Lorain wins by togetherness

Another Viewpoint is a column the Morning Journal makes available so all sides of an issue may be aired. Mitchell Fallis is a Lorain city councilman at large.

The Lorain School District is in transformation because of House Bill 70. This Ohio law granted the CEO of the Lorain School District the sole authority of managing and operating our school district, without oversight from the Lorain School Board, and ultimately the Lorain voters, except for the duty of placing a levy on the ballot.

David Hardy, the district’s CEO, has the ultimate authority to manage the district to increase the academic performance of the Lorain School District scholars.

Hardy’s task to raise academic performance is enormous.

He seeks support by the involvement of parents, grandparents and friends to use their skills and abilities to elevate our students academically.

I ask that you join him and make a positive contribution by budgeting time for students in this critical time of district transformation.

Hardy has listened to the community and is implementing its desires for an improved school district, such as making the schools friendlier to parents and community.

Designing and implementing “The Lorain Promise” into a new school organization structure takes time and endurance. It is incumbent upon Hardy to analyze and identify the bestfit candidates and school organization structure to improve academics.

I perceive that David Hardy is laser-focused on making these reformations and thus, has yet to meet with Lorain School Board members.

Now is the time for Hardy to meet with the board to detail The Lorain Promise vision, its implementation plan over the next five years, and the related budget and financial resources required.

Fiscally accountability to the voters of Lorain requires Hardy to provide operational, management and financial data to the Lorain School Board.

When that happens, the Lorain City School Board can consider placing a levy on the ballot.

Lacking such operational, management and financial information handcuffs the Lorain School Board members from evaluating how much of a levy they should ask the voters to support.

In order for the board to ensure The Lorain Promise vision has the appropriate level of financial resources, the board needs Hardy to deliver said information.

If the financial support does not align with the operational requirements of The Lorain Promise, the implementation of The Lorain Promise will come up short for our students.

Therefore, the civic mindset that passing a replacement levy is a financial solution without the appropriate operational, management and financial information conveyed to the board is certainly flawed, unacceptably and irresponsible to the voters of Lorain.

Our community needs the Lorain School Board members to identify the appropriate levy amount to place on the ballot to support The Lorain Promise. Our community must make a commitment to be involved with our children to elevate their academic achievement. Nothing less is acceptable. As a lifelong Lorain resident, this letter is penned with respect to David Hardy, Lorain School Board members, Lorain School District employees and scholars, and my fellow Lorainites.