Date of Meeting: 3/14/2024
Format: In-person
Streetsboro Board of Education Meeting
Meeting Summary:
The Regular Meeting of the Streetsboro Board of Education was called to order on March 14, 2024, at 5:45 PM
President Kristin Bedford opened the meeting with a Roll Call and the Pledge of Allegiance.
There were no public comments.
Special Meeting Minutes from 2/01/2024 and Regular Meeting Minutes from 2/08/2024 were approved.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Fifty-two Streetsboro student-athletes recently participated in a two-hour Leadership & Mental Health Symposium sponsored by Ohio State LIFEsports. The Streetsboro School District hosted the event, and 246 student-athletes from around the MAC conference were in attendance. The Athletic Director, Mr. Randy Tevepaugh, introduced five student-athletes who gave short presentations of what they had learned at the symposium and how they benefited from it. Students learned how to check on their teammates' health by understanding that some people have difficulty communicating that something is wrong. They learned effective ways to reach out and be there for them. They learned techniques for dealing with stress and pressure by communicating and opening up to parents and coaches. They also learned strategies for dealing with failure when they fall short in competition. The students discussed what they learned about leadership, which requires keeping your energy and supporting your teammates. Students learned a breathing technique called the “Belly Breath” that helps deal with stress by calming you down and forcing you to refocus. The students were inspired by what they learned and thanked the board for being allowed to participate. The Athletic Department does plan to continue participating in this event on an annual basis.
Board President Kristin Bedford commented that she received good feedback from other participating districts, and several districts thanked Streetsboro for hosting.
Principal Ms. Gwen Abraham and Assistant Principal Ms. Jen Wolf presented the Data and Plan for improvement at the Elementary school in preparation for the upcoming State testing.
Superintendent Daulbaugh reminded everyone in his introduction that this year's school report card reflects data from two years ago. The school has grown since 2022-2023, but it is still not where they want it to be. There are initiatives in place to address the shortfalls. The Elementary School continues to schedule WIN (What I Need) time for every student. Students are separated into groups based on what the data tells of their needs. Literacy instruction employs the Science of Reading Philosophy. There is a continued focus on mathematics instruction and Bridges implementation. Common assessments are made to make sure that testing is to the standards.
The school has met success with the K-5 PAX Good Behavior Game and will continue to use it. The average referrals per day for bad behavior are down, and the school is trending down on average referrals compared to national figures. Fewer referrals mean better focus in the classroom and more instructional time. The data shows a significant growth in math skills. The school is trending in the right direction. The school has significantly improved student writing and reading levels since adopting the CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) curriculum. In year two of CKLA implementation, the skills portion of writing and other building blocks of literacy will be added. The educators are particularly pleased with the phenomenal growth seen at the kindergarten level. The use of the PAX Good Behavior Game will be continued and further refined. The data is trending in the right direction, and while it may take some time, the school is on track to see improved test scores.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Property valuation complaints are brought forward for the board’s approval. In the past, these complaints could have been filed without requiring board approval, but because of HB 126 in July 2022, the board must now approve them. The complaints with the County Auditor challenge the property valuation of four parcels. If the complaints are successful, additional property tax dollars will come to the district.
Due to a special education event, the appropriation amendment added an extra $100,000 to the general fund.
The general fund cash balance is lower than it was last year. The county received some of its payments late this year. The district should see a significant advance in March, bringing its balance above the previous year’s level.
CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER REPORT: The OMEA (Ohio Music Education Association) contract for facility rental is up for approval. The event is a junior high school event that will be held at the high school. The large event will use 20 classrooms and highlight the district’s facilities. This is a Class A event, meaning the only charge for the rental will be to cover custodial fees.
The Professional Development Day was hugely successful, and Mr. Scarcipino wanted to publicly thank the area businesses that contributed food and giveaways.
BOARD REPORTS: The board will participate in a tax incentive review next week.
The PTA elected a new board.
The Jr. Class recently took the SAT.
The Girls' Basketball team was in the regional final and made it into the elite 8. This is the furthest any girls' basketball team has gone in the school's history and Portage County. The team’s success created a great deal of excitement within the Streetsboro Community,
CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS B-M were approved by all Board members present. Before this action, the Job Description for the Director of Student Services was removed from approval due to an error discovered just before the meeting. The error will be corrected, and the job description will be provided at the next meeting.
Administrative contracts were renewed for Jay Bishop, Assistant Principal; Lee Weppler, Assistant Principal; and Jennifer Wolf, Assistant Principal.
The Board accepted Brett McCann's resignation as high School Principal, effective 7/31/2024. Mr. McCann will step into the role of Director of Teaching and Learning, effective 8/01/2024. The Board approved Andreas Johansson's contract renewal as Director of Operations. The Board denied two level III grievances, the content of which was not made public.
The Board approved the contract renewal of C.J. Scarcipino, Chief Business Officer.
The Board moved to an Executive Session at 6:44 PM.
Which members of the board/council were present: Kristin Bedford, Tracy Campbell, Tonia Epple, Sara Scott were present. Absent was Kelly Rich (excused).
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/streetsboro/Board.nsf/Public
Name of Observer: Diana L Skok