Mar. 5, 2025 -- At the monthly regular Board of Education meeting on March 4, the Superintendent and Board of Education recognized bus driver Dorian Pace, who recently saved the lives of 15 students; the Board voted on a motion regarding the Monticello Middle School renaming process; and the Board heard a presentation on pre-kindergarten curriculum adoption.
Awards & Recognitions
Cynthia Booker
BOE/Bus Depot/Delisle/IT/Millikin: Patrice Martin-Bonner
Boulevard: George Watters
Canterbury: Loretta Heard
Fairfax: Rochelle Klein
Gearity: Deja Murray
Heights High: Keith Newman
Monticello: Genevieve McDougal
Noble: Erik Rozsa
Oxford: Deidre Murray
Rox El: Sonya Howell
Rox Mid: Quinci Teer
Hero Bus Driver
Dorian Pace
On February 27, 2025, a fire broke out behind one of the rear wheels of bus 21 while it was at the corner of Cambridge and Northampton roads in Cleveland Heights, prompting the driver, Dorian Pace, to quickly evacuate all of the students off of the bus. At the time of the fire, the bus was transporting 15 students to Monticello Middle School. No one was injured.
At the March 5 meeting, the Board presented Mr. Pace with
a formal resolution honoring his heroic actions. Superintendent Liz Kirby also presented Mr. Pace with cards written by the students he saved.
Regular Meeting Overview
- Heights High School freshman Emmanuel Gutierrez and sophomore Zoey Hood delivered the Superintendent’s Student Cadre Report, sharing updates on Heights High news and personal reflections on the school district’s theme this year, Heights United.
- Superintendent Kirby shared updates on the past month’s work within the five goals of the District’s Strategic Plan.
- Coordinator of Curriculum & Instruction Amanda Zapotechne and Early Childhood Specialist Danielle Foran presented the findings from this year’s pilot of new pre-kindergarten curricular materials and the recommendation to adopt.
- Chief Financial Officer Scott Gainer delivered his “3 Things” report, a monthly initiative to educate the community on school funding. The 3 Things for March are:
- State Biennial Budget
- State Funding Guarantees
- Fair School Funding Plan Factors
- The District is engaged in an important and thoughtful process regarding the potential renaming of Monticello Middle School. During the March 5 meeting, following discussion, the Board brought forth and approved a motion to ensure that the school has a new name by the start of the 2025-2026 school year. Read more here.
The full meeting video can be found
here.