001I call to order the Westlake City Schools Board of Education special meeting for Monday, June 9th, 2025. Crash here. Not here. Nuke here. Lynn here. Bazinski here. Would you please stand and join me in the 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. Tonight we gather in our board meeting and we know that uh we are here uh to serve our mission. Our mission is we educate for excellence empowering all students to achieve their educational goals to improve lives and to contribute to society. As well as our vision, Westlake City School District will provide a dynamic student centered learning environment. Our district will be characterized by high achievement, actively
002engaged learners, mutual respect, shared knowledge, pursuit of new skills and capabilities, collaborative learning, willingness to take action, a team commitment to datadriven continuous improvement for strategic planning processes and tangible results. Thanks for joining us tonight uh both here and online. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? A vote. Second. Discussion. Roll call. Bazinski. Yes. Yes. Craft. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Yes. Motion cars. We begin tonight. We continue tonight with our board committee reports. Uh legislative being. Well, there's been a lot of uh things happening regarding legislation. Currently the budget the bianium budget is in Senate Senate Finance Committee put their version out. We're still waiting for it to pass Senate. Mr. Hopkins, do you want to speak specifically what's going on with the budget on that part? I think Dr. Gagan and I will uh
003speak to it. I we've had the opportunity to do a lot of um I think I'll first ask Dr. Go. Yeah. So what's interesting is um having sat through the alliance executive committee on Friday legislative just being in those meetings that the interesting part is there's so much in the bill that um typically there would be other things that you may point to, but with all this stuff that's not even not concerned about it, but it's not the top. So we talked about at top night and kind of broke it into five biggest sections for us to have a conversation about with the f um being an overarching one if that's you and I can go through those five tag it's fine but the fifth one that I that I list is the the minim
004minimization of local control. And that's the overarching theme is you have the legisl legislators trying to micromanage districts that are in different positions whether you're a small rural district, a large urban district, um you know, suburban districts trying to implement the same things to all of them when everybody has their own nuance and responsibilities. um financial situations and all of those kind of things. So when we look at it, this is the that's the big overarching. Um the number one issue is one that was just proposed and and it's you have a couple I think they're House uh representatives who came out and are trying to attach to the budget um the removal of inside village. Um out of all the things out of all the things that that they're discussing, if they permit uh
005that to go in and be active, um it would be devastating, not being dramatically sensible. You're looking to give you an example, if you eliminate the amount of bugs that we receive annually from inside village, it's $1 million. So that's 20% of our budget. So let's say we needed to offset it. That's over teachers and do over campus. I probably don't have that many more than teachers on campus. So that's one way to look at it where turn around and uh that would be the equivalent to the amount of teachers we would have to cut in order to make up for that. Now the that that's the part. Now I think the concept behind it is inside village is inside the constitution. That's why it's called inside milling. So it's not voted upon by every
006community. It's something that was established in the constitution or the Ohio constitution for um the the funding of public school. So, so I believe their point is that to take that then should then be able to vote on it. Um, so that's that one right there. I don't know how much traction it's getting. I don't know how many people are really uh putting a lot into that. But that one right there, if that now, just so you know, that wasn't approved by the House in the first budget, wasn't in the Senate proposal. This is from house. So So it's very new or is it It's probably about a week old. So it didn't get in the house draft and kicked out. It wasn't draft kicked out. Um and so that one right there, second one
007we've talked about would be the the 50% cap. Um, we do believe that the cap isn't going to go anywhere, but it also really means the cap's gonna it's going to happen at 50. It's going to be a Yeah, we we we obviously don't know, but you know, the the House Speaker has said that he wasn't married to the 30% but believes the cap should be in place. So, it's feasible that the the Senate's 50% would stay. um and it could remain in um we're our advocacy with the alliance is the higher cap um you don't know there's legs are going to get to that um so that's what they have there um the other one there well I I'll talk about policy implication implications then Todd you can talk about the chemicals um Some
008things in there are things like the math complaints. Um we we get it, you know, where where you have a push just like you had a push for literacy, you have push for numeracy saying we should increase uh scores and productivity math. Um what's interesting is we have a lot of conversations about um employee stress, workload, all of that. You hear from our teachers, you know, we're putting more on us less this, less that. And then when you have the state say, "By the way, when we spent a year trying to get these rimps in place and push this through, here come the myths. Here comes the math version." And then it's like, wow, you know what? You know, staff is frustrated and that sort of thing. A lot of times people don't understand the
009policy implications on staff. And because when you put these mandates in and teachers say, "Well, we'd like to do professional development on this thing we're interested in." We're like, "Sorry, the amount of time we have, we need to work on instructions." People are going to be like safe or that issue. Um that's part of what the alliance is referring to is the appearance of micro when it comes to the local control. So when you are looking well even but even when you talk about the levies that you could put on the ballot right you talk about the amount of money you could carry over um as a school district to push off future levies um when you talk about inside millillage. So I mean everything a lot of it is the fact that they're making
010decisions for every district about how big what size exactly um there is the cell phone ban in there. I've I've been one where that's one of those things they can put in. I would probably just kind of shrug on it to where if you if you don't have it in, we don't have a problem policies. If you do put it in, that's fine. We can end up destroying structural just, you know. So, that's one both. That was just the It was just in the Senate. the governor doing that too. He has for he has so that that's that's one um increased uh dyslexia requirements. This would uh this is a push um to have more testing and and um monitoring for dyslexia. And again, another thing especially when you're looking at your elementary schools, you're
011doing rims, now you're going to do MIS. Now we're going to do more dyslexia. times and then other additional reporting requirements that they talked about. So there it's this isn't just funding that's coming out of this budget bill. There's other things that you know we may say well you know 50%'s there. We can can survive that right? You know they kept the inside knowledge. We can survive if they do that. Okay. we're going to be okay financially, but then we brace for kind of the next wave and some of these policy implementation things that are pressed on to school districts and said, "Well, we're actually learning." It's like, well, you know, we have a lot of incentives to that that you need. It's interesting. I think all of us have faced this in particular when
012when this was uh shared and uh for example I was at uh the library on uh Friday uh had a gathering to support uh the local library and having conversations with community members and having just a a glimpse of um you know thinking to us with the Senate bill and the observation is Hey, you got 50%. You you can live with that, right? It's like, you know, there there's a lot more to it and just like I did all the things we're sharing today to go out there sharing as well. There's there's a lot. So we actually started a graphic and uh impact put together a really nice graph based on house proposal and then proposal and even uh so and and some of these things are tough to put in visual terms except the
013psychology. And your your reference to that was eliminating teachers where well no it would be hypothet so when you look at $12 million so it's 20% of our budget you know we have roughly I think give or take uh we have a little under 300 teachers uh because the way riffing process works start from the bottom they're waiting we'd be roughly in about if we just wanted to put a number to exact to make up $12 million teachers that you would have to so what Dr. at choosing is saying okay that's about a third of our staff so you would have to cut your do campus there I thought that's what you said and that's just we got about 100 teachers that's that's that's a great so if you look at any one if you
014look at do campus the elementary or high school literally would have to cut one of those three or the staffing makes up or go so you know when you look that inside millage piece from what I've read the proposing that's been put out and the struggle with it is is what it's being sold as as a I think they said million billion billion 6.5 billion return to the taxpayers going back well I was there saying that they would get rid of inside village for schools cities and towns. It would still exist for townships because townships do not have other tax. They can't go to rural areas. Well, rural areas township. Well, that's where your mainly your townships are going to be. Uh but uh you know, their argument is townships can't uh charge income tax
015or sales tax. And so, uh schools and cities can do income tax, counties can do sales tax. Okay? So they're saying if you want to make up that money just go do another type of tax. Uh so what they're saying in the bill here is for schools specifically um if it would pass uh and go into effect you know usually it's typically 90 days after it's signed or somewhere in October. So they're saying that you would have an opportunity on the November's ballot. get a one-time opportunity. You have your community pass to continue to if it fails in November or you fail to put it on automatically starting in January of 26, you would no longer receive that's 5.8 mill and so that 5.8 knows for $2.1 billion in sheet. So rough governor, we're just
016going to use 12 million a rough. Um what would that mean for us in our fiscal year of six? Okay. Uh we would leave $6 million of that. That would automatically happen starting in January assuming we did either we're not on the ballot or we fail. Um then um the following year is a full $12 million. It's just the way we the way we collect taxes over a half of the school. Um, that one is probably what I would say is the most egregious one that they've come up with because they they're selling that as property tax relief, but it was truly a a redistribution money from local governments back uh back to taxpayers, but it's on the back of the local government. It has nothing to do with the state. The state doesn't collect
017it in under the Ohio Constitution. mills unquote. And so those 10 mills have been distributed to schools or cities. Um that would hit us the hardest and and I feel we're in a situation you have a number of legislators who are just seeing what just kind of throwing everything out there and it's going to see what sticks and that's the little that that's piece that's worries me because I don't think all these proposals are going to pass. I don't think all of these proposals would but they threw that much at the wall saying eventually when you look at the uh the Senate bill um Senate finance version uh like Dr. to there's they lost local control right now as a board you can vote to go around the ballot um you know in in the
018elections you have a number of options at your disposal and some of those can be called a substitute substitute levy is a levy that would increase okay it's a fixed home amount a levy that would increase for new construction and you can do um a a renewal letter. Okay, we passed an example. I'll just use again this is no proposal, no nothing like that. These are just examples. We have our uh P item that was passed at 28 mills back in 201. And right now that is being collect uh collected at just a hair under half a million. You can go out and say here, you know what, we want to do a replacement button. Okay, that will just replace that C up, but it will take it back to point. So, we've actually get
019more funding, you know, uh there are these different levies that exist that give flexibility to board of education. Um that they're talking about stripping from us in the future. Now to be honest with you, we have a history of using continuous loans and we don't have any of those on our books right now where we be worried about a substitute or fixed dollar replacement. Um but it takes away tools for us in the future and it takes away the tools that a lot of school districts use. Another part of their proposal is taking a number of your levies, your fixed dollar amount levies, some um where they're not subject emergency levies are not subject to 20 month and they're saying that they will be subject to um again will not affect us at this time
020because we don't have any of those books but it does take away u some tools for the district in the future. and it takes away tools and opportunities for other districts. Um those are kind of the the pieces levies when we're talking about little leaves loss of control because they're saying hey you have all these options right now oh now we're going to change it so you have these two options and so they're they're just making a lot of changes in um when we look at u you know other pieces of the bill 50% cap um I'm very grateful uh that senate has proposed the bill of finance finance committee has proposed 50% cap Additionally, they put in there where over the 50% uh district could believe it's on a three-year plan to do capital
021improvements. We move that extra money over to do capital improvements and have um that would be very beneficial, you know, for we've already got that. We already talked about we've talked about that. We've had open conversations about it publicly even before we knew the cap was proposed as we're PI plan you know we've had this laid out that the PI plans been presented to the board uh both when Mr. Kosmart was here back and now Mr. House most recently presented the board. So that would be something that would have if the board chose to do that. Uh that would have limited financial impact you know on the district. So I'm not appreciative of them but we're still working to see we're still waiting to see the actual full Senate okay that they vote out of
022the Senate. Then you go to a conference committee who make you know concessions or or try to reconcile it to an agreement or hold changes in place. So, we're still I want to say we're a long ways away, but that on a calendar we can't be because uh really by law they have till June 30th to not only have all that process but also the governor forward to by the governor is about now if I'm correct finance committee or the ballot initiative school districts hopefully it has to pass by 23 of the board. Yes. Instead of half. Yeah. So, you know, they I think the they're what there's the way they're doing that would be no more than one board member could ever. So, if you have, you know, four people there or two, three
023people being your but never have more than one So can you raise the level there? Also, there's another proposal that's out there that is for just school district levies alone that would require 60% passage to actually so you know 60 no 60. So this would be in order to you know you go to the board votes you have a unanimous board vote twice and it it goes on the ballot it goes in front of the public the public passes it by 59% but it fails because they didn't reach a 69% thresh there's just a lot of things being thrown out there right now and I would say that very few if any are too and our our primary response to that is you're going to be in front of the appliance. Correct. Yeah. And individual
024you know and but back to that that part about the uh two goal is what's kind of managing that policy. And so we no longer have a majority make a decision. you can have one or two. It doesn't matter if it's I I mean I don't know it seems like Do you know what our policies are? You sure? typically laws. I'm just reflecting on right before they back in. I know. I I see I made sure somebody. I know that 32 did want. There are certain laws um and I and I have a a cheat sheet that I car but there are certain things the board uh needs to have superiority to do. Yeah, I just so I think I have it in our policy. Administrator will go reemployment while superintendent appoint member declaration emergency
025days says bid way due to item being available same source removing treasure hands because there's going to be revisions. Yeah, I'm trying to protect certain as far as I'm so it says tax levying a tax in excess of 10 mil limitation. So not that one emergency in excess of the land mill. Well, no, no, no. So when we talk about your in excess, September was your insight. Oh, yeah. everything else of the ord. So it does seem like to put something on the ballot that Yeah. has to be two. But I I know you have that purpose explaining because I'm I was in a lot of meetings and I'm not exactly sure that if andor one of the uh opposition did not meet in the voting for the stating um I'm not really Would it
026be worth staff whatot? Yes, especially because probably the end, but at the same time like taking certain things you can and and one of the things that actually started And if we are to pick one of the that are out there, the Senate's proposal is to them all. So hopefully they can start with what the Senate pass and do some work on that. So we do appreciate appreciate that. of the land and even though they changed it's nice to have some sort of structure instead of just so there are some things that just is certain yes I think you know I think all of these things were discussed very much and I think it's twofold because um as Mr. Kat was talking about reaching back out to engagement. I think this is not just a
027I think the reality on whatever does come out of the budget. My concern is that after the budget's all done, they move on to rest of it and they just say, "Okay, now we're going to do this and we'll just another." Um and so I am worried not you know I'm certainly worried the next three weeks as we finalize budget but I'm also worried because there is there is a concern I recognize that concern that we tax values rise significantly over the past and that significant impact increase in property to the tax state. Now I will say uh can I say respectfully to board members who are sitting here as residents but to a community here in West because of the way it was structured and we don't have emergency less. So all of our
028levies or we all of our emer all of our levies are continuous 11s and so they're all subject to household some which means as your property value goes up your wage goes down. So we were on 26 mills last year. So you guys know we're at just on 22 mills over half right now is what's now. Um the challenge that we face those increases impact people differently and I recognize for some people their property value didn't go up terribly high so taxes don't change much. other people's property value doubled. Okay? And while I could sit here and say, well, no, no, no. It really when your property values off your taxes really don't, you know, go up in that same way. Well, that's true for the community as a whole. But for individuals, okay, I
029see individuals tax bills are listed that their property value went up significantly in their tax bill and I understand the impact of and so there is a want from the citizens of to have some sort of relief. My concern here is the focus of the legisl even when they go back to still 9266 that hyper inflation property values. You know, they say that we're going forward, we're going to do roll exempt sheet. We're going to help increase the village as values. Well, now we're, you know, 15 years later, nearly 14 years and instead of saying um and so used to maybe 74 or if you enter that he said we'll exist but they the state has very scriptures and some that's not long-term that was distributed when we talk. That's right. Bills saying they're wrong.
030We don't want those um the challenge we're million people to and that's the the change is while they make similar problems inside and doing steps present the options Um, you can do Samsung. No, we can do it. Um, you know, and and you can get creative even school districts. So you know that's something that maybe that's we have local government you know they'll figure it out the taxes and I think that even our profit about a third of our value business businesses for living. So you know there's different They may have to say this there are two system one instead of so typically do so we would have to run numbers we have to look um so I well I say that I know at least will be devastated. So opposite consider taxes a lot
031but then they're also correct. So part of the inside village does go with city if I remember correction specifically to police. So sitting there out of the 20 and it's out of 10 out of 10. Um I have on my desk I know there's lower than our Oh well yeah we did the majority of 5.8 so the county but other sitting out there going and how many times have we got there? bill soon. But as you're as you're putting together numbers for say July 1st, that's something that you're exploring. Uh I can uh it was not something that I won't say we haven't considered. It's not something forward. Uh it is something that because our tools in our arsenal are going to something that we are going to probably have and we're next our next
032meeting with the mayor. Well, we just have we we're the first at the end of the day so many ways to raise to be able to take out this the thing about it, you know, you're going to ask for one. So whether it's a property tax or a rank of tax or whatever type of function it's still because it's perception that you're going to get this growth and people are going to be expecting you and then now you can say well they have a choice then they can choose to you know vote for the circle. So I think that's the part of this exception that it almost looks like it's a sort of effort to on public schools. Thank goodness we're getting that stadium. Yeah, maybe we can hold classes later. Well, that uh that
033was a lot of great conversation. report that he reports the 2A legislative but what else? I have a question because Dr. to discuss the acceleration. Well, I think I can we off. I think it's one of Here's the nice thing and I Mr. Lamb mentioned it and I did I remember to attach the the document that the visual of our projects I did get that. So, um, I did have Adam House send that and we do have that spelled out for years. Yeah. And it's all broken out by by years. Yeah. I was talking about it that exactly. And thank you. So one of the things that we've done you can see in this document. Um this one is looking at five years and we stage things out because they're not a school district and
034burn. We don't take the money and say well here's you know $3.2 million worth of uh projects we'd like to do. Let's do it all right now. You know, we schedule it out here. So, when you look at 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2029, we have over $3 million that we would like to do. 2028 almost $3 million. 2027 3 million. 2026 2 million. So, you're looking at, you know, was that $11 million just right off the bat. are sitting there where instead of spreading that out the state is coming in saying you have three years to to do this then I think that's when the door after this vote and everything we sit down at a work session and say here's what it would mean they fell on this cap which means us 5% or
03510% 15 whatever percentage that is get that number and we look at it and say what do What do we think we need done that we have maybe in something that we did in 2028 in 2026 because the funds are big and so I think I think if that would be a better time because right now we'd be having a company we don't know how much money it is we don't funds so that's why your thoughts on that well I was thinking about who is All right. That's knowing who are on their school. I know. There's uh there's no point of any questions? But I think it's a an email or Okay. What else? Uh legislator, uh Mrs. Lazinski want to share Congratulations to our graduate. Absolutely. Graduation. So, how'd it feel? Uh, well, we
036needed to come to afterward, [Music] right? I'll tell you something. Got a great It was a great people. You know, you don't know about get all this worked up. Yeah. Well, she's already very excited. Congratulations. What else on student achievement? that I mean that doesn't quite fall into there, but I think it's 5,000,000 that she started Then I'll move on to Dr. G, superintendent talk. policy. We'll have enough a little bit probably. Yep. Yeah. Sorry. We've got Frank Also rest between show result. the best still. So it's excellent. So it's window. That makes sense to everybody. We had some very basic. Yeah. They showed a picture of just kind of so the archway were architect. So this simple entry to a company invest office. So you don't get direct access into just proper build a
037better office here today a little bit to resistance. So that's video. Let me just be fairly different. For example, there's a lot of people settlements. actually. They got to be they are even How would you say comics? actually know what I Got it. General, I do need to express my appreciation. think about you Dr. Guy you reach out to me and educate that All right. Okay. from where we are. Copy. Right. There's I would. Thank you. Oh, you know the thing that is so body say Think Right. Now we're talking about That right Help me. Goodbye. Yeah. Oh, out. So I can pull Oh, so it depends on the So that subject to your We're very fortunate. Other board I still have next time. Yeah, I can. As you're looking for that, I had the
038opportunity to go over graduation there. I said that again. What was it? Any other board comments? There a motion to adjourn to executive session. discussing discussion. Yes, it's opening place. Uh we will uh sign nothing in executive session. Exit.