001All right. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our July 7th of 2025 regular board of education meeting. We're excited to have such a crowded audience uh with us here today live. Um and of course all the viewers at home and um Miss Saber, if we could please call the role. >> Miss Dorenzo >> here. >> Miss Kawaii here. >> Dr. Middleton here. Mr. Wilson >> here. Would you please rise and join me in our pledge of allegiance? >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Can I please get a motion to adopt tonight's agenda? >> Miss Kawai >> I. Dr. Middleton, Missy Lorenzo, Mr. Wilson. >> I can
002I please get a motion to approve the uh board of education regular meeting minutes of July 25th and the special education I'm sorry, the special meeting minutes of July 30th from 2025. >> Second, >> Miss Aubber. >> Dr. Middleton, >> Miss Kawaii, >> I >> Miss Dorenzo, >> I >> Mr. Wilson. >> Hi. Next up is uh super public reports uh reports and public comments and uh Dr. Gupta. >> Yes. Good evening. Uh just wanted to bring to your attention last week uh we had some great news. Uh we had received the emerging STEM credential by AASA, the superintendent school association and Jason Learning recognizing our district's progress and leadership in building a strong STEM learning culture. Uh so it's a national certification process that was um conducted. It was a rigorous application uh that
003our uh Oakwood school STEM champions if you remember last year at I think the August board meeting I I'd come with a recommendation uh to provide stipens for um uh STEM champions for each school. So they worked with Dr. Lang through the course of all of last year to fill out that application uh to submit artifacts um and uh that they were able to that showcased kind of the STEM learning that we have uh from our elementary all the way to our high school. The review team uh that we received feedback praised Oakwood for its commitment to academic rigor, career ready skills, and authentic learning experiences. The special recognition was given to the district STEM speaker series which actively involved caregivers and community members in highlighting real world STEM careers and interests especially at the
004junior high and the middle high school level. Um looking ahead we'll continue to focus on expanding and aligning our STEM instruction across all grade levels ensuring that every student from kindergarten through 12th has access to learning that um develops curiosity critical thinking and future ready skills. And so uh again we were recognized uh this past week and uh we have a banner that uh that we have and so at the end of the board meeting I am going to have um the ask the board to maybe we'll get over to the the backdrop and get a picture with the banner and we'll be able to display that. Um next thing I want to kind of share is uh enrollment projections. Uh there's a a company in uh around Columbus, Ohio uh that works with school
005districts. It's called Future Think and uh they put together some enrollment projections. So, um, this is draft enrollment population projection reports. Um, so it's nothing that's been finalized. Uh, but it's part of the work with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. Uh, basically our total enrollment right now, including preK, um, ungraded and off-site career tech is n 1,959 students. According to the draft report, enrollment is projected to decline slightly over the next 10 years to 1,874 students. So that's a reduction of 77 students, but it's across 13 grade levels. Um, so I don't it's not like we're going to feel it, you know, in any big sense. Um, over the past decade, we've seen a steady but modest decline in enrollment uh from 2073 students that we had in uh 2015 16 to that 1951 students
006that we have now. Um, one trend worth noting is uh the local birth data births in the 45419 zip code which is used to project out um and has have declined from 205 uh in 2016 to 171 in 2023. So they're attributing a decline that that they're going to see through that also. Um so just kind of we keep an eye on those things. Obviously, we know that um um there there is some um uh housing turnover and and people are moving in and out which makes things fluctuate with u uh that but it's just it is something that we take a look at and I wanted to make sure that you were aware of uh us of us having access to that data. Um I would like to introduce uh finally uh Trisha Small
007to come up to the uh uh the podium. uh you'll be uh I'll be recommending her for third grade at Harmon Elementary School and uh just actually welcoming her back. She used to be our librarian at Smith before moving to St. Louis for a few years. Um in her interview it was evident that uh she not only knows and has a literacy background that was extensive. Um but I was just enam enamored by her love for students. Um her empathy that she displays and her excitement to build community and connection in her classroom uh with the parents and the Harman staff. I kind of thought to myself, if I had a child of my own that would be going into that grade level, um I would love love love uh to have uh that child
008with Mrs. Small. So, just asked her to share a few words. Um and then uh and then we'll go from there. >> Well, thank you for those kind words, Dr. Zupa. Um I am thrilled to be back in Oakwood again. Um I've been in St. Louis um for the last six years with my family and um very happy to be back in the school district again. Um the interview process was amazing. Um if I wasn't excited before, I was extremely excited after the interview. As my family can attest, um I think that it's a really strong third grade team. Um, and I have always enjoyed interactions though, though not directly, but um, any interaction interactions I've ever had with Mrs. Patterson, I have always really enjoyed. So, I am very excited to be under her
009leadership. So, um, I am looking forward to this school year and I thank you for the opportunity. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Glad to have you. >> So, I say this each time, but I'm going to give you the chance and the opportunity to go and celebrate early. You don't have to stay for the rest of the meeting. Um, Raiders is my favorite place to get ice cream to celebrate. Um, and so I expect to report back on what ice cream flavor won out amongst the three of you. So, congratulations. >> Congratulations. Glad to have you. >> Thank you. >> And that concludes my superintendent report. >> All right. Next up is public comments. We have one public comment and that is Allison Benford. Good evening. Uh, thank you for this opportunity
010to address the board. My name is Allison Benford, a 34year resident of Oakwood, mother of two Oakwood graduates and a retired public educator with a career spanning 37 years and three countries. 50 years ago, my husband and I were given the opportunity to spend a three-year tour of duty with the Royal Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. I was also granted the ability to teach in a local school district. Coming from teaching in a school in wartorn Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the bombs rattled my classroom windows and children were surrounded by violence. This was an amazing and joyful opportunity. We fell in love with America, the country and the people, embraced by kindness and in awe of the beauty and diversity as we were able to visit 40 states in those three years.
011Seven years later, we made the gut-wrenching decision to leave our families in England and immigrate to the USA. It was where we saw the greatest opportunity for our two children and ultimately Oakwood was the community that looked and felt most like home. The stellar schools being a huge draw. Fast forward to today and my heart is heavy. I don't need to tell you that public education is under attack at the federal and state level. you know the cost of reduced funding freedoms. I have lived the experience of teaching in a local less wealthy school district with year after year of inconsistent funding and levy failures. AP courses eliminated. Classroom resources depleted. Educational aids and custodians let go. Art and music on the chopping block, paytoplay sports only for those who could afford it, and so
012many other ways that the educational experience was diminished. The fight for fair funding is far from over. Despite a Franklin County judge ruling that the ed choice voucher system is unconstitutional on a number of levels, it pulls money away from our public schools, which flies in the face of the promise of this country to provide a public education for all. Over the years, I have welcomed into my classroom students who were rejected and ejected from parochial schools as they were deemed not a good fit. also students from barely regulated charter schools who were years behind on their academic proficiency. Oakwood is a prestigious school district admired and recognized nationally, statewide, and locally. It is time for us to also become a leader in this fight for our public schools. I therefore respectfully request that the
013board considers joining the more than 300 Ohio school districts in becoming part of the vouchers hurt Ohio lawsuit for the sake of our future generation and the values that Oakwood schools instill in our students. We cannot let public education die in silence. Thank you. All right, next up is board reports. Do we have any board reports? No board reports. Moving on. Any next up is budget and finance? Nothing there. >> No report this month. >> All right. Thank you. Any unfinished business before the board? All right. New business before the board is item 6A. Uh recommendation is made to approve the attached contract amendment uh for Dr. Gupta, superintendent for the 2526 school year. Um, can I get a motion, please? >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Miss Dorenzo, >> hi. >> Miss Kawaii. >>
014Hi, >> Dr. Middleton. Hi, >> Mr. Wilson. >> I Next up is the superintendent contract. Sorry. Item A uh was administrative contract amendments. This is the superintendent contract. Recommendation is made to approve the attach contract for Dr. Gupta, superintendent effective August 1st, 2026 through August 31st, 3031. Can I get a motion, please? So moved. >> Second. >> Miss Saver. >> Miss Dorenzo. >> Hi. >> Dr. Middle. >> Miss Kawaii. >> Hi. >> Mr. Wilson. >> I. Next up is item 6C. This is um Oakwood's board of education. Um wait a minute. This is the contract for the shared resource center. Uh recommendation is made to approve the shored resource center contract as presented effective August 1st, 2025 through July 31st, 2026. Can I get a motion, please? >> So move. >> Miss Sabre, >> Miss
015Denzo, >> hi. >> Dr. Middleton, >> hi. >> Miss Kawaii, >> I. >> Mr. Wilson, >> I. Next up is administrative reports and superintendent recommendations. >> Yes, I'll take uh 7 A through C under one um item 7A. And these three are all uh courses that I had brought last month uh for for you to review as far as uh uh courses for at the high school for approval. Uh this month we're coming in for the recommendation to approve them. 7A is the advanced placement business principles and personal finance. Letter B is the foundations of business and letter C is the personal finance. Can I get a motion for items 7 A through 7 C please? >> Second. >> Miss Sabre, >> Dr. Mr. Middleton. >> Hi, >> Miss Kawaii. >> Hi, >> Miss Dorenzo.
016>> Hi, >> Mr. Wilson. >> I >> 7D is a resolution for declaring transportation to be impractical. Uh, making the recommendation to approve the resolution to declare transportation impractical for certain identified students um as presented pursuant to the requirements of the Ohio Revised Code 3327 and the procedure set forth by the Department of Education. >> Can I get a motion for item 7D, please? Second, >> Miss Aubber, >> Miss Kai, >> hi. >> Miss Dorenzo, >> hi. >> Dr. Middleton, >> hi. >> Mr. Wilson, >> I there is nothing under item uh number eight and takes us to item number nine, personnel items and recommendations. >> Yes. Number 9 A through O will take in one motion. I'll go ahead and read them. 9A is the to employ local professional development license lensure committee members
017for work during the 202526 school year. Letter B is to employ seasonal workers. Uh there's an attached list of seasonal workers pending completion of required documents. Letter C is the employment of Trisha Small uh as a third grade teacher at Harmon Elementary School. Again, returning uh back to us. Uh she previously was a librarian uh in our district. Letter D is the employment of Angela Bolan u to employ her as an EL tutor for the 2526 school year. Letter E is the employment of Ellen Golden also as an EL tutor. Uh these are both tutors, sorry, for the 2526 school year. Letter F is employing Melissa McTall uh at an hourly rate for up to three transition days um as she'll be coming to work with us. Letter G is the employment of Megan Feeser.
018Uh the recommendation as the administrative assistant to the director of curriculum instruction assessment uh here at central office and uh she'll be begin effectively July 28th, 2025. Uh she received a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Wright State University. Letter H is the transition time for Megan uh feaser. Um and that'll be for up to 10 hours to assist with the transition to ad administrative assistant for curriculum instruction and assessment at the hourly rate um from July 21st 2025 to July 25th. Letter I is to revise the FE FTE uh for Jill Sham from 1.0 to 82 for the 2526 school year. Letter J is to revise seasonal workers uh to bed the hourly rate for the attached seasonal workers effective June 1st. Letter K is the employment contract uh for Lauren Gentry, our
019alumni association director uh for a period of August 1st, 2025 to July 31st, 2026. L is the administrative contracts and amendments uh for uh administrators for the 2526 school year. Letter M is to the exempt employee contracts um the attached contracts for the following employee exempt employees for the 2526 school year. We have two administrators. Letter N is the employee amendment for the contracts uh for uh three of the new administrators that are being onboarded and will begin on August 1st. Letter O is the supplemental contracts and volunteers list for 202526. Um and that is it. So that's letters A through O under number nine. Can I get a motion for items 9 A through O, please? moved. >> Miss Saver, >> Miss Dorenzo, >> hi. >> Dr. Middleton, >> hi. >> Miss Kawaii, >>
020hi. >> Mr. Wilson, >> I And that takes us to item number 10. Uh, the board will not be going into executive session today. One of the nice things about summer board meetings is since so much of the work is done during the school year, uh, summer board meetings just tend to be shorter. So, uh, can I please get a motion to adjurnn? Second, >> Miss Sberts, >> Miss Durant, >> hi >> Miss Kawaii, Dr. Middleton, Hi, Mr. Wilson. >> Hi. Thank you all for coming.