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Mayfield school officials discuss future after levy passes
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Mayfield school officials discuss future after levy passes

Mayfield School District officials recently spoke about the positive impact a new, ongoing $5 mill levy will have on the school system.

District voters in the Nov. 5 election approved the measure that will generate an estimated $7,743,000 million annually.

“I’m grateful, very grateful, really grateful to the community that has come out and supported Mayfield City Schools and seen the added value of the sustained excellence that I think Mayfield City Schools is ” Superintendent Michael Barnes said in a Nov. 20 interview.

“We talked about four deliverables,” Barnes said. “Improving early childhood literacy, improving safety and security, providing additional mental health and support for our students, and increasing career readiness, these four outcomes will be our focus.”

“In anticipation of a successful transition, we have conducted a review exercise of what these deliverables will look like. We certainly won’t be able to do everything at once, but over time we want to make sure we focus on these four areas.

Sheets of paper with different statements are seen in the hallway of Mayfield Middle School. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)
Sheets of paper with different statements are seen in the hallway of Mayfield Middle School. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)

He said an example of what a focus on early childhood education would look like would be to shift their attention to the importance of what happens before children are even enrolled in kindergarten.

“What we know is we want to make sure that more kids are ready for kindergarten by the time they enter kindergarten,” Barnes said. “And that means access to early childhood literacy, whether it’s awareness, alternative services, collaboration with community libraries…”

Attendees are awaiting a Mayfield City Schools Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 20. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)
Attendees await the start of the Mayfield City Schools Board of Trustees meeting on November 20. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)

According to unofficial final results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, the question was approved by a vote of 9,884 to 7,276. The levy will cost an additional $175 per year per $100,000 of property value, according to the county’s finance officer. Cuyahoga County.

Sue Groszek, school board president for more than 20 years, said that before joining the school board, she led the levy committee and could see the change in how people value public education.

School board president Sue Groszek prepares for a meeting. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)
School board president Sue Groszek prepares for a meeting. (Frank Mecham – The News-Herald.)

“We never took anything for granted,” Groszek said. “…the first one I ran we didn’t make it, the second one we did. It was a very different time than we are now, and we all seem to be moving in the same direction, which is very important.

“We’re very grateful to have the support of the entire community. It’s been wonderful and it’s nice to know that we’re there for them and they’re there for us.”