001Well, good evening and welcome to this regular meeting for Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Everybody can please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under indivisible with justice for all. Please Mr. Gris here. Mr. Hayes here. Mr. McCarthy here. Mrs. Jackson. Mr. Rock here. Finalization of the agenda. Is there anything to add or remove? The agenda is final as presented. Thank you. It is recommended that the board of education approve the written summary of the regular and special minutes for the meetings on May 6, 2025, May 12th, 2025, May 14th, 2025, May 15, 2025, May 19th, 2025, and May 20th 25. Mr. Arthy, second by Mr. Griggsby. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Arthy.
002Yes, Mr. Mr. Griffy. Yes. Mr. Haynes. Yes. Mr. Ba. Yes. Superintendence report. Good evening, board president Baka, Vice President McCarthy, Board Repres. Uh, I want to thank you all for being here tonight. Um, I do want to begin this superintendent's report by addressing a piece of legislation that is currently moving through the Ohio House, and that's House Bill 335, known as the Property Property Tax Relief Now Act. At first glance, the name may sound promising, but the reality is alarming. This bill proposes to repeal inside millillage, which is a foundational component of local property tax that provides guaranteed funding for our public schools and our local governments across the state. If passed, this legislation would deal a devastating financial blow, not only to North Ridgeville City Schools, but also to our city services, including police,
003fire, and our community operations. For North Ridgeville City Schools, the impact would be immediate and severe. We will lose $4.5 million in funding for fiscal years 26 and fiscal year 27. And that loss doubles to $9 million per year beginning in 2028. This is the funding that supports the people and programs that make our district what it is. With such a significant loss, we would be forced to confront difficult decisions. A large portion, most districts, between 80 and 85% of our budget goes directly to staffing, which means we will face staff reductions, larger class sizes, and cuts to transportation, extracurriculars, and student offerings. We could be forced to scale back to offering only state minimums, compromising the very mission that drives us to empower students to design their preferred future. But this isn't just a
004school district issue. It's a communitywide issue. At last night's city council meeting, the city of North Ridgeville shared the projected loss of $3.6 6 million in fiscal year 26 that jeopard jeopardizes operations for police, fire, parks and wreck, etc. Looking into the city budget, they could be looking at the potential elimination of entire departments. This bill, if passed, would affect nearly every resident in North Bridgeville, parents, students, city employees, senior citizens, and business owners alike. The impact is real and the time to act is now. We urge you to make your voices heard. We've created a page on our website where you can learn more about this proposed legislation. Find contact information for Representative Gail Manning and Senator Nathan Manning and download a template letter for you to get started. Please take a moment to
005read, reflect, and reach out. We must stand together to protect our schools, our city, our students, and our shared future. Thank you. Thank you. Before I move on to happy questions, where would the funding be or return to the taxpayers? Taxpayers. Uh so then basically the funding goes back to the taxpayer. then we have to bring up more levies for the taxpayers to vote on. So it becomes a shell game of where and one thing to keep in mind too with that I know there's a lot of pieces parts to 335 uh that you know I don't get into the specifics of but when you talk about what we currently have on the books of a substitute levy that we passed back in uh 2020 and that basically eliminated four individual emergency levies that were
006fixed sum levies that in a school district like North Ridgeville when we passed that we passed it at 11.74 mills. Today it's down to sevenish mills. I don't have the exact number. Um so what we told taxpayers at that time was that this will be the most you will pay because in in effect as our city continues to grow you will feel less of that. Now again, if you look at your tax bills, you don't see a huge decrease. But what a substitute levy does, which this bill would eliminate and also eliminate the ability to renew substitute levy, it allows us currently to capitalize on new construction and new growth within the district, which we didn't do with our fixed sub levy. So for the period of time that that has been in place, we
007have been able to capitalize on the growth in Richmondville. So, in effect, you're 100% correct for Dr. Haynes. It's a shell game. It would be a relief for a short period of time. Again, most people wouldn't even notice the decrease. Um, and then ultimately, we would have to ask for more. And we would also be putting our residents at the risk of loss of homestead exemption and roll back, which right now is 12.5%. That would go directly back to taxpayers. So that would add an additional 12 and a half percent for the taxes that are already being paid. And that's because new levies passed after 2014 do not qualify for homestead and back. That's correct. Reductions at that 12.5%. That is correct. So um super when you talked about fiscal year 26 or fiscal year
00827th tell us what that means in school years so our community understands. So fiscal years operate um from July 1st to June 30th and fiscal year 26 actually would begin this coming July 1. So we're talking about July 2025. You are correct. So the 2526 school year in that very first year we're losing $4.5 million. That's correct. If this legislation moves forward. That's correct. And just for one more piece of staggering information, when you think collectively across the state of Ohio, they are talking about a reduction in 20,000 teachers. 20,000 teachers across the state of Ohio that will be unemployed. And to be clear to the community as well, so you know, this will pretty much guarantee most school districts in Ohio will immediately go into fiscal or fiscal watch oversight from the state. followed
009quickly thereafter by a fiscal emergency where the state comes in and starts dictating how we operate our school district. This is one of many things. There's House Bill 96 that has other components. We're at the risk of literally losing ten of millions of dollars in a very short period of time. And we've never had the uh the state come in and oversee us. It's nothing that anybody wants to be a part of. If you remember when the rain went through that, the rain city schools, it's all kinds of bad. You have people that have no vested interest in your community making decisions for your school district and all the extra all the credit plus classes we've offered, all the honors classes, all the electives that we've worked so hard to offer, all of that literally
010will go away overnight. We're not talking two years down the road, three years down the road. We're talking these cuts will be immediate and they will be drastic because we just won't have the funds to do it. transportation, two-mile radius for every student in the district because that's what Ohio law says we can do. So, currently we're not doing that to our elementary educators. Eliminating extracurriculars. We can't sit by idally. We can't sit by and allow Columbus to pass legislation based on talking points that ultimately will cost this community more money long term because not only will we have to replace those monies, the levies are actually going to be higher in order to replace. And meanwhile, how many years, how many graduating classes are we going to lose to this detrimental decisions that Columbus
011is making? But no thought, no no community input, no talking to the professionals. They're making these decisions to get reelected and only to get reelected. So, we can't sit by. We need the community to send letters. We need the community to blow up phone lines. We need the community to get out there and engage our politicians and let them know what this is going to look like for every community. And it's on the city side as well. City services will suffer. Public works will more than likely have layoffs. Police and fire, even if there's not layoffs, they'll have to maintain the current uh numbers, both low, safety services, the things that are being done, the roads, the infrastructure that monies are currently allocated to to maintain the city infrastructure. All of that is at risk
012with very little gain to you as a taxpayer. So we need the community in Mass to reach out. I can't emphasize that enough. Everything about this looks it's worst case scenario July one if this is passed. And so as stated there will be information on our website all of the conference committee members from both the house and the senate. Uh we will also list for your knowledge. I did send them all communication today in addition to our own local representative and senate and senator uh and hopefully you know we'll begin to see some traction here across the state but that information will be available to you. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, now for some really good so tonight we're really proud to have some great community members with us tonight. Uh and we are going
013to recognize and celebrate four outstanding businesses that have been named for the Ohio School Boards Association honors. Um and that is due to their exceptional service to public education. We do have great people. We are excited about this. The PE businesses have gone above and beyond over the past year demonstrating a strong commitment to our schools, our students, and our community. and we're grateful for their continued partnership and honored to highlight those contributions this evening. So, we are going to begin. If you don't mind joining me, we have a little gifty um and some things to share with the community. John and Lacy Rutherford from Between the Buds and Bam. Recent graduate. Okay, so Between the Bun isn't just a local favorite for our burgers, but it's amazing. It's a shining example of community support
014and generosity. Owned and operated by North Ridgeville residents John and Lacy Rutherford, the restaurant's commitment to North Ridge City Schools runs deep as their children are proud students are proud graduate. Alberta. For the second consecutive year, the Rutherfords have gone above and beyond by organizing a fundraiser to pay off student lunch debt, ensuring that every child in our school district has access to a meal. This year they donated nearly $2,000 which was enough to clear the existing debt and establish a reverse uh reserve fund to assist students in need throughout the year. Beyond their financial contributions, John and Lacy have opened their restaurant doors to the district, providing space for school events and meetings, further strengthening the bond between their business and our community. Their generosity and dedication make them an invaluable partner to the
015North Ridgeville City Schools and we thank you very much. Do you want photos now or after? We can do this. Okay. All right. Next, I would like to introduce Tammy Lehar. Culver is the pillar of support North Bridgeville City Schools and the entire community. Since opening in the fall of 2024, locally owned and operated by Doug and Tammy, Culver's has consistently demonstrated a commitment to giving back, Galleras have actively supported our schools by hosting numerous dedication nights, directly benefiting our PTAs, sports teams, and other school events. And I've heard from some of our school administrators that it was the most fun that they've ever had volunteering on those nights. Their dedication goes beyond fundraising. Anytime they are approached with a request to support students, staff, or school initiatives, they never hesitate to step up. Whether
016it's contributing to a cause, sponsoring an event, or simply being a reliable partner in education, exemplifies what it means to be a true community champion. Thank you both very much. Next, I would like to introduce Ryan Gerber, president, president and principal designer for RGI Creative. Okay, so we will get there. Uh, RGI Creative seamlessly blends innovative design with cutting edge technology to deliver impactful solutions for their clients. Their partnership with North Ridgeville City Schools has been nothing short of transformative. Through their involvement with our career-based intervention class, RGI has guided students through the entire design process by sharing their expertise while providing industry-grade materials, technology, and resources. Their support has led to the redesign of the Ablehop storefront and kiosk, creating a hands-on learning experience rooted in real world application. Beyond the classroom, RGI actively
017champions career readiness in our district by leading student workshops, participating in career fairs, and offering immersive professional development opportunities for educators, bridging the gap between classroom instruction and today's evolving career pathies. And we do thank Ryan Gerber and his partner Marne who have been in our high schools a lot and working side by side along with Lear Brewster and we're grateful for their work with us and our students. And our fourth business at the OSBA honor role is RW Beckett. And here representing tonight is Mr. John Beckett, chairman of the board. RW Beckett is a global leader in manufacturing and a pioneer in combustion technology with products found in over 50 million homes across the United States. As a proud supporter of the North Richville City Schools, RW Beckett plays a vital role in advancing
018work-based learning through our career-based intervention program. They generously host field trips and job shadowing opportunities, giving students a firsthand look at the many dynamic career paths available in modern manufacturing. Their consistent present presence at our career fair further reinforces their commitment to our student success. We are deeply grateful for their time, their mentorship, and dedication to helping our students explore meaningful opportunities beyond high school. Thank you, Mr. And please, do you have an announcement for this evening? I do. Um, just want to make a second announcement that the board of education will hold a public hearing on the issue of a retired teacher and a retired administrator being employed in the district. This will take place at 6 PM on July 1st right here in the North Bridge Academic Center Community Group. Thank you very
019much. All right, we're going to go ahead and take a brief recess so that Brooke can get pictures. We'll get the pictures. Yep. Yes. All right. Can I have you guys call this meeting back to order? Here's an opportunity for hearing of the public. If anybody in attendance this evening would like to invite the board of education, please approach the podium. State your name and address. All right. Seeing none, we'll move right into the consent agenda. It is recommended that the board of education approve the consent agenda resolution as presented. Move by Miss Jackson, seconded by Mr. Haynes. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Son, yes. Mr. Haynes, yes. Mr. Griggs, yes. Mrs. McCarthy, yes. Mr. Ba, yes. We are presenting a second reading of two older policies. I move to approve the
020policy report. policy Can I get a second place? Mr. Bottom of the page. Can I have a second? Second. Thank you, sir. Any discussion? Yes, if I may, Mr. Vaka and fellow members of the board. Uh before we proceed with this vote tonight, I want to take a moment to express my deep concern about the direction of recent state mandates, including one we've heard about from the superintendent and these two policies before us tonight, the parents bill of rights and the quote unquote back bill. And most recently, the proposed definition of biological sex in the state budget bill. These policies are not just misguided. They threaten the dignity, safety, and mental health of some of our most vulnerable students. The Parents Bill of Rights, though framed as a way to empower families, imposes limits on
021how schools can support students, restricts honest conversations in the classroom and places educators in difficult positions that may compromise the trust and safety our schools work so hard to build. The quote unquote bathroom bill singles out transgender and non-binary students, forcing schools to deny their identities and exposing them to increased risk of harm and harassment. It directly contradicts the values of safety, respect, and inclusion that we strive to uphold in our district. And although it's not something we are voting on tonight, I want to highlight the inappropriate use of the state budget bill to narrowly redefine biological sex in a way that erases transgender and interex individuals from legal protections. I urge Governor Dwine to veto this language in the budget bill. Regardless of where one stands politically, we can all agree that the state
022budget is no place to write discrimination into law. Our students deserve to be seen, heard, and protected, not erased. So, back to the policies in front of us tonight. As a public school board member, I recognize my legal obligation to implement state law, but I want to be very clear. I do not support these mandates. As much as I oppose the spirit and intention of these laws, I will regretfully vote to approve these policies tonight because to do otherwise would endanger the stability and operation of our district with potential expensive litigation and loss of funding. But I want our students to know my vote tonight is not a vote against you. It is a vote I cast with a heavy heart and a firm commitment to continue advocating for your right to learn, to grow,
023and to be your authentic selves in our schools. Further, I will continue to advocate for inclusive evidence-based policies that support mental health safety and academic success for all children without exception. I thank you. Thank you, Mr. Anybody else to see? She said roll call, please. Yes. Mr. Haynes, yes. Mr. Griggsby. Yes. Yes. Mrs. McCarthy. Regretfully. Yes. Mrs. Saxon. Regretfully. Yes. Moving into other board business. Beginning with a report from buildings and operations. Is it recommended that the board of education approve the following resolution acknowledging the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission design phase review comments? Moved. Okay. Second move by Mr. Jackson. Second by Mr. Griggsby. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. Miss Stson. Yes. Mr. Griggsby. Yes. Mr. Haynes. Yes. Mccarthy. Yes. Mr. Baka. Yes. Human resources report. Mr. Hayes. Thank you, Mr. Ba. We
024have a few items to consider under the human resources report. Two administrative administrator contracts. One supervisor contract, three certified staff appointments, one extended days contract, one certified staff lead replacement contract, one hour hourly tutor contract, eight support staff appointments, seven student summer employment contracts, four in 10 years school bus washing contracts, one summer school substitute teacher contract, one NREA supplemental contract, nine non NREA a supplemental contracts, nine unpaid volunteer recognitions, two support staff contract adjustments, two certified staff resignations, four support staff resignations, three supplemental contract regations. I move to approve the human resource report and one reading. Second move by Mr. Haynes, second by Mr. Griggsby. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Haynes, yes. Mr. Griggsby, yes. Mr. McCarthy. Yes. Mr. Fax. Yes. Mr. Baka. Yes. Okay. Do we have a defined resources
025report perhaps? Yes, we do. We have one more item for consideration under human resource report. One support staff substitute. I move to approve the human resources items and one. Second. Moved by Mr. Haynes. Second by M. McCarthy. Is there any discussion? Roll call, please. Mr. Haynes. Yep. Mr. McCarthy. Yes, Mr. Griggsby. Yes, Mrs. Zat and Mr. Box. Yes, the board and to our community. Uh, it's always my pleasure to announce um new additions to our team. And being summer, we have a number on vacation. So, I I would like to many of the ones that were um approved this evening, I would like to the opportunity to introduce at our July 1st meeting, but I do have a couple of special audience members uh this evening. Um I first would like to bring up Mr.
026Ryan Long. Ryan is joining us um as our coordinator of fiscal services, assistant treasurer, where he has been in the same position with the Parma City Schools for the past two years. He also brings um a number of years and an extensive financial expertise from his previous work in the private sector. Um he is a also a community member of the North Ridge City Schools and we are thrilled to have him join our financial team um this month. something. Thank you for those Denise Ferns. Denise is joining us as the supervisor of our transportation department um effective July 1. Uh she too is a community member um and we are thrilled to have her. Denise comes with um a unique background of school administration um and has a passion for working for the North Ridgeville
027City Schools and in our transportation department. So, some of the things that really drew um the team to her is is that she really will spend a great deal of time um fostering relationships with our transportation staff so that they know how important our role is of our bus aids and our bus drivers and how much they are appreciated um and really working at recruiting new members to that team. Um so, she has you know experience doing that um in her administrative roles. She also um wants to work with the community. You know, some of the things that really excited us was her getting out and meeting parents and talking to parents and taking those phone calls and and getting to in solving problems, you know, with the community. And then also working with students,
028riding along on the buses, making stu sure that students know um the behavior expected on the buses so that our kids are safe and they enjoy the experience of coming to and from school. So uh we think Denise will be an excellent member of our transportation firm. Then a familiar face that I want to congratulate is we are removing interim from Carro. Well, you see Carly's excitement. Carly has spent Charlie has spent the last um probably 10 months um with us as our interim director of operations. Um she is joining us permanently um this summer as our director of operations. Um her six months trial is over. Um she comes to us from the private sector before joining us and as she has experience in operations. She has a degree from Bowling Green State University
029in business management and marketing. Now she has a new staff t-shirt. So we are thrilled and we are thrilled to have all of our new admin on board. U Mr. Rob Whitten will join us um he is joining our um excellent high school team um and as a new assistant principal of high school and we will introduce him on July 1. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. It's amazing. So, you have no idea. Well, play your card. So, President Baka, every Tuesday in cabinet, we at the end of the meeting have a once around and often times people forget what their once around item was and we come back and then make fun of that person incessantly for forgetting about their one. But I would like to request a once around. Absolutely. Okay. So, joining
030us this evening is Ryan Gerber. Mr. Gerber, if you'd like to join me over here. whenever you read this if that's okay. Oh, that's all right. Come on over here. So, Ryan Gerber is the president and principal designer for RGI Creative. So, let me just read a little bit about RGI Creative. And I'm gonna there's going to be a test on this after, but RGI Creative seamlessly blends innovative design with cutting edge technology to deliver impactful solutions to their clients. Their partnership with North Ridgeville City Schools has been nothing short of transformative. Through their involvement with our careerbased intervention class, RGI has guided our students through the entire design process by sharing their expertise while providing industry grade materials, technology, and resources. Their support has led to the redesign of the able shop storefront and
031kiosk, creating a hands-on learning experience rooted in real world application. Beyond the classroom, RGI actively champions career readiness in our district by leading student workshops, participating in career fairs, and offering immersive professional development opportunities for our educators, bridging the gap between classroom instruction and today's evolving career pathways. We are so grateful for the work of RGI. Again, his partner Marne has been instrumental with our CDI programs through the work of his armbster and we are fortunate to have them as a partner. So, thank you so much. Yeah, thank you guys. Super excited to be a part of North Ridgeville and all the new developments that are happening. It's super exciting to see it happen. We've been here since 2009 and we've seen a lot of change, a lot of very good change. So, it's super
032exciting and we're happy to support any way we can. It is recommended the board of education adjourn this regular meeting. Second move by M. McCarthy, second by Mr. Haynes. Roll call, please. Mr. McCarthy. Yes. Mr. Haynes. Yes, Mr. Griggsby. Yes, Mrs. Texas. Yes, Mr. V. Yes. 637. Can I grab a picture of you? You kind of grow it.