May 8, 2020
Dear Students and Parents,
My hope is that this email finds you safe and well. We have reached our 8th week of virtual learning and each day I am thankful for the dedication of our staff, hard work of our students and commitment of our parents supporting the educational process. This has been a tremendous learning opportunity for all of us, and we will be better educators and parents on the other side of this crisis. You have received a number of updates from me as superintendent; however, I do believe this to be the one of most importance. I would ask that you not only review this information in detail but also provide us the feedback we have solicited to help us move forward with planning.
State Budget Cuts:
This week, Governor DeWine announced that there would be a $300.4 million cut to education funding in the State of Ohio for this fiscal year. Yesterday, the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) released the local impact on districts throughout Ohio. Chagrin Falls Schools will lose $534,000 in state funding. This is a 32% reduction in state funding and the 15th largest cut of the more than 600 school districts in Ohio. It is important to note that the fiscal year for the School District ends June 30; therefore, we need to consider immediate cost reductions. We had been working internally to reduce the millage of our next levy and have already implemented $350,000 in reductions.
The Chagrin Falls Board of Education met on Wednesday, May 6 to begin to evaluate options moving forward. We remain committed to providing a reasonable ask of our community in November and will work diligently to limit the impact this has on our students. More information will be forthcoming as we move through this process.
Closing of School:
We distributed our virtual learning calendar for students and staff shortly after the stay at home order was put in place. This calendar identified the last week of school as To Be Determined (TBD). We want to provide clear direction on the end of the school year for our families. Please note the following important dates:
Thursday, May 21:
Last day of instruction and assigned work for students K – 12.
Friday, May 22:
Teacher work day / Professional Development - AP Testing scheduled for this day will take place
Monday, May 25:
No School, Memorial Day
Tuesday, May 26 - Friday, May 29
Students will be provided this week to complete any missing work and buildings will provide information on end of year closure procedures including collection and drop off of materials.
The District will launch guidance K-11 summer learning resources. Students and parents are encouraged to review the information and check access. These resources are strongly encouraged to be incorporated in summer routines at home. District Chromebooks will remain with students over the summer.
Monday, June 1 –
Last day for staff
Opening of School Fall 2020:
This has remained an evolving situation for all of us and currently there is little clarity on what a return to school could / should look like to ensure safety for our students. It is extremely difficult for our team to create an effective plan without these parameters. We believe that we will receive some guidance in mid-May. We are very cognizant that any change to the normal school routine does have implications for parents. The District leadership team is committed to provide the best possible educational experience for our students. Right now, we have a great opportunity to understand the impact of the virtual learning environment on our students, staff and parents. Our priority over the next three weeks is to understand the experience of our constituents so we can use this insight to drive our planning moving forward. We would ask that our parents fill out the survey linked below for EVERY student in their home. This information will drive our planning for next year; therefore, we ask that you please take the time to be reflective and give us your feedback by
CLICKING HERE
.
Again, thank you for the continued support of our students and School District.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Hunt, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools
440-247-3933
