001like to bring >> like to bring the meeting to order. If we could all stand for the pledge. I pledge algiance 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. >> All right. Uh, Beth, roll call, please. >> Mr. Burman, >> here. >> Mr. Manfred, >> here. >> Mrs. Stone, here. Mr. Townsen >> here >> and Mr. Wodsworth >> here. >> Uh I need a first and a second for approval of the agenda. >> So move. >> Brian, >> I'll second it. >> Linda, any discussion? >> Beth, roll call, please. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. May, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> And Mr. Watser, >> yes.
002Uh, I will make a motion to approve the minutes and I need a second. >> I'll second. >> Dan, any discussion? Beth will call, please. >> Mr. Manfred, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wodssworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. [clears throat] At this point, um, like to open up the floor for public participation if you want to address the boards. You want to come up to the microphone and speak into it. Uh, because there's people um that it's being taped so that they could hear it. You're going to be addressing the board and please be respectful. >> Good evening. Good evening. >> Hi there. [laughter] >> Good. >> So, we understand that you're renewing coaches tonight and we just want to my family and I just
003want to get our thoughts on the record. So, high school sports is meant to be fun. It's a game. The high school basketball program is not going the way that we foresaw that it would. So, there's conditioning issues. Many of you that are at games, surely you can tell there's conditioning issues. There are there's there's toxicity issues with um moral support when you make a mistake, right? So many of you have probably coached if someone makes an error, th those ball out of bounds. You pat him on the back, you move forward, right? Our household doesn't feel that way. So, it becomes a a point of contention at practices. You know, our daughter comes every Sunday and shoots. The head coach is never there. Thankfully, Kip is because honestly, without Kip, I'm not sure where
004any of this would be. So, I just want you to think about before you renew what the solve is. We've talked to Brian at length. Ivy's met with Brian. He literally agreed with her, but there's no change. The reality is we have one more season, right? And then you're you can do whatever you want. But we'd like her to have fun. and compete. Last season there was probably the biggest game of the year because of foul trouble. She turned around and she was on the court with four girls that had never played with her before. That's not fair to those kids because they didn't know the place. It's not fair to her. It's not fair to the girls who got in foul trouble. Frankly, practices are mundane. They walk through plays if they're lucky enough
005to get to walk through plays. They don't run. Look, I wasn't much of a student, but I played sports because I was tired of sitting in class and I got to move. And when I think about high school, no offense, Linda, I don't think about biology. I think about the baseball games, the basketball games, the camaraderie I had with those people, the support those coaches gave. right? Showing up on Saturday, the reality is they don't get paid for this. We know that this is a volunteer position. But for these kids to put that much time forward to get demoralized is not your motto of best or what these children have learned since kindergarten. Be kind, be wise, be a friend. So that's great. Great during the school day, but that's got to continue, right? So
006when Ivy went to basketball camp and after 9th grade, they taught her what a positive touch was. You guys know what that is? A positive touch is anytime that you pat your teammate on the back, give them a high five after an error. They don't feel like they get that from the head of the program ever. If anything, they almost feel like they're he's competing against them. So, I could go on and on. I'm not going to in the essence of saving your time. I think you get the drift. Um, I do have a couple letters from players and I also have something that talks about toxic environments. So, I bring up >> you have any questions for me? Thanks for hearing me. >> Thank you, Craig. >> Hello. Um Kristen Thompson, my daughter Hayden
007is a player on the girls basketball team, which we are also here to address. She couldn't be here. She did write a letter that I want to read um because I think it really puts everything kind of in a nutshell from the players perspective. So, I want to start by saying our team and I want to share some concerns that many players have experienced throughout the season. My intention is not to criticize, but to provide honest feedback that I believe could help improve the team and our overall experience. One of the biggest frustrations has been the lack of openness to player feedback. There have been many situations where players have tried to communicate concerns about plays, defensive setups, or practice plans that were not producing results. However, these concerns often seem to be dismissed without
008serious consideration. Basketball is a game that requires adjustments, and when strategies are not working, it can be discouraging when there is little willingness to adapt. Another concern is how practice time is used. We spend a significant amount of time running the same plays every day, even after they have already been learned. Many players learn or feel that having a playbook and prioritizing to the team that they need to know the plays or they will not get playing time would allow more practice time to be dedicated to skill development, conditioning, situational basketball, and team improvement. Additionally, there is very little time devoted to stretching and conditioning. practices feel repetitive and solely focused on plays and defense. Essentially, practice feels unproductive and inefficient more often than not. There is also concern about playing time decisions. It often
009appears that seniority is given more weight than performance, effort, or what gives the team the best chance to succeed. While senior players deserve respect for their commitment to the program, many players feel that playing time should primarily be earned based on what is best for the team and what players are performing at the highest level. Even in practice, not all players are given the chance to run through plays, defenses, and drills, stunting the growth of the team and creating frustrations for all players. I do want to add there was a total of 12 girls on this team between JV and varsity. All those girls needed to know what was going on. So, just a side note, overall, many players want to feel heard and valued. We want a competitive environment where feedback is welcomed, adjustments
010are made when necessary, practices are used as effectively as possible, and opportunities are earned through performance. We all share the same goal of helping the team succeed, and I hope these concerns can be considered with that goal in mind. Thank you for the taking the time to hear this. Respectfully, Hayden Thompson. Um, yeah. So, I think that really kind of laid out from her perspective what was a lot of the issue there. My question is according to to Brian that there there was going to be improvement, but we didn't hear about a plan. um is there some kind of continuing ed coaching clinics to kind of bring that ship back in? So, I don't know if that's happening or not, but it hasn't been communicated if that's what's going on. Thank you. Uh is there
011anyone else? Public participation. Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Hey there, uh Allison Davis, Whitney Davis's mom. Uh Whitney played basketball. Uh we completed the survey giving the feedback of how the season went, how everything went. We filled it all out. We sent an email. I know there were several different people that sent emails to his So to see that um coach Albert was still going to be coaching the team was um a little bit shocking. The only thing I'm going to read over I can always send you guys a copy of the email, but I'm just going to give my bulleted points, our bulleted points, my husband's in mind. Aggressive behavior directed toward the players. Regular degrading remarks. Constant micromanaging. Speaking to players in a manner that suggests that they lack basic intelligence. Negative comments
012about other coaches on his staff. speaking poorly about coaches within the Berkshire boys basketball program, dismissing ideas or solutions that are not his own, an unwillingness to consider suggestions from anyone else, a complete lack of positive reinforcement and frequent complaining contributing to an overall discouraging atmosphere. So with that, just want to make sure you guys are aware it was not a good season. The girls had a very rough time. So just wanted to give that feedback. >> Thank you. >> Oh, good evening. Like everybody else, I filled out the survey. I sent an email to Brian. You guys saw it. You know, they the girls had a fantastic program until Dave took over. Dave took over and 100% every single girl on that team got worse. There was not a single girl in the last
013two years that has improved. There is nothing about his coaching style or any of his anything that he does in practice that makes it out onto the court. Um there's just Yes, I understand they had a winning season two years in a row, but the wins weren't earned. Like the girls didn't do anything to get those wins. They they got lucky, more or less. Um they spent a lot of time coming home and crying to their parents. Um there they were not happy playing. There was nothing that they did that they enjoyed. it's not an enjoyable sport with him as a coach anymore. Um, the response I got from Brian kind of struck me as, well, we're just going to wipe it under this the rug and that's the end of it. I appreciate you
014sharing your feedback. We always evaluating our coaches input like this is helpful as part of the process. Just as we expect our athletes to grow and improve, we expect the same from our coaches and constructive feedback helps guide those development conversations. Well, he he had two years and that's all he needed. He he needed one year really at the end of the last year was pretty bad. But I'll leave you guys with that. You guys figure it out from there. But I would seriously consider all of the parents comments and conversations and emails and surveys. There's a lot of information, I'm sure, in all of those that are going to help weigh in on your decision. Okay. Is there anyone else for public participation? Okay. [clears throat] Go to the treasures report. Let the record
015reflect the treasures submitted a statement to the board and to the superintendent showing the revenues and receipts from the sources derived, the various appropriations made by the board, the expenditures and dispersements, the purposes and balances remaining in each fund, the financial statements for the period ending May 2026 has been submitted subject to audit and includes the financial summary, appropriations and revenue summary, check register recap, and bank reconciliation. I have a motion to approve the following donations as listed. >> So move. >> I'll second. >> Uh Beth, roll call, please. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. Manfred, >> yes. >> Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve the following financial amendments? These are our permanent appropriations for fiscal
016year 27. >> So move. >> I'll second. >> Dan, >> any discussion? >> Beth roll call, please. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. Ramfried, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve the 2627 property tax and cyber crime policies? >> So moved. >> I'll second it. >> Linda, any discussion? >> Beth, roll call, please. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. Manfred, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, yes. Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve the Burton Library tax budget for the f or first calendar year 2027? >> So move. >> Brian, a second. >> Okay, Brandon. Any discussion? Beth will call, please. >>
017Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. Mayor Frey, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. Mr. Talza, >> yes. >> And Mr. Watts, >> yes. >> Thank you, Beth. Uh John, superintendent's report. >> I would like to request a motion to approve the following memorandum of understandings as attached. Um the first one is an agreement between us and the Bergkshire Education Association to allow us to eliminate the daily uh the um permanent sub position uh which will allow us to to make some um expenditure reductions to to move out of fiscal caution. The second is a job shareou allowing um two teachers to share a position uh which will save us um one set of benefits. Uh and the other is just a change in language for the Ohio teacher evaluation system um which combines the
018um the skilled and the accomplished teachers together in in language. So move. >> I'll second. Dan, any discussion? Beth, roll call, please. >> Mr. Manfred, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Bur, >> yes. >> Okay. Um, next is a motion to approve personnel. It is certified and classified. It does include the coach that um was discussed earlier. So, I'll um I'll leave this motion to the board to decide where where we want to go with this. Um, we're I uh want to take Dave Alpert and table the motion for him to be renewed if that's okay with the rest of the board members. >> I agree. >> Yes, sir. >> Agreed. >> Okay. [clears throat] Uh other than that, um I will
019make the motion on the personnel. >> I'll second it. >> Linda, any further discussion? >> So, so, so I'm clear. You want you want to pull Dave Albert, head girls basketball coach, table that >> table >> till the next board meeting. >> Yes. And then you're going to um you're going to take that feedback into consideration and and then we'll talk to Mr. HCox and and uh make that decision in July. >> Is that correct? Okay. >> Just want to make sure. >> Okay. I made a motion. Linda has seconded. Any further discussion? >> Beth roll call, please. >> Mrs. Stone. >> Yes. Mr. Thompson. >> Yes. Mr. Wsworth. >> Uh, I'm okay. Yes, Mr. >> Mr. Berman. >> Trying to find my name. Yes. There are no direct family members. >> You're good. >>
020All right. Okay. I would like to request a motion to approve the following staff to administer medication at the extended school year camp for this summer. Uh, contingent on the completion of the required course. that staff is listed below. Salute. >> Brian, I'll second. >> Dan, any discussion? >> Beth will call, please. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wadssworth, >> yes. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. Manfred. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stone. >> Yes. >> I would like to request a motion to approve the following volunteers as listed. So move. >> I'll second it. Linda, >> any discussion? >> That's quite a list. Not sure about pref. [laughter] >> Full disclosure. If any of you are looking for another winter sport, [laughter] >> you can run indoor track. >> Coach, right? >> Run
021indoor track. >> Oh boy. But >> didn't weren't there somebody that was did basketball and wrestling? Yes, I would I would >> Yeah, >> I would take any basketball player that wants to wrestle. >> They love basketball. >> Yeah, [laughter] >> they can they can love it like I love wrestling. >> No, you're good. [clears throat] >> Any further discussion? >> Uh, Beth roll call, please. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> abstain. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. May, >> yes. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> And Mr. 2000. >> Yes. >> I would like to request a motion to approve the following contracts as attached. These are mainly u for special education services. >> So Brian, I'll second. Any discussion? Beth roll call, please. >> Mr. Burman, >> yes. >> Mr. May, >> yes. >>
022Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wodssworth, >> yes. And I would like to request a motion to accept the graduate list for the class of 2026 as attached. >> I'll make that motion. >> Linda, >> I'll second. >> Dan, it was a great graduation ceremony. Loved it. uh packed house and uh you know we're we're so lucky the kids that we send out into the world that I believe that our staff prepares our valictorian and saludiatoran speeches were just awesome. So any further discussion Beth will call please. >> Mr. Manfred. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Towns. >> Yes. Mr. Widesworth. >> Yes. >> And Mr. Burman. >> Yes. >> Okay. We are at old business, which is our earned income tax levy. Um, we still don't
023have the information that we have requested and would need in order to put something on the ballot in November. But we cannot continue to wait and at least make these motions so that we hit the timelines that we need to hit. We can vary the number at the next meeting and and hopefully Beth will have the uh information needed. Uh, I propose to put down a 625 um earned income tax at this point. Um, you know, we talked about a 0.5, we've talked about a 75. I'd rather settle in the middle. And, um, you know, as long as Beth can get information, fine. If she can't, we have to go with the best information that we have. >> We can change it next month. >> Beth, >> I'm sorry. >> We can change the amount.
024>> So, so my suggestion for you is to add So, at the last board meeting, you requested a certification on the 0.5 and a 75. I suggest you ask for the the department of taxation to provide a certification for a 625 >> in the middle and then um you would actually vote in July of what you would put on the ballot. So hopefully so we're waiting for two calculations actually. So one is the House Bill 186. Um my understanding is that the county auditors have been given um the formulas and they need to to get it into their software system and they have no idea how to how it's going to work right now. >> Perfect. >> Um all the county auditors um farm out the software on their real estate system. My understanding is
025none of the none of the big uh software companies know how to do this calculation right now. My understanding was is they were going to start working on it this week. So if you remember we were supposed to have this calculation by uh April 20th and it's June. So I think this will give you a good idea um if if we have those three numbers. The other thing is um the county board of county commissioners announced last week that they would like to consider the piggyback again and um that would equate to about $400,000. So it would be $200,000 off of this next fiscal year that we'd have to absorb in addition to the 3.2 million that we're going to be losing over the next three years. >> They didn't look at their surplus on
026their sales tax for the county. >> Yeah. But that comes what Beth is explaining to you all. I'll make it real clear. That's more money that's being taken away from the school that people have already voted on to give us, but it'll be taken away if your commissioners make that vote. Just so we're all clear that that's what happens. That's why this number that we proposed in November, that's why it's it's moving because we don't have the information that we should have had in April uh to be able to make that decision. But we can't wait because if we go past uh Beth Yeah. If we go past August 5th, we can't get it on the November ballot and we'll be making some severe cuts if we don't have it on the ballot. So, >>
027and this isn't just happening to our school. This is probably 90% of the schools in the state of Ohio are getting these kind of things hit, Adam. Um, because we've been very financially responsible to our community and to our students. Did they give a a estimated date of when they would make their piggyback decision? >> No. >> So, yes, they did. I'm sorry. Um on the 16th, they're going to vote on that. Um so, my understanding is there's a meeting tomorrow. Uh whether it'll be discussed or not. Um, if you remember when they first considered this, we wrote uh a letter to the board and um asked them to consider withholding their uh inside millillage back because they do have that ability. So, we will send the same letter and then there's talk that there's
028going to be um that all the schools are going to show up to to give testimony to them. The one thing that did happen for us that's was if you call it positive, the people that were attempting to roll back all property taxes have pulled that from the ballot and it will not be on the November ballot. That's not to say at some point that it couldn't go back on, but as of this November, uh, you won't be voting on, uh, elimination of sales or property taxes. >> So, so I suggest tonight that you, um, ask me to do a certification to the Ohio Department of Taxation for 625% so we can see what that number comes back as. and then um you would make a decision on the actual number to put on the
029ballot in July. >> Right. I am making the motion and I'd like a second. >> I'll second it, >> Dan. Any further discussion? >> Beth, again, is the meeting that you need attendance at or the schools do the June 16th one or is it not the is it or is it the tomorrow one? Uh, John, do you know more about tomorrow? >> I I think tomorrow there's just a discussion. June 16th is where the vote's going to be. >> So, definitely emails and letters to the county commissioners would not hurt at all. >> Okay. Any further discussion? >> Beth roll call, please. >> Mrs. Stone, >> yes. >> Mr. Townsen, >> yes. >> Mr. Wsworth, >> yes. Mr. Burman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Manfred. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thanks for doing that, Beth.
030>> Um, any new business? >> Yeah, I would just like to point out that right now Ohio is in a very strong fiscal position. Um, the state revenues have exceeded their projection by about $1.5 billion dollar this fiscal year. Um, that's important to note because recent legislative changes have limited the funding available to public school districts and the and the state share is in the 30s. So, you know, an easy way for the state to help the local property taxpayer would be to make up that difference that so that we didn't have to go back to the ballot. And I would think with a $1.5 billion over what they thought they were going to have that that would not be a hard decision for them to make. Um and it would certainly help with challenges
031that lots of local districts including Berkshire are facing as you we manage rising costs, increased expectations, um you know fuel costs rise, energy costs rise, everything go nothing goes down. So, um, you know, th those are all things to keep in mind and you you would think that with such a strong fiscal position in the state, they would want to share more of that burden and help the local um taxpayer a lot more. >> And their rainy day fund is is currently 3.94 billion. Any other exciting new business to talk about? Okay. The next board meeting August 10th here uh in the auditorium >> uh July 13th. Don't skip that. >> Oh, shoot. I skipped. Sorry. >> I cut I cut off our whole summer. >> Uh July 13th. I'm sorry. Here at the auditorium.
032Um, is there any need for executive session, Beth or John? >> Not from my perspective. >> Okay. I'd like a motion to adjourn and a second. >> So move. >> Brian, >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? Beth will call, please. >> Mr. Burman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Manfrini. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Stone. >> Yes. >> Mr. Townsen. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wisman. >> Yes. Thank you all.