Building on Emerson: Lima City Schools to add career tech facility

LIMA — The Lima City Board of Education met on Monday evening at both its organizational meeting and its January regular meeting.

The board has agreed to advertise a bid for the new Career Technology facility. Lima City Schools has added Career Technology Programs in Audio Engineering and Agriculture. We need room to expand these programs to offer more experiences to our students. The concept has been planned for about a year. School districts use ESSER funds. That is, the facility does not require funding from the General Fund. Two buildings and a greenhouse will be built on the site of the old Emerson Elementary School.

Superintendent Jill Ackerman said, “We are using that money for our children. are spending.”

Maralee Sullivan has been elected president for 2023. Deanna Reynolds-Griffin was elected Vice President for the following year. Meeting dates and committee assignments were also made at the organizing meeting.

The school board then held its January meeting. There was a report from the Special Education Division. Professional development with Anne Beninghof in January and her February. The special education sector has some daunting challenges in the coming year. Autism classes are limited to six of her students per classroom. Next year, she will have at least 12 students identified as needing an autism class, so at a time when special education teachers are at a premium, the school district will have to hire her two certified teachers at a time. must be The number of students with English as a second language is expected to increase by 36 next year.

School safety was discussed. So far this year, as of December 15, there are 29 lockdowns of various types in place in the district. There are several state grants that are used to increase security in all municipal schools.

Please contact Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.