Starting Feb. 11 with the Community Leaders Meeting, the Board of Education initiated a three month long process to engage the community about the future of the Firelands School District. Twenty-two meetings attended by over two hundred residents were held in every part of the district; in people’s homes, their churches, at our schools and even in a farmer’s barn! At the May 13 State of the Schools meeting, the Board and Administration shared what they heard through this process:
 
• Securing the financial future of the district is essential. Our children cannot suffer the consequences of reductions in programming, transportation, and/or higher class sizes. It is important to address the district’s operational needs as soon as possible, but the district needs to continue to explore ways to control its costs.
 
• Construction of a new facility to replace South Amherst Middle School is needed, but should not be brought to the community before the operational needs of the district are addressed.
 
• The community is very proud of the district and pleased with the progress we are making. Continued communication with the district’s residents is essential as we look to generate much needed additional revenue in the near future.
 
A big thanks to those residents that opened up their homes so we could have these important discussions. I encourage everyone to become involved in the process as we move forward and seek to educate the public on our needs.
 
Below is a link to the power-point presentation that was shared at the meeting.
 
 
http://www.firelandsschools.org/drupal/sites/default/files/Firelands%20Local%20Schools%20State%20of%20the%20Schools.swf