B A Y
V I L L A G E
C I T Y
S C H O O L
A Report to the Community on the Business of Our City Schools
D I S T R I C T
J A N U A R Y 2 0 24
The Quality Profile Issue
Developing a Facility Master Plan for Bay Village Schools: A Q & A with Supt. Scot Prebles Did you know the Glenview Center was built in 1947? Or that Bay Middle School will celebrate its 20th anniversary this month? Bay Village Schools is conducting a comprehensive facility review and audit of the district’s buildings as part of its Facility Master Plan, an objective in the district’s new strategic plan. We sat down with Supt. Scot Prebles to find out more about this process and what we as a community can expect to learn from the results. Q. We hear the district is conducting a facility audit. That sounds expensive; how much will the study cost the district? A. Great question, and the good news is the audit is free to the district! The plan for the audit was presented during the Monday, December 4, 2023, Board of Education Meeting. This free audit is paid for by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC), and will be conducted by a neutral party.
Q. Please remind me... When did all this facility audit conversation first start? A. Sure, no problem. The 14 community volunteers who served on the district’s Strategic Vision Advisory Committee (SVAC) felt the district’s nearly 500,000 square feet of learning community space was an important item to include in the strategic plan framework. As you know, we kicked off that community conversation in November of 2022 when we invited the community to the district’s Community Strategic Plan Focus Group event. Out of that meeting, the SVAC was developed and that team worked hard for the next three months to create the foundation. And one year later, the community met in that very same room to roll out the new strategic plan. Now Director of Human Resources and Operations Aaron Ereditario, alongside our district facilities and maintenance team, is working with the OFCC folks to gain knowledge of the quality of our structures and the shape they are in. Q. So what happens next? A. Mr. Ereditario and his team await the results of the OFCC audit, which is expected in March. In the meantime, the district is in the process of assembling a volunteer facility review team to review the anticipated audit results, and to then offer recommendations to the Bay Board of Education. If you have interest in serving on this team, I encourage you to reach out to Mr. Ereditario at 440-617-7398 or aaron.ereditario@bayk12.org.
Prior to this audit, no property assessments were available for each building’s electrical, plumbing or roof conditions. During the December 18 Board Meeting, architects were interviewed, and at the January 22 meeting, the Board intends to appoint an architect – again free of charge – to help guide the district should there be a future need to move forward with remodels or new construction. Q. Well that’s great news, but why does the district need all this information? A. The audit is part of the Accountability priority in the district’s new strategic plan. One of the objectives of the Accountability priority is to create a facility master plan. Before we can accomplish this, we need the review and audit information to learn what the experts think. Then we will go from there.
The next step will be to develop community consensus for the future facility master plan. That could include anything from doing nothing at all, light repairs and renovations to the buildings, extensive remodels and/or a new facility. We don’t know what we don’t know, because again, remember, we currently have no assessment of the buildings’ electrical, plumbing or roof condition before this free audit. I will say that at this time, there is no talk of a bond issue. We are in the audit stage to gain knowledge from the experts who will provide this information free of charge. If you have questions, I welcome your calls at 440-617-7300 or emails at scot.prebles@bayk12.org. Better yet, let’s talk in person at our next Coffee Chat, scheduled for Friday, January 19 from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at Mojo’s. FUTURE COFFEE CHATS: Wednesday, March 20 • 6-7 p.m. • Board of Education Office Friday, May 10 • 10-11 a.m. • Bay Provisions, 328 Bassett Rd.
Achieving at the State, Regional and National Levels 2024 Merit Students Announced Bay Village Schools is proud to announce that four Bay High School seniors have been recognized in the 2024 National Merit® Scholarship Program, an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. Students are identified based on their Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) scores. Our two semilfinalists, James and Faith, scored in the top 1% of the 1.5 million students who took the 2022 test. COMMENDED
SEMIFINALISTS
James Kelly
Faith Teutschbein
Athletic & Activities Director Matt Spellman Honored
Owen Appenheimer
Ewan Moss
Athletics & Activities Director Matt Spellman was named “Athletic Director of the Year” by the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA). The award honors “Those doing exemplary work with the young people, coaches and communities of Ohio.” Spellman was honored in November at the association’s annual conference.
Senior Picked for All-State Band Boys Cross Country Runs at State; Girls Soccer to Final Four Congratulations to Bay High Boys Cross Country for placing fourth at the 2023 OHSAA State Championships at Fortress Obetz and Memorial park on November 4, 2023. The state team consisted of Will Dunstan, Spencer Grace, Sacha Jones, Michael Hanselman, Kieran Ripley, Connor Spellman, Peyton Myers and Brennen Lyons, coached by Bay High Alumnus Jack Hautz.
Photos: Thomas & Thomas
Kudos also to Girls Soccer who made it to the Final Four. Congratulations to all players and coaches on these very successful seasons.
Bay High Senior Ewan Moss was named to the All-State Band on Trombone. He is one of eight in the entire state. Ewan will perform at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) Conference in Columbus this February.
Tessa Knapp
Milo Hignett
Bay High Soccer Standouts Congratulations to Bay High School students Tessa Knapp (2 time) and Milo Hignett who have been named to the United Soccer Coaches Association All-American Team.
Nearly 90 Students Inducted into NHS Membership in National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the highest honors bestowed upon a high school student, recognizing outstanding performance in both the classroom and in the community. The Bay High School Chapter of NHS tapped 87 students for membership during its 84th Annual Induction Ceremony in November. These students represent the four pillars of NHS: Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character.
BHS Technology and Engineering Programs Honored BHS teachers Luke Kieffer and Ron Rutt were recently honored with the Program Excellence Award by International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) for the 202324 school year. This award recognizes “Superior K-12 technology and engineering education programs from around the world. These programs serve as a standard for comparison and models for the development of other programs. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in their region, province, or state as proponents of advancing technological literacy for all.” Kieffer and Rutt will be honored at a conference this spring.
BAY HIGH SCHOOL Since 2018, BHS has won GreatSchools.org’s College Success Award, and with a win again in 2023, BHS maintains its Gold Status. Bay High also received AP Gold Recognition from the College Board for AP culture and scores. (Only 5% of schools were eligible for this recognition.) Eleven BHS seniors participated in the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ Future of Democracy program. They participated in an intense training, and served as poll workers in the recent November election. Before winter break, Key Club again hosted a holiday lights bus tour with Knickerbocker residents. BHS will begin fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this month.
BAY MIDDLE SCHOOL In November, nearly 700 BMS students raked more than 120 lawns as part of the school's 20-year-old Great Rake-out event. This service project was possible because of the 200 teacher and parent volunteers who chaperoned the students as they raked the lawns of senior citizens and other Bay residents needing extra assistance. Right before Winter Break, the school held a canned food drive for a local food pantry. The Bay Middle School Girls and Boys Cross Country teams took first and second place, respectively, at State competition. Eighth-graders are gearing up for the annual Washington, D.C. trip that will hit the road in late May for an educational field trip to our Nation’s Capital.
WESTERLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Westerly STEMFest continued this fall with the help of the Bay High Science & Robotics Club, who demonstrated experiments to get the third- and fourth-graders thinking about their own projects, which included demonstrations about crystals, fruit batteries and aerofoil. In November, Westerly honored veterans with its annual Honor Wall called “Our STARS in the Fight for Freedom.” Students shared stars with information about their family members who have served our country.
NORMANDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Normandy second-graders have the opportunity to participate in the Kids Who Care Club that meets after school. The group of about 15 students, moderated by Anne Hart and Gabrielle Abraham, collected Halloween candy for alumni serving in the military and made cards for veterans in local hospitals. Recently, the club visited residents at the Knickerbocker senior living community to share holiday cheer, and they collected hats, gloves and socks for the homeless. Congratulations to Normandy for receiving Gold Level Status for its implementation of schoolwide PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)! The school was recently recognized by State Support Team Region 3 and the Ohio PBIS Network. This spring, Normandy gears up for the 11th anniversary of One School One Book.
GLENVIEW CENTER for Child Care & Learning The Glenview Center is in the process of renovating its playground, working with a local landscape architect to create an outdoor learning laboratory and playscape where learning and play can coexist in an environment that stimulates and strengthens children’s connection with nature. This renovation will also be used by Glenview’s aftercare program students. Glenview has also initiated work on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) programming. Children have been working hard to earn stars for making safe, respectful and helpful choices proudly displayed in classroom rockets. Glenview is looking for Peer Models for next school year's SEED Preschool Program. Please contact Glenview Director Alexa Davey for more information. Peer Models must be 3 and potty-trained by June 1, 2024.
Superintendent’s Choice Award Showcases Student Artwork Supt. Scot Prebles has converted a corner of the Board of Education office into an art gallery, featuring artwork chosen for the Superintendent's Choice Art Award. Prebles initiated the award during his inaugural year, and continued the new tradition by selecting one piece of art from each K-12 building that was featured in the recent Fall District Art Show. The artwork is displayed outside Supt. Prebles’ office. Congratulations to these talented students and their teachers.
Westerly Artist: Eddie Waters Title: Bug Kaleidoscope Design Medium: Colored Pencil Teacher: Debra Sanson Background: This artwork was inspired by nature. Students chose several insects and plant forms to draw a design with radial balance. Normandy Artist: Mateo Lico Title: Mixed Up Shapes • Medium: Oil, Pastels, Paint Teacher: Jama Jennings Background: Kindergarten classes were learning about Spanish artist Joan Miro, creating organic shapes versus geometric. This was a cross-curricular opportunity with their Spanish classes.
Bay High Artist: Anneliese Larsen Title: American Courage Medium: Digital Illustration using Adobe Illustrator Teacher: Greg Hildebrandt Background: The artist used a drone photograph and reduced all the shapes and colors to vector in the program--a slow and careful process. This was a project in Advanced Digital Media class.
Bay Middle Artist: Megan Chakerian Title: Westside Market • Medium: Colored Pencil Teacher: Wendy Fortunato Background: This drawing was based on photos taken from a Westside Market field trip. Layering of tints and tones create a paint-like quality that looks 3-Dimensional.
Faculty Named #1 in Cleveland again!
Military Appreciation Night
Bay Village Schools was named the district with the Best Teachers in Cleveland (two years in row!), voted #1 in the Cleveland area, #5 in Ohio and #39 in the nation by Niche.com. The district itself was awarded an A+ rating. Niche.com is the website that researches, ranks and reviews the best U.S. colleges, schools, neighborhoods and companies.
Save the Date: The third annual Military Appreciation Night is Friday, February 9 at the Basketball Double Header, Boys & Girls vs. Rocky River, 7 p.m. at Bay High School. Admission is free to all members of the military, active or veterans.
U.S. News & World Report Bay Village Schools is proud to announce that three schools have been recognized as top schools in the state by U.S. News & World Report. • Westerly is #13 in Northeast Ohio and #39 in Ohio. • BMS is #6 in Northeast Ohio and #20 in Ohio. • BHS is #7 in Northeast Ohio and #24 in Ohio Editor’s Note: Normandy was not rated.
BAY VILLAGE BOARD OF EDUCATION UPDATE At the December 4, 2023, Board of Education meeting, two Resolutions were presented to honor retiring Board members Beth Lally and Paul Vincent. Mrs. Lally served the district for eight years, including as Vice President and President. Her involvement and leadership was instrumental in serving the STEM Academy, Strategic Planning, the opening of the Home of the Rockets, passing two school levies, leadership during a pandemic and leading the Board to hire key positions within the district, including two superintendents, two treasurers and the appointment of three Board members.
Retiring Board members Beth Lally and Paul Vincent display signs made for them by students in Mrs. McArn’s and Mrs. Dunstan’s first-grade classes.
Mr. Vincent served four years, including as Board President. His involvement and leadership were significant in Strategic Planning, the opening of the Home of the Rockets, passing the recent levy, leadership during a pandemic and leading the Board to hire key positions within the district, including a superintendent, a treasurer and the appointment of a Board member. Bay Village Schools thanks both of these outstanding community members for their dedication to and support of our district and the students they served, as Board members, district parents and civic leaders.
THANK YOU
Honoring Retiring Board Members
Dr. Scott Schulz
The district also thanks Dr. Scott Schulz for serving as President of the Board of Education in 2023. Dr. Schulz continues on as a Board member for 2024.
Meet Your New Board Members Mrs. Debbie Callihan Mrs. Callihan was elected to the Board in November, 2023. She is a retired teacher having taught for 33 years at Lakewood City Schools. Mrs. Callihan holds a degree in Mathematics and Education from Kent State University. Her post-graduate work was done at Cleveland State University and Baldwin Wallace. As a teacher in Lakewood, she worked as a Classroom Teacher Educator for Cleveland State, training undergraduates in classroom instruction and management. She and her husband moved to Bay Village 40 years ago. Her daughter is a graduate of Bay Village Schools, and now she and her husband have three sons, 3rd grade, 7th grade and 8th grade, in Bay Village Schools. Mrs. Callihan is a past member and chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee, the Bay Middle School building committee, the Strategic Vision Advisory Committee and member of PTA. Mr. James Goodman Mr. Goodman was elected to the Bay Village Board of Education in November, 2023. Mr. Goodman currently serves as a trustee for the Bay Village Education Foundation, has previously served on the Citizens for Bay Schools levy committee and acts as head coach for the Bay Village Rockets Blue 12U travel baseball team. Professionally, Mr. Goodman works in the IT Contracts, Finance, and Vendor Management office at Case Western Reserve University. He and his family have lived in Bay Village for seven years. He and his partner, Angie, have two boys; a student at Bay Middle School and a soon-to-be kindergartener. Mr. Goodman holds a B.B.A. in Business Management and Labor Relations from Cleveland State University.
Electing New Board Leadership During the January 5 Organizational Board Meeting, the Bay Village Board of Education’s first matter of business for the 2024 calendar year was to elect new officers. Dr. Andrey Stojic was elected President and Mrs. Amy Huntley was voted Vice President.
Dr. Andrey Stojic
Amy Huntley
“The year will be important for our district. We have made a great start to implementing the district’s 5-year strategic plan – “Learn. Launch. Lead” -- and we look forward to continuing to phase in our vision to create the best educational experience for our students,” said newly elected President Stojic. “We will review our facilities audit and engage the community to determine the future goals for facilities, maintenance and improvement. As always, we will make sure our district maintains its commitment to meeting the needs of all students, and to give each child the best opportunity for academic and personal success.”
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ALSO APPROVED THE FOLLOWING 2024 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE. ALL BOARD MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT 6:30 P.M. AT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OFFICE, 377 DOVER CENTER ROAD. ALL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Jan. 22 (at BMS); Feb. 5, 20; Mar. 4, 18; Apr. 9, 22; May 7, 20; June 3, 17; July 8; Aug. 5, 19; Sept. 3, 16; Oct. 7, 21; Nov. 4, 18; Dec. 2, 16
January is School Board Recognition Month, and we thank our Board for its service.
Strategic Spending 2022-2023 The graphs below illustrate Bay Village Schools’ classroom spending and spending per pupil. With 72.1% of the district’s expenses going directly to classroom instruction, Bay Village is clearly prioritizing its investment in academic excellence. Compared to other area school districts, Bay Village focuses more of its funds on students’ classroom instruction versus other expense areas.
PERCENTAGE OF EXPENSES SPENT DIRECTLY IN THE CLASSROOM
Eficiency and Savings Update The district is constantly looking for ways to gain efficiency and save money in operations. Bay Village Schools saves money on its electricity and natural gas costs by joining with other
SPENDING PER PUPIL
schools across the state when purchasing these necessities. This greater purchasing power has led to more than $33,000 in savings on natural gas and $130,000 on electricity in fiscal year 2023.
FIVE YEAR FORECAST
REVENUE COMPARED TO EXPENDITURES
The five year forecast was filed with the State of Ohio in November. The forecast is a tool that is created with the information available at the time of the filing. The graph below shows the district's revenues, or money in, compared to its expenditures, or money out. The district is expected to have a balanced budget this year, meaning its revenues are greater than or equal to expenses. This is due to the additional revenue from the new 7.2 mill operating levy passed in November of 2022. A balanced budget is expected for at least the next three years.
CASH BALANCE
The graph below shows the district’s cash balance in its savings account over the past several years, and its projected increase and decrease throughout the current levy cycle. At the beginning of a levy cycle, a school district typically brings in additional cash to build up its cash balance. This puts the district in position to handle the latter years of the levy cycle when deficit spending is expected to occur. The graph shows that the district is expected to have a healthy cash balance to meet the district’s operating needs into the future.
Please keep in mind that the financial picture and outlook of a district can change throughout the year as new information becomes available.
2022-2023 OHIO REPORT CARD Bay Village Schools Earns 5-Star Overall Rating On September 14, 2023, the Ohio Department of Education released the 2022-23 State Report Card results for the more than 600 districts in the state. Bay Village Schools is proud to announce it received an overall 5-star rating on the report card. Five stars is the highest possible rating a district can achieve, which puts the district in the top 2% in the state. The district is ranked #5 in Northeast Ohio and #15 in the state of Ohio by its Performance Index. Bay received a 5-star rating on four of five measured components, including Achievement, Gap Closing, Early Literacy and Graduation.
Performance Index
106.6 PIS
With a Performance Index Score (PIS) of 106.6, Bay Village Schools saw an increase from 104.9 the year before, ranking in the top 2% of Ohio’s school districts. The performance index represents whether student performance met established thresholds, and how well students performed on tests overall, according to the Department of Education and Workforce. This is based on Ohio State Tests for third grade through high school.
“This is a success to be celebrated by all. We are especially proud that each of our buildings improved and that our Early Literacy component increased by more than 20%. We congratulate our students and staff.” -- Supt. Scot Prebles
Early Literacy: 5-Star Rating and Significant Improvement The Early Literacy Component of the State Report Card is a measure of reading improvement and proficiency for students in kindergarten through third grade. Specifically, the Improving K-3 Literacy measure calculates whether a district or building is making progress in improving literacy for struggling readers in grades kindergarten through third grade, according to district-reported benchmark assessments from one year to the next. The fall 2021 reading diagnostics in kindergarten through second grade are the baselines for kindergarten through second grade improvement on the 2023 Improving K-3 Literacy Measure. The fall 2022 reading diagnostics in third grade are the baseline for third grade improvement on the 2023 Improving K-3 Literacy Measure. If greater than 90% of the kindergarten students in the fall of 2022 are on track, the Improving K-3 Literacy Measure is not calculated and does not contribute to the Early Literacy Component.
NON-PROFIT ORG ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE
Bay Village City School District 377 Dover Center Road Bay Village, OH 44140
PAID COLUMBIA STA., OH PERMIT #4
Board of Education Dr. Andrey Stojic, President Amy Huntley, Vice President Debbie Callihan James Goodman Dr. Scott Schulz
ECRWSS 44140
POSTAL CUSTOMER
District Office Scot T. Prebles, Superintendent Meghan Rohde, Treasurer
BAY VILLAGE, OH 44140
DID YOU KNOW?
440-617-7300 www.bayk12.org
BAY HIGH SCHOOL
BAY MIDDLE SCHOOL
WESTERLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Originally the junior high, BHS was built in 1960 and converted to a high school in 1968. The cafeteria was added in 1970, and the music wing was added in 1976.
BMS is our newest building, turning 20 years old in January of 2024. Twenty years already – can you believe it?
1955 is the date of construction for Westerly, with additional classrooms added in 1962. The gymnasium was added in 1994, and the media/library update took place in 2014.
DISTRICT BUILDINGS • The KT Allen Administrative Building (Board of Education Office) was built in 1960 as the county library, and became part of the district in 1982, with an addition built in 2002.
NORMANDY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Originally built in 1953, classrooms were added in 1962. More classrooms were added, along with the gymnasium in 1994, and then four more classrooms were added in 2014.
GLENVIEW CENTER FOR CHILDCARE & LEARNING Glenview is our oldest facility with an original construction and opening date in 1947. Glenview added classrooms in 1962.
STAY CONNECTED WITH BAY SCHOOLS
• The maintenance building, where the Steinbrenner Barn still stands today, was built in 1980, with a 50’ x 100’ addition built in 2002. Note: The total square footage of our school buildings comes in at 481,270 square feet.
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