The school treasurer presented a report and a 5-year plan.  Here is the Financial Forecast and Treasurer’s Report. The 5-year financial plan did not seem good, but i could not hear much of the treasurer’s report due to the lack of a sound system. The state of Ohio is late with a payment, and tax revenue is down.

About 15 Lice Moms presented information to the board and urged them to establish new guidelines for lice and other medical conditions.

An $18,000 gift from the sports booster was gratefully acknowledged. Money for overnight field trips was approved. Long term subs were approved. One parent asked why long term subs don’t have to have teaching certificates. They will get back to her.

Public comment portions of the meeting are limited to 15 minutes at the beginning and 15 minutes at the end.

The board then held an executive session and expected no  voting actions to come of it.

This is apparently part of the Union negotiating tactics, “Black Monday” a pre-planned show of solidarity with their negotiating team or it was some kind of Ninja day, or a Johnny Cash tribute.

The School Board and administration is unable to comment on specific items due to legal restrictions of the Federal Mediation process.  The head of the teacher’s union had no comment about the black and the buttons, but referred my questions to this Advocate story.

Additionally, here is link to an Advocate article from a year ago which outlines salaries in the county  here.

Here is a state wide comparison. This seems to be the most complete listing.  Decide for yourself. It seems to be a complicated problem, some districts get more money per pupil, some excellent districts pay more, some less.

And more info about the district here.

The Aurora rock comes to life and eats someone! Click it for a larger view

In a comeback that will go down as one of the biggest in tournament history, Aurora scored six straight goals to earn a 6-5 overtime victory over Bay Village in the first round of the Baron Cup III tournament Monday at the Brooklyn Recreation Center.

Junior wing Aaron Jaskiewicz scored the game-winning goal with almost two minutes expired in overtime, erasing what had been a 5-0 deficit entering the third period.

Jaskiewicz and linemate David Walker, a senior, had hat tricks, and linemate Jester Sandsjo, an exchange student from Sweden, had five assists.

Buddy Martin had a hat trick for the Rockets, who went scoreless over the last 17:55.

“We were joking that the goals were going to come in bunches once we got that first goal, but we never dreamed they’d come in bunches like that,” said Aurora coach John Sheridan. “You just can’t imagine a comeback like that until it happens.”

From the Plain Dealer staf reports

<this is Aurora assistant football coach Brian Wervey.

It always amazes me how quickly a stadium empties once a state championship trophy has been handed over to its new owner. If it was me on the winning side, I’d want to stay all day, or all night, just to make the moment last longer. Once you exit the stadium, it’s just a memory.

Maybe that’s why Aurora defensive coordinator Brian Wervey was the last to leave the field  more

Photos from the game    

More photos from the game

A championship, a Saturday Greenmen won’t forget
Sunday, November 30, 2008

Canton– They all had smiles on their faces, a few had tears in their eyes. Each one raised a single finger in the air as they posed for pictures, the state championship trophy at their feet.

Every Aurora football player will never forgot this sunny Saturday afternoon at Fawcett Stadium where the Greenmen defeated Columbus Eastmoor Academy, 21-10, to win the Division III state championship.  more

Aurora community rallies for Division III football state champions
by Olivera Perkins/Plain Dealer Reporter November 30, 2008 02:32AM
The fans were so tightly crammed in the small auxiliary gym at Aurora High School that elbow room and air to breathe were at a premium.

But somehow those four walls accommodated the stadium-filling roar of a community that had come to honor the Division III state champion Aurora football team. Maybe the walls magically expanded. After all, this was a magical season.  more

Sports Pages

CANTON - It’s said everyone has 15 minutes of fame.

Aurora senior Dee Brizzolara stole the spotlight for about 15 seconds during today’s 21-10, Division III state-title victory over Columbus Eastmoor Academy, but he wasn’t complaining.

“Wow, this is unbelievable,” said Brizzolara, a receiver/defensive back. “It’s really too hard to explain.” more,
CANTON - It is a story that is probably written every year across America.

Small-town team bounces back from a shaky start and goes on to win the first state football championship in school history, knocking off team after team with more size, more speed and bigger reputations.

It never gets old. Aurora added its personalized chapter to that story this afternoon when it outplayed Columbus Eastmoor Academy  more

Photos from the season

First-half Game Video   Second-half Game Video  

Former student activist Roseann Canfora remembers ducking behind a car to avoid being shot May 4, 1970, when students who were protesting the Vietnam War on the campus of Kent State University were killed by members of the Ohio National Guard.

From the Pittsburg Post-Gazette and The Toledo Blade

AURORA BOARD OF EDUCATION APPEALS TO STATE BOARD TO CORRECT AMBIGUITIES IN STATE “REPORT CARDS”

To:        Members of the State Board of Education:

From:   Members of the Aurora Board of Education

Date:    August 28, 2008

We, the members of the Aurora Board of Education, urge you to seek answers to mounting questions over why high-achieving school districts like the Aurora City School District are ranked below lower performing districts as a result of the state superintendent’s newly created report card category: “Excellent with Distinction.”

This year, Aurora’s test scores were higher than in previous years and showed significant growth. Due to the fact that last year the growth score alone was not in the “above” range, our district is not awarded the “distinction” rating this year. It is highly disappointing that this one factor can overshadow significant growth in other areas and negate the outstanding overall achievement of our district with what appears to be a lower overall rating.

Superior districts like Aurora, Beachwood and Orange now find themselves having to explain to their communities what appears to be a “drop” in our report card grades.    In these three districts and in numerous high performing schools throughout the state, our schools are ranked BELOW lower performing schools with the new formula–beneath schools that failed to meet all of the performance indicators (as we did), beneath schools that had significantly lower test scores, and beneath schools that had lower performance index scores.   The fact that high performing schools like Aurora could be ranked lower than districts with lower scores across the board is mind-boggling; it is therefore difficult for superintendents and board members to justify the apparent “drop” in grade to a disappointed public that calls to question “why?”

This is particularly disturbing in a year when Aurora is celebrating news that we had met 30 out of 30 performance indicators and that our test scores were among the highest in the state: first place in 7th grade math scores, third place in 6th grade math, 15th in 8th grade math, and 10th in 8th grade science. ODE’s new “grading system” clearly negates such significant achievement while more substantially rewarding marked “improvement” in lower performing schools, giving them a level of “distinction” denied to us.

When the results were published in both the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon Journal this week, the confusing new report card category, “Excellent with Distinction” is creating public image problems for many high-performing districts.   The new “distinction” category is making traditionally “A” schools appear on the new chart as “B” schools. There is, therefore, no easy way for the state superintendent or for any one of us to explain what appears to citizens as a drop in a school’s overall grade when scores, across the board, show significant growth and improvement.

Quite frankly, the new report card formula is highly flawed, if higher performing districts can be ranked beneath lower performing schools with such ambiguity. The value-added factor, AYP status, performance index scores and performance on the 30 indicators are actually good measures of district success; however, the manner in which schools are being divided has proven to be not only inappropriate, but harmful.

We hope the State Board of Education will address the obvious imbalance the new formula creates and the problems it is causing for excellent schools. There are numerous superintendents and board members state-wide who are hoping you will meet with the State Superintendent to reassess this confusing change in report card ratings.    Clearly, the new category that includes AYP and value-added factors distorts the overall academic achievement of Ohio’s public schools. Our students and teachers work too hard to be sent a message that schools that meet fewer standards and that score lower on state tests will be awarded “distinction” status above them.

Superintendent Russ Bennett can answer any questions you may have more specifically by calling (330) 954-2119.   We hope the State Board of Education will review this situation and create a report card system that adequately depicts the quality of our schools.

Sincerely,

Aurora Board of Education:

Gerald P. Kohanski, President
Ann Morrison, Vice President
Pam Mehallis, Member
Bev Kuch, Member
John Sloe, Member

Tickets and discounted ticket books for athletic events at Aurora High School are available at the AHS Athletic Office between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. weekdays.  Individual tickets for students will also be available for purchase in the main office of each school building this year.

Individual ticket prices: Adults – $4, Students – $3;  Discounted Ticket Books:
Adults – 10 tickets  for $30; Students – 10 tickets for $20

Last year, one of the changes made after the levy failure was charging students for tickets. It was thought that it was repealed after the levy passage. Now students must pay for the football games. It seems that this is a change of policy for the schools.  A student ID was all that was required for admittance to the games.

Sure, you could buy a booklet, but what if the weather stinks and you don’t want to go sit in the cold rain.

Do the schools truly need this additional revenue after the levy passage?  Or is this a way to  discourage the throngs of unsupervised younger kids at the football games?

The business agreement, reached on July 30, will give naming rights to InkStop, scheduled to open its doors in Aurora in August. It will also enable the newly-formed Greenmen Pride organization to reach its “million dollar goal” in Phase #1 of the community’s stadium renovation project.

            “We are delighted to have InkStop step forward in support of our efforts to create a state-of-the-art stadium in Aurora,” said George Balog, who created the citizen-based Greenmen Pride organization this spring. The non-profit group of citizen volunteers began with a handful of community volunteers who stunned many, including Bennett, when they raised more than $800,000 in private donations in a little more than two months for their stadium project.

            “It’s not just impressive, but heart-warming to see such an outpouring of support in our school community by private citizens and local businesses,” said Bennett. “The field will not only benefit our schools in numerous ways, but will be a showpiece and an asset for the city of Aurora for years to come.

            Phase #1 of the renovation of the AHS field , which by a 10-year agreement will be known as “InkStop Field at Veterans Stadium,” includes installation of an artificial surface and a scoreboard with video capability.

            “Our goal is to create a first-class facility for the community of Aurora,” said Balog. “With the installation of the field and the purchase of a high-resolution video scoreboard, we will be the envy of other schools.”

            The installation of the high-tech scoreboard will provide opportunities, he said, for students to become involved in filming games and capturing crowd footage for fan enjoyment and instant replay.

            Phase Two of the Greenmen Pride project will include renovation of stadium concession stands, locker rooms and bleachers, including an 800 sq. ft. concession addition for Greenmen spirit wear. 

            Aurora resident Dirk Kettlewell, CEO and founder of InkStop that operates more than 130 stores in 12 states, said he is confident his business agreement with Aurora City Schools will reap benefits beyond the city of Aurora.

            “We are thrilled to be the springboard that will enable Greenmen Pride to complete the first phase of the community’s stadium renovation,” said Kettlewell. “A key element of our [InkStop] culture is being a good corporate citizen, and this partnership will benefit not only Aurora residents but also surrounding neighborhoods by improving the quality of community life.”

            The artificial surface at InkStop Field will be ready for use for the Greenmen Football Team’s first home game against Avon on August 21.   The high-tech scoreboard will be installed by mid-season. The privately-funded project is expected to be a welcome enhancement for Aurora soccer, AHS gym classes, and youth sports in Aurora.

            The field renovations, funded entirely by donations, are also expected make Aurora a highly desirable location for high school playoff games, which can generate substantial revenue for the schools, Bennett said.

            “Overall the benefits of the Greenmen Pride project will be seen and felt by many for years to come,” he said. “It’s an extraordinary example of the vision and generosity of the people of Aurora.”

Russ Bennett and Bill Volosin will be available to respond to any questions the public might have and clarification of any issues pertaining to the levy.