001like to insert. You're ready, Mr. President? I am. There's the Yeah. I call to order the Westlake City Schools regular board meeting for Monday, April 28th, 2025. Roll call. Craft here. Hernand here. Venukan here. Lamb here. Lazinski here. Would you join me in the pledge of allegiance? 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. [Music] We gather tonight and we remember our mission where we educate for excellence, empowering all students to achieve their educational goals, to direct their lives, and to contribute to society. As well as our vision, the Westlake City School District will provide a dynamic student centered learning environment. Our district will be characterized by high achievement, actively engaged learners,
002mutual respect, shared knowledge, pursuit of new skills and capabilities, collaborative learning, willingness to take action, a team commitment to datadriven continuous improvement through a strategic planning process, and tangible results. Thank you for joining us tonight. It's good to see you. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Second. Discussion. Roll call. Lazinski, yes. Venukan, yes. Craft, yes. Lamb, yes. Gnot, yes. Motion carries. Dr. Guiden, as we move into recognitions and informative reports, the superintendent's report, minimal report this evening. We are just back from spring break. I hope everybody and all of our our students and families, if they were able to travel, hopefully they're back safely. And we had some nice relaxation. It was a late spring break this year, but what that means now that we are back, it is a rush
003to the finish line. Um, that's how it feels. It feels like it kind of drags into spring break when it's a little bit later, but when you get back, we have a lot of work to do in a short period of time. Uh, culmination, our graduation, commencement ceremony on May 31st. Um, so we're excited about that and a lot of events between now and then. And I know that Mr. Lam is just coming in from the softball senior night and hopefully that got a beautiful day for it. So very nice. Yeah, you were able to enjoy that. Um but primarily Oh, uh and a thank you to um Senator Senator Antonio for coming and visiting Westlake Elementary School today. Uh was able to do that with Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Craft, and Miss Pierot. Um really
004a nice visit. It's always we're always proud to give a tour of our elementary school and um you know obviously the the structure in itself but also the good work that's happening within it. So it was really nice and uh you know kind of fun to do that. It was shown the the district. Absolutely. It was good. Anything else? Oh, super. Mr. Hopkins, moving on to the treasures report. You know, I'll just be uh very brief here. Uh I think I'll we'll have more conversation later on in the agenda, but um you know, I do want to continue to ask for the uh our community to advocate uh for uh public schools and public school funding. Um you know, we've seen in the House uh uh past uh budget. We've talked about this at the
005past meetings about a cap on carryover funds uh that would have a significant impact on the school district. Uh I appreciate very much so the advocacy that we're working with the Alliance for High Quality Education, the uh Buckeye Association of School Administrators, uh the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, as well as others who are um working to advocate to uh try to not only come up with uh uh uh or or advocate for changes, but to come up with a collective plan of what would work out best for districts. So we are continuing to move forward with that. We are working on having conversations and opening up communications with our uh leaders and um we hope that uh with the support of our community, we'll be able to have that changed uh into a
006uh in at least into a format that uh will work for Westlake schools uh and protect our our long-term interests. So um I know there's a resolution later on in the agenda and I'm happy to discuss with the board or or answer any questions that the board would have at that time regarding uh some of those impact. Thank you. At this time we have a hearing of the public. The public may address the board during the periods of the meeting designated for public participation. Each person addressing the board shall give their name and address. Several people wish to speak. Each person is allotted three minutes until the total time allotted is used. During that period, no person may speak twice until all who desire to speak have had the opportunity to do so. Period of
007public participation may be extended by a vote of the majority of the board present in voting. If anyone wishes to address the board at this time, uh we are willing to hear you. We've all had an opportunity to review minutes. All of those in favor of um approving the minutes from March the 10th of 2025 as well as the minutes from March 24th of 2025. Say I. I. Those opposed say no. The minutes are approved. This time we're going to move to the treasur's recommendation. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh before the board tonight, I have uh just three uh resolutions. Um I'll go briefly over uh A and B and then we can talk about uh C a little bit. Uh A, we have some then uh then and now uh approvals. These are all
008four of them for non-public schools that we um are a finan fiduciary uh for regarding state grants. Um B is a student activities purpose statement and then C is our annual uh tax rate resolution. You'll see um two pieces I want to point out on there is our uh one and first and foremost this is your voted millage. This is not your effective rate. So when we look at our general fund um this your your voted millage of 58.60 6 ms. Our general fund voted millage is down to around 16 mills. You take your voted millage on general fund, you add in your inside millage, which does not change the 5.8 mills, and we are at uh 21.95 effective mills for residential property. It's different for commercial property, but we typically discuss it as residential
009property. So, while we see the higher rates on here, uh this is just a process that we have to go through. Um, but this is all your voted millage. Um, the real change on here uh that happens each year is your bond retirement fund. Um, I believe last year we were at 3.3 mills. We were able to reduce that this year to 2.85 mills. So there'll be a small decrease in the collections that are needed uh for our bond retirement fund at least in the millillage uh side of it. Uh so overall I am asking the board to approve uh our schedule A here for our tax rates. Um, if so pleases the board, I would ask you to combine A and B, but do C separate. Is there a motion to approve treasures recommendations
0105A and 5B? So moved. Second. Discussion. I have one question on the um uh the then and now um the funds that go for all the non-public the school psychologist the remedial teachers and then the the foundations books for Julie Bill is that come that comes out of our operating fund are we reimbursed by uh so it doesn't come out of our operating fund um the we have uh two grant programs that we run for nonpublic schools. We run a auxiliary service program for St. Bernardet only. Okay, that's in in fund 401. So that's separate from our operating fund, our general fund. Um and then for your other non-public schools, like you see Julie Villiard on here, uh they are entitled to some of our federal grants. So we receive federal grant money for uh
011special education uh programs uh as well as um Mr. Wilson, I'm trying to think. Um, they get title two, which is used for professional development, and do they get title one as well? They do. And part of title one. So, uh, as Mr. Wilson and Mrs. Muscleman uh, put together our uh, grant uh, proposals, our annual budget that we put together, they are required to separate them out for uh, private schools uh, that are eligible. They work with these uh, private schools and then they're able to spend that money. the money stays under the control of the district and that's why we will send out the PO. We'll then receive the invoice and pay for it, but it's money set aside by either the state or federal government for use by private schools. Thank you.
012Further discussion. Roll call. Yes. Benukan, yes. Craft, yes. Lamb, yes. Lazinski, yes. Motion carries. I move to approve treasures recommendation 5C. Is there a second? Second. Discussion. Roll call. Correct. Yes. Lzinski, yes. Penukin, yes. Lamb, yes. Pier, yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Dr. Gagan, we're going to move to superintendent's recommendation. Sounds great. Uh in 6A, we do have a resolution to accept gifts and donations. And we have three gifts and donations listed. The first from Chick-fil-A um at Crocker Park donated food and beverages valued at $187.65 for senior citizen appreciation event at Westlake High School. Janet Rissick donated a variety of instruments, cases, and instrument accessories valued at $16,290 to the instrumental music department at Westlake High School. And our Westlake athletic boosters uh led by Delicia Estrski donated coffee uh coffee service, water, and
013paper goods valued at $104 for the senior citizen appreciation event at Westlake High School. We are grateful uh for those donations and two of them to the senior event which was a really nice time. Um letters B through I uh deal with employment. Um letters uh J oh letter J is um uh preschool academic calendar for next year. There were some slight changes that they needed to do in order to make sure they had uh enough time in between um for staff to get their breaks and also to provide that proper supervision. They had to bring k bring staff down to provide that supervision uh this year and and do that. Um letters K through L are handbooks. K and L are different handbooks. one is a acceleration handbook, gifted handbook and then letter L
014is an early entrance handbook. Um letter OM some uh contracts one of them centix and I wanted to point this one out. So the Centix is something that was uh a late ad. Mr. House did talk about it, but if you recall, Centiggic is that safety system with the clickers that we received uh a partial uh grant from the attorney general's office in order to uh purchase these and we're approving the rest of that uh this evening. How much was the grant for? Do you remember? I think it was 50. Was it 50,000? Do you remember, Paul? I thought it was Was it 40? It's 40. Okay. So, yeah. So, maybe the the the year service was 36,000 and this covered 40,000. Do you have a timeline on that when we'd start it next year?
015Okay. Yeah. That's because there's not only it's not just getting the clickers, there's an installation of an infrastructure in order for the clickers to work. It's not just going to run on our Wi-Fi and everybody would have them. And my understanding is everybody would have those. And and so when you think about the system, um it's not just the clicker and then you do like you would do in your house where you connect it to your home Wi-Fi. They have a a system in which it will communicate. There's also um red flashing lights, you know, that would be installed. So there there's more than just a clicker. So it's not something we could just purchase and launch this year, but it is something we have to take the summer to get in place. So where
016does the signal go to? directly to the police department. I do believe it does have connection to 911 as well. It'll it will inform them. Um but the signal will go to designated staff, but also on projectors and on computers. So if you have if you know if the teacher is on their um school computer, uh a message would would show up on there for for a major emergency. Like there's I think the one click is you know I need somebody in my classroom you know and then I think two clicks is that gives a different type of signal like upping the urgency and it's when you click it multiple times is when it would trigger but also on projectors so projectors within the district like if it goes into a lockdown it'll present right
017inside the classroom you know go into lockdown so then uh people can do that quickly. So it is more complicated than just very integrated. It that was a selling point to it and and because their their their big push is to be able to get the communic their big selling point is to get the communication as quickly as possible to be able to get that information in any way possible. Yeah. Right. from like the complete opposite side of the school, the multiple clicks, and then on the other side, you don't have to you don't have to get to a phone and make an announcement or any type of thing like a lot of good thought went into that or Yeah. which is why I think they're doing so well. Yeah. So, that was added to
018letter M. Letter N is a resolution to approve with Ohio school council food service consultant agreement. We don't have a full-time food service consultant. We have kitchen staff. We have head cooks. We have people who will actually do the work. But we have a dietitian that we share with multiple districts through the Ohio School Council who will then set our menus and and do the nutritional type of uh background work for us. And so we we don't want to have someone like that on staff all the time um because we don't need the dietitian. They can set the menus and and do those kind of things. But we we we take care of that through Ohio school council. Um letter O is a resolution to approve um international um student exchange service and letter P
019is summer we're we're approving summer athletic camps. So, those are being planned and and we're sitting we're almost in May and we're looking at the first, you know, in soccer camp looking at June 16th through 18th and the girls camp 16th through 19th. So, there's we have to get these planned and to get these going. And then the final thing is um a resolution for an overnight uh trip and this is March of 26 and this is the Westlake High School instrumental music trip going to Orlando, Florida, which they'll be doing their own fundraising for. Um, looking at combining some of these items, I think 5 A and B uh should be separated uh voted on individually and letters C through Q uh would be appropriate combined. There a motion to approve superintendence recommendation 6A.
020So moved. Second. Discussion. Thank you. everybody. Absolutely. Um that's that's um all contributions are always uh appreciated. We we thank everyone for that. I I look at that instrument um donation that that seems pretty extensive. Is there any story behind that? I don't know the whole story behind that. Super. You know, who knows? Could have been someone cleaning out their house and their kids played instruments for forever and and they they're great. I mean, that's it's wonderful. Super. Further discussion. Roll call. Lazinski. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Venukan. Yes. Craft. Yes. Not. Yes. Motion carries. Is there a motion to approve superintendent's recommendation 6B? So moved. Second. Discussion. Roll call. Fenukin. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Craft. Yes. Lazinski. Yes. Pearn. Yes. Motion carries there. Motion to approve superintendence recommendations 6C through 6Q. So moved. Second. Discussion. I just
021want to say about the safety thing. this trip that I was on this past week and we did talk a lot about school safety with some of the people and there was one district that all of their elementary schools and they have I believe there were four and they're all one level and they aren't air conditioned and uh the older the grandma said well what do I care that it's not air conditioned and then so she went to one of the schoolboard meetings and when it gets hot they can't open the windows because of being on the first level, they're not going to take a chance of opening windows. And it kind of opened her eyes to the circumstances and she saw the big picture then. So, we had a big discussion about school safety.
022So, it is it's out there. But I think what's unfortunate is you have to think of so many different ways. I mean, there's always just a new way to be unsafe and, you know, like event happens and it's like, I never thought they would just climb in the, you know, window type of thing or or different type of things like that. So, it's it's a constant sad, but you have to be aware of that. Yeah, it is. And forgive me on foreign uh or international exchange. Uh I I always have rotary international exchange in my mind. Uhse uh we've used ISC. We've used ISC. This is just approving the company though. Yeah. Yeah. Part of our policy is that's one of the things we need to do is we need to approve the company and
023then further discussion. Roll call. Yes. Penukin. Yes. Craft. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Pirat. Yes. Motion carries. At this point, we have a second hearing of the public. The public may address the board during the periods of meetings uh designated for public participation. Each person addressing the board shall give their name and address. If several people wish to speak, each person is allotted three minutes until the total time allotted is used. During that period, no person may speak twice until all who desire to speak have had the opportunity to do so. The period of public participation may be extended by a vote of the majority of the board present and voting. Does anyone wish to address the board at this time? Okay. Going to move on to board comments. We're going to move on to board items.
024Yes. Did you I was just surprised nobody had something to say. Uh we have a second reading of the policies. Any comments with regard to policy? More to come. Sure. No. No. There really is. There's another batch that that are on my flight back from Seattle, there was somebody from Ashlin and they had four docks open and I was like, "Oh, I know that from very well." And 9B is the resolution to approve board policies. Is there a motion to approve board item 9B? So moved. Second. Discussion. Roll call. Yes. Lazinski. Yes. Venukan. Yes. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Motion carries. Moving on to 9C, the resolution to oppose cap on school district reserves. And if I may, whereas the House of Representatives of the 136th Ohio General Assembly have passed a budget bill that includes a
025provision requiring school districts to return funds exceeding exceeding 30% of their previous year's operating budget to taxpayers. And whereas this provision will negatively impact the ability of Westlake City School District to provide a high quality education to our students. And whereas the carryover cap will hinder our district's ability to maintain financial stability, address evolving student needs, invest in our facilities, and implement our strategic plan. And whereas Westlake City School District has not passed an operating le since May 2006. And whereas Westlake City School District does not have an emergency levies and has not received inflationary increases due to the 20 mil floor. And whereas Westlake City School District currently operates at one of the lowest residential effective millage rates within Kyhoga, Lorraine, and Madina counties. Now therefore, be it resolved that the board of education
026of the Westlake City School District strongly opposes this or any similar carryover provision that may be included in the Ohio bianium budget bill. And be it further resolved that the board of education of the Westlake City School District urges the Ohio General Assembly to eliminate this provision and ensure that the budget supports the long-term financial stability and educational needs of Ohio's public schools. And be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the leaders of the Ohio General Assembly, the governor of Ohio, the director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and other relevant stakeholders to emphasize the need for continued investment in Ohio's students and public schools. Is there a motion to approve board item 9 C? So moved. Second discussion. So are we going to it said a
027copy of this will be forwarded gives the people. So we've we will actually make sure that it gets sent out. Okay. So we are going to send something to individual state senators. And do you have a question with regard to how that will be actively? Yes. Yes. And and would we be allowed to use this to send our own then to in Yes. Yes. Okay. And so then Yes. And how will that be? We would send it to obviously their offices and and if we have to to get it to then it won't go to every single senator or person in the house, right? So the chair of the finance committee would be the Ohio senator. We would definitely send it to Representative Bride, uh, Senator, State Senator Nikki Antonio, making sure our rep, local
028representatives, representatives have it, but also then the leadership within and this way, especially leaving it open with forward to the leaders and other relevant stakeholders gives us a little more flexibility. But I will also make the comment you know if you have a personal relationship with a few people you are welcome to take this and use this further discussion. I have a feeling we're going to be talking about this a lot over the next couple months. Um but I think this just kind of gives a little more formality to itish of where we're coming from. And I think just to the to emphasize um this is being pitched as a form of property tax relief and we're for that. The issue with this is we don't believe this is truly what that is. And when
029you're really taking and and I guess the thing one of the things that really is unsettling with me is we've this district has spent decades respecting the property taxpayer and it results in one of the lowest effective milit rates for education in the tri county area and we believe that respecting the taxpayer. We've talked about it before where over the past 44 45 years, this community has passed only four operating levies. That's it. And in 2013, the community voted down two operating levies, sending the message, make do with what you have. The school district has done that. You know, we have two PE our two board members on our finance committee very strong in finance uh creating investments that gen generate over a million dollars a year. We have done taken advantage of how we
030utilized federal funding just like every entity has done. The state received federal funding during co cities received federal funding. Schools received federal funding. We've we've consciously used it in a way to continue what we're doing and and prolong staying off the ballot and to emphasize an operating levy hasn't been passed in this community in 19 years. I think it's 19 years this May because I do believe that it was May of 2006, wasn't it? That's correct. Yeah. So it's 19 years as of this May and our plan we can get close to a quarter century. If we can get to 20 22 23 24 years without passing an operating levy, why are you changing this? You know, in our last work session, you saw Adam House, our director of business, present the long-term facilities plan.
031We don't say, "Here are all the cool things we want to do." We have money in the bank. Let's burn it. We plan it. Softball fields, baseball fields last year. Um looking at a vestibule this year, the scentic clickers we just passed. You know, we we're taking these items and gradually building these things out because we just think that's that is respect for the taxpayer funded and and and what we're looking at doing. So this part for me, it's just really struggling. Um and I get it. if there was if it was something we kept going back while we had this balance or any type of thing like that, but we haven't. So, I I think this is it will be a conversation for a while. And and I think it's it's drawing that line
032between um like we're for it. You know, listen, if there's property tax relief out there, we're for it. But this is just a one-time thing where you take it away and then our balance goes down and then we're going to have to go back to then then it raises right back up after they take that money and then we don't have money to cover a deficit over the years. So then we're going to go back to the ballot sooner than we would have if we would have just used the money. So it's just not I mean the the conversations we had with the senator today, Miss Pirat set this meeting up uh really months ago. Yeah. And of course the senator is new to uh West Lake and and of course the district. And one
033of the conversations we had was as Dr. Goagan mentioned uh the district has a solid balance sheet, wonderful cash flow. It's something that we've worked on for years and years and years. a comparison we made uh was to the city of Westlake of course and uh the city of Westlake has is as as much as 200% carryover correct um with the idea that you can plan so effectively when you save well spend well receive funds prudently and in the right way from your citizens and and really take care of a district, take care of a city that way and how are you able to plan well and and one of the things that we had talked about when you do plan that well uh you can also um have a bond rating of of say
034AAA ours is very very high but look at the city with this very high rating makes your borrowing costs less and really that's very prudent of course to your your citizenry uh as well so it is difficult to hear that from uh the house of representatives budget bill it's in my failing It's it's as though the the suggestion that district funds are being taken away uh really providing a very unclear path uh for the district moving forward. The idea of uh reducing taxes but yet the district may be in a situation where we'll have to uh put blemies on the ballot much much sooner as well. uh those things were were were tough as we uh discussed those. Um but really all around if the community has worked very very hard to get the district
035to where it is today, solid balance sheet, solid cash flow and to have that disrupted interrupted uh is very very difficult uh uh for me to to swallow. I think the other part is it's very much an arbitrary number of 30%. Because originally they were talking 25% cash cap. They raised it to 30% which I do appreciate just some that's one of the markers that they do look at for bond ratings. But when you look at across the state of 611 school districts in Ohio um 48% basically are over 50% um cash in cash reserves. it drops dramatically down to about 17% when we're looking at over 75%. So in the average I want to say it's 47% overall. So it is just sort of this arbitrary number that they have pulled rather than waiting
036let's look and have an honest conversation. Do you plan to send anything out to the parents? Yeah, I we're we plan on drafting something because they would be a big help too. might have contact somewhere out. Okay. Are we gonna send Chris Lee out maybe to Westlife, Cleveland.com or or is that been covered already? Yeah, I think you know I I I did see one of the other superintendents had a letter in um this last time, but I I don't know if they plan on doing a story on it. Yeah. Sometime we did we were on Cleveland.com. We did that one. Yeah. I'm sorry. What were you going to say? I was going to say that we have your Cleveland.com as well as plane dealer and if I can throw in if I can throw
037in an idea. Yes. Um it's a word smith. Um word salad. No. When we talk about effective millage rates, the average homeowner understands effective real estate rates or real estate tax rates. So if if we could say insert the word tax in there, people will resonate with the word tax that we have the lowest tax, the lowest millage tax versus just saying mill because the average person it's like saying what's that? It's an unfunded mandate. I have no idea what that means. I do, but most people don't know what that means. I agree. Todd, what with that? How would you rephrase that? was supposed to um I think it could be rephrased as it said there is the lowest residential um tax effective mill rate or uh yeah I would say residential tax is how
038I would put it together. So it would read uh whereas Wesl City School District operates at one of the lowest residential tax effective millage rates within Ka Line Dynamics. Yeah, I think that's good because taxes they understand taxes milit rates not so much and especially when you say lost correct. So we'll move to make that change. So we would have to um have a motion a second and if you like to do that will you move to I move. All right. Then I'll I'll move to make an amendment to the resolution where we add the word tax in the appropriate area that Mr. Hopkins had indicated. I second discussion. Roel, give me one second. I apologize. I'm just trying to write this out. And so it was motioned by Mr. Fenukin seconded by Mr. Craft.
039Yes. All right. Calling roll. Uh, Fenukan. Yes. Craft. Yes. Lamb. Yes. Lazinski. Yes. Kat. Yes. Motion carries. So now you have a amended resolution. So currently you have a motion and a second already for this resolution that now has been amended. Right. Discussion. Roll call to approve the amended resolution. Venukan, yes. Piran, yes. Craft, yes. Lamb, yes. Lazinski, yes. Motion carries. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Some second discussion. Roll call to adjourn at 6:38 p.m. Yes. Penukin, yes. Craft, yes. Lamb, yes. Lazinski, yes. Motion carries. We are objection.