001Dude, It is Thursday, January 15th at 6 o'clock. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Can I get a roll call? >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. Please stand and join me saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Now I need a motion to approve the agenda. So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Wilson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mason, >> yes. >> Now, I need an approval
002of the minutes for the regular meeting on December 18th, 2025 and the board organizational meeting on January 5th by consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion? Please call the RO. >> Mrs. Will, >> yes. >> Mrs. Powers, >> yes. >> Mr. Wilson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mason, >> yes. Now, I'd like to open the meeting by handing the mic over to Josh Kaufman. >> Well, thank you, President Mason, Board of Education. Um, I would love to invite our featured artist from Malberry Elementary to come on up. [applause] We have some wonderful artwork kind of displayed on the board here uh from Malberry Elementary. I'd love to thank uh Mrs. is Cat Winslow, M Principal Sarah Greb for just the incredible art in their building. If you ever go
003through Malberry Bear, if you have the chance, there's some beautiful kind of public displays of art in the building. There's an incredible Chahulie sculpture hanging in the the really cool things uh happening at in art at Malbury. So, we want to recognize these six young student artists tonight. So, uh first I'm going to recogi recognize N I need to slow down. Nolan Sailor. Nolan, there you go. Nolan is a fifth grader and he has the African tribal pattern right here behind me. Congratulations. [applause] Then I have fourth grader Courtney Powers who has this African tribal abstract pattern. Congratulations. [applause] We have third grader Joshua Burke who has the African mud cloth watercolor resist. Congratulations. [applause] We have second grader Hadley Miller who has the Mexican Day of the Dead skull in mixed media. Hadley. [applause]
004First grader Miss Vivian Fron who has the African tribal necklace. second from the right there. Congratulations, young lady. Keep making beautiful things. [applause] And then we have kindergarter Miss Corrian May who did the United States Jim Dine heart watercolor on the end. Congratulations. Well done. [applause] And you may have picked up on a theme of the artwork this evening. Uh Malberry is celebrating trails around the world. So all of the artwork tonight represents different uh countries and cultures throughout the world. So, really great job, Cat. Sarah, thank you for cultivating a great culture of art in your building. Um, and I don't want to miss an opportunity to celebrate the arts. We've got a couple exciting things on the horizon and currently happening. Uh, our drama program tickets went for sale went on sale for
005Water for Elephants earlier about 48 hours ago. We're nearly nearing 200 tickets sold. So, this show will sell out. Um, it's one of the most ambitious projects and and productions we've ever done. I feel like I say that every time. We always raise the bar. Um, it's really incredible. If you want your tickets for Water for Elephants, you really need to get those in advance sooner than later. Uh March 8th, we're celebrating 100 years of Milford Band with a incredible performance at Cincinnati Music Hall. Our our children uh getting a chance to perform on a world-class stage thanks to the generosity of the Milford Schools Foundation and Milford Band Boosters. Uh we are rolling in some incredible senior signings and uh I just want to highlight two uh on the technical theater side that we
006received last week. Two of our students uh were accepted into uh CCM, the College Conservatory of Music's uh two of the most uh selective programs uh uh media production on the audio side and lighting design. So all of the things you see in our theater program are studentrun and student designed uh and two of those uh seniors are going to be uh have the opportunity to study here locally at one of the greatest institutions to do those things in our country. Uh and then also really really excited, this has been um about a year and a half, two years in the making and kind of a heavy lift, but uh earlier this week, uh the Milford Drama Boosters voted in their first board and we will have our first support group for our drama program.
007So really, really grateful to those parents and program and participants in that program. Um that program is doing some really incredible things and now with a booster group, they're just going to take off. So really excited for that. Um thank you for your support of the arts. Yes. I would add that the band concert at Music Hall is all Milford bands. Yes. It's nothing but Milford band concert there. So, it's pretty exciting. >> We're very excited. Very exciting. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Josh. >> Thank you. >> Now, we're moving on to Principal Sarah Greb. She's going to give us an update on some Malberry happenings. >> Good evening. Uh thank you for inviting us here to share some of the exciting things happening at Malberry. Okay, hopefully this works.
008We'll try. Um we're excited to share just a snapshot of what's happening at Malberry this year. As Mr. Kaufman had shared, our theme is passport to the stars. Uh which reflects our belief that every student is on a journey and our job is to make sure that every student feels connected, supported, and successful. It's not working. >> Oh, it went. Okay. >> Um, everything we do at Malberry is grounded in our four principles. Focused, deliberate, intentional, and engaging. Uh, we are intentionally applying these words not only to our instruction, but to how we strengthen and deepen our relationships with families and build a community as a whole. So, um, one exciting highlight this year has been welcoming our Milford preschool into our building. Uh, bringing the preschool into our elementary school has strengthened early learning
009um, as and allowed our youngest learners to feel part of a Milford school community from their very beginning of their school journey. Okay. Our Malberry PTO is a major force behind the culture at Malbury. They fund inschool experiences, support our PBIS systems, and organize meaningful family events that strengthen SCU uh schooltoome connections. They also provide daily volunteer support, including staffing our morning crosswalk on Buckwe. You may see a chicken every once in a while, um which directly impacts our students safety in the start of each school day. This year, a key focus of their fundraising is improving our playground accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to play, uh, belong, and thrive. We are truly grateful for, uh, their continued support in their partnership in all aspects of our community. Great. I'm
010going to let Jesse share some more. >> Hello, I'm Jessica Early. I'm the teacher on assignment at Malberry Elementary. Um, family engagement is a huge part of Malberry. We intentionally design events that are accessible, welcoming, and centered on relationships. Photos here show our PTO back to school picnic, our Veterans Day program, Santa breakfast, the color run, and popsicles on the playground. Our next photos reflect the heart of Malberry. Families learning, playing, and growing together. These photos include from family monster mash, preschool candy houses, guest readers in our preschool through second grade, and our open house. We also introduce a new exper experience this year for our families, which is lunch on the lawn with a loved one. We continue to look for ways to build and strengthen our community through a wide range of experiences.
011Some of our upcoming events include studentled conferences, our early literacy family night for our preschool through 2 grade, an annual book club that we have for our third through fifth grade families. And this year the theme is open up a book, open up the world. We are excited for our new running club sponsored by our PTO and is led by one of our parents, Mr. Hogan. And this club will have the opportunity to run for the um to run in the family event at the flying pig with their families in May. Also, we currently have a worldwide Valentine adventure. So, we are go hoping to get Valentine's from all around the world. So, news med media, everyone here, send us some Valentine's to Malberry Elementary. our tier 2 services. We are also very intentional about
012working with families and supporting our students who need more than core instruction. Our goal is to be proactive in supporting our students and provide families with community resources. Our eating with the Allstars program connects a student with a caring adult in the comm community once a month during their lunchtime. We have 17 students that are connected in this program and we have some people here in the uh meeting that are some of our lunch buddies. Our check and connect program builds strong adult relationships for students with attendy attendance and truency concerns and we have 13 students involved in that. Our small skill groups provide focus support in areas like social skills, executive functioning and this semester we have 36 students participating. Um, every everything we do at Malberry is designed to make students feel known
013and valued. We start each Monday with a momentum Monday virtual meeting across the building. Each day, our classrooms start with a team meeting and at the end of the week on Friday, we have a passport check with certain students. Our monthly attendance incentives have been quite the hit with our students. the home rooms with the best attendance rate. Their teacher greets them and an inflatable um at the door. So, we've had a pumpkin, a turkey, a gingerbread, and this month we have a snowman coming. Um Miss Winslow, as uh Josh Kaufman had shared, is also really great at making sure we have schoolwide um art installations. So, this year we are having one centered around John Dyne, who actually is a Cincinnati artist. Um every student will have a piece in this project. We partner
014with high school mentors, run grade level buddy systems, and offer engaging schoolwide experiences that celebrate the growth, the positive behavior in each other here at Malbury. Mrs. Early has brought the fund this year with both our students and our staff uh because of this deliberate and intentional focus. Our attendance continues to improve. At this point, last year we had an 11 about an 11% chronic absenteeis absenteeism and this year we are only at 6%. So students want to be here and that is powerful. In closing, um Malberry continues to be a place where students feel valued, families feel welcomed and learning is intentional and joyful. We want to thank you for your continued sport support throughout the year and volunteering at events and being part of our eating with the Allstars. Um and we're happy
015to answer any questions that may have been generated. So thank you. Thanks everyone for coming too. [applause] I don't have a question, but I do love coming to Malberry. You know, I love to put on a costume and I love my buddy. And my buddy loves me because I'm six, seven years old. [laughter] >> He thinks that's fantastic. >> Yes. >> Oh man, I feel you're going to use that for a long time. [laughter] >> I won't be six. >> Uh that attendance rate change is awesome. >> Continues to improve each year. So, we really have a focus on it. So, >> yeah. Yeah, I love you guys are tracking it closely and I love that all you're doing barely fit on a slide. >> I love that. >> Thank you very much. >> Uh,
016now we have a very special presentation um from Liz Emmens. >> All right. Hi everybody. I'm Kevin Mezer, uh, proud principal at the high school. Uh, tonight's super special. Um, I was I'm going to go off the cuff a little bit here. You know, speaking at senior awards and graduations and things like that, I normally kind of develop some consistency with it, but for some reason, there's something about tonight I was a little a little bit nervous about. And I think it's because of of what we have here tonight. I think it's the presence of greatness. I think it's the the the standard that has been set uh for the future of Milford High School. We've got students here tonight that are being recognized for the Governor's Merit Scholarship. um they've received it and it's
017because of the hard work that they've put into their academics. Um it would behoove me if I didn't have Mrs. Emmens up uh presenting about what the Governor's Merit Scholarship is, what it took to earn this accolade. Um and then I would love if we could have our um Governor's Merit Scholarship finalist come on over here um and stand right over here before we start the recognition piece. So, if you are a part of that crew, come on over and then Mrs. Emmen's going to speak a little bit about um the scholarship. That's impressive. >> Wow. So before we recognize these students, we do want to share a little bit about what it exactly they have earned. So the Ohio Governor Scholarship was created three years ago by Governor Dwine and his leadership team. This
018scholarship is awarded to students who are identified as being in the top 5% of their graduating class. So students are awarded $20,000 or $5,000 per year to attend an Ohio public or private college. This year the state of Ohio calculated 22 students at Milford High School and one student at Milford Academy who qualify for this honor. To give you a little bit more detail about what that means, um our students this year had weighted GPA ranging from 4.61 61 to 4.89 and that is at the end of their junior year. So that's not even counting their senior year classes. We are so very proud of these students and their commitment to their academics. They have chosen the highest level of rigor at every opportunity um and shown perseverance and dedication throughout. taking four, five, or
019six AP classes can definitely be difficult. And you guys have shown that you are capable of doing that work and stayed committed to it. So, I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Mezer for a few more words, but I do want you all to know how very proud we are of you. Congratulations. And uh we'll be reading your names in just a minute, so you can come through and shake hands, but congratulations. And we're so proud. [applause] Thank you, Mrs. Emmens. Um, for those of you that don't know, Mrs. Emmens does a lot of our college and career readiness, and we might as well tack on workforce and military as well. Um, she's already the forefront for our report card, which is amazing. Absolute rockstar to have as a as an employee at the
020high school, so we really appreciate Mrs. Emmens does a lot of the data associated with this as well. Um, with that said, you guys see the the intimidating factor here, right? You heard the GPA called out. You heard the hard work that has been put into um they're in culminating education. We're talking K to2. It started in that kindergarten area. You saw these little artists that walked up. Parents, it's going to be a special time of year for you because we've got five months until graduation. Do you remember the days that you would go to the elementary school to pick up your your little kiddo and they would run to you open arms and they'd grab your leg because they'd be this big, right? And now look look at what they've done. All right. You're
021going to see them walk across the stage, not run across the playground anymore, and to to see how well they've done over the last few years to get to the point that they are today, the future. I mean, sky's is the limit for you guys. So, setting the standard and in doing what you're supposed to do to get to this point, I'm excited to see what you're going to bring back to Milford. Hopefully, you guys come back at some point, especially if you want to be a teacher. Um, but with that said, I couldn't be more proud of you. uh as my first year a principal to be able to meet each and every one of you and see the accomplishments that you've put in that hard work o over over you know ninth and
022tth grade year your first AP class staying up late trying to study figuring out 18 different bell schedules with flex and all sorts of things extracurricular activities on top of it and I know some of you work as well congratulations parents congratulations guys let's make it loud in here let's give them a big round of applause >> [applause] [applause] >> So, I'll I'll leave it with this. We celebrate a lot of things at the high school. We celebrate a lot of extracurriculars, right? When you talk about state champions, we celebrate them as well. State champions of academics are here tonight, and that's a big deal. So, way to go, Milford High School students. I'm going to turn it over to Mrs. Zmen so she can call you guys out. You guys want to run through
023and give some handshakes and then after the handshakes, we're going to go out those doors. Parents, you're more than welcome to come with us. Uh we're going to take some photos. Parker, hopefully you're able to take some photos. Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. And then we'll go from there. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Great speech, Kevin, too, by the way. [laughter] >> Nice. >> All right. So, for individual recognition, um these are our students who have earned the Ohio Governor's Merit Scholarship from the class of 2026. Um Olivia Bowling, Zion Bush, Khloe Call. >> Oh, I'm gonna Yeah, I'm going to slow down. You guys come up. You're going to do handshakes. >> Natalie Chapelli. >> This is practice for graduation and sumakum laad ceremonies and a whole lot of awards that are coming
024up. Um, Emtt, Emtt, Derek, >> great job. >> Abigail Ham, >> congratulations. >> Abby Havner, >> Adam Hyatt, >> Isabelle Jones, >> congratulations. Jackson Kirby, >> good job. Fernando Yurena, >> Anna Patel, >> congratulations >> Gia Patel >> Isabella Roel >> Elizabeth Schmid, >> congratulations >> Caroline Schultz. Congratulations >> Luke Snder. >> Lucy >> Sour. >> Congratulations >> Danielle Stout. >> Jane Thomasson. >> Tristan Washington. Caitlyn Wman, >> congratulations. >> And Holden Yuskawich, >> congratulations. >> Let's give them um one more round of applause. [applause] And we're going to ask that you come [applause] back over. We're going to head out this door right here to get our group picture. >> Thank you to the board for allowing us to celebrate this. Thank you so much. >> Congrats, Dad. >> That was awesome. >> All
025right, turning it over to Mr. Glassmire. >> Thank you, Mr. Mezer and Mrs. Grabb for bringing such wonderful students. >> Um, many of you may not realize, but January is actually National School Board Month. So tonight, we wanted to take a moment to thank our board of education for all that has been accomplished and the positive impact they have had over the past calendar year. In 2025, we opened a brand new middle school, an important milestone for our district and our community. That accomplishment would not have been possible without the time, commitment, and leadership of our schoolboard members. Serving as a school board member is often a thankless job driven by a genuine passion for students and for this community. The work is not easy and not always recognized, but it truly matters. One thing
026you hear time and time again throughout Milford is that at the heart of this community are its schools. That is a powerful statement and it comes with great responsibility. Fortunately, that responsibility is not carried alone. Mrs. Mason, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Chestnut, Mrs. Powers, and Mrs. Will. Each of you brings different strengths to this board, all grounded in doing what is best for our students and staff. You stay connected, involved, and invested in our schools. and we are deeply grateful for that commitment. As we reflect on all that has been accomplished, we are also excited about what lies ahead. This year brings new opportunities and continued growth for our district, including the start of our new superintendent, Dr. Fiori. We look forward to working together as we build on this strong foundation already in place and
027continue moving our schools forward. As a small token of our appreciation from our students in our district, we would like to present you with a photograph taken inside the new middle school by high school senior senior Delanie Glenn. It is our hope that this image serves as a reminder that even when your work goes unrecognized, it still produces meaningful outcomes for our schools and our community. On behalf of myself, Mr. Arian, Dr. Fiori and the entire Milford school staff. We wish you a happy school board appreciation month and thank you for all that you do. [applause] [applause] >> Thank you very much. It is truly a pleasure to serve such a wonderful community and a wonderful, wonderful district. >> Yeah. truly rewarding when we get to sit here every month and watch the kids come
028through and all the great successes that they have. So, >> Yeah. Thank you. >> So, thank you. >> Uh Mr. Acriman, will we be needing an executive session? >> I do not believe so. >> Okay. Uh then we are moving on to public commentary. Do we have any public commentary? >> We do not. >> Okay. Um now we will be moving on to mission moments. Uh for tonight's mission moment, I want to take a moment to recognize a group of Milford staff members who truly went above and beyond for our students. This past weekend, Milford students participated in the Special Olympics swimming meet hosted by New Richmond. I received a message from New Richmond superintendent, who many of you may remember as Milford's former curriculum director, sharing how impressed he was by the presence and
029dedication of our staff. So tonight we want to recognize Miriam Arius, Colin Kaine, Sarah Callahan, Haley Cowwell, Jenny Cunningham, Mina Espie, Brian McCann, Mario Mali, Trina Panko, Jacqueline Parsley, Matt Samul, Kate Wright, and Parker Brown who gave up their Saturday to support our students poolside. Mr. Daniels described the level of dedication, care, and enthusiasm they brought as a truly as truly amazing and said Milford's presence was deeply felt throughout the event. What makes this especially meaningful is the impact their presence had on our students by showing up with energy, encouragement, and genuine care. They helped make the day feel special for every athlete. That level of commitment reflects both who they are as educators and the values we work to uphold in Milford. This is a wonderful example of living our mission and we are
030proud to recognize them tonight. [applause] Okay. Now I need a motion to approve the Milford employment resolution to consider termination of a zupka. >> So moved. Second. >> Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. >> The board of education has voted to begin the termination process against Mr. Zupka and suspended him without pay pending the outcome of this process. The reasons for this action are listed in the board's resolution. The adoption of this resolution starts a process where Mr. Zupka has the option to elect a hearing conducted by an independent state referee. At that hearing, the board of education and Mr. Zupka will pre present evidence and the referee will issue
031a decision. Until that time, the board of education will have no further comment regarding this matter. We are moving on to treasurers reports. Can I get an approval for this month's board report? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. >> All right. Madame President, members of the board, thank you for this opportunity to give you a snapshot of the district's finances through 123125, which believe it or not is halfway through fiscal year 26. Our first slide here, this is our bank reconciliation. What this does is show that we're balanced between our operating account and the state software. And as you see right there, you'll see that we're we balance between the 78 million and then payroll balances as well. And then our next slide, this is our investment report. And what you see here in
032the third column, which is right in the middle, we have earned approximately 354 355,000 for the month. And year to date is 1.5 million. Then as you look at our next slide, now this is an important slide, this is what's called the SM1 or a snapshot of our five-year forecast six months into the fiscal year. So the column which would be the third column, that's our five-year forecast that we presented in September. And if you scroll down, you'll see that uh right there we projected a negative 1.9 million deficit spending, but currently we're sitting at 1.6 million positive. So, we are doing what we need to do. We still have to keep our uh our foot on the gas. We have to be fiscally responsible and currently watch all of our expenditures. Now, why this
033is a big deal right now, if you scroll up just a little bit more or down, excuse me, you'll see that the uh the last line, the ending cash balance, why that's important is the next few months, we're not going to be receiving any money. So, we rely on two tax settlements per year and we're heading into January, February, March, and part of April where we won't be receiving money. And if you don't have cash, it's hard to stay in business. So that's why it's important that you watch all of your expenditures as closely as possible. And I know I preach it at every meeting and I apologize, but I just feel like I have to do it. Um, if you scroll to the next slide, we have some uh some graphs and what you
034see moving from left to right, this is revenue, and you can see that the local revenue uh moving from fiscal year 24 25 to 26, that's on the left side, the left column, is gone up each year. uh the state revenue has gone up from 24 to 25 and it's even between 25 and 26 and that's again what we receive from the state of Ohio and then all other revenue is up each of the fiscal years. And then the next slide you have some graphs. This shows our expenditures for the year. So the left column you've got salary and benefits and they do go up each year which is normal. Purchase services. That's where you should start watching your expenditures and you can see that each year we've seen those go down and we will
035continue to monitor that. And then all other expenditures can vary uh because that's a lot of your supplies, your tech, uh maintenance, things of that nature. Um they are down from fiscal year 24 and up slightly from fiscal year 25. And then the next slide is now this is our administrative expenditures. Now this is a um a percentage of our general fund operating costs. House Bill 96 which is our current bianium budget requires that we're below 15% and you can see in the far right we're sitting at 14.34%. So we are in good shape right there. And is there any questions? >> I appreciate the data enlargement. >> No problem. It's much easier to read. >> I think you just zoomed in. >> Yeah, >> I have glasses and I think it's hard to see.
036So, >> yeah, it looks great, Doug. Thank you. >> Okay, but if anybody ever has questions, please come and see me. >> All right, please call the role. >> Mrs. Will, >> yes. >> Mrs. Powers, >> yes. >> Mr. Wilson, >> yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mason, >> yes. >> Now, I need a motion to approve the following vendors. So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. >> Now I need a motion to approve the following donations. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> As always, just thank you to everyone who donated. We really appreciate those donations. >> Please call the
037role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. Um, now, as our promise to you that we would be taking uh the audit, the performance audit, and breaking it down um piece by piece every month. We do have a performance audit um update, and I will hand that over. So, uh, like President Mason said, each month we plan to review the results of the performance audit and talk about how we're addressing that. So, in December, uh, we went over the personnel recommendations. We talked about how positions are categorized in Milford and how we as a district choose to structure our buildings and staff them. Um, we will come back to those personnel recommendations that the auditors made as
038we go through the rest of the school year, especially once we get closer to May. Um, but we will be grounding all of our staffing decisions in the needs of our students and our enrollment in our buildings. That's going to be kind of our guiding force going forward. So, tonight I just wanted to briefly review the health insurance recommendations made by the auditor. Um, if you aren't aware, we are a member of a 10 district consortium of local school districts. By combining with these other 10 districts, we're able to get a better rate for our employees and our district. we can pull our resources, pull our employees, take those out um to the various insurance companies and get a better rate for everybody. Um we currently offer two insurance plans to our employees. A traditional
039PO plan and a high deductible health plan that comes with a health savings account. About 8% of our staff are enrolled in the PO plan. 92% the vast majority elect the high deductible health plan. Um, and we have seen the numbers for the PO plan decrease over the last several years. More and more people are choosing the high deductible health plan. It's important to note that the premiums for the PO plan cost the employee and the district more. So, if you choose that plan, the employee and the district pay more for your premiums. The high deductible health plan, there are cheaper premiums for the district and for the employee. Um so the performance uh the auditors um reviewed both plans. They compared the rates that the district pays and the rates that our employees pay
040against our regional average and they found that the PO plan our employees and the district pay a higher rate than our peer averages. Um they looked at the high deductible health plan and the costs for the employee in the district are actually less even including the health savings accounts um than when compared to our peers. So the health the high deductible health plan is a better more fiscally responsible plan for our employees and for the district. So we are actively working to transfer people to the PO plan. A lot of it is education. When you first hear that high deductible health plan, it's scary. I know when it was first introduced to me two districts ago that I was working in, I was very nervous. I didn't want to do it. I love it now.
041It is a great for my family. We use it all the time. Um it and once people understand it, it's scary at first, but once they understand it, they definitely gravitate towards it. So, we will be leaning on our partners with the insurance consortium um to help educate our staff about the benefits of the high deductible health plan because it's a benefit to us and our employees through um our insurance consortium. We actually are able to work with a company called Enrollment Management Services or EMS. Um but they work directly with our employees to help them select the plan that is best for them and their families. Um so they will provide that education and they walk them through it helping them select the best plan. So we'll be leaning on them. We'll be leaning
042on our insurance um committee to help provide that education to our staff. Um we will revisit this um and the personnel recommendations that the auditors made in the coming months. But that's just a quick overview of our insurance. Any questions? I don't know that I have a question but um a comment I know being part of that consort consortium our previous treasurers and I'm sure Mr. Sacramento degree is really good for us as well um compared to market rates or anything else that's been out there. So that's been a really great group to get part of. And if I'm correct, they are very selective on who they let in. It's not like open anybody can sign up. >> They do not know a district recently joined in the last two years and they had to
043take several steps to join. So they had to reduce their liability and their um to make sure that the district the ins insurance consortium would accept them. They just don't take anybody. No, you are correct. and and insurance when we look at our costs across the district they're one of the biggest and they're growing up and that's true for every business around um so I appreciate the work that's been done to date and especially this extra step um to really look at what we can do >> the it's called swoosh and we belong to this we were actually one of the initial members and um it's it's been very advantageous for the district and for the employees which is really why we're doing this um The insurance committee that we have in house again understands
044and swoosh comes to every meeting. So if they have questions, it can be answered right there. So this is not something that uh they never hear or never understand or they get an email and forget to open it. This this is an ongoing process. So and it's a very good one. And as a teacher, I remember the swoosh website is uh very advantageous to the the person on they help you cut costs. If you're getting an extra x-ray, they'll say you can go here and pay this amount, but you can save $500 if you go there. And it it's like instantaneous advice. >> It's very helpful, >> which is one of the reasons that EMS was brought into the consortium so they can come into every district and do the same thing. start asking each
045and every employee uh if they have to sit down with the employee and their spouse, no problem. They will do it. Um they just want to make sure that they're really there to help. And the the company was started by uh a young man that had a family of health problems and no one would help him. So he started it. He's been very successful and now he's he's out helping everyone else. >> Yeah. Yeah. No, thanks TJ. This is great. So just for the public a reminder, I mean the idea is so the performance audit came out. It's 86 pages long. There's specific sections in it that are called out. So over the next few months, we're going to have presentations like this to help kind of explain these uh topic in in more layman's
046terms that helps us and helps the public so that we can uh really look at the seriousness of each area. And then as we do make changes moving forward, you'll be able to see a full story from the performance audit through to the presentations and then through to the changes that we make. So really appreciate that, TJ. >> All right. Um, moving on to policy. We have motion to approve three policies as presented. I need a motion for that. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason. >> Yes. >> Uh, now moving into human resources business. I have a motion to approve I need a motion to approve items
047H1 through H5 by consent agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason. >> Yes. All right. Now, moving on to curriculum and instruction business. Um, I'm going to let Emily give us a summary. She is our representative to the Oaks campus and she serves on their board. Um, and I believe went to a meeting last night. >> Yes. So, um, the Great Oaks comprise covers 36 school districts uh, in Southwest Ohio. And so, we are one of them. And so, that means their board meetings there are 35 plus board members there. It's a little bigger than this. the the room space. Uh the audience is not
048usually this big, but um I thought I would bring back some of the information that we share and if anybody ever has questions if anybody ever wants for both the board or anybody um in the community a tour or to learn more about the programs, it's really some great work they're doing there. But um one of the things that we review every month is the campus enrollment report. And thankfully they end up started putting it on bigger paper. But uh what this shows is there are four campuses and it shows every program and they track um what the cap is for the program. Their first date um count date is right after Labor Day. So like 95 and students are there for two years. So they track um uh enrollment as it sustains there. This
049might be a little bit easier to see on top. This is the enrollment numbers. Um and they have a 96% 95 96% um retention. So students who start one um one year finish uh at very high rates. So lots of great programs going there. Um if you guys want to see the caps and how many students are there and and what they're um at. I also have a little bit of insight into why we have multiple of some programs and why we can't get more of others. Um I will say a highlight at live um this year is the um parks and wreck. That's a new program this year. So that'll be really neat. Um, so anyway, if anyone has any questions about the numbers, each campus has about 800 students. Scarlet's a little bigger
050with a little bit over a thousand, but um, Great Oaks doing some good work. >> I was lucky enough to take the tour after the expansion and it's impressive. I felt like I was almost like Cincinnati State. It was just amazing the things they have there. It's y and we're so lucky it's right in our district. Um, I have a curriculum update for our schools. Um, we just recently switched around committees at our organizational meeting. So, I will be giving the curriculum updates. Um, we have a lot going on this month. Uh, we're in the middle of a curriculum review for social studies this year. And overall, this review showed that the curriculum is in really solid shape and only minor improvements were needed. Um by working closely with our instructional team and vendors, we
051were able to make some really smart cost-effective decisions. For example, we were able to replace um the expensive pull down maps that you see in um the classrooms with a large shared screen which gives teachers more flexibility and saves money. Uh we also spent time reviewing updates to our C tag policy in accordance with new state laws. We had some informational discussions about scholarships and college credit. Um, as you saw from our scholars, um, the governor scholarship recognizes students who finish their junior year in the top 5% of their class and provides $5,000 per year in renewable funding as long as they go to an Ohio school. We also received the Ohio guarantees reviewed the Ohio guaranteed admission program which guarantees the top 10% of each graduating high school class undergraduate admission to every Ohio
052public college and university as well as participating Ohio private colleges and university. We're really excited about several new and expanded elective offerings. So, at the middle school, proposed electives include agriculture, medical detectives, around the world in 80 days, which is a global language and cultural exploration, and do you want to be a millionaire? And at the high school, we're proposing courses like dance and movement as well as yoga and circuits and agriculture. The dance and movement class offering is an exciting one because it is one that has been highly requested for a long time and we were able to provide it with no additional cost to the district. Another important update is around college credit plus. We're moving forward with an embedded CCP model where students can earn college credit right in their high school
053classroom. So, this is really exciting. We already have some teachers who are qualified to do this and we're starting this transition slowly and thoughtfully. This approach dramatically lowers costs for families and the district and also improves equity for students who may not be able to travel to a college campus during the day. Next week on January 22nd at 6 PM there will be anformational meeting about kindergarten registration. This session will be held at Malbury Elementary and registration will open February 1st and run through March 31st. And then finally, we have a few technology and safety updates. We've implemented updates with a new software to improve our email security. The state of Ohio recently released a model AI policy that closely mirrors what we already have in place and a subcommittee is going to review it
054and bring recommendations to the board. We've also formed an AI committee internally and begun a book study focused on using AI ethically and responsibly in the classrooms and two-step authentication is being rolled out for all of our students in grades 9 through 12. So overall, these updates reflect our continued focus on strong instruction, responsible use of resources, expanding student opportunities, and keeping our schools safe. And with that, um, I need a motion to approve curriculum pay of $25 per hour not to exceed 20 hours to support social studies curriculum work. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. Now I need a motion to approve the
055courses for the 2627 school year. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. >> Now we're moving on to business operations. Um, we have some HVAC controls that need to be upgraded. Uh, can I get a motion to approve these HVAC controls? >> Some moved. >> Second. >> Would you like to tell us a little bit? >> Um, so these are controllers and routers um for our HVAC control system. Um, the current controllers that we have um they don't make anymore. They're just outdated. Similar to our technology refresh plan, it's essentially the computers that run all our HVAC equipment. So, they're in need of of
056updates. >> Okay. Okay. Any discussion? >> Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. Now, I need a motion to approve change orders as follows. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion. >> Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes. >> Uh, now we have some concluding items. Um, I'm going to open it up for discussion. Does anybody have anything they'd like to share? >> I do. Just something quick. Today, Mrs. Espia Smith and I took a tour with impacting tomorrow and um we are so fortunate to have it in our district.
057I just can't believe it. It's It's just an asset and a re just a a boon for us. They serve 84 counties. They provide groceries in a grocery store. They always have meat, vegetables, like five staples that they have every week and you come and and then they have extra things based on donations. They have a clothing store with dressing room in the mirrors. I mean, they really focus on giving people dignity. >> You do not have to prove need because they think a lot of times people might not have need on paper, but they do in real life. And um it was just it blew me away. It's going to be a wonderful resource for our students getting service hours. I think they do it every Wednesday night. There's Wednesday evening grocery shopping uh
058and um Saturday they can do service hours and you can do there's just a plethora of different jobs you can do there. And they also now have a partner in the same building that provides medical and dental care on a sliding fee which takes about a month to get in. But they are working to bring in another partner that will do a walk-in medical clinic. And the state of Ohio has agreed uh they did a traffic watch and they agreed to allow uh a bus line to go there because you know people who need it the most might not have transportation. >> It was really impressive. uh Ken Tracy, the Miami Township trustee, his family has done that whole thing and I just couldn't have been more impressed and I think it's going to be
059a great partnership with us and them and we're just so fortunate that they're in our community. >> That's awesome. >> Mr. Aerman, do we have any public participation? >> We do not. >> Okay. Um, so our next board meeting will be February 19th, 2026. It will be here at board of education building at 6:00 pm and um we are going to move into executive session. We will be coming back here, but we will only come back to dismiss. We're not going to have any public discussions and we won't be voting on anything. So with that, I need a motion to withdraw to executive session for the purpose of conference with the public body's attorney concerning pending or imminent court action and for the employment of a public employee. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion?
060Please call the role. >> Mrs. Will? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Powers? >> Yes. >> Mr. Wilson? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Chestnut? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mason? >> Yes.