001Meeting of the Aurora Board of Education is called to order. Please rise for the pledge. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Mr. [snorts] Sheraldi, please call the role. >> Mr. Achim, >> here. >> Mrs. Schneider >> here. >> Mrs. Click >> here. >> Mrs. Mahalis >> here. >> Mr. Sabolski >> here. >> All right. We begin tonight's meeting with special reports and recognitions. I invite Mr. Tom Marshall and Mr. Jared Hot Stler to go up to the podium. Oh, you're already there. Um, and welcome you to recognize our American Legion contest winners. Oh yeah, let's make sure we get that on so everybody >> and I'll talk about
002[laughter] Thank you. >> I'm Tom Marshall, Jared Hosteller, American Legion. We're here to present the winners of the AMG test and the fourth grade flag test that was taken this year by students. And Jared's going to do the AMG test. I'm going to present the fourth grade flag test. So, this is going to be quick. So Jared, good evening. The Americanism and government program tests students knowledge of the US Constitution and the government at the federal, state, county, and city level. Dr. Ashley Patch and social studies teacher Mr. Chris Ratkkey assisted us in generating interest in the test and enable us to give the test to 50 students. The test consists of 50 questions plus one essay question. The test is offered to students in grades 10 through 12 with a boy and girl winner
003from each grade. Each winner will tonight receive a certificate noting their achievements and a gift card for $50. The winner's information will then be forwarded to district which represents all 14 American Legion posts in Portage County for the next level of judging. The students with the highest scores in the district are then judged at at the state level and then at the national level. um presentation. First, our sophomore winners, Xander Connell and Tula Mackey. [applause] Come on up, please. Is anyone taking pictures? Okay. Absolutely. Our [applause] junior winners, um, Benjamin Keken and Morgan Grace, uh, Savage. [applause] >> [applause] >> And finally, our senior winners, Chris Svakus and Cameron Taylor. [applause] Looks like we had some conflicts for the seniors, so they're not here this evening. >> Okay. The fourth grade flag education programs new
004this year. The American Legions had it for a while, but we were short men, so we we finally got it in a in a program this year. but it tests a student's knowledge of US flags history, its proper care, display etiquette, and proper retirement of Warren flags. The test consists of 20 multiple choice questions and an essay question. Lighten Elementary School principal Spencer Warders and assistant principal Jeff Morris enabled us to get have the test taken by 175 Aurora fourth graders. boy and girls winners from each of the 10 classes were identified and the winners were given um individual [clears throat] certificates of achievement and $10 gift cards last Tuesday. Tonight, the overall top boy and girl winner will receive an additional certificate of achievement for $25. The winner's information will be forwarded to district
005for the next level of judging. Student with the highest scores will then be judged at the state level. So, this year's winners were Malcolm Lewis and Gracie Jones. Would you PLEASE [applause] [applause] make sure >> [applause] >> I don't know who was excited, the fourth graders or me, but when all 20 of them got their certificates and certs last Tuesday, you should have seen the grins on their faces. It was just great. We also have uh certificates of part participation for Lightning Elementary School and uh Aurora High School. So Ashley, you can have this one and we'll get uh learn the other one. Okay, it's a one group picture and then you done [snorts] >> [applause] >> All right. Now, I invite uh Mr. Jim Montquilla to the podium as he recognizes Dr. Gretchen Jessel
006for a successful grant application. I'm Jim Monquilla and I'm here tonight representing the Portage County Retired Teachers Association. We're a group of over 300 retired educators from throughout Portage County that are still giving back to the students and the teachers of the county. In 1992, we began a program giving out scholarships to young people from Portage County who are going to be going into education to become teachers. And we've continue that program up through to today. And in fact, in a couple weeks, I'll be out to all the schools promoting our scholarships. We give out $2,500 scholarships to young kids going into education. But seven years ago, our members said,"Wh aren't we doing more for the teachers?" And so, we began a teacher grant program. And our teacher grants are $500 and therefore money for
007uh programs that teachers just don't have the funds to make happen. Well, tonight I'm here to present one of our $500 teacher grants to one of your teachers who is doing this in repeat fashion. We gave her one last year also. So, this uh grant this year is to Gretchen Jazelle and hers uh grant is for all abilities, all play, strength and motion, adaptive PE for Aurora schools. She provides innovative equipment that transforms traditional PE into inclusive, engaging, and imaginative experiences for all learners. So, tonight I'd like to present uh a a certificate to her for getting this grant. And then after I do that, I'm giving the money to the treasurer, not to her tonight, to be spent on all this equipment to aid the students of Portage County and Aurora schools here. So
008Gretchen, if you'd come forward. [applause] >> Oh, okay. Did you get my bald head? >> [laughter] >> And I'd like to give the check to the treasurer. >> Thank you very much. And yes, if anybody would like to leave, now would be a good >> Now, now's your chance. [applause] >> In a second. >> Thank you. Congratulations. [snorts] Okay, we'll move on to the approval of Oh, yeah. We don't have anybody, no speaker. So, approval of minutes for the regular meeting of November 24th. May I have a motion, please? >> Second. >> Are there any comments or edits to those minutes? >> Mr. Sheldy, please call the role. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Click. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Schneider. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mahalus. >> Yes. >> Mr. Aken. >> Yes. >> Minutes
009are approved as written. And now we will move on to the assistant superintendent report. Is that the order? >> No. We're going to uh actually go to the superintendent's report, which I'm going to seed my time uh to our director of pupil services, Mike Maganico, and uh AHSAP and 6 through12 special services coordinator, Victor Torres, and then we'll go on to uh Mr. A's report and Mr. Shaldi's. So gentlemen, the floor is yours. >> Thank you. Mr. Hayes, can you click on the people services update link, please? >> Awesome. Thank you. Good evening, President Mahalis, members of the board, and Dr. Milstatic. Thank you for the opportunity for us to share tonight's pupil services update, focusing on our district's results from the 2025 Ohio Special Education annual rating. This rating based on our 2023 24
010data is the state's most comprehensive review of special education systems. It reviews everything from compliance to timelines to graduation outcomes, transition plans, and equity indicators. We are proud to share that Aurora earned a meets requirements designation, the highest rating awarded reflecting the expertise and dedication of staff and dedication our staff brings to supporting students with disabilities every day. Why does this matter? This rating affirms something we believe deeply in Aurora that belong that belonging, dignity, access, and opportunity are not just ideals. They are daily commitments that guide how we serve every learner. The state's rating confirms that our systems are not only compliant, they are student centered, process driven, and effective, ensuring our students receive both timely assessments and meaningful outcomes. One of the foundational areas reviewed in the state's annual rating is preschool transitions,
011specifically how effectively districts support children moving from early intervention to preschool services. This year, Aurora demonstrated exceptional performance. We developed 14 IEPs for children transitioning from early intervention and 100% of these transitions were completed on or be or before each child's third birthday. This level of compliance reflects far more than timely paperwork. It represents strong collaboration with early intervention service coordinators, proactive scheduling and communication among pre preschool stakeholders, and comprehensive assessments that ensure children enter preschool with the correct supports and services in place. Ensuring seamless transitions at this early stage lays the groundwork for students long-term success, both academically and developmentally. Another essential component of the state's evaluation system is the timeliness of initial special education evaluations which must be completed within 60 days of parental consent. Aurora achieved 100% completion of all 48 initial
012evaluations within the required timeline. This accomplishment demonstrates a high level of organizational precision and teamwork. Achieving 100% timeliness requires careful tracking and monitoring of each evaluation, consistent communication with families, coordination, coordinated scheduling for assessments across multiple professionals, and a commitment to accuracy and quality. This performance affirms that Aurora is meeting and exceeding the state expectations for both procedural compliance and student centered practices. At this time, I'm going to turn it over to coordinator of special services, Mr. Victor Taus, to talk a little bit about uh transition planning. Thanks, Mike. One of Aurora's long-standing strengths is secondary transition planning. the intentional work of preparing students ages 14 and older for life after high school. The state evaluates transition plans for measurable goals, alignment to student interest, coordination with agencies such as the Portage County Board of
013Developmental Disabilities and Opportunities for Ohioans with dis opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities, and meaningful preparation for post-secary education, employment, and independent living. This year, Aurora achieved 100% compliance on all 81 transition plans reviewed. This outcome reflects a system that is not only compliant, but deeply committed to helping students discover and pursue their future paths. Some of the key key elements that contributed to this success include individualized transition assessments to identify each child's pins. So, when I mentioned pins, that's that's each student's preferences, interests, needs, and strengths. career exploration opportunities including vocational programming, work-based learning, and community partnerships through the Aurora Work Ready program that we have at the high school. Collaboration with outside agencies such as OOD and adult service providers, close teamwork to ensure plans are meaningful and actionable. The premise here is that
014our kids aren't just checking boxes, but we're doing everything that we can in our classrooms to make sure that our kids are future ready by the time that they leave us. This is something we're really proud of. This is our student outcome data for graduation and dropout success. This [clears throat] reflects that we're not just compliance or compliant from a procedural perspective, but the lived experiences and success of our students as well. 91% of our students with disabilities earned a regular diploma. This significantly exceeds the state target of 66%. This accomplishment demonstrates a couple different things. Effective intervention systems that that identify needs early and provides targeted support. Strong instructional practices that ensure access to rigorous curriculum such as UDL. meaningful relationships and with students and families, ensuring that they remain engaged and connected through
015their high school journey. Aurora's dropout rate for students with disabilities was just at 2.9%. Which is far below the state threshold of 18%. So, this speaks to a couple different things. Number one, the robust counseling and mental health supports that respond quickly when students show signs of disengagement. collaborative monitoring among counselors, administrators, psychologists, and teachers. This is done not just from a district perspective, but within each of our buildings as well, and then a district-wide belief that every student can succeed, paired with systems designed to ensure that they do so. These results highlight that our students are just not remaining in school, but they're taking advantage of every opportunity presented to them, and they're thriving. disproportionality and equity. Aurora also received a MET rating for disproportionality representation, an area that evaluates whether certain racial or
016ethnic groups are overidentified for special education services. Our risk ratio is at 2.5, meaning the district is not disproportionality identifying students from any subgroup. This reflects a few things. one thoughtful and data-informed decision-making through the evaluation process which is universal K12 high quality multi-tered systems of support and consistency across buildings and eligibility decision-making this ensures students are identified appropriately and receive the right supports at the right time and this is grounded in our PLC's within our buildings as well as districtwide. I'm going to transfer it back over to Mike for closing comments. So as we reflect on this year's results, it becomes clear that our R meets requirements designation is much more than technical access or technical success. It is a celebration of the people, systems, and values that define the Aurora City School District.
017This achievement reflects excellence across every level of service delivery from early childhood through graduation. A deeply embedded B culture of collaboration, commitment to inclusive excellence, ensuring every student feels a sense of belonging and has access to high quality instruction and strong communication and partnerships with families. This rec recognition is a testament to the collective effort of our educators, our administrators, support staff, families, and most importantly, our students whose resilience and achievements inspire us every day. We'd like to thank thank you, send a thank you to the board, our district leadership team, and our entire Aurora community for your support. We are incredibly proud of this rating and even more proud of the team who has made this possible. Um, so that concludes our our report. If you guys have any questions, we're more than happy
018to answer. >> I don't have a question. Just congratulations on the recognition and I think you're right. It does show that our entire staff is supporting our students with disabilities. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. Any >> questions? All right. Thank you, gentlemen. Can bring that. Yep. To Mr. Hayes. Nice job. Good job. >> Now to M. >> All right. Thank you to Mrs. Mahals, the rest of the board. Um, what we'd like to focus on this month is giving the board of education an update uh regarding one of our district goals that we developed over the course of the past year and presented to the board of education at the outset of the school year. Um, if you guys recall, we had five domains associated with our district goals. And one of
019those focused uh exclusively on our leadership team. And so today, what I want to do is focus on the ongoing commitment to achieving that goal uh of fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within our leadership team. And everything you're going to see today is a me is measurable evidence of our actions and directly aligns with our green standard of continuous growth, improvement, and transparency. Um we're achieving this by a few different uh ways really providing ongoing job job embedded PD for administrators and establishing structured monthly communication and meeting forums uh to drive continuous improvement. So with that I want to kind of jump into it. [clears throat] Uh I provided a more extensive overview in your packets but uh I'm just going to kind of hit a few different uh areas here. So uh
020beginning with the establishment of our um our cabinet and that's under the the leadership of Dr. Milsuch. The cabinet includes uh Dr. Milstitch, myself, Mr. Magnyico, Mr. Shiraldi and Mr. Arquila. And with this cabinet, we've set up structured weekly meetings. And this is foundational uh this is a foundational move to ensure superior executive leadership, immediate collaboration on district goals, and continuous alignment, which is especially critical for several people being new in their positions. Uh and honestly, it's been fantastic to have that forum for collaboration where we've been able to really streamline our operational efficiency. Um speaking of operational efficiency, we've also instituted what we're calling uh Tech Tuesdays. uh and this is the dedicated forum ensuring that our technology planning is fully aligned with our instructional admin and administrative goals proactively enabling responsive action plans
021and this is basically where Dr. Militage and myself meet with our uh members of our technology team uh which is really three people and it's been especially important this past year where our network operations manager who we had for over a decade uh moved to Colorado so we've had somebody new in that position. So again we're having new people in new roles. It's been really important to be uh on the same page with everything. [clears throat] Uh and then the last thing I'll just touch upon briefly in this regard is the superintendent's advisory council which uh Mike Roberto has had over the past several years and Dr. Milstitch has continued that. But what that does is it provides monthly evening sessions for students, staff, and community stakeholders. Uh this drives trust and support while elevating
022transparency regarding our responsible decision-making processes. And particularly the last month we focused uh exclusively on budgetary management. Uh connection to property taxes and how it impacts schools. Do uh Mr. Shaldi gave a really great presentation in tandem with Dr. Milsatic. Uh before that we were able to have stakeholder engagement on things like uh development of the calendar had the uh group look at our building or excuse me our district goals uh to be able to give feedback on those regards and know where the school stands in terms of uh their future focus. [clears throat] So just hearing a couple of those things want to pause if there's any questions about any of those few domains. Okay. So uh want to move into is kind of some of the more individualized aspects. So, we've made a
023strategic investment in our new head principles, Dr. Ashley Patch and Mr. Spencer Warders, uh, through dedicated bi-weekly coaching meetings. This sustained job embedded support is designed to accelerate positive school transformation and fortify the stability of our entire system. We want our principles to be supported day in and day out, both from a leadership perspective, also an operational efficiency perspective. Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, and having a form to connect and reflect is essential to drive uh, positive uh, processes in our buildings. Uh that being said, we're not only investing in our uh head principles. Uh we've we have a six-part uh assistant principal PLC. Again, PLC standing for uh professional learning community. Uh this series is focused on empowering our veteran assistant principles like Mr. Torres, uh like Mr. Baker, uh
024Mr. Morris, Mr. Rothstein who at or Dr. Rostein at the middle school. Um and we want them to have an intentional forum to be thoughtful leaders. Uh it's a key form for connection, reflection, and ensuring they are creating and sustaining proactive and purposeful leadership in their buildings. We just had one of those uh meetings this afternoon. It was really impactful. Uh one other area that we've uh developed this year is having our entire leadership team go uh go through a six-part Clifton Strengths training series uh which the entire administrative team including all principles, assistant principles, and instructional uh coaches were a part of. They engaged in metacognitive and uh reflective act uh activities. Uh they moved from initial self-reflection to actively role-playing and applying their diverse strengths to navigate leadership challenges ensuring they're equipped for
025collective success and enhanced leadership presence. Uh so basically they're getting to understand hey where do our strengths lie? how can I leverage my uh particular strengths in not only a personal aspect but while working with a great deal of teams whether it's uh other leaders in their building, other teachers, other students. Um and so those have been really impactful and ultimately this growth this growth uh process directly feeds into our efforts to unify instruction uh while having um uh people who want to continuously grow and get better. So when we talk about Aurora learners being future ready, that's not just our students, it's our leadership team as well. [snorts] >> So just hearing uh some of those aspects, any any thoughts or questions? >> No, it's great though all these meetings. I don't know how
026you have time for all these. >> It's busy. >> It's good. >> Yeah, it's non-stop. >> It's good. >> Um so uh moving forward a little bit here kind of looking at the idea of instructional cohesion. Uh we've established tri-weekly leadership team meetings that Dr. Dr. Milstitch and I facilitate. Uh this is an intentional forum for all administrators and instructional coaches to connect. Uh creates a powerful unified engine for continuous instructional improvement while also ensuring our building level initiatives align well with overarching district or building goals as well as state mandates. So, you know, when we had to approve a bunch of different board policies, we're able to use some of those meetings to have a forum for uh teams to come together to make sure, hey, are our policies at the building level aligned?
027Are we looking at how we're operating from, you know, this building to this building? Making sure there's consistency in practice while also having a form to, uh, continue to grow as learners as well. [clears throat] Uh, and then this trickles down to sitebased leadership. So, uh, complemented by these meetings, we're we're always trying to empower our principles to lead month, uh, lead in their building, respective buildings through really what we're calling monthly instructional leadership, uh, meetings as well as their staff meetings. Um, and so this is a powerful shift towards dispositional sightbased leadership, maximizing collaboration, accelerating best practices, uh, which directly, uh, impacts our classroom excellence. Uh, and then on a more of a compliance aspect, um, we're proactively reinforcing our commitment to equity with significantly expanded Title 9 training. So, for example, we have
028several people who've been trained uh, in Title N, including Dr. Milstitch, myself, Mr. Magleanico. We just recently had Mr. uh Baker attend. Uh Mr. Warders is title N trained. Um and so what we're doing is our goal is to have all administrators formally trained by the end of 2026, which is substantially reducing our inst institutional liability and ensuring all students are fully protected. Uh and then along those compliance-based lines and from more of a safety and risk mitigation, uh we've also mandated uh reasonable suspicion training for all administrators and head custodians. And this is something that a lot of our uh legal updates have advised uh school districts to have everybody trained in reasonable suspicion. And that's usually been uh really regulated towards more transportation directors in previous years about maybe someone being under the
029influence of drugs or alcohol. Uh but really all legal teams are are advising that hey everybody should have this type of training so that you don't get yourself caught into uh a unique situation where people weren't following a particular protocol. Um, so I know I've attended the uh that so far along with Mr. Baker and every single member of the leader uh leadership team as well as our all of our head custodians are are signed up for training uh through the educational service center um in independence throughout the course of this year. And [clears throat] so this will allow key personnel that'll give them the the legal knowledge needed to document objective criteria effectively while mitigating human resources risk and transforming best practice recommendations into concrete district-wide protocols. So, I'll pause there just hearing any
030of those types of things. Uh any other thoughts or questions or anything like that? Okay. All right. And then, uh the last the last area really focusing on mindsets and in an ongoing commitment to excellence. So, um starting with a few different book studies, our leadership team, instructional coaches, all administrators uh have engaged in two focused book studies this fall. Uh first was the power of moments uh by Chip and Dan Heath which pro uh was provided through a three-part series focusing on elevation, insight and connection uh teaching the team h how to create powerful memorable experiences for our students, our staff and our stakeholders. Um we followed that with another book by uh one of the Heath brothers called Reset. Uh and this was a two-part uh training uh while reading the book that
031gave our building teams a practical framework to address root issues impacting their leadership prowess in their respective buildings. Um they were able to apply the sense, diagnose, decide, act and adapt model to collective issues impacting their departments and leading to concrete practical action plans. We even implemented some of those strategies through our MTSS meetings throughout uh both a PK5 and 612 uh system. Um so in closing uh this report basically underscores our intentional and strategic commitment to optimizing leadership capabilities at every level. Uh we're building cohesion expertise and operating in a clear and transparent fashion that epitomizes the green standard. So, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the entire board, uh, but also to all the administrators, uh, instructional coaches, all of our leadership team who are engaging in all of this work
032because it really shows that our leadership team wants to continue to grow and take intentional efforts to continue to get better to best serve our kids and to best serve our community. So, again, I want to say thank you to all the administrators who've been fully invested the entire way. And it's not something that just stops because we're giving an update. you know, we have a ton of different things going on throughout the rest of the year. And this doesn't even include all the different types of groups that we're part of or conferences that we're attended or things like, you know, OSBA that you guys have, you know, gone to as a board to continue to grow that leadership aspect, but we wanted to give you guys some an update on some of the things
033that happen on the day in and day out that you might not get to see, uh, but to know that it's happening and we're really trying to drive, uh, best practices. So, appreciate it. Um, happy holidays and as always, go greening. [laughter] >> Yeah, thank you. It is good to know all of this. Appreciate it. >> All right, that concludes >> that concludes our reports and then we will turn it over to to Mr. Sheraldi for sort of a abbreviated treasures report since we don't have all the financials this month. >> Right. >> Uh, as Dr. Militic said, I don't have the full financial packet for approval tonight, but I did want to touch on some points that I've been talking out throughout talking about throughout the year. Um just to uh kind of break
034those down a little bit more. Um as I've been saying, overall district salaries are trending slightly higher than originally forecasted, mainly due to those uh heavy amount of severances we had to pay out. Um but breaking it down a little bit more, certified wages are trending approximately 200,000 less than originally forecasted. I know that's a big number, but at the beginning of this year, we had a lot of changes. We had a lot of retirements obviously. Um we there were two positions we didn't end up replacing. So we did anticipate um uh a reduction in those expenditures. Uh the amount we forecasted might have been a little high just based on you know Bill the previous treasur worked on some of it then I worked on some of it. So I didn't touch some of
035the stuff he had. So that number might have been a little inflated just due to timing of us both working on it um and the earlier deadline for the forecast this year. Um, so that trend isn't too surprising based on the adjustments that we did make going into this year. Um, compared to prior year, prior year certified salaries and benefit expenses equaled um 20,829,000 and current year's projected uh is expected to be 20,862 uh,000. So, a slight increase, but again, that's somewhat expected due to increases, step increases and stuff like that. Um, but staying relatively flat compared to, you know, if those same people would have stayed, you know, those increases would have been a lot higher. So, that increase would have been a lot higher. So, the savings is there in our projections. You
036can see where, you know, we didn't have quite as big of an increase as you normally would expect year-over-year. Um classified salaries are trending slightly above forecasted and compared to prior year classified salaries are expected to be 200,000 higher. Now that is also a very high number. Um part part of that is I think uh in my software system the it was taking the October data which was a three pay month and kind of analyzing it for the rest of the year. So that number might be slightly inflated um because through October last year there wasn't a three pay month. So those numbers I expect that to come down a little bit um and kind of normalize out as we go further into the year. Last year the three pay month was in November. So
037I kind of imagine they'll they'll kind of settle down uh and be closer. Um but compared to our forecast they are more more in line with what we were thinking. So we are on track. It's not. So, don't be too scared of that number. It is It's not abnormal from what we're expecting. Um, and the main factors in that are increases in spectral special instruction, support services, instructional staff, and operations and maintenance. And some of that could be as simple as, you know, some additional overtime. Um, things like that. Uh, if if we've needed it. So, um, I know some of our we've increased numbers and what some peras and stuff as well. So there are some some factors that make sense to to a slight to an increase. So on track with what we
038expected. Um admin salaries are trending slightly below our forecasted amount by approximately 60,000. Not a ton in the grand scheme of things. Um as Dr. Milstitch says, we run pretty pretty lean in our our admin staff. Um so we we we've had some change over there as well. Um, so it makes sense that it's close to about the same, but um, a slight difference. Um, nothing too too crazy uh, that jumped out at me that made me question what why it's trending that way. Um, and then again, other salaries is the largest variance due to the big increase in severances, which we paid out like what $400,000 500,000 in severances. Um, which is abnormal for us. we usually don't have that many uh people leaving. Um, and a point I want to make because I've
039talked about when I interviewed with you, I've talked about and something that's an ongoing thing is our personnel costs are a significant portion of our expenditures. Uh, they make up about 87 88% when in a lot of districts you'll see that closer to, you know, between 80, you know, 80 and 85%. So, why are ours so much higher? Well, part of it is because our purchase services are significantly lower than the average school district. In 2025, uh, purchase service as a percentage of operating expenditures, statewide average is about 14.6%. Ours was about 6.39%. So, less than half. So, where a lot of districts will contract out for services, we tend to do a lot of things inhouse with our own people. Um, so we bring in extra, you know, we bring in more people in-house
040to do things that are contracted out. Um, you know, and we've looked at, we do look at contracting out certain things, but we weigh the cost benefit. We were looking at subservices, seeing, but the expenditure for it just didn't make sense for us. So, while we continue to keep a close eye on our personnel costs so they don't run away, um there is a reason why ours are a little higher compared to other districts is because we don't contract out like other other districts do. So, that's something to keep in mind when we're looking at those percentages as well is why is it inflated just because we do things a little bit differently? Our purchase services are much lower than most school districts tend to do. Um, and we do that purposefully because we we
041like to keep a lot of things in house and do stuff with our own people. Um, which I think is a benefit uh for a lot of our community and our students and staff. So, that was just a brief um brief overview and breakdown of some of those expenditures that I go on and on about. uh but broken down a little bit more by you know certified classified um and that kind of big that significant difference between purchase service and our personnel costs. >> Okay. Are there any questions? >> Um that we do >> one of the I mean one of the uh most uh I guess significant ones that we just like looked at recently was our subservice. So we hire, on board, train, deploy all of our own subs internally. Uh we did
042look at outsourcing that uh through the Northeast Ohio ESC uh weighed the you know the pros and cons of that, but ultimately um maybe it would have uh helped us have a larger pool of subs, but it also would have probably cost us about $120,000 annually. We decided to keep that inhouse. So I think that's probably a prime example and something I've took to the board about in my updates. Um, >> you could also look at like uh mental health counselors for example. We uh put Colleen Dwire's position in several years ago to working at both Harmon and the high school and uh that's something that a lot of districts will outsource to another agency. Uh whereas you know when we think about being relationship driven uh we felt like it's best to have that
043person inhouse, part of our staff connected with our kids. Uh but that's a fact that's going to drive our personnel costs up and that's going to uh lead into that 80, you know, 7% or so as opposed to another uh district who would outsource that and that's leading to uh that being contributed to what the state has close to 14% in those those types of services. >> And that is you know just one more example and then I have a question for Brian. Um you know I heard Mark mouthing it back there. We do have some internal expertise. Uh Jim Miller does our HVAC. We could outsource HBA services. Uh Mike Mclofflin, our maintenance Mike as we call him, uh is our expert maintenance guy. We that would if we didn't have him on staff,
044we would spend a lot more money. So we have a lot of examples of where we hire somebody. We have that internal expertise. Um Mr. Schroy, just you know, I know you and I have talked about this. So when you get to the next forecast, which is not called a five-year forecast, is on a different timeline these days. Yeah. Um will we start to see some more accurate information in terms of two pays versus three pays and like that severance? pull the board and be able to see some of those pots and things that we've talked about. And >> yeah, yeah, you'll see it start to as the year goes on, you kind of see it. Um, the way the forecast system looks is it compares how we're currently performing and our the rest of
045our projections compared to the forecast. So, you know, some of the numbers can look a little funky sometimes, but a lot of times it's just timing. Um, so as we go on through the year, it'll clear up. And February is the next due date for the next forecast. So, the forecast is going to be updated with what we're currently doing, what we're currently seeing. So, those trends are going to be built into that new forecast. Um, and it'll align with what's actually happening a lot more. Um, and I anticipate those trends to continue. But yeah, so it'll it'll start to clear up and we'll we'll see a better picture. Um, I've >> So, yeah, it a lot of those variances are Yeah. >> Okay. Anything else? All right. Well, thank you for that. We approve
046the December numbers in January. >> Yes, I will have the December and January report at the regular January meeting. >> Um, I apologize I didn't have it tonight. Some of the statements just >> don't come in for a while. So, by the time we got the packet to you, I I didn't want to >> give you something half half baked. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. Moving on to new business. We have exhibit E1A, which is a resolution to accept gifts and contributions. May I have a motion, please? >> Second. >> Any comments or questions? Uh, Mr. Shaldy, please call the role. >> Mrs. Click, >> yes. >> Mr. Achim, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahales, >> yes. >> Mrs. Schneider, >> yes. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Okay. Without objection, I'll take the nine
047personnel resolutions together. Um, I'll read through them first. Exhibit E1 B1 is a resolution to accept resignations and retirements. Exhibit E1B2 is a resolution to approve the introductory appointment of support staff. Exhibit E1B3 is a resolution to employ license substitute teachers for this school year. Exhibit E1B4 is a resolution to award a supplemental activity contract to district non-district personnel. Sorry, non-district. Exhibit E1B5 is a resolution to employ long-term to employ a long-term substitute teacher for this school year. Exhibit E1B6 is a resolution to employ support staff substitutes for this school year. Uh, exhibit E1B7 is a resolution to ratify the agreement between the Aurora Board of Education and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees. Exhibit E1B8 is a resolution to employ a building substitute teacher for this school year. And exhibit E1B9 is a
048resolution to correct uh an employee specialist start date. May I have a motion for approval? >> Second. >> Are there any comments or questions about any of those resolutions? All right, Mr. Mr. Shy, please call the role. >> Mrs. Schneder, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahales, >> yes. >> Mr. Achim, >> yes. >> Mrs. Click, >> yes. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> All right. All those resolutions are approved. Exhibit E1C is a resolution to approve the 2026 27 program of studies as presented to us last month. May I have a motion, please, for approval? So >> moved. >> Are there any comments or questions? All right, Mr. Shaldy, please call the role. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Um, Mrs. Schneider, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahales, >> yes. >> Mr. Achim, >> yes. >> Mrs.
049Click, >> yes. >> All right. The program of studies is approved. Res exhibit E1D is a resolution to approve emergency school closing on December 2nd. May I have a motion, please? Chair sec or yeah chair seconds. Any comments or questions? >> Mr. Shaldy, please call the role. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Mrs. Schneder, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahalis, >> yes. >> Mr. Aim, >> yes. >> Mrs. Click, >> yes. >> All right. And then on to board items, we have exhibit F1, [clears throat] which is a resolution to set the date for our organizational meeting. May I have a motion, please? Second. >> Uh, Mr. Shy, please call the RO. >> Mrs. Schneider, >> yes. >> Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Mr. Achim, >> yes. >> Mrs. Click, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahales, >>
050yes. >> In exhibit F2 is to nominate pro president prom. Mr. Schroy. >> Yes. I, Brian Schroy, treasurer, call for nominations for president prom. >> All right. I nominate Jennifer Click. Second. >> Uh, there being no further nominations, uh, do I have a motion? >> Sorry, I'm just reading this as is. >> Yeah, I know. >> So, you >> do we need a motion? >> Yes. >> Okay. Can I have a motion? >> Second. >> Okay. So, now call the RO. I thought we did that when Mr. Achim seconded it, but [snorts] >> now we're covered. So, go ahead and call the RO. >> Okay. >> Uh, Mr. Sabolski, >> yes. >> Mr. Achim, >> yes. >> Mrs. Click, >> Mrs. Snder, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mahales, >> yes. All right. So, we have someone
051in place. Thank you. Um, and now it's time to bid Mr. Spolski farewell. We thank you for your was it eight years of leadership and commitment to our district and um you'll be missed and we we thank you. >> Yeah, I would uh just echo that and thank you Steve uh for your service the last eight years to the district uh to the students staff our administrative team uh we appreciate that uh and all the work and time and energy you put in. uh being a board member is not always full of uh glory uh and there's a lot of uh time that's committed uh behind the scenes. So obviously we appreciate the entire board, but appreciate your eight years of service and uh wish you the best of luck uh with whatever you decide
052to do next with that extra time. >> Yes. Wish you all the best. >> Eight years, correct? >> Yeah, that's all. [laughter] I think eight years is a pretty good amount of time. Are [snorts] there any other board items? All right, then. Um, could I please have a motion to adjurnn? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. Meeting is adjourned.