Richland School Board asked to take possession of the Symons Rec Complex

The Richland School Board was recently asked to take possession of the Symons Recreation Complex. A recent comprehensive study of Symons shows that the city and county format of organization is not sustainable and the city desires to no longer be an agent of Symons. The result of the comprehensive study by Symons, shows that it should move to either a non-profit model or to have the school district take it over. An Innovation Grant for funding is available for five years, but the city and county are not eligible for the grant, however the school district would be. The school is also able to raise its levy limit to meet expenses associated with the operation of Symons. The school board met in closed session at last night’s (Wednesday) meeting to discuss the purchase offer. The board then reconvened back into open session and discussed the plan. The consensus among the members of the board was that their priority is to the students of the district and at this time there are too many unknowns in taking ownership of Symons and do not feel comfortable acquiring Symons at this time. A motion was made to reject the offer to purchase Symons and the motion passed unanimously.

Representative Tony Kurtz attended the Richland School Board of Education meeting last night (Wednesday) to provide a brief “State of Education” update from a legislative perspective. As the State Representative serving the Richland School District area, Rep. Kurtz periodically meets with school districts and municipalities to discuss legislative developments and hear feedback from local boards and administrators. During the open session portion of the meeting, Rep. Kurtz provided an overview of current education-related issues being discussed at the State Capitol.

It was reported at last night’s meeting that with the creation of iThrive, the Richland School District now has five alternative programs in the District: Richland Small School Educational Environment or RSEE; Home-based, Instructor-Facilitated, Virtual Education or HIVE; Problem-solvers, Academic Rigor, Responsibility, Transcend, Navigate, Elevate, Real-World Skills or the PARTNER School; Off-Campus Alternative Education, and iThrive. Across these programs, more than 150 students in the Richland School District are currently being served through alternative or specialized programming designed to support academic success, behavioral needs, and flexible graduation pathways. These programs ensure that students whose needs are not best met in a traditional classroom still have access to rigorous instruction, individualized support, and pathways toward graduation.