District Hires Part-Time PR Person as 'Second Set of Hands'

The school board approved the hiring of Jamie Smart to work no more than 110 hours doing public relations and communications projects this year

The North Canton City School Board recently signed off on a public relations hire to provide some "extra hands" within the district. According to the school board's most recent agenda, the hiring of Jamie Smart as a public relations/communications consultant for no more than 110 hours was up for approval. Superintendent Michael Hartenstein said the board approved Smart's position, and she will now work five hours a week in the district's central office. "It’s five hours a week, but it’s just a second set of hands here," Hartenstein said. “We’re fairly thin here in the central office.” "We needed some help with new initiatives, and we wanted to make sure we are communicating as quickly and cleanly and efficiently as we can." He said Smart …

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School District Moves Forward With Proposed Safety Measures

What actions have school administrators taken since meeting with police and fire officials as well as community members in January?

A month and a half has passed since North Canton administrators met with police and fire officials as well as parents and other community members to discuss school safety and security. At that January town hall meeting inside Hoover Hall, a few safety suggestions rose to the top of the pile: lockdown training for students and teachers, the use of a radio system to better communicate throughout the buildings (and with police) during crises, and more intensive measures when allowing visitors into the school buildings. North Canton City Schools joined other schools across the country in identifying areas of concern in light of the Newtown, CT, school shootings that left 27 people dead in December. So, where does that all stand now in North …

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Superintendent Dispels Rumors About Whether District Monitors Staff Internet Use

North Canton Schools Superintendent Michael Hartenstein responded to rumors that a position was created to monitor the Internet use of faculty and staff

No one is playing "big brother" for North Canton schools when it comes to using the Internet. Superintendent Michael Hartenstein told North Canton Patch via email that the rumors of the district hiring a person to monitor the staff and faculty Internet use is untrue. "No, no one has been hired," Hartenstein said. "Further, we have not changed any procedures other than trying to increase security access into our systems." Patch has heard recently from North Canton teachers concerned about this possibility. Hartenstein said that the district is not actively looking at individuals' Internet usage. In November, a former employee reportedly tweeted a threat toward Hartenstein after she was fired for inappropriate use of Twitter on school time. …

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School Board OKs Levy for May 7 Ballot — So What's Next?

Michael Hartenstein, superintendent of North Canton City Schools, said the levy campaign will kick off soon

The 2.4 mill permanent improvement levy got the green light from North Canton school officials, so what's next? Members of the North Canton City Schools Board of Education met during a special meeting Monday morning and gave the official thumbs-up on the levy, which will be used to improve the district's buildings and buses. "(The) meeting was to approve the updated board exhibit originating from the January 22 meeting," Hartenstein said. "The updated exhibit contained the tax valuation numbers from the county auditor. ... The board is required to vote on the updated tax language so that it may be sent to the county board of elections along with the proposed ballot language." "As far as where we go from here ... we are putting together …

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jim

1:00 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013

helen Good observation on the media bias on tax issues. The Repository never met a tax issue they did not indorse.   more ›

Readers Fired Up Over North Canton Schools Levy

Over the past week North Canton Patch readers shared their thoughts about the idea of a 2.4-mill permanent improvements levy for the school district.

The North Canton City School District recently announced that it will ask voters to support a 2.4-mill permanent improvement levy on May 7. The continuous levy would generate about $1.44 million annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $73 per year, according to the Canton Repository. North Canton Patch readers are responding with their thoughts about the levy on our site and our Facebook page. Many of them are not happy. Ann Marie said: Live within your means just like we have to. Cut back on your bloated administration! Some of your own employees are complaining about how you waste the taxpayers money. I continually vote NO on all school levies and am forced to pay because most of NC citizens vote yes. I am sick of paying such high…

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jim

3:41 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013

helen You hit a good point. NC evolved as a working middle class (mentality) with some upper and not much on the other end. Now there is a movement in city hall and elsewise to emulate a Hudson, Beachwood, Fairlawn type communities that grew up much different than NC. So we have people that want to spend NC’s way into something it is not. They only make it unaffordable for the pack a lunch and go…   more ›

North Canton School District Plans Levy for May 7

The Board of Education agreed to ask voters for a 2.4 mill levy in May, which would be used to improve the district's buildings and buses

Voters in North Canton now have a school levy to consider on the May ballot. The Canton Repository recently reported the North Canton Board of Education approved a 2.4-mill permanent improvement levy for the ballot on May 7. The continuous levy would generate about $1.44 million annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $73 per year, according to the Canton Repository. You can read the newspaper's full report here. “Our infrastructure is in serious need of attention, but there are limited funds to address this issue,” Superintendent Michael Hartenstein told the Akron Beacon Journal last week. “We are also behind on technology. We must give our students a 21st century education with 21st century tools.”  The Canton Repository reported …

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jim

6:25 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

James Funding for school is messed up. Elderly who have paid enormous amounts in property taxes, way beyond what it cost to educate their kids, are shouldering an unfair share. There needs to be a cap on how much a person has to pay for school taxes at which point the tuition comes from the parents. Taking $ from a tax payer’s left pocket, (payroll) and from their right pocket, (property) is not …   more ›

Community Offers Ways to Make Students, Schools Safer

Suggestions at Tuesday night's town hall meeting included a ramped-up police presence in the schools and lockdown training for teachers and students

North Canton City School officials want to ramp up safety and security in and around the buildings, especially in light of the school shootings in Newtown, CT, that left 27 people dead. But some things on their wish list are going to take some time — and a lot of money. School administration, along with community members and North Canton police and fire officials, met Tuesday night inside Hoover Hall and hashed out what safety upgrades might be possible in the near future, and what will have to wait. The district already has the ball rolling on one security measure — security vestibules that would provide controlled access into the buildings. "As part of the security vestibules that we're building, and the couple security vestibules that …

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TONIGHT: Community, School Officials Meet to Discuss Safety in North Canton Schools

North Canton City School District officials invite the community to attend a town hall-style meeting from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 15

North Canton School District Eyes Permanent Improvement Levy

The Board of Education set a special meeting for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 to discuss the levy, which would be used to improve the district's buildings and buses

North Canton City School District officials are considering a permanent improvement levy to update buildings and improve the district's aging buses. The Akron Beacon Journal recently reported said Superintendent Michael Hartenstein came to the Board of Education with the request to consider the levy, saying nearly 75 percent of Ohio schools have a replacement levy, while North Canton has never had one. “Our infrastructure is in serious need of attention, but there are limited funds to address this issue,” Hartenstein said in the Beacon. “We are also behind on technology. We must give our students a 21st century education with 21st century tools.”  You can read the newspaper's full report here. The school board will discuss the proposed …

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Bill Knepp

9:11 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I agree, spend the $95,000 on what you want done and STOP taxing us! You'll have this casino money coming in now, use it wisely! Enough is enough!   more ›

Newtown Shootings Spur Meeting to Discuss Safety in North Canton Schools

North Canton City School District officials invite the community to attend a town hall-style meeting from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 15

North Canton City School officials had planned to reevaluate safety procedures in the coming year, but the recent events in Newtown, CT, put those plans on the fast track. In light of the Dec. 14 shootings that left 27 people dead, North Canton City School District will host a town hall-style meeting to discuss safety and security within the walls of its schools.  The meeting, led by Superintendent Michael Hartenstein and North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder, takes place from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 15 inside Hoover Hall at Hoover High School. "The intent of the meeting really is for us to get input from folks, to find out their ideas, their thoughts, their concerns, and we'll just sort of capture all of that," Hartenstein said. He said a …

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