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Board Of Education
Our school board is dedicated to fostering an environment where every student can achieve academic excellence and personal growth in a safe and supportive setting.
As elected representatives of our community, we are committed to making informed decisions that shape the future of our schools. Our responsibilities include:
- Policy Development: Crafting and implementing policies that promote high educational standards and equity.
- Budget Oversight: Ensuring that financial resources are allocated efficiently and effectively to support student learning and well-being.
- Superintendent Supervision: Collaborating with and providing oversight for the Superintendent to ensure the district's strategic goals are met.
- Curriculum and Instruction: Evaluating and approving curricula that meet the diverse needs of our students and prepare them for future success.
- Facilities Management: Overseeing the maintenance and improvement of school facilities to provide a safe and conducive learning environment.
- Community Engagement: Encouraging active participation from parents, students, teachers, and community members to foster a collaborative educational community.
Our mission is to support every student in reaching their full potential by prioritizing safety, equity, and excellence in all our decisions. We invite you to explore our initiatives, participate in our meetings, and join us in our dedication to student success and safety.
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Mayfield Board of Education: From left, Jimmy Teresi, President Ron Fornaro, Al Hess, Superintendent Michael J. Barnes, Treasurer Scott Snyder; Seated from left, Sue Gorszek, Vice President Jolene Greve.
Board of Education Goals 2026
Vision: A promise for lifelong learning, dignity, and respect for all.
Mission: Every person, every day.
Our vision of the MCSD Board of Education is one where we:
Work to communicate consistently and intelligently in a meaningful way throughout the year in a variety of venues to all stakeholders.
- Model learning and encourage life-long learning.
- Encourage and model respect of others' beliefs.
- Are highly trusted by the community.
- Use continuous improvement principles and practices to fulfill our role as board members.
Goal 1
Sustain a positive working relationship as a team of Board of Education members as measured by bi-annual plus/delta and a team effectiveness rubric.
Strategies:
- Continue having an orientation for new board members.
- Reach consensus on norms/operating principles.
- Standardize a process for exit interview for retiring board members.
- Seek opportunities for formal and informal team building.
- Take part in board development opportunities, either collectively or individually.
- Strengthen interpersonal interactions.
- Participate in the Master Board Member/STAR Awards program through the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA).
- Evaluate Board by-laws and update/edit accordingly to develop a Portrait of a Mayfield School Board Member.
- Acquire the OSBA Board of Distinction Designation every two years pursuant to the application process.
Goal 2
Support and sustain the Personalized and All Access Learning Initiatives.
- Board Meeting opportunities.
- Informal conversations with community members.
- Attend events/learning sessions showcasing Personalized and All-Access Learning.
Goal 3
Support the Focus Forward Mayfield Initiatives
Strategies:
- Review pillar initiatives at regular Board Meetings as is appropriate
- Hold pillar conversations as needed.
Goal 4
Increase involvement with State and Federal legislators on educational issues that affect the students of Mayfield as measured by attendance at meetings and conferences.
Strategies:
- Send representative to State School Board meetings as needed.
- Continue to encourage Superintendent and or his administrative team to be involved in organizations of influence.
- Continue involvement with OSBA
- Continue to attend the OSBA conference
Goal 5
Increase visibility and accessibility as measured by stakeholder satisfaction survey and an activities ‘scorecard’
Strategies:
- Identify opportunities for visibility using the Mayfield calendar.
- Communicate with one another to ensure Board representation at District wide events.
- Communicate with one another to ensure Board representation at Building/Program events (CEVEC graduation, DARE graduation etc.).
Goal 6
Build and sustain positive relationships with administration, staff, families, municipalities as measured by stakeholder
satisfaction survey.
Strategies:
- Attending PTO meetings to educate parents on School Board member’s roles and responsibilities.
- Utilize the district website and TV
- Informal event interactions
Goal 7
Demonstrate fiscal responsibility as measured by levy commitment to community and annual state of financial affairs.
Strategies:
- Board meeting opportunities.
- Informal conversations with community members
- The strategic uses of the one-time cash reserves to support the All-Access Learning Initiative.
How Board Members are Elected
The Board of Education is composed of five citizens who are representatives of the residents of Gates Mills, Highland Heights, Mayfield Heights and Mayfield Village. Board members are elected "at large" on a nonpartisan ballot and serve for staggered terms of four years.
Board Responsibilities
The task of the board is to function as a policy-making group for the school district, establishing direction and priorities for the schools. As part of its policy-making function, the board monitors the operation of the district and acts as a court of last appeal on all school matters. Legal responsibilities of the board include acting upon all employments, payments, contracts and official agreements which are recommended by the Superintendent or Treasurer, and which bind the school district or its resources.
Superintendent's Role
The Superintendent of Schools is not a member of the board. He is employed by the board to carry out board policies and to administer the schools on a day-to-day basis. The Superintendent is responsible to the board while all other employees of the district, either directly or indirectly, are responsible to the Superintendent.
Treasurer's Role
The Treasurer is not a member of the board. He is employed by the board to administer, in cooperation with the Superintendent, the financial, legal and contractual business of the school district. The Treasurer is employed directly by the board and is responsible to the board.
Public Participation
It is the desire of the Board of Education that citizens and staff members of the district be provided with an opportunity to present helpful suggestions to the board for the betterment of our school community. Individuals may be placed on the board agenda under the provisions of Board Policy 0169.1 by contacting the Superintendent. Residents and staff members also may address the board during any regularly scheduled meeting during the Community Communications section of the agenda. Comments must pertain to items which are on the board agenda for discussion or vote that evening.
Meeting Schedule
Regular meetings of the board are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 5:30p.m. in the Irene P. Kay Board Room at the Board of Education Building, 1101 SOM Center Road, Mayfield Heights, unless otherwise listed. The board establishes the meeting schedule each year at the January organizational meeting, taking into account changes in the schedule which are necessary due to holidays, vacations and other conflicts. All regular meetings are open to the public. Announcements are made in advance of special meetings.
Meeting Agenda
Members of the school staff, under the direction of the Superintendent, participate in the preparation of an agenda for each board meeting. The agenda is the formal order of business for the meeting.
Materials concerning agenda items are sent to each board member on the Friday preceding the regular meeting, allowing the board time to study the issues beforehand. In addition to the monthly agenda, the board members receive a weekly written report of school operations and are in frequent contact with the Superintendent.
Length of Meetings
Board meetings are planned to last around 90 minutes. Items of special interest to the public, such as staff reports, are scheduled early in the meeting. Matters requiring board action come next, while information items follow.
There are times when the number or complexity of items on the agenda will cause the board meeting to last longer than you wish to stay. Feel free to quietly leave the meeting.