Board Update

During the November 18 board meeting, there was an update on plans for the Hilltop site, planning for the second semester, and the recent community meeting regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the district, among other important items.

A report was presented from the Building and Grounds Committee about the status of the Hilltop Athletic Complex project. Superintendent Jason Enix discussed what could be part of Phase 1 of the development plan, along with possible alternatives for the project depending on budget. No board action was taken on the matter at this time.

Site drawings can be viewed here: Hilltop Athletic Complex Master Plan and Phase 1

Mr. Enix discussed the Strategic Planning process, which has led to draft mission and vision statements being completed. Smaller groups will be formed to move the process forward with the goal of bringing a final strategic planning document to the board for approval in January.

A Special Board Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 21 beginning at 9 am, for the purposes of professional development. There will be no action taken at this board meeting.

The Board voted to delay the decision on the second semester until the regularly scheduled Board Meeting on December 2. Mr. Enix shared with the board that recommendations from the state in regards to physical distancing and other safety precautions around COVID-19 have not changed. The tentative second-semester plan would see the district continuing in a blended learning model, with in-person instruction on Wednesdays potentially being added back in. Families with students currently in remote learning will be given a survey in early December, allowing them to return their students to blended learning if they choose.

Mr. Enix discussed the virtual community meeting held on November 17, the decision to switch to remote learning temporarily, and the impact of COVID-19 on the district. During the days of November 10-12, more than 100 Reading students had to be quarantined, including the girl’s high school basketball team and the boy’s middle school basketball team. Other students across all schools were impacted because of close-contact or positive testing. This resulted in approximately 15% of Reading students being out of school. Because of evidence of spread within our district, the decision was made to switch to remote learning to slow the spread. Due to on-going concerns of increased Covid-19 activity among our district staff, teachers and other staff are now working remotely through the Thanksgiving break.

His presentation can be viewed here: How COVID-19 is Impacting RCCSD

A recording of the Superintendent’s Virtual Community Meeting can be found here.

The OHSAA has recently decided that winter sports will move forward as scheduled. Each district and league will be monitoring conditions and making decisions as needed.

The Board approved a resolution supporting the Ohio Fair School Funding effort that is currently being discussed by state lawmakers in Columbus. If lawmakers take action, it would be a resolution to a long-standing debate over the appropriate way to fund public schools across Ohio.

The Board approved the 2021-2022 academic calendar, which can be found here.

In addition to these action items, the Board approved the five-year forecast. Treasurer Colette Lewis reminded the Board of the assumptions that were incorporated in the five-year forecast, which was presented in its entirety at the last board meeting. Lewis stated that the district has continued deficit spending and without a levy, the cash balance on hand is expected to be less than $40,000 by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Further details can be found in the Treasurer’s Update below.

School board meetings are streamed and archived here.

Superintendent Update - November 18, 2020

Treasurer Update - November 18, 2020