Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Board of Education in support of the Community Campus School pilot program at Northland High School.
The Columbus Board of Education’s mission is to cultivate a supportive, inclusive, and transformative learning community where every student thrives academically and personally. The Board achieves this by partnering with families, staff, and community members to create meaningful, sustainable systems that strengthen engagement, wellbeing, and success. The Board also seeks to leverage diverse strengths to build a connected Community Campus where all stakeholders share responsibility and pride in achievement.
Community Schools are public schools that provide services and support which fit each neighborhood’s needs, created and run by the people who know the schools’ students best-families, educators, community organizations, local governments, and the students themselves. Outcomes associated with the Northland Community School Pilot Program include:
• A Northland community needs and asset assessment;
• A commitment from the Columbus City Schools District to invest in the project by funding at least a partial Community Schools Coordinator and funding non-personnel expenses; and
• A data-aligned progress report each academic semester.
Community campus school models have been shown to support student attendance, staff retention, graduation rates, lowered discipline rates, and more.
Since the organization lacks the funding necessary to operate the program on a reimbursement basis, funds will be advanced to the Columbus Board of Education in order to initiate the program.
Fiscal Impact: Funding ($90,000.00) is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency Designation: The Community Campus School pilot program is intended to launch at Northland this fall. To support the Board’s efforts and provide financial resources as soon as possible in these efforts, emergency legislation is requested.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into an advanced payment grant agreement with the Columbus Board of Education in support of the Northland Community School Pilot Program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($90,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Columbus Board of Education’s mission is to cultivate a supportive, inclusive, and transformative learning community where every student thrives academically and personally; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Northland Community School Pilot Program is to provide services and support that fit the neighborhoods needs while improving the environment and outcomes for students;
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Board of Education in support of the Northland Community School Pilot Program; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into an advanced payment grant agreement with the Columbus Board of Education in support of the Northland Community School Pilot Program in the amount of $90,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $90,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $90,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That funds shall be paid in advance to the Columbus Board of Education in order for the organization to have the resources necessary to prepare the launch of the pilot program.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this legislation.
SECTION 7. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.