CUYAHOGA FALLS: School board member Kellie Patterson was named the new president of the Cuyahoga Falls City Schools Board of Education during the meeting on Monday.
"The coming year is bringing epic changes to the ways schools conduct business, and the challenges we face are many," Patterson said in some of her first comments as president. "I think we've laid that firm foundation. From here, we have to build on the partnerships we formed with businesses [and] secondary educators so that all children graduating from Cuyahoga Falls schools are on a clear road to success through our college and career-ready programs."
Patterson was the only nominee for the position, and was unanimously confirmed by the other four members of the board. This is her fifth year serving on the school board.
Barbara Gunter was elected the vice president in another unopposed bid, and the board also voted her into office unanimously. This is Gunter's eighth year on the school board.
The meeting was a two-part meeting, combining both the board's organizational agenda for the 2013 and a regular board meeting.
During the organizational meeting, the board approved standard measures such as the tax budget and making it permissible for the treasurer and superintendent to apply for grants.
The only measure that failed was a vote for the Board of Education to join and to pay for participation in the Ohio School Board Association Legal Assistance Fund. The measure failed 3-2, with Gunter, Patterson, and former school board president David Rump dissenting.
Patterson also made appointments to various school board committees, which are as follows: Business Advisory Council, Rump and Gunter; Legislative Liaison, Patterson; Cuyahoga Falls Schools Foundation, Dale Petty; Student Achievement Liaison, Karen Schofield; and Policy Review Committee, Gunter and Karen Schofield.
The regular board meeting included a presentation of exceptional students, known as the "Top Tigers."
The school board also honored high school Spanish teacher Sally Olivera for her achievements renewing her National Board license and making herself eligible to receive the Lead Teacher's License, the highest possible certification there is from the board.
