Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at September 8th's Board of Education meeting. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions. For those interested in the full details, we've included links to longer articles where appropriate.
Title I Program Expansion Addresses Growing Economic Need
Worthington Schools has significantly expanded its federal Title I program as the district's economically disadvantaged student population has grown from 26% to 34% over the past decade. The district now serves nine schools with $1.3 million in federal funding, primarily used to hire 10.5 intervention teachers for math and reading support. Three schools achieved new milestones this year: Worthingway Middle School joined the program, while Worthington Park Elementary and Perry Middle School qualified for "school-wide" status, allowing Title I funds to support programming across their entire schools rather than just targeted students.
In Other News
Safety and Student Support Programs: Dr. Bowers announced that the district is participating in the "Stay in the Game" Attendance Network to address chronic absenteeism. Additionally, all students in grades 6-12 will receive required lessons on suicide awareness, violence prevention, and social inclusion through the Sandy Hook Promise program during National Suicide Prevention Week (September 8-12), Start with Hello week (September 15-19), and National Anti-Bullying Week (November 10-14).
District Staffing and Enrollment: The district added 3.5 new kindergarten teachers to support the new universal all-day kindergarten program and one Title I math teacher at Worthingway Middle School. Total enrollment has reached 10,831 students, up about 100 from last year, while maintaining appropriate student-to-teacher ratios.
Financial and Legislative Concerns: Treasurer TJ Cusick reported that the district's five-year forecast is being updated, with meetings scheduled for the end of September. He expressed concerns about potential legislative changes that could significantly impact property tax revenues, including proposals that could cut current property tax collections in half for some homeowners.
Board Committee Activities: Board members attended various community events including Key Communicators meetings, Meet the Teacher nights, and elementary school running programs. The Worthington Libraries are seeking new trustee applications through September 30th.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
- September 22: Board work session at 6:30 PM
- September 30: Title I family engagement plans will be posted on school websites
- October 13: Next regular Board of Education meeting
- October 27: Following Board of Education meeting
Thanks for reading this summary of the Board of Education meeting, you can watch the original full video here