0224TW_Reynoldsburg by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

February 24, 2011

Board OKs new attendance boundaries By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Reynoldsburg Board of Education approved a plan Feb. 15 that will change some attendance boundaries next year but retain the district’s “feeder” system for schools housing students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The plan was recommended by Superintendent Steve Dackin, based on the

work of a 23-member steering committee that spent the past few months analyzing collected data and information gathered from two community meetings. With co-chairs Loretta King, Scott Smith, and consultant Chuck Warner of Warner Concepts LLC guiding the process, they came up with attendance boundary options and presented their recommendations to Dackin in late December.

Dackin said he wanted any new district attendance boundaries to be as least disruptive as possible to the community as a whole. The plan approved Monday will make Summit Road Elementary, currently under construction, a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) school of choice when it opens for the 201112 school year. The neighborhood attendance bound-

aries for French Run, Herbert Mills, Rose Hill, Slate Ridge and Taylor Road elementaries will be set according to the current school boundary map, Dackin said. The only changes will affect children from a section in the Baldwin Road area who currently are assigned to French Run Elementary School. They will attend Slate Ridge Elementary beginning next year.

Dackin said the district will begin looking next year at opening Rose Hill Elementary as a second school of choice in 2012-13. In addition, he said plans will also be developed to establish a middle school and junior high as schools of choice for 2012-13. One important factor, Dackin said, was preserving the attendance boundSee BOUNDARIES, page A2

Dackin’s SUPER FRIEND contract renewed, will include incentives By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Reynoldsburg schools Superintendent Steve Dackin’s annual salary will remain the same for the next four years unless he reaches performance goals that have yet to be determined by the board of education. The board voted unanimously last week to renew Dackin’s contract and his $120,156 per year salary. The four-year contract includes no cost-ofliving raises but does say he can earn up to a 5-percent bonus for meeting each set of goals. Doing so would result in a one-time payment for that year of up to $24,000. “We’re very confident he Steve is going to shoot for the stars. Dackin He always has,” board of education President Mary Burcham said. She said the board has yet to discuss what the performance goals will be but said they will be data-driven or measurable and should be in place by July when the new contract begins. She said the goals could be tied to any number of things, such as meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) or the district’s yearly state report card. “Those are just a couple of things that could possibly be, but we haven’t begun to discuss them yet,” Burcham said. “We have to grab hold of our budget. We can’t keep giving automatic pay raises year after year.” Dackin’s contract could also set the stage for the board to consider performance-based salary increases for teachers and bus drivers. “We would like this to be the start,” Burcham said. See DACKIN’S CONTRACT, page A6

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Four-year-old Robert Wesley Jr. helps Spiderman, aka Reynoldsburg High School senior Solomon Ayalew, read a story during the Super Royal Breakfast featuring superheroes and princesses and sponsored by the high school’s chapter of DECA. A portion of the proceeds went to help DECA students attend career development events and another portion was donated to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Etna mulls restrictions for 310 development By MICHAEL J. MAURER ThisWeek Community Newspapers The Etna Township Zoning Commission met Feb. 16 to continue work on a proposed 86-acre development along state Route 310, between the Cameron Chase and Cumberland Trail subdivisions. The proposal covers land both east and west of Route 310 and would require construction of access roads that eventually would require a traffic signal. Attorney Connie Klema, on behalf of JBW properties, submitted the application in January. The land is zoned for agricultural use. The proposal calls for retail development on the west of Route 310 and

professional office development on the east of Route 310, with residential development to the rear of each. Commissioners expressed concerns about age restrictions in both residential areas and in commercial areas of the proposal, including facilities for the elderly. Alternate commission member Mike Kerner said restrictions limiting commercial use to certain business codes would take care of any age issues. “I don’t know why we would entertain what age a person is there,” Kerner said. “Someone may be in a nursing-care facility for something other than old age — maybe breathing ailments or mobility ailments or other disabilities that require them to be

in a continuous nursing-care facility. Does it matter if they are 24 years old or 36 or 50 or 70?” Commission member Bill Young said age restrictions are common, to separate elderly use from young family use. “But it’s possible (that families could occupy the properties) if you have attached condos,” Young said. “I would imagine they want a community where it’s primarily empty-nesters — older people without children with them. A lot of places will restrict it so you can have a grandchild come stay with you for a week of the year or something.” See ETNA MULLS, page A3

Summit Road Elementary

March 1 meeting will explain enrollment for new school building By DAVID S. OWEN ThisWeek Community Newspapers Parents interested in sending their children to Summit Road Elementary School next year should attend a March 1 meeting at Reynoldsburg High School, 6699 E. Livingston Ave. Summit Road Elementary will open

next fall as a “school of choice,” which means enrollment will not be restricted to students who live in a certain geographical area. Students who live anywhere in the Reynoldsburg school district can apply to attend. Dee Martindale, the district’s K-8 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) coordinator, said the meet-