MAY 2025

HERE We Grow MONTHLY HEADLINES FROM THE ESC OF LAKE ERIE

WEST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S HEADLINE

As we close out another academic year, we want to extend our

MORE INSPIRING

READS THIS MONTH:

heartfelt gratitude to every school across our portfolio of schools here in Ohio. Your dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment to student success have made a profound impact on communities throughout the state. In the face of challenges and change, you’ve continued to lead with resilience, ensuring students receive not only a quality education but also the support and encouragement they need to thrive. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we are truly proud to be your sponsor and partner in this important work.

Looking ahead, we are excited to continue building on the progress we’ve made together. Your passion for educational excellence inspires us every day, and we remain committed to supporting you in your mission to serve Ohio’s students and families. Thank you for your leadership, your hard work, and your belief in the potential of every learner. Together, we will continue to grow stronger and make a lasting difference in the lives of
those we serve.

School Spotlights	2-3

Governing Authority	4

Academic Services	5

Compliance	6

Special Education	7-8

Professional Learning	9

ESCLEW Staff	10

OUR MISSION

"The ESCLEW Community Schools Center is a student-centered authorizer of charter schools, advancing quality educational opportunities throughout the state of Ohio"

2                                                                                                                                                       MAY 2025

School Spotlight HEIR FORCE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Building a Legacy: Donor Engagement Event Supports Grand & Main Project

In a show of community pride and forward-thinking vision, Dr. Heggins and his dedicated

team at Heir Force Community School recently hosted a special donor engagement event in

support of the Grand & Main Project—an ambitious initiative aimed at driving economic

development, recreation, and educational opportunities in Lima. Held at the chic Upper

Lounge at Old City Prime, the evening brought together local leaders, potential supporters,

and stakeholders to rally around this transformative effort. A central feature of the project is

the creation of a state-of-the-art community play park that will serve as a vibrant, inclusive

space for children and families, promoting health, connection, and play. With inspiring

remarks from Mayor Sharetta Smith and Representative Matt Huffman, the event also marked

the launch of a stakeholder-driven naming campaign, inviting key donors to leave a lasting

legacy in shaping Lima’s future. As a thoughtful touch, each guest received a personalized gift

bag featuring a delicious Bundt cake, a celebratory bottle and a “The Future is Now” keychain

—symbolizing the shared vision and momentum behind this exciting community initiative.

3	MAY 2025

School Spotlight AUTISM MODEL SCHOOL

Racing Toward Belonging: A New Era of Play for Every Student

Smiles, laughter, and the thrill of soaring through the air marked the debut of Autism Model

School's newest playground feature: the Zip Track. This exciting addition features two 50-foot

side-by-side tracks, inviting students to race and play together.

Designed with inclusivity in mind, one track includes a Zero-G seat to support riders with

mobility needs, while the other offers a rope-suspended saucer seat for students with more

advanced motor skills. The Zip Track exemplifies the school's commitment to ensuring all

students, regardless of ability, can experience the joy of play.

This project was made possible through the generous support of community partners: the

Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club's Helping Hens Fund, the Elsie and Harry Baumker Charitable

Foundation, and the John Henry Eldred Junior Foundation. Their contributions are helping

create a space where every child feels like they belong.

4	MAY 2025

Governing Authority Headlines Written by Julie Kadri

Keeping it Legal: A Quick Guide to Executive Session

As the 2024-25 school year wraps and we head into 2025-26, a school board may find it necessary to meet in executive session. If you want to learn more about board meeting requirements, the Ohio Sunshine Laws Manual is a great resource. The manual is updated annually and contains everything you need to know about what is considered a public meeting, the duties of a school board to run a proper meeting, and how to conduct an executive session. Please see the overview from the manual below. For a more detailed explanation on conducting an executive session, click on the manual and navigate to pg. 150.

Executive Session Overview

Executive session is a part of an open meeting from which the public can be excluded.

Proper procedure is required to move into executive session:

Meetings must always begin and end in an open session, where the public may be present

Motion on the record to move into executive session, followed by a second Specific reason for executive session must be put in the motion and recorded
Roll call vote, which must be approved by the majority of a quorum of the public body

Motion and vote recorded in the meeting minutes

Executive session can only be held for the following reasons:

Certain personnel matters Pending or imminent court action
Matters required to be kept confidential

Hospital trade secrets

Purchase or sale of property

Collective bargaining matters Security matters
Veterans Service Commission apps

Confidential business information of an applicant for economic development assistance

Discussion in executive session must be limited to the specific, statutory reason for the executive session, as set forth in the motion.

The public body can invite non-members to be present in an executive session but cannot exclude other members of the public body from the executive session.

Discussion in executive session is not automatically confidential, but other confidentiality rules may apply; public records considered in the executive session may be accessible through the Public Records Act.

The public body may not vote or make any decisions in executive session.

5	MAY 2025

Academic Services Headlines
Written by Kristi Hayward

UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL REPORT CARD MAY GET EASIER!

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has developed a new Report Card Training webpage that will feature resources and upcoming training sessions for understanding and navigating the different components of the Ohio School Report Card Data. The Report Card Training webpage provides virtual trainings and/or pre-recorded videos that are designed to provide in-depth learning opportunities for each component of the Ohio School Report Card.

New training dates are already scheduled for College, Career, Workforce and Military Readiness as well as navigating the Secure Data Center. Each session is up to two hours in length and does not need prior registration. Also provided is a list of upcoming sessions to be on the lookout for as well as select pre-recorded videos already available to view.

POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS & SUPPORTS (PBIS) TRAINING PORTAL
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has developed a PBIS Teams Portal to provide the following to school administrators; a learning tool to provide training modules for school PBIS teams which will not only train staff, but offer a way for administrators to track staff completion and plan follow-up meetings as the school PBIS team moves along with school-wide implementation.

The PBIS Teams Portal consist of 18 online modules that you can assign members of your PBIS Leadership Team, Teachers, and Administrators in order to track training opportunities as well as aid in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of a successful school-wide PBIS implementation. This tool will allow administrators to carefully assign and track team member completion along with school-wide meetings and planning.

The online modules are a great way for the school-wide PBIS team to get the baseline knowledge of PBIS and what steps need to be taken for the school to implement a successful PBIS system. If your PBIS team is looking for additional support on next steps and/or professional development on how to conduct follow-up meetings after the initial kick off, our office can help! Please reach out to School Improvement Consultant, Aimee Mendelsohn for more information.

LICENSURE UPDATES

Ohio educators whose 5-Year Professional teaching licenses (including Lead Professional and Senior Professional) are eligible for renewal will soon have the option to convert to the new Elementary and Middle School (PK-8) license or an Adolescence to Young Adult (7-12) license. Recent legislation created new pathways for Career-Technical Workforce Development licensure. See the Career-Technical Workforce Development Licenses webpage for more information.
The Office of Professional Conduct periodically updates its list of Disqualifying Offenses Pursuant to ORC § 9.79 due to recently created new criminal offenses and regular review of offenses. View the updated Disqualifying Offenses list here.

6	MAY 2025

Compliance Headlines ITEMS OF NOTE - MAY 2025

DEW Reminders

Special Education Requirement - DEW recently updated the Special Education Model Policies and Procedures, and all schools must either adopt the new version or create their own to be approved by the Department. The board should adopt the Model Policies and Procedures by resolution and upload evidence through the OH-ID Monitoring System. This is due from each school directly to the department by May 30th.

Monthly Financial

Five-Year Forecast Update – If your school was granted an extension on the submission of this task, please email a draft of the Five-Year Forecast Update in Excel format directly to Linda Moye for review and feedback prior to your board meeting in May.

#S-601 Communication with State Auditor – The form attached to this task in Epicenter must be completed by the school treasurer as evidence of participation or waiver of the pre-audit, post-audit, and/or any other meetings in which audit issues were discussed, whether in-person or on a conference call with the Auditor of the State.

May

Compliance Requirement

2025

Due Date	Type	Responsibility

Monthly Financial	Responsibility

Financial Reports - April

#S-601 Communication with State Auditor

May 15	Submission	Linda

May 31	Submission	Julie

Board Submissions

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Agenda

Approved Governing Authority Meeting Minutes

2 Weeks After Meeting

2 Weeks After Approval

Submission

Submission

Regional Rep

Regional Rep

School Submissions

Special Education Policies and Procedures

Staff Affidavit

May 30

May 31	Julie

Certification

Submission

Special Education Specialist

Regional Rep

Julie

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Kadri.

7	MAY 2025

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

PROFILE INDICATOR RELEASE- SECOND PHASE

The second phase, targeted for release in May, 2025, includes enrollment data and the remaining indicators. These indicators include:

Math and reading assessment participation and proficiency rates (Indicator 3)

Least restrictive environment for school-age students (Indicator 5)

Least restrictive environment for preschool students (Indicator 6)

Preschool outcomes (Indicator 7)

General supervision/Timely correction of noncompliance (Indicator 18)

Although none of the indicators have required action, it is great data to make informed decisions when planning for the 2025-2026 school year.

SUMMER CAMP RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Looking for a helpful resource to share with your students and their families? Check out this

summer camp and program directory that highlights a wide range of camps specifically

designed for children with disabilities. The guide includes information on day camps, weekend

camps, and residential programs—each offering unique opportunities for social connection, skill-

building, and summer fun in a supportive environment. Consider passing this along to families

who may be looking for meaningful summer experiences for their child!

8	MAY 2025

Special Education Headlines
Written by Jessica Bair and Heather Tester

UPDATED SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS GUIDE
The special education procedural safeguards notice, A Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education, is now available for district and parent use. This publication replaces the earlier version of the Guide to Parent Rights in Special Education. As of July 1, 2025, districts must no longer use that publication. CLICK HERE for an updated guide. CLICK HERE for the guide translated into other languages.

OHIO AGE-APPROPRIATE TRANSITION ASSESSMENT (AATA) LIBRARY
This website, https://www.ohioaatalibrary.org/, is a collection of carefully chosen age-appropriate

assessments and transition and employment resources for educators working with transition-

aged youth in Ohio schools. Visitors can explore the site using a menu or alphabetical site map.

The site includes:

Formal and informal assessments for educators, families, and students

Tools focused on employment, college readiness, independent living, and health

Transition and employment resources from state and national organizations like ODE, OCALI, OhioMeansJobs, and more

ESCLEW SPECIAL EDUCATION SUMMIT

We are excited to announce ESCLEW will be hosting a second Special Education Summit in the fall of 2025-2026. Our goal is to provide updates from DEW and provide guidance in implementing “in house” practices and procedures to include internal monitoring. The date for the Special Education Summit will be announced soon.

9	MAY 2025

Professional Learning Headlines

Virtual Youth Mental 

Health First Aid

Use Your Data

With AI

Please see our new curriculum page included in the Professional Learning Website to discover additional resources.

10	MAY 2025

ESCLEW Staff

Superintendent Sandra C. Frisch

ESCLEW Governing Board

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CENTER

Kurt Aey (419) 246-3142

Jeff Bunck Jared Lefevre
Brent Buehrer

TEAM LEADER, ACADEMIC SERVICES

Kristi Hayward (419) 214-3893

TEAM LEADER, OPERATIONS

Julie Kadri (419) 724-4288

Thomas Ilstrup Joan Kuchcinski

Treasurer

Michael Sorg

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT AND ACADEMIC SPECIALIST

Aimee Mendelsohn (419) 280-1661

SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALISTS

Jessica Bair (419) 367-3562 and Heather Tester (419) 260-4793

Executive Director

Kurt A. Aey

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

Linda Moye (419) 724-4291

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Natalie Miller (419) 246-3137

Administrative Offices

2275 Collingwood Blvd. Toledo, OH 43620 (419) 245-4150

Community Schools Center

4955 Seaman Rd.

IN NEED OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE?

Contact your school's regional technical assistance educator (RTAE) for direct support related to on-site visits, governing authority updates, compliance,
academics, and more.

Oregon, OH 43616

(419) 246-3137

Brittany Beck

(419) 461-5375

DeAnna Hardwick

(330) 591-0217

www.esclakeeriewest.org

Allison Lentz

(419) 260-7708

Joyce Lewis

(419) 290-4759

Jennifer Little

(419) 360-8213