There will be NO SCHOOL LEVY on the November 2020 ballot for Loveland City School District and the School Board passed a resolution for plans to return to school for 2020-2021 school year.

By Chuck Gibson

 LOVELAND, OH (July 16, 2020) – In a 4-hour marathon meeting Wednesday, July 15, the LCSD Board of Education passed a resolution adopting “Scenario I” as the plan for the reopening of Loveland Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.

After much discussion and review of parent survey data, the school board voted to pass a resolution for families to have the option to return students to school in person 5 DAYS A WEEK at FULL CAPACITY.  (Note: Full Capacity is defined as all those students who choose to return to classes in person) Families will have the option to have their students stay at home for full remote learning with no in person return to school. Families/students will make their choice by semester. Once families/students have made a selection, their choice stands for the full semester

Here’s a quick look at the Scenario I return to in person school option passed by the BOE Wednesday, July 15.

 In person 5 days a week (Full Capacity*) with a Remote Academy Option (online) for those who make that choice:

  • Proper health and safety precautions in place
  • Facial coverings (mask) required for staff and students
  • Proper cleaning and sanitizing protocols in place
  • NO full day kindergarten
  • High School Student arrival moved back 30 minutes
  • Chosen by family each semester
  • Transition to remote learning when required

Dr. Kathryn Lorenz, Loveland City School Distric Board of Education President (FILE) 

The school will include full details for all families in the selection form scheduled to be available to families the week of July 27, and due to be completed by families the week of August 3. School Board President, Dr. Kathryn Lorenz says those details will be communicated to families as early as possible. There will be two options.

“There will be an option parents can choose which will be a fully online option,” said Lorenz. “If anything happens as far as state or local guidelines are concerned and we have to close, we would go fully online for everybody at that point. If we reach a threshold of teachers being unable to come to school, we would have to close at some point as well.”

The school administration and the BOE are considering and preparing for all variables as the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a fluid situation. Other important topics on the agenda Wednesday night included the school finances and communication. After thorough discussion regarding the financial situation the Financial Committee recommendation was to NOT place a Loveland School tax levy on the ballot for November 2020.

“The finance committee had been charged with reporting to the board concerning financial situation and recommendations as far as a levy,” Lorenz said. “The recommendation that came forward from the finance committee was that we not entertain a levy for November 2020.”

Lorenz believes the board was headed in the direction of not placing a levy on the November ballot anyway. The board needed confirmation the LCSD financial situation would allow them the option of delaying any levy until 2021. Once that was confirmed by the finance committee, the school board made the decision there will be no tax levy on the ballot for November 2020.

The third major topic of discussion on the agenda July 15, was communication. The main news from communication is that the school board will return to in-person meeting with the scheduled August 11, meeting. They will do that with safe social distancing protocols in place. Member of the BOE and LCSD administration will be present, but hearing of the public will continue to be through emails prior to the meeting with livestream and video recording during the meeting.

“The Board will be in person on August 11, and we’ll continue the discussion of how we have hearing of the public in meetings that come after that,” Lorenz said.

Click here to view the video of Wednesday, July 15, Loveland School Board Meeting  

Click here to visit Loveland Schools online