December 20, 2019 Kirtland Local School District’s Building and Grounds Supervisor James Smith won the Ohio School Plan Best Practice Award for the district’s proactive risk management mitigation practices.
To qualify for the award, districts must show accountability and completion of corrective actions. Travis Thompson, director of Risk Management for Hylant Administrative Services in Toledo, nominated Smith for the award. In his nomination, Thompson said Smith made a building assessment when he started with Kirtland Schools and made several recommendations involving physical changes to building entrances. Those changes brought the district in compliance with ADA building code requirements and improved school safety and security.
“Mr. Smith and the Board truly implemented comprehensive best practices in school safety,” Thompson wrote. Smith credited Superintendent Bill Wade with leading the charge to improve campus safety and the support of the Kirtland Board of Education in making it a reality.
“This is heavily weighted on the facility, the physical plant established practices and protocols. Everything we do is for the safety and security of the students, staff and community members,” Smith said. “This is a great example of a collective team effort. No success would have been achieved without the leadership and collective team effort from the administrative team, our office support, the principals, our staff and the vendors.”
The Ohio School Plan insures about 300 school districts, Joint Vocational Schools and Educational Service Centers in Ohio. Annually, they assess risk factors and operational practices of districts through site visits and standards to determine if districts are doing whatever is necessary to mitigate risk. The award recognizes districts that best fit the model for best practices.
This is Kirtland’s first award, and Smith’s second award. Smith will receive a renewal premium credit and a plaque.