At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, iLEAD Spring Meadows school closed for good. The school announced its closure to families in mid-May via email, identifying a lack of funding as the reason for the closure. As a school representative stated, insufficient funding presented an obstacle to the school’s ability to deliver its promise of a well-rounded education that promotes students’ social, emotional, and mental growth. The Ohio Council of Community Schools is collaborating with the school board and staff to assist families affected by the closure in finding a new school for the 2023-2024 school year.
Catching Up With Sylvania Schools Superintendent Dr. Veronica Motley
—“A healthy community is tied to a thriving school district” —
The Superintendent of Sylvania Schools, Dr. Veronica Motley, was appointed in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and she has been using her past educational experiences and leadership position to make a direct impact on the lives of the children in Sylvania Schools.
Goals for Sylvania Schools in 2023
Each year, Dr. Motley works closely with a team of administrators, teachers, and families to get a better understanding of the educational values of the community and their expectations of the school district. This ongoing conversation ensures that both the graduating class of 2023 and the newly admitted kindergarten class of 2036 are equally and constantly prepared for the world of work ahead of them.
“I would say that my professional fabric has been developed over the years because of my experiences working in very diverse school districts with great people, great families, and learning from those experiences,” said Motley.
As superintendent, a long and short-term goal that Dr. Motley has set for the school district is to establish more career and education programs that encourage students to explore a variety of different career options through initiatives such as Career Days, Career Talks, on-site intern/externships, and other academic experiences that will provide students with more professional opportunities after graduation and the skills necessary to meet the demands of the working world.
A few more goals for Sylvania Schools in 2023 and beyond are remaining fiscally responsible with allocated funds, offering academic, artistic, and athletic programs to provide a well rounded education for students, monitoring educational and financial trends, and continuing to invest in the children of Sylvania so that in the future, they are encouraged to invest in the strengthening Sylvania community.
Professional background
Dr. Motley has had quite the academic and professional journey before becoming the Superintendent of Sylvania Schools.
She was born in Akron and attended Copley High School, located just west of there. After graduation, Motley attended and later became a three time graduate of the University of Akron, where she earned her bachelor’s, masters, and doctorate degrees. Upon her college graduation, Motley attended Ashland University to continue with post graduate work that would allow her to meet all requirements for a superintendent position.
A variety of professional opportunities and positions have helped shape the leadership role that Dr. Motley has taken on for Sylvania Schools, including a position as a middle school math teacher; an elementary assistant principal; principal; director of special education; director of curriculum, teaching, and learning; assistant superintendent; and most recently the Superintendent of Sylvania Schools.
Dr. Motley says within these positions she has been able to oversee several programs and to integrate every aspect of education from the classrooms to the facilities. Her experience has helped her to meet the demands of innovation while learning the ways in which a school district functions.
“I feel like all of my previous experiences contributed to me being well prepared to lead Sylvania Schools and serve the community,” added Motley.
Since Dr. Motley was appointed superintendent in 2020, she has made tremendous contributions to the Sylvania School system, including contributing to a five-year strategic plan that will map the school districts steps for the future, launching two student led ESports teams, expanding STEMM opportunities in elementary buildings for grades K-5, expanding Career Ed programs to make sure students are industry ready, and further developing preschool initiatives.
“I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to lead Sylvania schools and work with such great people–our board of education, our educators, our administrators, and the partnerships that we have within the community,” said Motley.
Family life
Dr. Motley has always had a close relationship with her two parents, who have been married for 47 years. From childhood and throughout her adult life, Motley’s mother and father have both embodied the importance of hard work and continue to be her role models. Considering that her parents did not have the opportunity to receive a formal quality education as children and young adults, they ensured that Veronica could attend college and take her education further than they were able to, which she says was her motivation to obtain her doctorate degree.
Dr. Motley explained that as a child, she often experienced feelings of being overlooked within her school system, and she wanted to avoid placing those same feelings on anyone else. Within her leadership role, Dr. Motley has now been able to use her early negative experiences as a student to ensure that all students are actively engaged and have access to educational opportunities without being underestimated or overlooked. She believes that as a community, we can invest in each other’s futures while still valuing the experiences of our past.
“Students are looking for someone to give them a spark, and I want to lead systems that ensure we find sparks for our kids,” stated Motley.
In her free time, Motley can usually be found canoeing in the lake with her longtime boyfriend of 10 years, or playing with her 10-month-old Cavapoo puppy, named Cricket.
Fun Facts:
Here are a few of Dr. Motley’s favorite things that will help us get to know her better as a person and as leader of Sylvania Schools:
Favorite food: All forms of sweet potatoes.
Favorite music genre: Adult alternative.
Favorite hobbies: Gardening (especially tomatoes and peppers), canoeing, traveling, and visiting her dad on the weekends.
Personal goal for 2023: To maintain a healthier lifestyle, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Siblings: One older brother.
Furbabies: Beloved Cricket!
2023 Kids Astrology: Leo (July 23-August 22)
Happy birthday to your precious little Leo child! This will be an interesting time as your child will be bursting with energy. Have a birthday party that gets the energy moving so they can sleep well. This is a great time for physical activity, so a birthday party that involves tossing the balloons, tug-of-war, or anything physical will help your child feel full of joy. With the beautiful weather in Northwest Ohio, there are so many outdoorsy activities that you can do right now. Another suggestion is a carnival party. This will surely be an exciting day for your little Leo. You can keep the party cost-efficient by going to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, where they have toys that you can pick up for gifts for less than $2!
Free TARTA Passes Teach Kids Public Transit Skills
Using public transit might seem daunting for those who have never had to read a bus schedule, plan a route or make a transfer, but those skills are easy to develop with a little practice.
Helping young people gain confidence in navigating public transit is one goal of the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) Youth Summer Blast Pass (YSBP), a new initiative providing youth ages 6-19 with unlimited rides during the months of June, July and August. The passes are offered free of charge thanks to a grant from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation (GTCF), and are valid for fixed route buses, TARTA Flex microtransit and TARPS paratransit.
“It’s about education, it’s about exposure. We want young people to understand what public transit is like and how to use it,” said Sam Melden, TARTA’s chief communications and external affairs officer.
“When you think about young people, whether it’s education, employment opportunities, recreation, seeing their friends, building relationships — transportation is a vital part of any young person’s experience in a community,” Melden added.
Removing barriers
Keith Burwell, GTCF president, said TARTA’s summer youth pass initiative provides transportation for those who need it most and helps youth take advantage of everything Northwest Ohio has to offer in the summer.
“Our young people face so many challenges on a daily basis,” Burwell said. “Removing the barrier of cost of transportation for those who don’t have access to a car is going to make a difference in what their options are for the summer months in terms of work or recreation.”
By mid-July, about 1,300 passes had been issued. The $50,000 grant from Greater Toledo Community Foundation covers the cost of the first 2,000 passes and TARTA’s board of directors voted to subsidize the cost of all additional summer passes beyond that number.
Passes are available through August 31. Youth can acquire a digital pass by downloading the EZFare app and filling out an online application on the TARTA website. The digital pass will be added to one’s EZFare account within 48 hours.
Physical passes are also available immediately by filling out an application in person at the TARTA transit hub at the intersection of Huron and Cherry in downtown Toledo.
“We’d like to make applying for the program as easy as possible,” said TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski. “With so many businesses in the area hiring summer help, we want to greatly expand options for those youth looking to participate in our workforce, build their skill sets and help their families.”
Point-to-point transportation
TARTA transit covers Maumee, Ottawa Hills, Rossford, Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Toledo, and Waterville. In addition to fixed-line bus routes, TARTA’s newer Flex microtransit service allows customers to book a point-to-point ride 30 to 60 minutes in advance. Melden compared it to other popular on-demand ride sharing services.
TARTA’s summer youth pass offers significant savings: Melden noted a basic, 30-day pass covering fixed routes only costs $45, and the Flex service that is included in the YSBP normally costs $3 per ride.
While the YSBP ends in August, Melden said it is anticipated that the program will return next summer in the form of either a free or significantly discounted pass.
“We’ve been excited to see the enthusiasm by young people who want to take advantage of the program, [and] parents who want their kids to get out there and learn how to use transit and get outside this summer,” said Melden.
New Bike Path at Maumee United Methodist Church
Leaders at Maumee United Methodist Church recently recognized a need for a bike path when they noticed children in the neighborhood were riding their bikes on the church’s wheelchair ramps. The new bike path is a part of the church’s theme for their Vacation Bible School: “Ready, Set, Move.”
Terra Mitchell, director of the elementary children’s ministry at the church, commented on how the children riding their bikes on the church ramp are “our local kids.” This community focus applies not only to who the bike path serves, but also to how it was created, as the church invited families in the area to paint the new path.
The bike path has been designed to appear realistic, featuring painted details such as road markings and intersections, and actual street signs and stop signs. The bike path has been named Route 3:16, which is short for John 3:16. To celebrate the bike path’s completion, Maumee United Methodist church hosted a free kickoff event with live music, ice cream, and bike-related prizes.
For community members who were not involved with developing and designing the bike path but would like to contribute in some form, Maumee United Methodist is accepting bike, scooter, and helmet donations. Donated items will ensure that children at Small Beginnings Christian Preschool, affiliated with Maumee United Methodist Church, can also enjoy the new bike path, even though many parents and grandparents cannot transport their children’s bikes daily. To donate items for the bike path, email Small Beginnings at [email protected].
To learn more about Maumee United Methodist Church, visit their website.
