West Side News & Notes
By Jeff Gorman
Akron BOE cuts
teaching positions
AKRON — Declining enrollment will lead to the loss of 59 teaching positions in the Akron Public Schools (APS) District this fall. The APS Board of Education approved the cuts at the May 29 meeting.
Nine high school teachers will be cut, along with 25 each at the middle and elementary school levels. The school district will save $3.4 million in salaries and benefits.
District Treasurer Jack Pierson
said some of the faculty reductions would come as a
result of teachers retiring or moving to other districts.
The cuts were part of Pierson’s
new five-year forecast, in which the projected deficit
in 2011 fell from $22 million to $6.6 million. A decrease
in anticipated health care costs, as well as the reduction
in teaching positions, helped to reduce the shortfall.
Despite the cuts, the school
board did bring back 14 specific teaching positions.
Eighth-grade foreign language and fifth-grade instrumental
music will return in the fall. Seven teachers will be
hired for each subject. The programs had been eliminated
last year during the budget crisis, which was alleviated
by the voters’ passage of an operating levy in
November.
Superintendent Sylvester Small
also reminded the audience that middle school and freshman
athletics had already been restored for the fall.
In other news, board member Kirt
Conrad announced that the groundbreaking for the new
Crouse Community Learning Center will take place June
4 at 11 a.m.
The board also decided not to
change its policy requiring students to pass all state-required
tests in order to participate in graduation ceremonies.
A total of 127 seniors will be affected and will not
graduate.
Board President Linda Kersker
and Vice President Linda Omobien were considering deferring
the policy until next year. They changed their minds
after a presentation by Julie Mann, the executive director
of secondary education.
Mann talked about the numerous
opportunities students get to take the test, as well
as all of the free help available to them during the
summer.
“Ultimately, students have
to take responsibility for their own education,”
said board member James Hardy.
The next APS Board of Education
meeting is set for June 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Administration
Building, 70 N. Broadway.
Akron, Falls considering water
agreement, land swap
AKRON — At his weekly press
conference May 23, Akron
Mayor Don Plusquellic announced an agreement that, if
approved by Akron and Cuyahoga Falls city councils,
would provide water service in the former Northampton
Township area of Cuyahoga Falls and adjust several property
boundaries between the cities.
Water service would be provided
to residential and commercial/ industrial parcels in
Cuyahoga Falls that abut Akron water lines in the former
Northampton Township area. Water customers would pay
Akron rates plus 45 percent. Cuyahoga Falls would share
50 percent of the income taxes collected from new nonresidential
water customers with Akron.
The water service agreement would
provide for the placement of hydrants on Akron water
lines that are in the former Northampton area of Cuyahoga
Falls. This would aid those in Cuyahoga Falls who previously
had no hydrant service with fire protection.
The agreement also states:
• water lines and services
in Towpath Village along Akron-Peninsula Road would
be transferred from Cuyahoga Falls to Akron;
• water mains may be extended
from existing Akron water lines into Cuyahoga Falls;
and
• Cuyahoga Falls would perform
all pavement and surface restoration on roadways where
Akron has performed water system service and/or repair
work.
Cuyahoga Falls would, as part
of the agreement, transfer to Akron nearly 24 acres
of residential land — mostly along Smith Road
— and Akron would transfer about 20 acres of land
in the northwest section of Ascot Industrial Park to
Cuyahoga Falls.
Cuyahoga Falls City Council is
considering legislation that would authorize these agreements.
Plusquellic plans to submit similar legislation to Akron
City Council June 4.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Groups to lead study on lung
cancer, smoking
WEST AKRON — The Ohio Department
of Health’s (ODH) Tobacco Risk Reduction Program
and Center for Health Promotion,
in partnership with the Ohio Commission on African American
Males (CAAM), will execute a major statewide qualitative
research study involving black men who smoke and/or
have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The goal of the research study
is to create documentaries and public service announcements
of comments offered in focus group discussions that
can be used as discussion/learning tools for at-risk
black boys, primarily in urban communities.
Locally, focus groups will take
place June 7 from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Akron Urban Minority
Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program Inc. (UMADAOP),
665 W. Market St. The group will focus on experiences
with lung cancer, barriers to quitting smoking, perceived
benefits of quitting and ideal marketing elements for
future campaigns.
Each focus group will last 60-90
minutes. Refreshments will be served.
All information collected during
these discussions will remain confidential.
Those interested may participate
in a session or request a private interview to provide
additional comments. For information, contact focus
group facilitator The Voice of Your Customer at (866)
487-2210 or via e-mail at info@thevoiceofyour
customer.com.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Department of Animal Control
increases hours of operation
DOWNTOWN AKRON — The Summit
County Department of Animal Control, located at 460
E. North St., now is open seven days a week.
The facility now is open Mondays
through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays
and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the office is
open Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As of late November 2006, the
department began providing all adoptable dogs with the
following vaccinations: adenovirus; distemper; leptospirosis;
parainfluenza; and parvo. All
adoptable cats receive: calici; chlamydia; feline rhinotracheitis;
and panleukopenia vaccinations. All adoptable animals
also are treated for intestinal parasites, fleas and
rabies (if age appropriate).
For details, call (330) 643-2845
or visit www.co.summit.
oh.us/executive/animalcontrol. htm.
— By
Stephanie Kist
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