Volume 52, No. 15
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CHESTERLAND NEWS Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Your Community Newspaper Since 1967
Focus Groups May Form to Address West G Grade-Leveling Concerns By Ann Wishart ann@geaugamapleleaf.com
ANN WISHART/KMG
West Geauga Schools Board of Education member Bill Beers asked in a special meeting Dec. 27 if the problem with grade-leveling and an influx of students from Newbury Schools next year could be solved by shifting students to a central campus.
West Geauga Schools Board of Education did not vote on grade-leveling or other issues during a Dec. 27 special meeting. The one-hour meeting started at 8 a.m. and ended with initial plans to have focus group meetings, including a variety of residents, administration and staff to discuss the contentious topic of grade-leveling.
Claypool Sworn-In
Board members were given a spreadsheet evaluating seven possible scenarios in which the district absorbs about 350 students from Newbury Schools when the territory transfer takes effect in 2020. About 75 parents attended a Dec. 11 meeting and spoke out against the plans presented to change Lindsey and Westwood elementary schools from each housing students from kindergarten through grade five to having kindergarten
through second grade students at Westwood and students in grades three through five at Lindsey. Superintendent Richard Markwardt said under the plan, all classes and teachers at each grade level would be in the same buildings encouraging collaboration and better achievement test scores. Students would stay together as they progress through the system, which would make stronger See Schools • Page 6
Brittni Mason Sets World Record in 100-Meter Dash WG Grad Has Paralympic Olympic Ambitions By Jamie Ward jamie@geaugamapleleaf.com
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Walter “Skip” Claypool, left, was sworn in as a Chester Township trustee on Dec. 27. Claypool defeated Frank Kolk in the November general election, 1,247 votes to 970, for the unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2021. Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Matt Lynch administered the oath of office as Pam Claypool held the Bible. “It was a good time and a good start,” Claypool said. “Now the work begins.”
Sprinter Brittni Mason has built a strong resume on the women’s track team at Eastern Michigan University since graduating from West Geauga in 2016. Her 4X100-meter relay team set a school record in May. This month, the senior was named captain of this season’s team for the first time. Yet May also marked the beginning of a new opportunity when Mason learned she was eligible to compete in the Paralympic Games. She’s now a member of Team USA. In her international debut, Mason set a T47 100-meter world record Nov. 12 during the Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. Her See Mason • Page 8
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Brittni Mason, a 2107 West Geauga graduate, set a world record in the 100-meter dash at the Para Athletics Championships in Dubai.
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