Committee/ Council Observed: Kent City School Board

Date of Meeting: 12/19/2023

Format: Virtual

Meeting Summary:

The Kent City Schools Board of Education December 19, 2023 meeting began at 6:00 PM with roll call and recitation of the Pledge Of Allegiance. Justin Gates, the assistant superintendent, introduced the board members and administrators who were present.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Voted on and approved

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Tom Larkin, the superintendent, introduced visitors who were to be recognized at this meeting. Two students who represented Roosevelt at Buckeye Boys State were introduced. This was the first time since 1948 that two students from the same high school had been chosen to go to Buckeye Boys State. Out of all the students in Ohio these two students were chosen to go on to Boys Nation in Washington DC. There they had the opportunity to visit the capitol and see our government in action. At the conclusion one student was ranked 39th and the other as 1st out of the 99 students attending from all over the country.

The second Roosevelt student to be recognized achieved a perfect score on the AP Government and Politics exam.

Jenny Morgan was introduced as the district's new PR person effective January 1, 2024. She brings to the district a wealth of experience, including having a degree in journalism, working with the 6 district compact in the PR capacity, and many years as a school counselor. The current PR person will be relocating to North Carolina.

Kathy Scott, Stanton Middle School principal, presented the board with gifts created by students from Roosevelt’s CTE program.

FINANCIAL REPORT
Debby Krutz presented a current revenue summary for the district. Tax advances will be received from property taxes in February. Funds were made available to move forward with the Advanced Manufacturing Center for the CTE program. The Fed has paused interest rate hikes, and as a result, interest on the district’s short-term investments has slowed but continues to climb. As of the end of November, the interest rate stands at 5.72%
Voted on and approved

APPROVAL OF BILLS
Voted on and approved

RESIGNATIONS AND RETIREMENTS
The following retirees were recognized for their years of service to the district:
Mary Lynn Bush 23 years as a teacher, Dean of Students, coach, and principal
Jen Weitzel 32 years as a teacher
Patricia Montfort Long-time Custodial staff
Debby Redmond 30 years Transportation
Voted on and approved

APPOINTMENTS, TRANSFERS, LEAVES OF ABSENCE, SUBSTITUTES
Some were received in each category. Background checks and certifications must be received before approval.
Voted on and approved

REVIEW UPDATE OF OSBA POLICY
Two minor revisions to the policy will be made and the board will be asked for approval at the next meeting in January.

KENT FREE LIBRARY BOARD APPOINTMENT
This is an annual item Voted on and approved

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH OPSE
A new maintenance position will be created for the groundskeeper.
Voted on and approved

CONSIDER ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES
For safety reasons it is proposed that the modular building at Holden be moved closer to the building and to be fenced in.
Voted on and approved

AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE VAN SERVICE
A parent who resides in Kent is asking that van service be provided for her child who attends the LEAP program and is in a group home out of district.
Voted on and approved

AUTHORIZE CHANGE ORDER
The Manufacturing Lab received a grant of $329,200.
Voted on and approved

SEASONAL WORKERS
Seasonal workers will receive wage increases this coming year.
Voted on and approved

CONSIDER OUT OF STATE FIELD TRIPS
The ice hockey team is asking for approval to travel to Columbus for competition, and the wrestling team is asking for approval to travel to southern Ohio for their competition.
Voted on and approved

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
The organizational meeting will be held on January 9, 2024, and not at the regular board meeting scheduled for January 15, 2024, as this meeting must occur prior to that date.
Voted on and approved

MISCELLANEOUS
41 donations were received totaling $21,529.69. Tom Larkin thanked the community for its generous support.
Voted on and approved

ADJOURN

Which members of the board/council were present: Brian Boykin, Colin Boyle, Alicia Crowe, Tiera Moore, and Rebekah Wright Kulis. All present.

Was there a public notice of the meeting that included the time and place of meeting: Yes

Was an agenda of the meeting or handouts available to visitors: Yes

Are minutes from previous meetings posted/available: Yes

https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/kentcs/Board.nsf/Public

Name of Observer: Mary Myers