piping needs replaced, and bathroom facilities needs renovated. The electrical system is inadequate to handle computers and air conditioning and its circuit breakers are obsolete. In other words, Cox needs increased electrical service as well as new service panels and breakers. How much the repairs would actually cost was unknown.

Therefore, I think it would be beneficial to Xenia taxpayers to see an actual building-by-building detailed cost estimate of needed repairs and renovations renovations to compare with estimate costs of the current rebuilding plans.

Originally published on April 28 in the Xenia Daily Gazette

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Posted in education, news, politics, research, schools, taxes, Xenia

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Xenia Community Schools Rebuilding Plan: What I Learned at the Forum

Posted on October 21, 2008 by | 3 comments

By Daniel Downs

Part One

While growing up, I attended public school in Xenia. I went to GJVS, Xenia High, West (now Warner) Jr. High, and the infamous Cox Elementary. On April 2, I returned to Cox. No, I was not having a senior moment. I was not attending a children’s program nor was I attempting to get in touch with my earlier self—whatever that means. I returned to Cox to attend the second of three Xenia Community School District Forums lead by Wright State University Center for Urban and Public Affairs (CUPA) staff.

The program began with a tour of the building. Leading the tour was maintenance supervisor Robert Smith. He presented a history of Cox Elementary school expansions, renovations, and problems. Smith pointed out several current problems such as an antiquated electrical system not capable of being properly maintained or handling needed computer systems and air conditioning. Another issue was old plumbing and bathroom facilities needing renovated as well as a collapsed drainage pipe and occasional flooding. When asked about the cost of fixing those problems, Smith said he would not venture a guess. He did indicate that those repairs would entail a major renovation.

I think Smith committed a Freudian slip when he said, “I will have plenty of money for maintenance whether new schools are built or not.” That statement led me to believe the school district has enough money to fix the current problems. But, in light of the nearly $122.5 million building project, I might have committed a subliminal misunderstanding.

After the tour, WSU-CUPA staff presented a general overview of the present situation. The state has determined that no Xenia school building except the current high school and the Central High School meets the two-thirds rule. The rule means the state will not fund any building renovation that would costs two-thirds or more of the cost to build a new facility. Originally, the Ohio School Facilities Commission had condemned all Xenia school buildings under the two-thirds rule but Xenia school officials argued that the two newest facilities were compliant with disability regulations. They also proposed a reuse plan for the current high school and Central Middle School. The high school would house all middle school students and Central Middle School would be converted into an elementary school. The state liked the reuse plan and consequently waived the two-thirds rule.

According to the state law, it is possible to renovate schools even when costs will exceed the two-thirds rule. The Ohio School Facilities Commission will waive the rule based on factors such as the historical significance of a building, adequacy of a school’s structure, space, classroom size, and egress. Other factors used to evaluate schools are quality of lighting and air, long-term durability, and the ability to meet American Disability Act standards. Consequently, Xenia could possibly renovate the historically significant central office building and most of the schools.

According to board member Bill Spahr, another state rule is that all schools must have at projected enrollment of at least 350 students to receive Ohio School Facilities Commission funding, which explains why Xenia school administrators plan to reduce the number of elementary schools from seven to five. Super-sizing Xenia schools also means almost all middle school students will travel by bus to what is now the high school. It means no more neighborhood schools for families now attending Spring Hill, Simon Kenton, or Cox.

The plan to build new schools at current school locations with sufficient land makes sense. Doing so will allow students to continue meeting in the same buildings until new ones are built. However, I see a conflict with the 350 rule and the current rebuilding plan. For example, building a new school at Tecumseh will not change its enrollment of 280 students. Up the road towards town is Shawnee with an enrollment of 288. Children now attending Shawnee will likely attend what is now Central Middle School. Because a complete renovation is not planned for Central, the 350 rule doesn’t apply. School administrators are not planning to rebuild at Spring Hill. So where will its students go? Will the 219 children attending Spring Hill be bused to Central or will a new school be built to service both Spring Hill students and those living at Wright Cycle Estates? Or will children living in the areas between South Detroit and Bellbrook Avenue get a new school? If so, will the 380 children attending Simon Kenton combine with the 383 at McKinley instead of the 239 students at Arrowood? Where does that leave the 346 children attending Cox? Where do school officials plan to bus them? To Tecumseh?

I think building a new school at Cox would be a better use of school property. It would at least give Cox students a school in reasonable proximity to their neighborhoods. Remember, those most affected by the rebuilding plan are elementary age children and their parents.

Originally published on April 26 in the Xenia Daily Gazette

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Messaging Technology & Human Error: Perfect Terror

Posted on June 2, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Early in May, I reported on Ohio School Board Association endorse an automated emergency messaging system. The technology is probably great; it is human error that can cause the real problems–problems like inducing mass panic. That is what happened in Mason, Ohio.

Local 12-WKRC-TV made the following report on May 27:

Last week parents were notified by mail, e-mail and notices sent home with students that there would be a mock disaster drill at a Mason City School this week. But they did not know in advance the exact location or time of the drill, which is standard procedure.

The mock disaster drill was at Mason Heights Elementary School. The situation was a boiler had exploded, and everyone needed to evacuate the building. The drill is a test to make sure in a real emergency, everything goes smoothly but that didn’t happen.

It may have only been a drill but…

almost 100 parents rushed to a local school after they were notified there was an explosion.

If the school officials had forewarned all parents, why did the drill cause such mass confusion and panic?

The Public Information Officer used the emergency call system to send a message about the explosion to all Mason Heights parents. However, she forgot to mention it was a drill. Hundreds of frantic parents rushed to the school to check on their students, only to find there was no emergency.

Human error sank the Titanic and human error momentarily sank the heart of many of Mason Heights Elementary School parents.

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