[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6050504,"mediaKeyId","3462343-776874b27115d1ad6160f7bd72c0e401","parentId",3462343,"title","Board briefed on special‑education policy submission, state review schedule and indicator concerns","audioSeconds",291,"startMs",3910590,"endMs",4201680,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462343-776874b27115d1ad6160f7bd72c0e401&start=3910&end=4201","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462343-776874b27115d1ad6160f7bd72c0e401/thumbnail_3910590.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6050504/Ohio/Board-briefed-on-specialeducation-policy-submission-state-review-schedule-and-indicator-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050504-364e2f9c8d95ede2d05fc395b5340152/orig.mp4?Expires=1771107679&Signature=fs4GhkFGLaHIfn8Tz2USd-EPkJTKX2BL-4saevrsnzndfn2LX6Lxsj4mASjWBLwItqbHTBUAP9cjf95W~M9k0V~8jvWbaEE5bYpcTYy2AoDWYle3R3JpZuaYXivvM4u1Dr8n49GmqER6znYfnubq4rT5Vv~gpgDLAG8NA08pYR~1J2kAlDFB1NuqDSZZUSwmdbXc6Eea0cwQZbQY2MrX8CQET1S7uOmNGTKPwK60Jkr5IZtEP9Owwuy2VruhwvOWzioJsjAsgnEqCIs3vHjkFkGC3loefBUhtwtEGQHDhiOxOHIqBegzzd2fdZZJE4dZk038VfHi3Upspac6S~W8RQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Board of Education on Feb. 20 received an update from Bridgette Pritchard, the district’s director of special education, about newly required written policies and procedures for students with disabilities and an overview of performance indicators the state monitors.

Pritchard told the board Ohio districts must either adopt the state’s special education model policies or develop their own written policies that meet or exceed the Ohio operating standards. \"If an educational agency decides to adopt the department's special education model policies and procedures, the educational agency agrees to the written policies and procedures in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004,\" Pritchard said.

Context and deadlines
Pritchard said the district must make an initial submission to the Ohio Department of Education by March 30, 2025 for this new first-year schedule; moving forward, districts will submit policies annually by Nov. 30. She added the state will begin annual reviews of district special education policies and practices on Dec. 1, 2025.

Performance indicators and concerns
Pritchard reported Bellbrook-Sugarcreek meets most performance indicators but remains \"working on closing the gap\" for indicators 9 and 10, which measure disproportionality in special education identification. \"Specifically for us, it's for Black students identified under the category of specific learning disability,\" she said. Pritchard noted the district’s small pool of students magnifies statistical effects and that several records the state reviewed included students who transferred into the district with prior identifications.

She also explained indicator 14 — the post-school outcome survey — is new and will require outreach to families of students who left school during the 2022–23 school year to report post‑secondary outcomes.

What the board will decide
Pritchard recommended the district adopt the Ohio operating standards as an initial, strategic move because the March 30 deadline is tight and the district already largely follows those standards. She said a future goal could be to develop additional district-specific policy elements that exceed the state model, but that would require a broader team and more time.

Ending: Pritchard asked the board for questions and signaled staff will prepare the formal policy submission and bring any proposed local policy changes to the board at a later meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District Board of Education Meeting, February 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Director of special education outlined new state requirements, an accelerated March 30 initial submission deadline, and ongoing work to address indicator disproportionality for specific learning disability identifications.","taxTitle","Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",38759,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6050509,"Bellbrook board opens path to community partners while weighing sale of old Sugar Creek school property",1996,1553585,3550000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3462343-776874b27115d1ad6160f7bd72c0e401&start=1553&end=3550","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3462343-776874b27115d1ad6160f7bd72c0e401/thumbnail_1553585.jpg","/articles/6050509/Ohio/Bellbrook-board-opens-path-to-community-partners-while-weighing-sale-of-old-Sugar-Creek-school-property","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6050509-ea80d4c9c990f330a6d47dee994cce48/orig.mp4?Expires=1771107679&Signature=GfZyjyaiDU1b-U25BeP0zadrEE~cmPwdjScD2WKlNDRppd~qZPWRIwWj9DyrMSTKMrlxPZtUrZWBXsJzsf2KlhGBBhsIt3L8GTpywlAsFKmyIasiLc0N~oQ4XyPgUDTmWSA3WzWHsnZ5xXHxJAmCW62eZyT-mPzjKvw7E8W4QXz1Z~tkazybYO5BIj6xKyqpNMK-AJCseu3sf-OQBuhKMHMb1WAXfc-GjanCXGF~ZJHKbl3pJIoLBKCDJcRIL86NUzcClhMp6BtDs2T1HxPcU-r82vkgN94BwyLfcDlkWg90nNzKG-RFllcAX461quvMZdY1IiZMtILLbQj0epGk7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local Board of Education on Feb. 20 moved to have Superintendent Terez Kozak pursue proposals and report back after community groups and small-business owners presented competing plans for the district’s surplus Sugar Creek school property.

Board members said they do not intend to sign any final sales contracts at this stage but asked Kozak to develop options — including working with the city’s CIC (Community Improvement Corporation), parceling the site, and drafting financial and legal stipulations — so the board can review recommended next steps.

Why it matters: The property sits near downtown Bellbrook and has drawn interest from local nonprofit and private parties that emphasize community uses (an amphitheater, event space, playgrounds) and from small businesses seeking office space. Greene County Educational Service Center (ESC) interest and its timeline for next-year decisions were cited as reasons for moving from discussion to concrete options.

Community proposals and concerns
Jim (past president, Bellbrook Lions Club), speaking for the Lions, described three conceptual plans the club studied: a partnership-focused plan that would build a clubhouse, amphitheater, restrooms and concessions to support the Lions’ Summerfest and other community events; a scenario that would raise and redevelop the existing school footprint if no partner took a one-story building; and a third option that assumed a nearby party would take a contiguous three-story parcel. \"We're the Bellbrook Lions — ready, willing and able to move forward with this transaction if the school board decides to divest,\" Jim said, adding the Lions estimated their donations to the district over the last three years exceed $525,000.

Gwen Zemarest, a Bellbrook resident and owner of a local law firm, said she and her husband would prefer renovation and mixed community retail uses rather than demolition or multifamily apartments. \"We ultimately want to keep the building. We want to preserve that for Bellbrook’s history too,\" Zemarest said, noting concerns about plumbing, the roof and ADA access.

Jeff Von Handorf, whose small engineering firm adjoins the elementary school, said his company might convert part of the building to office space and work with existing tenants. He offered to cooperate with the Lions Club so that the festival and other community uses could continue. \"We'd be looking at making it an office space,\" Von Handorf said.

Constraints and technical details
Speakers flagged several practical constraints: roughly 4.66 acres lie toward the rear of the site and the presenters said about 60% of that land is in the floodplain, requiring elevated construction if built on; current city zoning was described as residential single-family for the parcels across the street; and the Lions and other presenters emphasized that any multifamily or apartment proposals were not part of their concept plans.

Representatives also noted the Greene County ESC (referred to in the meeting as the career center/ESC) has a decision timeline for next school year regarding whether to rent or purchase space, and that early clarity would help that tenant. Board members said they will seek any critical deadlines (grants, ESC decisions) so staff can prioritize options.

Board direction and next steps
No formal sale motion was taken. Instead the board asked Kozak to pursue options and to meet with the district attorney to explore scenarios (parceling, sale to the city/CIC, negotiated transfers versus public auction), and to return with recommended courses of action. Kozak said he would pursue that work and present options to the board.

Board members discussed the advantages of placing the property in the city's CIC for stewardship and noted stipulations could be attached to any transfer to protect community uses and ensure financial benefit returns to the district. Several board members emphasized they did not want to simply allow the property to go to the highest bidder without conditions.

What wasn’t decided
No sale agreements or binding contracts were signed, and the board did not select a preferred buyer. Several potential threshold items (the ESC timeline, grant or funding deadlines, formal city/CIC terms) were not fully specified in the meeting and were identified as follow-up questions staff must answer.

Documents and next meeting
Board members asked staff to track any critical timelines and to convene the board again as needed. The board also approved adding a May 5 joint session with the township at the township administration building by a recorded vote later in the meeting.

Ending: The board left open multiple community-driven pathways — city partnership, parceling, nonprofit stewardship, or negotiated private sale — and assigned staff to produce concrete options, deadlines and legal guidance for a future board decision.","The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Board of Education heard three community proposals to reuse the former Sugar Creek school property and directed Superintendent Terez Kozak to explore options with the city and community partners, while noting timeline pressure from an educational service center tenant.","actionData","errors"]

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Board briefed on special‑education policy submission, state review schedule and indicator concerns

Bellbrook board opens path to community partners while weighing sale of old Sugar Creek school property