Education - Grassroots Meeting #1

Tonight I attended the first grassroots meeting on Education (see my previous post below). Turnout was high - about 70 people. This is not intended to be minutes of the meeting; those will come later, but there were some very interesting comments made that I thought are worth sharing tonight.

A CALL TO COLLEGE

Sarah Wallace gave the crowd a report on the program operated in the Newark City School system called A Call To College. It was started in 1991 and was based on a program in Columbus City Schools called I Know I Can. This program not only provides last dollar grants based on need to seniors at NHS, but it also walks students and parents through the financial aid process and paperwork and motivates students to stay in school and pursue secondary education. We are so fortunate to have this program in our community. With their help, last year an additional 2 million in aid, beyond what funds they contributed, was provided to local students for college. Kudos to Diane DeLawder for her leadership with this program.

FACTS ABOUT C-TEC PROVIDED BY RON CASSIDY

• In 2001, C-TEC enrollment was around 500; Today they are serving approximately 1600 students
• 50.4% of students that graduate from C-TEC enroll in secondary education
• Students can earn college credits to be used at COTC
• When a student enrolls at C-TEC, the school district they came from loses $5,400.00

NEWARK CITY SCHOOLS AND THE HEALING PROCESS

Keith Richards did an outstanding job taking us back in time to when Newark Schools was one of the premier school districts in the state, filled with rich tradition. He then jumped to 1997 when there was conflict in the community and the district asked for money with an income tax levy, which was successfully passed. A group of disgruntled citizens then fought hard to repeal two property taxes and won, taking away more funding than the 1997 income tax levy brought in. So basically, Newark City Schools is now operating with the same amount of money they had in 1998. Due to the repeal of the property taxes, Newark City Schools were forced to make substantial budget cuts. Those cuts ultimately ended up hurting the enrollment numbers, with over 750 students leaving the district in 1998.

Let's be honest. If anyone thinks that defeating school levies is about sending a message to the Administration and School Board members, and that it doesn't hurt the community, they are not living in reality. Families have to look out for the best interests of their children. If Newark Schools are not able to provide a quality education, we will lose them. And with them goes our current workforce and our future workforce, leaving behind a community that has declining property values and one that business and industry will overlook. Think about that. As a business owner, why would I want to locate in a community where I can't find the skilled workforce that is needed? Competition is already at an all time high with regards to attracting industry. If the State of Ohio ends up taking over our school system because our community refuses to financially support it, any interest in locating in Newark will dry up immediately. I have three children in the Newark school system and my hope is that they can continue to thrive there.

MENTORS ARE SORELY NEEDED

Some great comments were made on the need for mentors/tutors in the school system. Jennifer Utrevis and Steve Linham spoke on programs that are currently in place and how successful they have been. But as one woman stated: "Can we find mentors for parents?" That was a wow statement. And she is right. There are so many parents that need help and guidance from others and the community. She said even just a kind word of encouragement can go a long way, not only for students, but for adults as well.

Overall, I was very happy with the outcome of the first meeting. Many people signed up for the different working groups that have been established. The excitement and interest is still going. We'll see what tomorrow brings.