Office of Community School - November Updates and Reminders

Dear Sponsors, 

As the calendar approaches November, I want to share a few reminders and updates from the Office of Community Schools. 

• Community School Annual Budget: Ohio Revised Code 3314.032 (C) requires each community school governing authority to adopt an annual budget no later than Oct. 31 each year. The budget must align with the current year shown in the school’s five-year forecast, and the required template is available under the section titled Schools on the Community Schools webpage. The school’s sponsor must upload in Epicenter the adopted community school annual budget. Also, the resolution approving the annual budget must be submitted in Epicenter no later than Dec. 31. 

Flexibility with Administration of the NWEA MAP Testing

Greetings Community Schools and Sponsors Serving Students through Dropout Prevention and Recovery Programs,

Last year, the Ohio Department of Education allowed community schools that receive the dropout prevention and recovery report cards the flexibility to offer administration of the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments outside of the traditional fall and spring testing windows. Schools could administer the assessments at least 13 weeks apart and have the tests included in the growth measure for the dropout prevention and recovery report cards.

HB 166 Updates: Teacher Certification; Student Wellness and Success Funding

Greetings Community Schools and Sponsors,

The Office of Community Schools would like to share the following HB 166 updates with you: 

• The Department has issued a technical assistance document related to properly certified teacher requirements for community schools. This document explains which licenses teachers in community schools must hold. If you have additional questions about a specific license, please email Propercert@education.ohio.gov. 

Office of Community Schools Update

Greetings Community Schools and Sponsors:

We hope each of you found a few moments in the past few weeks to rest and reflect as you wrapped up the 2018-2019 school year and began preparing for the 2019-2020 school year. The recently passed budget bill (House Bill 166) included items that impact community schools and sponsors. The Ohio Department of Education will provide more information on these changes in the coming weeks. At a high level, there are changes to the Sponsor Evaluation, new requirements around opening assurances for the 2020-2021 school year, changes to when community schools can merge, and the creation of the Quality Community School Support Program.

June 19 - OCS Update

Dear Sponsors, 
As we approach the end of the current fiscal year and the beginning of the new fiscal year, I want to share a few reminders and updates from the Office of Community Schools.

• The 2019-2020 Sponsor Opening Assurances form now is available. Please remember, the opening assurances must be completed and submitted to the Office of Community Schools via Epicenter 10 business days prior to the opening of school.