001us tonight. Um, we will go ahead and get started. Um, we'll call the meeting to order at 6:28 p.m. Um, can you please call the role? >> Miss Hamilton, >> here. >> Miss Travis, >> here. >> Mrs. Egan, >> here. Mrs. Crawford >> here. I think you have to call a RO still for her. >> Mrs. Rush absent. >> Not here. >> All right. if you're able and um willing, can you please stand for 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. And we don't have any addendums, do we? >> We do not. >> All right. So, good evening and welcome to all of our staff, families,
002students, and community members. Tonight is truly a special evening as we come together to celebrate our retirees, recognizing outstanding staff members, and honor the class of 2026. Thank you all for being here tonight. Before I move into celebrations, I do want to take a moment to speak directly to our community regarding issue number four in the continued conversation surrounding public education funding. One of the greatest things about living in this country is the freedom to have a voice and the freedom to vote. Placing issue number four on the ballot was an opportunity to give our community a choice regarding the future funding of our schools. based on the results, that particular plan was not the right fit for our community at the time, and that is okay. As a board of education, we respect the
003voices of our residents, and we are listening closely to the feedback we have received throughout this process. At the same time, the financial realities facing public education are very real, not just here in Twinsburg, but across the state of Ohio. School districts continue to face increasing operational costs while also navigating an ongoing statewide public education funding problem. As a board, we remain committed to making responsible and transparent financial decisions. We are already looking at reductions, efficiencies, and future budget planning. And we continue having difficult but necessary conversations about next steps and long-term sustainability for our district. While we continue to meet and discuss future budget plans, I strongly urge all of our Twinsburg City School District residents to continue contacting our state government officials in advocating for public education funding. According to education advocacy groups,
004including the nonpartisan research organization Policy Matters Ohio, public education is projected to be underfunded by nearly $3 billion over the next two years. Continued advocacy is needed and elected officials in Columbus need to hear from our communities, especially like ours. I encourage residents to research candidates who will be on the November ballot and seek out leaders who will support and properly fund public education in accordance with the state constitution. Now I'm going to transition into many things we have to celebrate for our district um tonight. So this past weekend um Mrs. Hamilton and I had the pleasure of attending the Shine and Stump showcase which featured our Blue Diamonds dance team, our Twinsburg step team, youth camp participants, as well as students from neighboring schools and our divine nine Greek organizations. It was an incredible
005event this past Saturday that highlighted the talent, diversity, culture, and school pride that exists throughout our district. I was truly proud watching our students perform and seeing the growth and opportunities being created for our youth. Last week we also celebrated our senior scholarship program. We um had many of our seniors that were recognized for their outstanding achievements. Students earned academic honors including Kuml Magnaum and Sumakum Lad distinct as well as receiving thousands of dollars in scholarships from local businesses, organizations and community members. We are also incredibly proud of our students and grateful to the community partners who who continue to invest in their futures. Um we also honored um as the board of education we had a scholarship that we presented um last week and that was um through our board. We um donated our
006personal funds and um that senior that was selected was Taylor Dye. Um, she has truly distinguished herself throughout her high school career through her academic excellence, leadership, and services to others. She maintained an impressive 4.25 GPA while also serving as a team captain um for basketball, volunteering within the community, and balancing numerous extracurricular activities. Taylor's dedication, work ethic, character, and ability to lead by example made her a standout um candidate among her outstanding group of students. Um what we were incredibly proud of her accomplishments was she was so excited um um we were so excited to see all that she's doing and what she will achieve in the future. So that's why the board selected that applicant. Um, also last week we had our state of the school address and I want to thank all
007of our leadership team who helped put on that presentation. Um, we also held that in partnership with our chamber of commerce and it was combined this year with the scholarship recognition where we had about 15 students who also received thousands of dollars in scholarships. um our administrative team, they did an outstanding job which they provided a lot of different updates regarding our school, our student success, um our district initiatives and the incredible work happening throughout Twinsburg. Um and then I do want to also congratulate um our Rotary Club. They um also recognized the teacher of the year for them that they selected and it was Ian Hortzman. So, um we're so thankful for him and educators like him who continue to make a lasting impact on our students every single day. Um in athletics, we
008had um a lot to celebrate. Um congratulations to our ladies Tigers softball team. They defeated Stowe 17 to zero last night to clinch the Suburban League championship, the program's first league title since 2009. Um, so congratulations to Coach Riley, the assistant coaches, and our players on an incredible season so far. The Lady Tigers will compete tomorrow at 5:00 p. p.m. in Wellington for the OSAA Division 2 District Championship. So, we wish them the best of luck. Our music programs continue to make district history. For the first time ever, the RBC band received a unanimous superior one ratings in class A at the OMA large group contest, the highest rating possible in the state of Ohio. In addition, our RBC orchestra also received a unanimous superior ratings at the OMA state orchestra event held at Orville
009High School while performing in the most difficult class A division. So these accomplishments reflect the incredible talent that our students have and the dedication to our music staff. So congratulations to all of our band and orchestra students and the directors on these historic achievements. Um throughout our district we have celebrated banquetss, concerts, art shows, field days, awards programs, and so many special student movements over the past several weeks. Graduation for our class of 2026 will take place on Tuesday at the University of Akran, EJ Thomas Hall. We are so excited to celebrate their um this outstanding group of seniors as they begin the next chapter of the journey. Um tonight we are um honored to honor our special group of individuals, our retirees who collectively tonight they represent more than 391 years of service dedicated
010to Twinsburg City School District. So, let's give that up. >> That's Oh, that's 309 years of teaching, mentoring, coaching, counseling, supporting, encouraging, transporting, organizing, leading, feeding, cleaning, answering phones, solving problems, and showing up every single day for our children. That number represents generations of students whose lives were impacted because of the commitment and the care shown by the people who we are honoring tonight. Whether you're serving in a classroom, an office, cafeteria, transportation, buildings, or behind the scenes, our retirees have helped shape the culture and success of this district. Their impact goes far beyond a job title because they've helped create memories, relationships, opportunities, and experience that students and families would carry with them forever. I also had the pleasure this year of attending um the teacher and staff member of the year celebration um
011inside of our buildings. Um it was such a wonderful way to recognize the incredible people who make our school so special. Seeing staff members celebrated by their peers and students was truly inspiring and a reminder of how fortunate we are to have such a caring, talented, and dedicated individuals throughout our district every day. Um they'll be honored tonight and I want to thank our staff for being creative creative in the ways that we're doing um things to recognize our staff. Um, as we begin wrapping up another school year filled with celebrations and graduations and athletic events, final exams, projects and field days, I want to wish all of our students, staff, and families a successful and strong finish of the school year. Parents, thank you for your countless rides, late nights, homework help, packed lunches,
012chain from the stands, volunteering, and support you provided throughout the year. To our students, enjoy every moment of these final weeks because these memories and friendships truly will last a lifetime. And as the summer approaches, I hope everyone has the opportunity to rest, recharge, and spend time with family and make new memories together. And finally, as we head into Memorial Day weekend, um I also want to pause and remember the true meaning of the holiday. We honor and thank the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Because of their courage and service, we are able to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities we have today. So, we thank all of our military families and veterans for their sacrifice and service to our nation. I want to thank you again for
013all your support of our district. And that ends my president's report. >> Thank you, President Crawford. >> Welcome. Exciting night, class of 2026 retirees. and and and our staff members of the year. I'd like to begin I want to first of all thank Michael Sedlac because this is right in his wheelhouse like he's going to be our MC for the recognition ceremony and I want to thank him for all his work because he he spends a lot of time and effort in what he did today. So, I'm going to turn it over to him to recognize our class of 2026 and our staff members of the year. Good evening, board members, staff, retirees, families, and community members. I'm excited to stand before you this evening in celebration of so many amazing educators. I've always said
014that no matter the position in a district, we all have our part in educating students. We are all educators. It is our job to do our best so our students can have the best. Some of us are the first ones to say good morning as they climb the steps of the bus. Some of us have to plan lessons in order to prepare our students for AP tests. Some of us need to make food so our students can eat healthy during the day. And some of us are never seen. We're making the buses. We're making sure the buses are ready on the freezing days or filling book bags for students in need or paying bills so our teachers can have the supplies they need for our students. We all have our part and today we celebrate
015these educators. In Dead Poet Society, John Keening takes his class into the hallway and looks at old photographs and of students who walked the halls years before them. He whispers to them, "Carp DM, seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." The 19 educators were celebrating tonight with over 365 years of service to the Twinsburg City School District have done just that. They have made their lives extraordinary by serving our students and our communities. When we look at the history of our schools, the faces in our scrapbooks, and the culture of excellence that we enjoy today, we are looking at the handiwork of the people sitting in this room. They poured their time, their patience, and their hearts into making this an extraordinary place for our students. They have officially seized their days at Twinsburg
016City School District and they have left a legacy that will echo here for generations. Tonight, we're going to celebrate each retiree individually. In the movie Rocky, Rocky Belboa explains winning. But what I think he's really telling you is what it's like to be an educator. He said, "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you got to be willing to take the hits. For anyone who has ever stood in front of children or drove them on the bus or worked in a school district knows that being an educator is a heavyweight bout. It takes hits
017on your patience, on your energy, and on your personal time. Today, I'll be introducing the retirees based on a few questions I asked about their time in Twinsburg and their plans for their future. What they didn't know is that I went through their personnel files. And with that, we'll take a trip down memory lane together. Just wait. We're going to start with Lauren Babrowski. if you could come up here so you could awkwardly stand in front of everyone while I talk about you. So Lauren uh has three years in Virginia and 32 in Twinsburg uh in Bissell and as the district blended learning coach and in Dodge. Um, what she failed to mention when she told me what she did, she forgot to tell me that she was also an interior designer at Painless Windows
018and Interior Decorating and Akran, which ironically in her interview she was asked to describe the ideal classroom setup. She never mentioned windows, but she did describe an engaging an engaging classroom where students are engaged in activities that they would be motivated to do. They would offer a v variety of choices to meet the student objectives. Students change, curriculum changes, times change, but even after 20 years, you knew the importance of engaging our students and getting them to be motivated. She said that one of her favorite memories will always be building birdhouses with the second graders and seeing them placed all around Twinsburg thanks to the wonderful family volunteers. She'll miss the magical moments when a struggling students face lights up with joy and pride and confidence. She will also miss working with her passionate colleagues.
019She plans um after years of lesson planning, her new plan is to not have any plans. She's I had to quote that because that was very specific. She's looking forward to traveling, being with family, and enjoying the luxury of sleeping in past sunrise. And if she could leave our next generation of teachers with one piece of advice, it's to always remember that your relationships with the students are what matters most. Round of applause for Lauren. You could have a seat. Yeah. But Sharon gets to come up now. Sharon has 33 years in the Twinsburg City School District. All at Dodge Middle School, now intermediate school. Um, in your file I found out from one of your references, Carol Harris. Bet you haven't heard that name in a while. Sharon wrote or Carol wrote in 1991,
020"Sharon has a natural ability to openly care and do what is best to improve education for first grade children. She has learned to work with the short attention span of children at this age and HR directors. Sharon's enthusiasm, sense of humor, and innovative ideas have been wellreceived and we appreciate you for bringing those to us. Uh Sharon said reflecting on her time at Twinsburg, what she will miss is the human side of teaching, the creativity of the invention connection, the laughter shared in the classroom, and the deep connections made with her colleagues. She'll step into the next chapter. She's looking forward to a slower pace, traveling, spending time with the grandkids, and even starting a small online business. They have to share that with us. That's a plug. I don't know the name of it,
021but to the next generation of educators, the ultimate advice is to focus on growth over perfection. Protect your personal time and always strive to be the adult you needed when you were a child. Thank you, Sharon. Elizabeth Brimley. Elizabeth has 23 years at Dodge in fourth grade for all 23 years and two years at a parochial school in Twinsburg prior to that and two years at university school. Um when I started going through the files, I wasn't expecting to bring props. Um, but after the thousands of cover letters I've read as a principal and as a teacher, and I'm not sure I've seen this border used as a cover letter ever, ever. But when I saw it, knowing Mrs. Brinley, it completely makes sense. Um she in her cover letter she did talk about being
022student centered approach to teaching creative experience immersing immersing the children in learning and attending to their diverse learning style. So thank you for doing that over the years. Also on resumeéumés what sometimes teachers do is they'll put their interests or things that they enjoy doing in hopes that maybe they'll start a club or coach or something. And as a former principal I would look into that. So, I don't know if you ever coached tennis. You said you like tennis. I don't know if you ever coach swimming. You said running. Did you coach track? >> Okay. Um, but I'm really interested at Dodge. I never saw a rollerblading club. You did put that your interest was rollerblading. I know early 2000s it was kind of a big thing. So, Yeah, I'm lying. I came up with
023rollerblading. Okay, so we'll continue. Um, so when asked, um, Elizabeth said it was very hard to just pick one favorite memory from her years at Dodge because there are truly so many. She'll cherish the cozy book clubs, the excitement of the I did a read and of course watching the kids proudly present their Ohio salt dough maps. I think I made one of those, too. And speak confidently about what they've learned. She'll miss the wonderful families, the students that discovered her true love for reading, and the incredible colleagues that have become her friends. As she heads in retirement, um her immediate plans are to spend quality time with her husband David and her family. Whether it's traveling, visiting her daughter down at NC State, or soaking up every moment of her son's senior year of
024high school. To the next generation of teachers, her advice is simple. Find your passion. Believe in every single student. And always remember that relationships you build are what matter most. Thank you, Mrs. Bley. Up next, Melanie Brown. I have to be a little careful because I do have to work with Melanie for the next 30ome days. Melody has been uh 12 years in Twins City School District. She worked at central office at Dodge. She is currently uh one of my secretaries and she also has 10 years with the Maple Heights City School District. I'm going through Melany's resume and adding some other things that I know myself. I do have to be careful though. I promise you that. Um Melanie said uh when she applied that she loves volunteering for track and field events that
025she established and managed a before school kindergarten reading program. And what some of you may not know is that she is a master at sewing, woodworking, balloon backdrops, and pretty much every other crafting thing you can think of. >> Correct. >> Yes. Melanie said one of her favorite memories, it wasn't me, I was a little disappointed. One of her favorite memories will always be seeing uh the community wellness center open its doors to help meet the needs of the students. She is very passionate about our wellness center. While she is going to deeply miss serving the Twinsburg City School District, she plans to spend her retirement continuing to live, love, laugh, and learn every single day. You may also find her at the maker space in the Twinsburg Library or doing whatever pool sharks do
026at the pool halls. Don't let her fool you. Her final thought is this. To make a positive difference to the school community while you can. Thank you, Melanie. if I show up missing. All right, next up is Annie Busher. Annie has been a cook manager uh a cook and a cook manager for 25 years at Dodge Wilcox and ths looking through her personnel file and her interview 25 years ago. When asked why she was interested in applying for the Cook manager position, she replied, "I love learning and I want to learn more." And I just find that so interesting and warming to hear. Um, and then people asked um, in her references, words to describe her, dependable and flexible was mentioned more than once in your references, and that was true while you were here.
027So, thank you. Um, Andy says, "One of her absolute favorite memories has to be the time that the string orchestra surprised her by playing Happy Birthday, and it was just for her. I hope it was actually your birthday. Well, she doesn't have any set plans for the future just yet. She knows she's deeply going to miss every day the everyday joy of the work, the students, and all the wonderful people she's been lucky enough to meet over the years at Twinsburg schools. So, thank you very much, Annie. Next up is Barry Echelman. So Barry retired as our lead mechanic and he was 17 years in our bus garage. What I learned about Barry is that before he came to Twinsburg, he worked at Duca Chrysler Plymouth in Bedford. prior to coming to Twinsburg. He was
028a master automobile technician, an ASSE certified professional, and he listed all the things he could build. And I just said he really had the ability to diagnose, repair, and rebuild anything under the hood. Is that fair? >> You listed a lot. >> It was impressive. Uh then when he came to uh back to Twinsburg, because he is a Twinsburg graduate, uh he received his diesel certifications and then eventually became our lead mechanic. So, thank you. Uh, one of his favorite memories is driving a bus as a substitute and picking up his grandchildren, Hudson and Ellison. He will miss the people he worked with and his friendships he's made. He will be playing golf, running, and volunteering, maybe subbing. I don't know. His advice to the next group is to remember that the safety and well-being
029of our children always comes first. And thank you for keeping our kids safe on those buses every day. Now, next to Mel, Donna is probably the next most nervous person to come up here tonight. Donna Kelly. She is our budgetary officer. She has been with Twinsburg for 30.228 years, not a day more. From a classified substitute in all the school buildings and in various roles at Willox and secretary then to central office. uh she was two years at payroll and then 24 years as our budgetary officer which has now changed to our accounts payable. So I will do a shout out because she graduated from Bowling Green which I did too. So I like Bowling Green. Um right from there and this is where things get iffy. She went to work as the executive secretary
030to the president and of Cleveland Cole Incorporated, a subsidiary of Banner Industries, which was in Beachwood for two years. Then she went to be the executive secretary to the president of Magic American Corporation, also in Beachwood. And then she worked for Ohio Master Plumbing, Crown Hill Cemetery, and Guardian Glass Company. I am pretty sure one of those is a front for a Marvel superhero. President of the Magic American C. I mean I think Donna has something hiding back there. So what she will miss most here is the pure joy of sharing life on a daily basis with her incredible co-workers and friends. As for what's next, only God knows what is ahead. He holds her future and he is and she is excited for whatever wherever he leads her. To the next generation, the ultimate
031advice is to always lead with kindness and a smile. Take pride in everything you do. Strive to be a positive role model. And as the saying goes, enjoy the journey. Sandra Myers up next. Sandy has worked for two and a half years at central office in the treasures department. She worked 20 years at the Willoughby Eastlake um school district library in the in the library athletic office and central office and the treasures department. In the two and a half years, Sandra has lived up to everything her reference said, being proactive, following through, dependable, and flexible. Prior to Twinsburg, Sandy also used her BA from CSU in a variety of HR and benefit positions. So, that was interesting. I know that about you. One of the absolute favorite memories will always be the day that we
032rescued a very cute lost puppy wandering down Revena Road. We brought the dog into the office. I think it was named Cookie. office and successfully reunited her with her owner. What she'll miss most most is hands down all of her co-workers. Everyone here is just so nice and truly wonderful to work with. In the next chapter, she's looking forward to spending much more time with her grandchildren and trading our cold winters for sunny Florida. We are all jealous about that. If she could leave us with one piece of ad advice, it's never to be afraid to ask questions if you don't understand. Everyone is super friendly and always willing to help. Thank you, Sandy. Up next is Donald Reeves. Donald Reed is a bus driver with 11 years in Twinsburg. And before that, he had
03325 years with All State Insurance. Looking through Donald's um personnel file, I looked through his references. I don't know why there was just a stack from there. And it was amazing when you see again, this was 11 years ago, and you know the person now, the same things are being said. Donald, it says, "Don is a people person. He has a positive attitude and he would be an awesome bus driver. Everyone loves him here. Um Laura and that was from Laura Zimmerman. Remember her? >> Okay. I don't. Um Mark, now again, these were handwritten by someone, not me. I taught sixth grade English. I still couldn't read it. The next one was from Mark something ski. Do you remember a Mark? >> That's it. Uh he said that you are dependable, a great guy and
034have a great family. I would agree with that too. Uh he said he's a great leader and very active in his church and with youth and he would be a great motivator for the students. So thank you for that. Uh Donald's greatest memory was being showered with gifts and appreciation at the end of a school year. He will miss the camaraderie with some of his co-workers. Don wants to sit down and relax. He recommends being persistent and patient at the same time with the students. Thank you, Don. Dwayne Ree. So Dwayne's also been here for 11 years as one of our bus drivers. Uh what stood out in his resume from 2016 was his dedication to the ser to service and to his community. Uh he listed some of the things that he did back
035then and I'm pretty sure he's still active in in them now. from advocacy to presenting on foster care and adoption, serving the Shaker Heights Youth Center, uh recruiting for Belfare, and that those are just a few of the things he listed and how he gave back to his community, and that's always great to see when looking to hire someone. Uh his leadership and service continue to impress us. So, thank you for that, Dwayne. His greatest memories are getting his first official route and also having both of his daughters assigned to his bus route. Now they can't play hookie or be sick. You better be out there waiting for me, right? Dwayne will miss the staff and kids and is looking to finish his master's degree in social work. He recommends having a nononsense conversation with
036the students to let them know the rules that they should and that they should be followed. Also, he recommends somehow having a conversation with the parents about the student expectations. I agree. Thank you, Dwayne. Next up is Vicky Robbins, a school psychologist. So, for over 29 years, Vicki worked um with Twinsburg. She's worked in all the buildings. She started at Dodge and RBC. She worked at the new high school, Bissell. Uh she's been at Willox for 28 years and before that she was at Maple Heights and a one-year internship at Kent City Schools. Um Vicki actually wrote a letter to get an application. Did you know that? Do you remember that she wrote a letter and in her letter she explained that through her work in Maple Heights she had worked with people in Twinsburg.
037So that was what made her want to come here. She said the staff and admin administrators genuinely wanted to make sure that the students were receiving the services they needed and wanted to see the students be successful by receiving the best education possible. Again, that was about 30 years ago that you noticed that and we appreciate you doing that for us for 29 years. Um, and we're happy that you came to us and left that legacy. She says looking back she will always cherish the special preschool home visits, excuse me, and the memorable meetings with Judy and Judy. I don't know what that means, but um we'll miss what she'll miss most is the joy of working at Willox, the endless smiles, sharing laughter, the cute things the little ones say every single day. And
038at the end, of course, it's the wonderful colleagues. She's cherished it all. As she steps into retirement, she's excited to spend more time with her family, travel, read, and simply enjoy the freedom of pursuing new activities at her own leisure. To those continuing the journey, her advice is to truly enjoy what you're doing, live for the moment, and find a healthy balance in your life, and definitely start saving for retirement now. Thank you. Next up is Lynn Turner, Will Cox, principal. She worked in Twinsburg for a total of 16 years. One year as the assistant principal and 15 as a principal at Wilcox. Prior to that, she was a she went to college and was a credit analysis for an international bank in New York City before transitioning to education where she taught middle school
039Spanish ELA teacher in Kyaga Falls and taught at two international schools in Japan. After that, she was at Hudson High School as a unit principal as well. So, Mrs. Turner. Since I had Mrs. Brinley's, she went with a little less subtle. Just a just a header, not a whole. It's okay. >> Oh, don't worry. I got you. >> Included. Oh, I got your whole book here. This is all the stuff you sent in. So you don't have to make excuses. >> Included on her resume was her top five report from the book Now Discover Your Strengths. Do you remember what your top five are? >> Strategic input, arranger, maximizer, and relator. All of which correlated to the letters from your of your recommendations from some of my old colleagues, too. Phil Herman said in her
040letter that Lynn approaches her work in a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and demonstrates a deep sense of caring. Brian Wilch, all these people are retired, uh, wrote, "She handles all responsibilities with the highest level of skill and commitment, a student first attitude." And Kelly Kemp wrote, "Lynn's love for children and education is evident." Lynn, this is what she wrote in your survey. She said, "It was impossible to pick just one favorite memory from Willox. From riding tricycles through the halls, dressing up as Olaf to navigating COVID together, and cheering on our returning seniors at graduation clapout. What she will miss most is the people. The staff have become close friends and she will deeply miss the daily joy of watching our kids thrive and feeling like she made a difference. The next chapter, her
041husband and she plan to travel, escape the northeast Ohio winters seems to be a theme. Spend more time with family and train our dog to be a therapy animal to the next generation. Her advice is to always look at the big picture and trust the process. Your daily care and consistency make a lasting impact far beyond what you can see in the moment. Thank you, Lynn. Sorry, Julian. Up next, Julianne Walker. Julianne is currently our MTSS coordinator. She has 32.5 years in education, seven years in Twinsburg, five as assistant principal, four years at Dodge, one year at Willcox, two years as the district's MTSS coordinator, 23 years in Bedford City School District as an elementary teacher and a data instructional coach, and two years as K at Kenston Intermediate School. Again, looking at the resume,
042there were awards written listed. Do you remember this? maybe not. And grants are listed and and awards that she's won. Um Julianne was the Maple Heights City Schools building nominee for teacher of the year, the Carolwood Intermediate School teacher of the year, the Carolwood PTA teacher of the year, and the Bedford City Schools teacher of the year. And if there was an MTSS coordinator of the year, you'd probably win that, too. That's a pretty impressive. That's like a triple crown of of teacher of the years in Bedford. So, congratulations on that. Reflecting on her career in Twinsburg, the most profound memory will always be serving as the administrator uh at Dodge and Wilcox during the pandemic where she witnessed the staff come together with extraordinary flexibility and commitment. What you will miss most is the
043people, the deep collaboration with dedicated educators, and the wonderful families who made this work so rewarding. In retirement, she's looking forward to a slower pace, more time with family, and saying goodbye to school night, bedtimes. She didn't go party. That's what I read out of that. to the next generation. Her advice is to keep students at the center of your decision, build strong relationships, and always remember why you chose this beautiful profession. Thank you, Julianne. And last but not least, we did have a couple retirees that could not be here tonight. I'm not going to read a whole thing about them, but we could give a round of applause for Louise Deweiler, Barb Rosales, Karen Turpac, Daniel Dodson, and Michael Silverthornne. >> Oh, >> I did not prepare your speech. Y >> Karen, you're coming
044up though and we're going to at least say hello to you. Man, we should just make her stand there and we'll stare at her while I don't say anything. >> Would you like TO SAY SOMETHING? >> NO. AND we do have your belt for you, too. >> Okay. >> She does have belts in the box. >> Oh, okay. Okay. Well, I don't know what you put on your application or how many years ago you interviewed and all, but I will tell you that um Karen's classroom is magical. Um gonna get a little choked up here. Um she loves her preschool students. Um they're always building things. I was looking to see there's Mrs. Kerwin who is her um sidekick in a lot of the buildings and I Mrs. Alers is here and just that just
045like the the people who know you and love you are such a testament to everything you've done. Um but some of my favorite memories are the rodeo which I think you started. So preschool rodeo is a big event in our building. Um, and bobsled races have always been super fun. If you've ever been to Willox, we have a bit of a hill. You heard them talk about the tricycles a little while ago. Well, bobsled races during the uh Winter Olympics, the staff and the students build them and they have the races down the hallway um safely. But it's it's super fun. So, um, thank you for all your years and uh we will look up all your your stuff and Okay. It's been a long week. To continue my movie theme speech, as Maximus Desmus
046Meridius in the Gladiator said, "What we do in life echoes in eternity. To my fellow educators, never forget the weight of what you do every day. The school stuff might be forgotten, but the kindness, the patience, and the belief you pour into these students doesn't vanish when they graduate. What we do in this district echoes in eternity. In a few short weeks, if you haven't already started your retirement, Barry, for the first time in decades, you won't need to set an alarm to wake up and start a new school year in Twinsburg. You may feel a little bit like Red at the end of Shaw Shank Redemption. As I read this quote, just think of Morgan Friedman saying it. It sounds so much cooler when he says it. I find I'm so excited I can
047barely sit still or hold the thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel. A free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. Congratulations to all of you on the start of your next long journey. And before I wrap up the retirement portion of my presentation, I'd like to give one more classic movie quote from Don Veto Corleó in The Godfather. Famously said, "The strength of a family like the strength of an army is in its loyalty to each other." Now, I promise you there's nothing sinister going on here tonight, but being an educator absolutely requires an army. And tonight, we want to issue a massive thank you to the homeront support teams of our retirees. Thank you for enduring decades of 4:00 a.m.
048alarms. Thank you for understanding when your educator comes home too exhausted to make dinner the first week of school, the random clothing purchases purchased for spirit weeks, and the many, many sniffles that they bring home. And most importantly, thank you for being the loyal anchor they needed to make it to this finish line. You did not just support an educator, you sustain them. So to the families of our retirees, this milestone belongs to you too. Thank you. Could we do that after the Okay. So, we're going to go into the student uh staff and um teacher of the year awards and then we're going to get everyone up to do pictures and all the stuff that moms like. All right. So each year we take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary people who go above
049and beyond, not for the recognition, but because it's simply who they are. The Twinsburg City School District Teacher of the Year and Twinsburg City School District Support Staff of the Year represent excellence, commitment, and unwavering belief in the potential of our students and the power of public education. Both recipients exemplify what it means to serve with purpose, passion, and pride. They are quiet heroes and the guiding lights who make a lasting impact every single day. The two winners were nominated by their peers. Once nominated, the nominees are required to complete a short questionnaire as are their supervisors or building principles. From there, a panel of support staff, teachers, the presidents of both unions and administrators review the applications. They are scored with the rubric and the highest score wins. In Back to the Future, Doc
050Brown famously said, "I like movies." You getting that? Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one. While Doc needed a timetraveling Delorean to to change the future, our honores managed to do it every day with nothing more than their two incredible hearts. They are not just here to make an impact for the day. They are here to make an impact for the next 10, 20, and 30 years of that child's life. They are actively helping our students author extraordinary futures. This year we did things a bit differently as Madame President said. First, the staff and teacher of the year were both educators at Willox, which is a first for the awards. So, we gathered some district staff, some building staff, some of their family members, lots of students, music, and
051a bullhorn. That was mine. And we surprised them at Willox. If the gladiator asked, "Are you entertained?" I assure you the students were entertained. So, let's begin with the TCSD support staff member of the year award. Amy, we're going to make you come up here and stand awkwardly, too. So, Amy Wright, it is an absolute honor to present the staff member of the year award to Amy Wright. When you read what her colleagues had to say about her, few words echo across every single one of her four nominations. Dedication, compassion, growth, and quiet leadership. Amy possesses a remarkable gift for reaching the students that need it most. Through patience, consistency, and a wonderful sense of humor and some pretty sweet dance skills, she creates a safe haven. I saw him. A safe haven where even
052the most challenging learners feel deeply valued and understood. The profound trust she builds was captured perfectly when a six-year-old with severe behavior challenges used a rare word and in his vocabulary during a virtual call to tell Amy just how much he loved and missed her. They did not say what the word was. What truly sets Amy apart is her relentless drive and grow to grow in her craft. She keeps a reflection notebook to track what works for her students, continuously collaborates with teachers, and actively seeks out new intervention strategies. She views her role as a true partnership, stepping up to support substitutes, lead interventions when needed, and volunteers her own time for field trips and afterchool events. Amy, you are the backbone of the educational team at Wilcox. A trusted leader and a source source
053of both joy to your colleagues and your students. You make the hard work look easy. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to your professionalis your unwavering commitment your professionalism and always keeping the children at the heart of everything you do. Congratulations on being named staff member of the year. Next up, Lauren Wilson, teacher of the year. It is a privilege to recognize Lauren Wilson for for her incredible dedication and impact in our district. Lauren brings a level of knowledge, patience, and expertise to her phys physical education classes that truly captivates and motivates her students. Whether she is working with our youngest preschool learners or teaching adaptive PE, Lauren excels at creating a supportive all-inclusive environment where every student builds gross motor skills, develops sportsmanship, and experiences a moment of success during every single session. A
054true model of innovation, Lauren continuously brings creative programming to our schools, including initiatives like All Kids Bike and First T Akran Golf. She has a unique gift for connecting families to their child's learning and e even inviting parents to participate in a parkour experience alongside their students. There were no injuries and they all signed a waiver. Right. Okay. Lauren possesses the confidence and courage to adapt her teaching in real time and her commitment extends far beyond the school day as she frequently volunteers her own time to support her students at outside athletic events. As our K12 PE team leader, Lauren shares her expertise well beyond her own gymnasium. She actively contributes to the profession by presenting at state conferences and ensuring our staff is up to date on the latest Ohio PE standards. Thank you,
055Lauren, for your unwavering leadership, your innovative spirit, and for enduring ensuring that every single child has the opportunity to shine and succeed at their own level. Congratulations, Another quote in the movie Goodwill Hunting, the a brilliant therapist, Shawn Magcguire drops a profound truth about human nature. He says, "Some people can't believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first." That right here is the job description for our staff of the year and teacher of the year. Day in and day out they step into Willox. They hand out belief to students who are running low on it. They believe in our stu the student who is struggling to see their own potential and they believe in their colleagues when the days get overwhelming. They are all quiet architects of confidence in our schools. Tonight we
056want to thank you for being that someone else for so many of us. Thank you for your unwavering faith, your endless patience, and your incredible heart. Ladies and gentlemen, one final round of applause. Applause for our phenomenal staff and teacher of the year. I've been up here a long time and I'd like to drink some water, but I'm going to end with two final words from the legendary actress Maril Street as Miranda Presley in The Devil Wears Prada. That's all. Now we got to do the pictures and cupcakes. >> Yeah, let's do the pictures and then we'll take pictures. If we can do all the retirees, What's that? >> Yeah, that's why we had it out. All right. Awesome. >> Staff members. I'm sorry. Also, if you want to take pictures with your family, feel
057free to come up here and take as many pictures. I'm sorry. Is this one of your >> Julia? I'm going to take one of those later. Okay, thanks for coming. >> I don't So, we're going to motion to rec 7:41 p.m. Second. Do I have a motion? >> So, moved by Mrs. Egan, second. Second by Mrs. Travis. Any discussion? Okay. Can >> Yes. >> Mrs. Travis, >> yes. >> Mrs. Hamilton, >> yes. >> Mrs. Crawford, >> yes. All right. Committee reports. >> Um, so the finance, do you want to do? >> No, you can't >> because I don't know what >> you know. We talked about a lot. All right. So, the finance committee committee didn't meet yesterday. Um, we talked uh we were kind of doing more of an audit of our supplemental contracts.
058So, we just went through and looked at all of our um supplementals that we have in place, whether it's for um any field trips, any specials, any clubs, any sports. and we were just looking at like the ratios and the funding just to see what makes sense. So, um we did a review of that and that was basically all we had time to do. And was there any other reports? All right, is there anyone in the audience that have any you would like to say? Yes, we're good. Okay. >> All right. Moving on to treacherous report. Resolve that the Twinsburg City School District Board of Education approves the April 22nd, 2026 regular meeting minutes as sent to the board under separate cover. Do we have a motion? >> So moved by Mrs. Egan. >> Second
059by Mrs. Travis. Any discussion? Can you please call the RO? >> Mrs. Egan? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Travis? >> Yes. >> Miss Hamilton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Crawford? >> Yes. And that motion passes 4 zero. K. Action items. Personnel resolve that the Twinsburg City School District Board of Education accepts the certified staff recommendations detailed in the attached exhibits as per the dates, terms, and other applicable conditions specified in satisfactory seat background checks. to resolve that the Tunesburg City School District Board of Education accepts the classified staff recommendations detailed in the attached exhibit as per the dates terms and other applicable conditions specified pending satisfactory or receive background checks. Three results that the Twinsburg City School Board of Education accepts supplemental contract recommendations detailed in the attached exhibit as per the dates, terms, and other ethical
060conditions specified pinning satisfactory or seed background contracts and completion of all requirements for pupil activity report. Board resolve that the Twinsburg um board of education accepts the P pupil activity contract recommendations detailed in the attached exhibits. Do I have a motion? >> So moved by Mrs. Hamilton. >> Second. Second by Mrs. Egan. Any discussion? Can you call the role? >> Miss Hamilton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Egan? >> Yes. Mrs. Travis? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Crawford? >> Yes. And that passes 4 Z. Action items. New business. One, resolve that the Twin City School District Board of Education approves the attached listing of the media center item to be deleted from inventory. Two, resolve that the Twinsburg City School District Board of Education approves the following deletions of textbooks. Um three resolve that the Twinsburg City School
061District Board of Education approves the online learning day plan for the 26 27th school year. This plan will ensure the continue um of learning for students during a school closure in excess of traditional school closing days. So 5 days or in danger of exceeding allowable minutes. The online learning day plan provides the district with the ability to utilize online learning to make up hours due to school closure for up to three additional school days. for the attached civic four resolved that Twinsburg Board of Education approves the contract with Learnwell to provide educational services for one student while being hospitalized. The number of days is not exceeded 25 at a rate of $53.50 per day with an additional 33% administration cost. Total tuition is $1,4.9644. This is a general fund expense. documentation was sent to the
062board under separate covers. Five, resolve Twinsburg City School District. Ford approves the addendum agreement with Saro Therapies to provide services for kindergarten screenings at a rate of $80 per hour. This is not to exceed six hours um for a total of $480. This is a general fund expense and documentation was sent to the board under separate cover. Six resolved that um the board approves the N Cyber Security Framework version 2.0 of the official cyber security program framework for the Chburg City School District and to authorize implementation in accordance with the Ohio House Bill 96 7 resolve that the board approves the student and parent handbook for Tunber High School, RBC Chamberlain Middle School, George D. Dodge Intermediate School, Samuel Bissell Elementary School, Wilcox Primary School, Wilcox Integrated Preschool Program, and Kindergarten Preparatory Program. the district
063athletic handbook and the district coaches handbook as sent to the board under separate cover. Do we have a motion? >> So moved by Mrs. Travis. >> Second by Mrs. Hamilton. Any discussion? >> Um yes. I'd like to make sure that um it's on the record. The textbooks again will be um given back to the company that does a buyback of books um and they'll be sold to other districts who may still need these books to complete their year. Um again the change in our math books and there will be books um was a result of where the state is requiring the school districts in Ohio to move within this coming year and next year to the list of textbooks that they have approved or that meet a criteria that the state board of education has
064set. The other one to make sure that everyone understands the online learning day plan is is a backup emergency plan. That's all it is. All school districts um have so many days, so many hours. We're not on days anymore. We have hours of education that need to be met at each of our grade levels. Once we meet them, we can we can have an equivalent. Mr. Mar, make sure I'm saying that correctly. We can meet the equivalent of what would be 5 days worth of hours at those grade levels. That would be um excused or a weather emergency those days. Once we meet that, we are no longer in compliance. By having these three days, it does give our children an opportunity to do online learning and not have to make up those days at
065the end of our school year. Otherwise, this is like for a catastrophe or something that really is unforeseen. Um, it's a nice way that the state has allowed us to have at least three days worth of extra hours, whatever that means, for whatever grade level we're dealing with. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. >> Um can you um do a clarification? So for the handbooks, if there's anything that we want to add or change, um do we just do a addendum later? >> We can absolutely do that. >> Something we want to add or change or there needs to be a change in the calendar or whatever it is, we can absolutely do that. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Can you um >> Mrs. Travis? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Hamilton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Egan? >>
066Yes. Mrs. Grford. >> Yes. And that passes 40. Thank you. 8 resolved that the Transport City School District Board approves the proposal for the Mid Ohio asphalt and concrete in the amount of $277,680 for the pavement work at Twinsburg High School George um Dodge and Samuel Bissell as well as the Twinsburg City School District bus plot. Um per the documentation sent to the board under separate cover. This is a permanent improvement expenditure. And then nine, resolved that the Tunesburg Board of School um Board of Education approves the proposal for Perwin, asphalt, and concrete in the amount of $101,000,000. $101,000 for pavement work at RB Chamberlain, Wilcox, and Swinsburg Board of Education Office and Twinsburg Stadium for the documentation sent to the board under several cover. This is a permanent improvement expenditure. Do we have a
067motion? >> So moved by Mrs. Egan. >> Second by Mrs. Hamilton. Any discussion? Any call? >> Mrs. Egan? >> Yes. >> Miss Hamilton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Travis? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Crawford? >> Yes. And that passes 4 zero. Any miscellaneous? >> Go ahead. >> Oh. Um, just wanted to um congratulate everybody again for their retirements and the teacher and and um classifiers of the year. And also to good luck with our softball team tomorrow. That's very exciting. And our track. We started districts tonight. So, good luck to all those athletes that are actually competing as we maybe finished up, but um to those athletes that are competing in the districts for track as well. >> Good evening everyone. I'd like to offer a point of clarification. Last July, I think it's roughly end of
068July, August, the board requested a staff assessment. Uh Superintendent Marlo had that assessment conducted through an OD, Ohio Department of Education coordinator. Upon completion, it was determined that the data had not been consistently applied and this is just for example purposes. Uh the assessment indicated that we had zero intervention specialists which was inaccurate and as a result the board discussed engaging an outside company to conduct a more accurate staff assessment. I want to be clear that conversations around staff assessments began at the start of last year. Superintendent Marlo, did you have any additional comments you'd like to add? >> No, like you said, we did have our area coordinator uh conduct some take some some of our data and put it together compared to others. Unfortunately, um you know, we might code something different. I'm
069not an EMS expert. So, want to clarify that first. I'm not an ei expert, but we it the coding is different for some districts will code uh in, you know, for an example, an instructional assistant in one area and another district might code in another area. As you said, we had we had some zeros in there where we had we had staff. So, there's some coding issues. We might again, we may have categorized that in a different category. So, to compare the two just really wasn't it wasn't a great comparison because there were differences in how things were coded. If I may add something please just so that um everybody is aware um we did that because that is something that is at no cost offered by Ohio Department of Education to school districts. Thank
070you. >> Thank you Julia. >> Um I I would like to make one more comment please. I I think it's it's um a wonderful result of the middle school's music program. I mean, I always talk about the music program and I'm like echoing or something here, but I really want the parents to understand how valuable music is to the growth and development of our children and really really hope that as we're planning our high school schedule and planning our future for our young people, I mean these are these are young 13 14 year old children to continue to to flourish in the music program that they have developed so far in in their lives. It it's it's it's just it's it's it's a wonderful part and being in high school and being involved in those
071music programs in one way or another is absolutely so beneficial to our children. Um so we have a wonderful program. We have a wonderful high school music program of all and all vocal instrumental. Take it. I mean, get advant take advantage of it because it is absolutely one of the most wonderful programs around in our school districts in our area. So, I would hope that you know we acknowledge that and continue to have our kids in those programs. Thank you. >> Yeah, if I could expand on that today. Sure. Dodge with the Magic Hearts. >> I know Mr. Mr. Bander was there. Just the Magic Hearts uh performed behind uh Mr. Resnik and Miss Gosset. uh just a phenomenal, you know, opportunity for our um intermediate school musicians to perform in front of their their
072student body. And it was just uh you know, Mr. Resnik again, Miss Gazet did a great job with our our kids and and the uh adaptive music program that we have, you know, in addition to >> in addition to that, >> it's really phenomenal that our kids have those experiences. If you if you haven't seen it, I encourage you to to to see those programs in the future. But it builds it builds structure for students. It builds responsibility. There's there's more to it than just pounding on a drum or tooting on a horn. They build camaraderie with their colleagues. It's a it's a it is there is just so much to it. Um and again, our programs are so wonderful. It I just, you know, I encourage everyone to continue in that path and continue
073to grow that passion. >> All right. Um there is a need for executive sick. So, the board and um of education will enter into executive session at 7:55 p.m. to discuss employment and compensation of public employees as per the board of education policy number 0167.2A and matters related to R. C1.21.22G8 22G8 consideration of confidential information relate to the marketing plan, specific business strategy, production techniques, choice secrets, or personal financial statements of an applicant for economic development assistance or to negotiations between school district and other political subdivisions respecting requests for economic development assistance and to protect the interests of the applicant or the possible investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connections with the economic development project. Do I have a motion? So moved. >> So moved by Miss Egan. >> Second by
074Miss Travis. Any discussion? >> Miss Egan? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Travis? >> Yes. >> Miss Hamilton? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Crownford? >> Yes. Right. We are now in executive session. Um we do not have the need to um reconvene on the mic. So we will um wish you all a wonderful week, a happy Memorial Day