Superintendent's Message:
Our first semester is quickly coming to a close. I would like to thank all of the wonderful staff, students, and community members who have welcomed me and my family to this amazing community to make this home for us.
The above picture represents our volleyball team and their ability to
raise over $1100 for the American Childhood Cancer Organization in honor of one of their classmates battling cancer. There is an article in the Dec. 6th edition of the Germantown Press where students and staff went the extra mile to make a student feel more included. While the media shares countless stories about our youth making poor decisions, it is important to remember and celebrate that we have so many outstanding young people in our district who are working to make our world better today.
We are in the process of revamping a number of items to help us serve these students better while at the same time reducing over overall financial footprint. While we begin working on addressing the needs of our physical buildings (see article below), we need to also focus on what is happening inside the walls of our buildings as well. Attached
HERE
is the presentation that I shared at the board of education meeting last night. Hopefully we will be able to begin sharing some of the additional changes in the coming weeks.
We are excited about the entry ramps being installed at the Intermediate and Primary buildings in order to make those buildings more accommodating for all individuals. The contractor is behind in the schedule for installation and completion of the ramps. As such, we are withholding all payment and have asked for a recovery schedule and timeline to assure a more timely completion. We apologize for the inconvenience this causes people, but we strongly believe in the importance of completing this work and will continue to oversee it until it is concluded.
We are now a member of the Ohio Open Checkbook. You can go online (click
HERE
) and see all of the checks we issue. This is just another tool we are using to help increase the transparency of our district to our community members. As you look at the checkbook, it is important to note that it includes every fund of our district. While we typically only report out our general fund reports as it represents our local tax dollars, the Open Checkbook includes federal Title money, grant funds, etc. If you have any questions about the Checkbook, please contact our treasurer, Ms. Laura Sauber, at
laura.sauber@valleyview.k12.oh.us
so that she can give you the needed information.
As the weather keeps changing, please make sure you work to ensure kids are dressed appropriately for the elements. Parents of high school students: Please take a few extra moments to discuss with student drivers the importance of safety when driving in adverse driving conditions and the importance of leaving earlier to allow for extra driving time. You can click
HERE
to read how we make the decision on whether we should cancel or delay school. Just know that student safety is always our foremost priority.
It is an exciting time in Valley View. Here's to even better times in 2019!!
Proud to be your Superintendent,
Ben Richards
