Streetsboro Board of Education Regular Meeting

Date: 9/10/2026

Format: In-person

Summary:

The Streetsboro Board of Education called its regular meeting to order on September 10, 2026, at 5:45 PM.

PUBLIC COMMENTS: There were no public comments.

The minutes from the 8/13/2026 regular meeting were approved.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Everyone is back to school, and things are up and running. Akron Children’s Hospital has agreed to come in and do medical checks so parents will not have to leave work for the exams. Work is currently in progress on Mission Monitor. Most of it is ready to go. The goal is to mail it before early voting, and we will meet that deadline. Attendance law has changed, and the district has started communicating that to families. Attendance reporting has changed. The state rolled out that change quickly. All absences must be reported and will count in reporting, even when approved for medical or other reasons. The first trigger for chronic absence is 25 hours, about four days, and it is reported even for approved absences. The state gathers data on Habitual Truancy and Chronic Absence. The consent agenda includes items related to students with disabilities and homeless students. In a few situations, because of circumstances outside their control, students have moved farther away and are having difficulty arranging transportation. A transportation agreement for unhoused students requires board approval. The district is focusing on and pushing co-teaching for students with disabilities. The district is using interventionists to teach with the main classroom teacher. The goal is to keep a high educational standard in every classroom. The district is trying to be creative with financials. There is an opportunity to recoup some money through Medicaid for services provided to some students. The district wants to enter into an agreement with a company that will help bill Medicaid for certain services. The contract will be for one year at a set fee. The district should recoup well beyond that fee. The only requirement is a one-year agreement, and we can choose not to renew next year. We have researched how to bill Medicaid and have decided to hire a company to handle this responsibility. Money spent on Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy can be recovered. About 300 students in the district require these services. After reviewing several options, we settled on a company called Front Line. The record keeping is not overwhelming and will not detract from time spent with students. They set up a record-keeping spreadsheet where teachers will document time spent with students, including how many students, time spent, and goals and accomplishments. The district nurse provides services and can document time spent on eligible services. Hearing and vision screening is done for kindergartners, and that can be tracked. The spreadsheet includes a formula for what can be billed back to Medicaid. Medicaid billing is very specific. We bill Medicaid every month, and the district is reimbursed the following month. Medicaid will often deny some claims. The most common reason is not having a consent form on file from the student’s parents. Front Line will handle that and resubmit claims and file appeals. The district is working on getting consent forms on file from all parents. The goal is to turn something the district is already doing into a cash flow. Other districts in the area are doing this, and they recover the following annually: Southeast = $190,000/year; Kent City Schools = $500,000/year; Garfield = $236,825/year. Some districts do not bill Medicaid. The quote from Frontline is Implementation = $14,175, First Year Fee = $21,500, First Year Training = $1,200. The annual fee for Fy28 will be $27,125. Parents need to sign a consent to share medical information. Training will take place in September and October, with the hope of receiving the first reimbursement in November. Front Line will handle all the billing and the denials. We estimate total start-up costs, including training and the contract, to be around $40,000.

TREASURER REPORT: Most recent month revenues were $2.8 mil and expenses $2.3 mil. The general fund balance is very low compared to the previous year. This is because the county delayed collecting property taxes. The county should receive the final property tax payments by 9/18/2026. The bid for depository contracts went to Huntington Bank again. They are charging no fees. A levy fact sheet is available for the levy on the ballot this November. This is a renewal and will bring in no new money.

CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER REPORT: The themes for the start of the school year are patience and adaptation. The district is experiencing transportation shortages. We need bus drivers. Sometimes buses run late, and sometimes they have to cancel. We have set protocols for cancellations that must be followed. We're currently battling the bus driver shortage. Please spread the word if you know someone who may be interested in driving a bus. We are making a daily run to Maplewood without a dedicated driver. Food service has been doing great. On the technology front, the district suffered an internet outage that lasted about five hours. It was not the district's fault. All SPARK schools experienced the outage. We have approval for a project that is eligible for federal funding. The district will have to pay 40% of the project cost. The project entails improving all access points. The project is slated to start during Christmas break and be fully operational by the students' return. The dates and contract for this project are up for board approval. Several rental agreements are up for approval, including Community Concerts and some dance competitions. The board is also considering disposal of property. The district needs to get rid of a school bus and two trucks that have outlived their useful lives.

BOARD REPORTS: The Education Foundation met to discuss new grants. Community members are encouraged to reach out to state legislators to share their thoughts and feelings toward public school funding. A rundown of the fall sports teams' records was given. The Rocket Boosters are filing paperwork to request nonprofit status. A series of fundraisers is coming up. The PTA tailgate event was a success. The Bubble Run fundraiser is in the planning stages. Some of the fundraising will go towards building a Putt Putt Golf Course at Henry Defer for awards day.

The committee approved Consent Agenda Items B through R.

OLD BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS: The levy committee will work to educate the community about the upcoming renewal on the ballot. We need to keep getting the word out to parents and the community.

The meeting was adjourned to an executive session at 6:46 PM.

Members Present: Tracy Campbell, Tonia Epple, Kristina Mattmuller, Kelly Rich, Sara Scott

Absent: All board memhers were present.

Public Notice: Yes

Agenda: Yes

Minutes: Yes

Observer: Diana L Skok