Interview questions for St. Aloysius
EXPANSION
Q. What is your response to the concern that St. Al’s would “wait a few years and attempt to increase grades K-12 from the current K-8 grade levels and then “bring in your dispensary and psychiatric clinic?”
Q. Are there any long term plans to increase the K-8 student enrollment from the current 90?
Q. Would St. Aloysius consider expanding into the Holy Spirit Center if it were ever for sale?
SECURITY
Q. What are the essentials of security training for your staff?
Q. Apart from regular staff trained on security procedures, how many designated security personnel will be employed at the proposed school? Will they be armed?
Q. In addition to daily pat-downs, will metal detectors be employed at the proposed school? Have daily pat-downs ever resulted in the discovery of weapons, and, if so, how often in recent times and what kinds of weapons have been confiscated?
Q. What are the consequences for students found with weapons?
Q. What are your procedures in the event a student escapes? Do you have a system in place to warn nearby residents?
Q. Some residents are concerned that the Norwood Police Dept. will be burdened by calls to the school. Can you provide data on the incidence of calls to the Cincinnati Police in recent times and examples of what kinds of problems generate calls to the police?
Q. What is the height of the new chain link fence that will be installed around the property, and will it include barbed wire on the top? Does your Reading Road location have barbed wire fencing? Will the height of the current fence that surrounds the playground remain the same?
Q. Does St. Aloysius carry liability insurance to cover residential property damage or personal injury caused by students?
Q. How consistently are you able to maintain your 4:1 teacher to student ratio and 1:1 staff to student ratio? Do you employ substitute teachers and staff to maintain the ratio on a daily basis?
THE SCHOOL AND STUDENTS
Q. Your website states with regard to your charter school that “in many cases, it is the last resort.” What does this mean exactly? Do you accept students with juvenile criminal records?
Q. We understand students typically attend St. Aloysius for 6 to 9 months before they are reintegrated into their regular schools. What is the incidence of students failing to reintegrate, and are there any further educational options at St. Aloysius for those who don’t achieve reintegration?
Q. What is the incidence of student expulsion from St. Aloysius? What types of infractions result in expulsion?
Q. Is there any truth to the rumor one of our readers reported that one of your students is responsible for the death of a sibling?
Q. Your attorney told the Planning Commissioner that PTA meetings would be the only evening activities at the proposed school. One commenter would like to know the purpose of having a PTA in a “temporary school situation,” and asks “would these meetings in fact really be PTA meetings or would they be some sort of family therapy meetings or group therapy meetings?”
LAWSUIT
Your attorney Mr. Trauth informed the Norwood Planning Commission early on that a discrimination lawsuit would be filed if the school were not approved. He also stated this in an Enquirer article published December 11 prior to the December 17 Planning Commission meeting when members voted in favor of the school. Some of our readers have commented that the threat of a lawsuit displays arrogance and is an attempt to intimidate City officials into making a favorable decision. One commenter questioned what type of neighbor St. Al‘s will be with “that type of attitude.”
Q. What was the purpose of Mr. Trauth’s threat if not to intimidate our City officials?
Q. Is it still his position that a lawsuit may ensue if Norwood City Council does not approve the Planning Commission’s recommendation allowing the school?
We thank you for graciously answering our and our readers’ questions. In closing, is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked about?
Q. What is your response to the concern that St. Al’s would “wait a few years and attempt to increase grades K-12 from the current K-8 grade levels and then “bring in your dispensary and psychiatric clinic?”
Q. Are there any long term plans to increase the K-8 student enrollment from the current 90?
Q. Would St. Aloysius consider expanding into the Holy Spirit Center if it were ever for sale?
SECURITY
Q. What are the essentials of security training for your staff?
Q. Apart from regular staff trained on security procedures, how many designated security personnel will be employed at the proposed school? Will they be armed?
Q. In addition to daily pat-downs, will metal detectors be employed at the proposed school? Have daily pat-downs ever resulted in the discovery of weapons, and, if so, how often in recent times and what kinds of weapons have been confiscated?
Q. What are the consequences for students found with weapons?
Q. What are your procedures in the event a student escapes? Do you have a system in place to warn nearby residents?
Q. Some residents are concerned that the Norwood Police Dept. will be burdened by calls to the school. Can you provide data on the incidence of calls to the Cincinnati Police in recent times and examples of what kinds of problems generate calls to the police?
Q. What is the height of the new chain link fence that will be installed around the property, and will it include barbed wire on the top? Does your Reading Road location have barbed wire fencing? Will the height of the current fence that surrounds the playground remain the same?
Q. Does St. Aloysius carry liability insurance to cover residential property damage or personal injury caused by students?
Q. How consistently are you able to maintain your 4:1 teacher to student ratio and 1:1 staff to student ratio? Do you employ substitute teachers and staff to maintain the ratio on a daily basis?
THE SCHOOL AND STUDENTS
Q. Your website states with regard to your charter school that “in many cases, it is the last resort.” What does this mean exactly? Do you accept students with juvenile criminal records?
Q. We understand students typically attend St. Aloysius for 6 to 9 months before they are reintegrated into their regular schools. What is the incidence of students failing to reintegrate, and are there any further educational options at St. Aloysius for those who don’t achieve reintegration?
Q. What is the incidence of student expulsion from St. Aloysius? What types of infractions result in expulsion?
Q. Is there any truth to the rumor one of our readers reported that one of your students is responsible for the death of a sibling?
Q. Your attorney told the Planning Commissioner that PTA meetings would be the only evening activities at the proposed school. One commenter would like to know the purpose of having a PTA in a “temporary school situation,” and asks “would these meetings in fact really be PTA meetings or would they be some sort of family therapy meetings or group therapy meetings?”
LAWSUIT
Your attorney Mr. Trauth informed the Norwood Planning Commission early on that a discrimination lawsuit would be filed if the school were not approved. He also stated this in an Enquirer article published December 11 prior to the December 17 Planning Commission meeting when members voted in favor of the school. Some of our readers have commented that the threat of a lawsuit displays arrogance and is an attempt to intimidate City officials into making a favorable decision. One commenter questioned what type of neighbor St. Al‘s will be with “that type of attitude.”
Q. What was the purpose of Mr. Trauth’s threat if not to intimidate our City officials?
Q. Is it still his position that a lawsuit may ensue if Norwood City Council does not approve the Planning Commission’s recommendation allowing the school?
We thank you for graciously answering our and our readers’ questions. In closing, is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked about?
posted by Citizens For A Better Norwood at
8:13 AM
