001I think right now >> there's nobody on there probably. So, all right. We'll go ahead and call the meeting to order. Um, thank you for joining us for the South Range Board of Education meeting for July. Uh, just a reminder, this is a meeting of the board of education in public for the purpose of conducting the school district's business. Is not considered a public community meeting. There's time for public participation uh in the agenda as indicated. So, Mr. Sher, if you call the roll for us, please. >> Tyler Bates >> here. >> Jack Dawson >> here. >> Terry B >> here. >> Brian Bagwell >> here. >> Uh, first we're going to observe a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. >> Would you stand for the pledge, please? >> To the flag
002of the United States of America. and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Uh item number four would be the agenda approval. >> I'll move al [Music] Tyler seconds. All in favor? >> I opposed. The agenda is approved. Uh item number five, public participation for agenda items. Anybody like to speak about any agenda items? Seeing as there's none, we'll move on to number six. Communication. >> Yeah. First, I'd like to welcome and congratulate Gabriella Tessima. I know her and her husband are here in the audience. Um uh she is becoming a raider from East Palestine. She will be teaching 8th grade math and very excited. Uh she met everybody. Terry, you walked in right when we were going to start. So, Gabriella, this
003is our vice president, Terry. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. >> Super excited. And again, welcome and thank you guys for for joining us here. >> Thank you. >> Special thank you to the staff and the building principles who had a very busy hiring season from June. We hired some fabulous individuals who will work to build relationships with students, staff, and the community while holding our values. So, we had a very good hiring season. Um, and we're just excited about our new staff members. Um, with the master facilities plan update, I'd like uh Mr. Pagnatada to share a little bit of information on the geothermal. Oh, thank you. Um, I do have some pictures. I can pass those around. Um, >> thank you. >> The project is like uh 99% complete. Um, we
004did the poly valves and that that was the goal of taking out the corrosion in the vault. Okay. So that's 36 valves, 18 return, 18 supply. Um, it was it was difficult. It was a difficult project. Um, they were able to successfully complete the project. Everything's sealed. They pressure tested at 100 PSI. No leaks. Building has returned to normal. Now, right now, the air's turned off in here, but um, we're able to bleed the lines and bleed out the air. We did we are going to have to put in a wreck for some glycol to replace. Um but um we didn't lose barely any really considering that there's like 30,000 gallons of glycol in the in the loop. Um um all in all it was a good job. It just went a little off schedule
005a little longer than anticipated. I think a little more um difficult conditions than than they even anticipated. But, you know, we stayed on it. Uh, they have to come back and repair uh this there's a they're putting in stainless steel stand so that it will support the weight uh and stainless steel hardware because they just didn't have enough when they were on site. So, that's the update. Thank you. >> You want to budgetwise everything goes >> uh I I emailed and Jared could attest to this. I said, "Hey, we're we're now we need to come in on time and on budget." Well, the ontime thing didn't happen, but you know, the on budget thing, I'm I'm just They did not reach out yet. They didn't tell us. I mean, we're going to fight for that
006to stay on budget because the the delays that they they had were on them, not on us. And mean and and I think it's important that we know that we have everything documented. So, I don't think it's going to be an issue. um you know just >> and and you'll you'll be able to purchase uh the glycol and have them add it to the system. >> That's us. That's on us. We could do that. That's not a problem. We know how to do it. We have a feeder tank in the back. Um we we deal with Viking Water Technology. He's local. Matt Brooks local here in the community and um we'll take care of that. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Yeah. just as you can see Gainesville, you know, it's one of those one of
007those projects where you sign up, people come in, and then you're like, I'm going to check out. Not that they're the project manager, but you become the project manager. And shout out to Dean. Long hours, 9:00 at night, 8:00 at night, he's over here in the pit in the vault. Um, giving them tools and they didn't even come prepared. So Dean, seriously, shout out to you and your team, John and Kai, and you guys. You just did a lot for this district that people will never know. and I just from the bottom of my heart thank you for all that you did. >> Um, additionally pertaining to the newspaper that we talked about, I have some information to report to the board. So, company A was going to charge us $7,669 for one newspaper. Um,
008taking our May newsletter and making it in an in addition for 4,000 residents. Um, company B, it's $2,600. So, we are researching one last company to see if we can get under that 2,000 mark. Um, so in the meantime, this uh August, we are not going to mail out a newspaper. Instead, we're going to um contact company B and see if we can do a hard copy and pick up 100 copies and we're just going to drop them off. We're going to drop them off at the church at C's Waffle so that the constituents can see some of the work going on. moving forward next year, we're getting that quote with the plan of um hey in June we want to put out that newsletter that we just did. We didn't anticipate the nuances in
009communication simply because we do not have communication specialists on staff, you know, and from researching the quality of I know more about paper than I ever want to anticipate. Um to the size of the font needed to be on the paper to the newspaper. Um, and shout out to Carrie and Paula for all their hard work in researching in that. So, with that being said, this year, this August, hard copies, we're going to drive around drop off. Next year, we'll have way in advance communication of, hey, the expectation is an actual newspaper um, and working with a company um, here pretty locally that I think can get us at that cheaper rate. So, with that being said, a lot of communication for fiscal year 26. And with that being said, from social media to crisis
010management to uh uh newspapers to to press releases to our news staff, I am in August going to recommend to the board that we hire K squared marketing consulting. They're here a local company and they provide communication for eight other local districts and any more other school districts with a multi-million dollar budget like us, they have a curriculum specialist on staff. Well, we're not going to do that. In working with this firm, we will have significant savings as compared to hiring a full-time perh purchase. So, a flat rate which is very competitive to like Poland who have their own specialists and boardman have their own specialists. Um, we will be much more efficient and time management for de deliverables and various communications. So we talked about with this company social media marketing, public relations, internal
011messaging and especially crisis management 4 a.m. you know what message what all call and so forth and these are the experts in that um two-way communication. Specifically, I also asked this company to um really take over the newspaper, the newsletter video series with staff um featuring our CTE pathways that we're going to create and having stories where we're interviewing kids throughout the year as well as um anything that the board with board policy. So, for example, open enrollment. Do we have a meeting in the fall where I go over the guidelines and we have a communication expert that can really curtail and align that message to what we you know what what the our board policy is and they do all of that. So, I wanted to share now out, you know, in in a
012public setting that in August, I'm going to put that on the board. I want you guys to consider for the a August board of education meeting, us working with this um with this company. And in the drive, I put the contract and what the cost is and so forth and everything that they can do. Um so, I wanted to update that. And I have two more updates, um if I may, related to grants and funding. So, in June, Mario, myself, and Mr. ASI applied for two safety grants. We're going to wait to hear more about those safety grants. Um and in funding news last week, the Ohio government let us know that the federal government froze numerous funds. Um we received thousands of dollars in in all of these different funds. Um Title One was
013not froze. So we do receive Title One money. We have um a lot of money for Title One K8. So tomorrow I'm going to post tutor jobs and we will rest assure our plan which we created last year anyways. We're going to implement that now with title funding. Um some of the other aspects we're waiting to see what the federal government does with these other other grants and we found that out today about title one. So very excited to share that. And those are my updates if there's any questions. [Applause] >> Any questions? Uh that will take us to item number seven, the consent agenda between treasur and superintendent. So the first item uh for consideration is the the board meeting minutes. We had a special meeting on June 18th, a special meeting on June
01430th and a special meeting on July 3rd. Uh hiring season and fiscal year end season. So got a bunch knocked out there. Um, and then B, we have the financial reports for the June. Uh, you want to go over anything from that or you want to save that for your Well, before you do, let me go back. Thank you guys for meeting multiple times. Many boards do that, but by us meeting, we were able to give East Palestine and some of these other schools an opportunity to hire people before. There's a date in Ohio law that basically says if you hire people after this date, the school district could not let this person out of their contract. So, you guys met early enough to give the other school district time. And when I called the
015East Palestine superintendent, I said, "Our board," he was like, "Thank you so much. I don't know what we're going to do to find a teacher and so forth." So, before we move on, I just want to thank you guys for doing that. I know it's a lot to organize that many meetings. Um, but us being in that situation before, it's the right thing to do. So, thank you guys. >> And we've been there. We've been there where the schools haven't had that meeting and then we're stuck waiting and I I think it's just super disrespectful from one board to another not to do it. So, definitely the right thing to do >> on the financial side. Yeah. So, we uh June financial reports closed out. We had a smooth closing process. Thanks for Carrie and
016Amy for helping through that process for budgetarian payroll. um starting with February 26th, the orders are getting placed or have been placed or everything starting that process uh going through that process. Just wanted to highlight some things. On June 17th, we received our catastrophic threshold costs. So these are real high need students. Um you can submit it to the state for additional funding. Now what we get reimbured is all dependent on what everybody else in the state submits. also a part of the state budget. What they do is they withhold I think it's roughly 1% of your funding as a set aside. So we had roughly 35,000 withheld from our state funding. So if we didn't submit it, we would have lost $35,000 right off the bat. So we did get reimbured 60,000. So the
017net impact was roughly $25,000 increase. So it is worth I mean going through the process and get especially now that they set aside a certain percentage of your funding. Um the state budget was passed June 30th. Um the governor did veto a lot of different line items, but the Ohio House is meeting on July 21st to override at least three of the veto items to vote on it. Don't know if they want doing it. Um three of the items is they veto the budget commission's authority. So it gave them the authority to reduce any entities property tax or tax levies or tax rates, sorry, excuse me, if they feel like they don't need the money. So it gave them the authority to really do whatever they wanted to do that. So something to keep an
018eye on. Another one was the 20 mil for calculation. So in the budget they add an emergencies levies which is a fixed sum dollar amount so you don't get growth on property valuation or um if a new construction it's fixed dollar amount. They included those in the 204 calculation. So that was another line to remove that in that calculation. So something to keep an eye on. But then there's also the restricted certain types of levies you can go out for depending on what other other levies you have already voted. So they're looking to override that as well to limit what levies the school district can go for. So those are three items to keep an eye on. I know Dr. Fnick reached out to our state rep and state leg senator to not veto those
019for the flexibility. So I'll keep you guys posted as those go. Uh, one other item he did veto, which I don't think it's on this vote, was that cash balance. So, the part of this final version before the governor signed it was a 40% cash balance um limit. The governor vetoed that. Um, so just for reference for us, we ended Fisker 25. Our cash reserve is roughly 33%. So, just something to keep in mind, that's roughly a third of your year's expenses in reserve, which is four months. So, we're not, you know, we're not holding a lot of cash compared to our yearly expenses. Um, with that in mind, I know, um, I think it's going to be topic going forward. I don't think it's going to go away. I think future bills and stuff
020will probably try to limit that cash reserve. Um, so one thing I know we're Dr. Paul and I are going to look into is developing a maintenance plan for our school buses. We met with Brenda Hannah today and just age of our fleet. So, we have to look into either learn figure out how to get our buses ready for inspection of the years to come or look to buy new and all that. So, we're going to develop a plan and then next meeting I'll probably recommend to set up a you know capital projects funds like we did for the roof and paving to start planning for that as well. So, we it will also help our cash reserve as well because it's actually earmarked for something. So, I mean if you guys have any questions
021about that or reservations just let me know about that. And then the last item was the five uh forecast. It's now a four-year forecast. You have three current year and three future years, but they moved up the timelines. Now they used to be November, May, it's now August and February. And so really has us forecasting less data to uh forecast on because they're so early in the year. Um I know the treasur legisl u organizations asking the state to reconsider that because it just gives more time to prepare but at least for the first year it's due like October 15th but then future years it's August and February like the deadlines. So they'll be moving those those deadlines up. So just change when we approve that stuff. So will they move because I think the
022county treasurers provide you information sometimes correct and sometimes not. So you can make your budget assumptions. Do they move that all up too? >> No. So like those not that I'm aware of. So like those So one thing about moving up is we're even got our tax against like our fall settlement by November we had Yeah. So we're still >> we're Yeah. We're trying to figure out all the rate resolutions which they they miscalculated for this calendar year. So you're relying on information where you don't so forecast just be a lot more var variables in it because you're relying on data you don't have until that's why a lot of us like those later dates because you at least have more data available to make hopefully more closer accurate assumptions. So, >> no. I had
023a question regarding the '07 account you're looking to possibly do. Would that fall under the facilities maintenance plan we currently have or would that be a separate like because it's a capital improvements, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a capital improvements fund. Do buses and maintenance and fall under capital improvements since they're >> It can't. Yeah, it can. And it's just been like we just when we did originally did the other one we didn't factor it in. So we'll probably just make it separate. I mean it's all encompassing but we'll probably get you know for your guys approval like kind of put a plan together and see what you guys think. >> So three then we have the parking lot, we have the roof and then bosses and then that could help earmark those
024dollars to keep up with our fleet's like 18 years old. >> Yeah. Another rotation. I just didn't know. I just want to make sure like cooking that's Yeah. That's buses are kind of a separate this is property. I I know that's property but it's like a >> Yeah, I did check with our attorney to help with the >> and he did say that that is part of there's language that >> but allows for that. >> It would be like a subsection of the >> maintenance plan we have going on now that >> it' be separate. We do a whole separate plan. >> Okay. So there there'd be cuz the roof and the is under the >> one. Yeah. One. Yeah. >> Okay. Got it. >> Yeah. other schools I'm soup they do. So we saw
025the success of the the plan we created >> and then we were talking well let's just that worked so let's create a whole plan so we have a structured thing to follow especially with the 5year forecast going really 3 years with limited data and with the tariffs and steel we don't know what this is going to do for the price of buses um so yeah I think it's a really good idea to have that planned and then you could >> I mean obviously buses are critical then that's a major part of what we do here. But I just I wanted to make sure that I was on the same page. So I I guess uh no >> yeah I think other schools include all under one plan. We just at that time didn't >> and
026especially if we're looking at maybe future constraints to how much uh carryover you're going to be allowed to carry. I mean >> we have the justification. I've seen the buses. I know what Brenda goes through. Um we have multiple >> so in in the forecast now I factor in a bus a replacement bus once a year. Um but because of the turnaround when you go out for a brand like for specific specs it's like an 18month turnaround. I know when we met Bren today she's looking at more stock buses which is they're already built. They're on the lot. So like different bidding rules that we have to look into but essentially there's not that. So if there's one that she likes and we can go and do the bid process we can get it right
027away. Well that changes the timing. That's why I always tell Jared the forecast is a lot of is timing of invoices. You're planning for this but I'm showing the expense in this year because of the turnaround. We're not going to pay for it to that year. So it's all about you know so the anticipations are get one once every year is what was built in forecast but that doesn't mean >> um so yeah so we already plan about it planned for it. So it's more especially with the cash reserve have those funds and set aside it might just help with what the state wants to see school districts do is that earmarked >> not cash for certain things >> especially for I mean obviously those we've talked about it before those budget buses are like
028$125,000 I mean that's a major expense so we need to we need >> yeah it's not >> it's not petty cash it's it's significant so I think you're on the right track I >> like that because other than the roof in the parking lot that's like the next thing we have to explain, well, we have this money in the account, but we have to buy a bus. So, if we just separate that, it makes it that much more visual for people to see like >> it's not just we're not hoarding money. We're trying to plan and, you know, put it where it needs to go. >> That's all I had. Any other questions? Um if there's none, we'll just move to C the then and now purchase order for the uh Mahoney Valley COG. >>
029Yeah, we carried over amount. We those anticipations just more than nothing that I could approve without authority the dollar amount. >> Item D, personnel. Um Dr. Pledo, he's for a lot of years volunteered to be the team doctor. Um we just have to water approve him. So he's allowed to be down there on the field with the kids. And as always, that's greatly appreciated. He's volunteering his time and his expertise. Um item E, the resignations, retirements. Um we have the two listed there, Elizabeth Rashack and Jack Nget retirements. [Applause] Item F, personnel, the supplemental contracts listed. Um, these are just picking up where the football team was trying to divide stuff up and figure out how they were going to split the the supplemental item G supplemental contracts um for the assistant boys soccer. So
030Joe originally had a a percent and then with they were able to get a different coach. So they took that percent and they divided it so that they can get another coach. Um, so that's why u that revision occurred. He was originally approved for 8% but they're bringing in Kaden Shehan. So Kaden's going to get 6%, Joe's going to get 2% to make up the 8%. Um, so that's all that revision is cuz he was previously approved in June. Item H, uh, the list of event workers for 2526 school year. The duties rate is $30 per hour or I'm sorry, $30 per event. We have that list provided there. Item I, uh, motion to approve the following classified personnel for the 2526 school year. Anything you want to touch on on that list? >> No,
031they're working, um, currently they're going through getting ready for inspection. Um, they're working they're working hard over there and touching base. Shout out to those. You know, Danielle's over there, Brenda's over there. They're they're just getting after it. Um, you know, Eric, I've seen a a lot of Eric and this is just to continue that maintenance effort instead of having that position that we had. Everyone's kind of dividing up and using their specialty and that's really worked out um this year. So, excited to continue that moving forward. Um item J, the following personnel for their hourly rates just substitutes as needed. And then that takes us to K the complimentary passes. Um every year we in the past have approved this for senior citizens in district to enter the uh athletic and academic events free
032of charge. And that is the end of the consent agenda. Are there any questions on any of that stuff? Move. Uh Jack moves. >> Second. >> Okay. Terry seconds. All in favor? >> Opposed? >> That carries. Uh item number eight for the treasur proper public purpose for South Range Local Schools. Anything you want to go over this with us? >> Uh it's just yeah a motion for meetings held throughout the year and purchase food. Um it's just allowing the proper purpose of purpose for those meetings. So there's like a list of meetings that they you would uh look to get under section three. Jack moves. >> Second. Oops. Tyler seconds. All in favor? >> I opposed. That motion carries. Item B, inventory removal. Um removing some obsolete cafeteria items listed below. I'll move Tyler moves
033second. Jack seconds. All in favor? >> Opposed. Motion carries. Item C, uh, generous donations. First one to the athletics. Second one, United Way, um, covering the cafeteria delinquent balances as always. Greatly appreciated. >> We'll move. >> Tyler moves. >> I'll second. >> Terry seconds. >> All in favor? Opposed? >> That carries. Thank you for this. >> Yeah. >> Um item nine, I'll say I know like we've seen it a few times over the year. There's a lot of different community community groups that are very generous trying to take care of the link balances. I know there's a couple churches that did that last time. >> Um item nine, there is a student out of state trip planned for the marching band. They're going to Disney in Florida. So this is just a motion to approve
034that they start planning money source student fundraising. >> I'll move. >> Tyler seconds. >> All in favor? >> Opposed. Motion carries. Uh the board policy consideration for 2025. Do you want to uh >> Yes. So this is policy 4120 with classified aids, instructional and or classified aids. So we had to revise it for a couple different reasons. The first on the first policy we had it as instructional. Well, we do have some aids that are in the cafeteria still. Um they haven't fully gone over to the nutrition group yet. So that was the one change that we had to make in the policy. And the second one was they are part-time employees and all full-time employees have four personal days. So with this revised policy in giving you a history lesson, we the first time
035we gave them a raise and then we increeded uh increased longevity pay at certain times of the years with successful evaluation. This third one then gives them personal raise. So it's everything that we talked about a few years ago or when we started that process. Um so this one would be the 4120 individuals of age would get two personal days. Um, so if they want to visit, you know, they want to see their kindergarten, they have plays during the day and the kindergarten performance, they can take a part of personal day instead of a sick day because they're not sick. Um, to go attend that event. So this by uh first getting the read, it's in the drive. So we read it now and then you have a month to look it over for August
036for then board approval and then that would kick off next year. So all these A's will then get two minutes for next year for this current coming out school year. 25 >> 256. I'll move. >> Tyler moves. >> I'll second. >> Jack seconds. All in favor? >> I opposed. >> That motion carries. Um item 10, public participation for non-aggenda items. Again, if there's nothing, we'll go to item 11. Um, I think the only thing on there is the next board meeting scheduled for August 20th, 6 PM. Does that date look okay for everybody? >> So far so good. We'll keep it there. With that, uh, I just need a motion for adjournment unless anybody had anything else. >> I'll move. >> Second. >> Terry moves. Jack seconds. All in favor? >> I posted. that carries
037and will punch out at 6:30.