Mansfield City Engineer Robert Bianchi discusses the Touby Run Flood Mitigation project at Tuesday’s board of education meeting. The
procedure for creating a district strategic plan was outlined for the Mansfield
City Schools Board of Education Tuesday evening.
In other
action during their regular monthly meeting, the board terminated the
employment of Fuzzie Davis, a former Mansfield Senior High assistant principal,
and heard an update about the Touby Run Flood Mitigation project.
Discussion
of the strategic plan was led by Bobby Moore of EPIC Impact Education Group.
“A strategic plan should have five to seven goals for the next three to five years. It should determine where you are and where you want to be, then involve the entire community to find pathways to achieve your goals,” Moore said.
The board
has not yet hired EPIC to lead development of a plan, but invited Moore back
Tuesday for a second conversation.
“A properly developed strategic plan would be a key evaluation tool to assure that the district is staying focused,” he said.
Moore said
EPIC would conduct a community-wide survey of all students, parents and
residents to assess their priorities. He said a strategic planning team would
be formed, as well as a strategic plan writing team. The plan then would be
posted on the district website for community response.
The planning
and writing teams would include district administrators, teachers and a
cross-section of community residents.
“How would you conduct the survey?” asked board member Judy Forney.
Moore said
it would be done primarily by email, although printed copies would be available
to those who need them.
Board
president Renda Cline said printed copies are important because some residents
do not have access to the Internet.
Focus groups
to discuss the plan would be open to everyone, Moore said.
While the
board did not act to hire EPIC on Tuesday, it may do so soon. In a related
matter, Chris Elswick and Mrs. Forney were named to represent the board on a
yet-to-be-formed facilities research committee.
In other
business, the board returned from executive session to unanimously adopt a
resolution officially terminating the employment of Fuzzie Davis.
Davis was
placed on administrative leave in January 2018 after the district determined
that she failed to report an inappropriate sexual remark made to a student by a
teacher. The board determined that Davis did not contact police or Richland
County Children Services, as required by the Ohio Revised Code, board policy
and board administrative guidelines.
After Davis
was terminated in April, she sought a hearing before a referee appointed by the
Ohio Department of Education. The referee, whose findings were not binding,
ruled in favor of Davis.
The board vote on Tuesday was on a resolution “rejecting the referee’s report and terminating any and all employment contracts of Fuzzie Davis with the board of education effective 12:01 a.m. February 20, 2019.”
During the
public session the board also heard an update on the Touby Run project from
city engineer Robert Bianchi and Miles Hebron of that office. The project
involves construction of a dry dam at North Lake Park to collect excess storm
water to prevent flooding on the north side of the downtown area.
Mansfield City Schools is involved because the district is one of 16 property owners from whom the city is seeking easements. Those properties could be flooded briefly, described as “a temporary indentation,” in the event of a very heavy rainstorm.
The district
property in question is along Touby Run immediately west of the high school
front parking lot, south of West Fourth Street and east of the B&O trail.
The foot bridge that crosses Touby Run to the athletic fields would not be
affected.
The district will continue to own the property but the city will make an offer for an easement purchase, based on appraised value of the land. When board member Gary Feagin asked how long the easement would be in effect, Bianchi said “in perpetuity.”
No amount
for the easement was discussed but the city will be in touch with district
treasurer Robert Kuehnle to make an offer.