Regular Meeting

Motion by Mrs. Kwiatkowski, seconded by Mrs. Kramer to adopt Resolution 2025-98 as follows:   

      C. Engagement Letter with Charles Harris & Assoc.

ROLL CALL:  Mrs. Galek, yes; Mrs. Kramer, yes; Mrs. Kwiatkowski, yes; Ms. O'Mara, yes; Mr. Dosen, yes 

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education held its regular meeting on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 6:00 PM, at the Brecksville Broadview Heights Education Center. The meeting was live-streamed via YouTube and recorded for later viewing. All board members—Mrs. Galek, Mrs. Kramer, Mrs. Kwiatkowski, Ms. O'Mara, and Mr. Dosen—were present.

Board Areas of Responsibility:

The curriculum department reported significant activity during the summer, diligently preparing for the upcoming school year. Preliminary state testing data, which is still considered preliminary and expected to be fully released in September, suggests that BBHCSD is confident in achieving another five-star rating this year. High school AP scores, reported on July 7th, showed notable improvement. There was an increase in the number of students taking AP tests (538 students) and the total number of AP tests taken (530). The percentage of AP students scoring a three or greater (considered passing and often earning college credit) increased to 83%. Furthermore, the mean score of all AP tests taken also increased from 2.4 to 2.5 across 18 AP tested subjects. A significant achievement highlighted was that 100% of the certificated staff completed the Science of Reading Legal mandate by June 13th. Staff members also engaged in summer workshops and conferences for personalized professional learning, demonstrating their commitment to preparing for the next school year. A major concern discussed was the "significant complications" and "delays" with federal funding, specifically the withholding of approximately $79,000 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). This funding was intended for teacher professional development and English Language (EL) student instruction, and its absence is causing budgeting issues and potentially hindering planned initiatives. Updates on Senate Bill 29, which requires districts to report privacy agreements for educational technology, indicated that applications should be ready by August 1st. Deliveries of curriculum materials have already begun, with staff inventorying and preparing them for classrooms.

The Board confirmed that a firm would be approved later in the meeting to conduct a five-year audit, with audits commencing in the fall, starting with GAAP and financial audits in a couple of weeks. The BBH Schools Foundation is actively reviewing grant applications and will soon determine which grants will be funded for the upcoming year. No new safety meetings have been scheduled, but one is expected in the fall. Recycling and sorting efforts are ongoing for sustainability. The Board will also be approving a contract to install a new boiler later in the agenda.

Presentations and Key Discussions:

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to presentations and discussions on crucial topics impacting the district.

The Superintendent provided an in-depth review of House Bill 96 (the budget bill) and its non-budgetary impacts. Key points included:

• Partisan School Board Elections: The governor vetoed the provision for partisan school board elections, a positive outcome as it could have restricted eligibility for public office for individuals in civil service or federal jobs.

• State Board of Education Makeup: The State Board of Education will change from 19 to 5 appointed members, with representation from rural, suburban, urban, and non-public schools.

• Fiscal Oversight and Property Tax Provisions: The governor vetoed a 40% carryover cap for districts, which could have forced districts to return funds to taxpayers, and the elimination of fixed sum emergency levies, substitute emergency levies, and combined property income tax levies. These vetoes were seen as beneficial for district financial stability, preventing more frequent levy requests. The bill introduces an administrative spending cap of 15% of the operating budget, though the definition of "administrative expenses" remains unclear. Forecasting requirements also changed from five-year to three-year forecasts with different timelines.

• STRS/SERS Pickup: A provision prohibiting districts from paying STRS or SERS pickup for superintendents, treasurers, and principals with new contracts was line-item vetoed by the governor, who believes it should be a local decision.

• Staff Assignment: The bill mandates superintendents assign and reassign staff in students' best interests, prohibiting seniority as the primary factor once current Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) expire.

• Training and Policy: Science of Reading training will be required every five years for certified educators. An AI policy is required by July 1, 2026, though the ODE will not provide a model. A cell phone use policy prohibiting student use during the instructional day (except for learning, health, or emergencies) is required by January 1, 2026. New requirements for religious release time were also outlined, permitting students at least one period per week for religious instruction, with specific limits.

• Operational Changes: Construction bidding requirements were expanded to projects not attached to school buildings, potentially lengthening timelines. The process for school district territory transfers was made easier.

• Curriculum & Student Support: The ODE approved five-year reading and math tools, but removed the requirement for ODE to pay for them. The waiver option for middle school Career-Technical Education (CTE) offerings was eliminated. High-dosage tutoring is now permitted during core instruction time. Responsibility for absence intervention plans for habitually truant students shifted back to districts from county courts. The bill also permits districts to employ staff or contract with entities to operate online learning schools more easily.

• Career & College Readiness: $5,000 merit scholarships for the top 5% of the class remain in place. The top 10% of students in each high school are guaranteed public university admission, and the top 5% are guaranteed main campus admission. Students can receive up to eight hours of excused absence for private driver's education. CLEP exams now count towards readiness indicators and college credit.

• Special Education: Scholarship access for autism was expanded to cover students ages three and four.

• Transportation: Mass transit restrictions and the introduction of "multi-function activity buses" (smaller buses not for regular pickup/drop-off) were noted. A transportation work group will be formed for school year 2025-2026.                                                                                                   

       The Superintendent expressed significant concern about the potential impact of the budget bill on public 

       education and the need to maintain local control. 

Baker Tilly provided a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) update. TIFs are used to provide revenue for local government infrastructure related to economic development. Baseline property value continues to go to school districts, while increased value from new development goes into a fund for infrastructure, with some agreements including revenue back to the school district. Ohio law allows TIFs up to 75% for 10 years without school board approval; agreements exceeding this (up to 100% for 30 years) require school district approval, often with compensation agreements. In Brecksville, agreements are 100% for 30 years, with 25% of collections returned to the district, and 100% back for new levies passed after January 1, 2019. Broadview Heights TIF agreements are also 100% for 30 years but are "held harmless," meaning the district receives the full amount it would have otherwise. Major developments in Brecksville, such as Sherwin-Williams, are contributing significantly to increased increment value (around $56 million), with estimated compensation payments to the district increasing to $280,000-$360,000 this year, up from $60,000 last year. The 30-year timeframe for TIFs starts from the beginning of collection for each specific parcel.

Rachel Blanchette, Operations Coordinator, provided a presentation on the Spyglass audit of communication services. Spyglass, a company that identifies redundancies and overcharges in communication bills, conducted an audit at no upfront cost, with their fee being a percentage of the savings found. The audit included a full inventory of all communication services, detailing charges and identifying hidden state taxes. Key savings were found from outdated agreements with FirstComm for phone book listings and additional lines, totaling just under $2,000 in annual savings. Spyglass's fee was $952. Before the audit, the district's communication efficiency was benchmarked at 87% (compared to 77% for other school districts). After implementing suggestions, efficiency slightly increased to 89% (against an 84% benchmark). This indicated that the district was already managing its communication spending effectively. Future considerations included modernizing POTS (landline) services due to anticipated cost increases and exploring Spyglass's new auditing services for natural gas and electricity.

The financial report for June 2025 showed revenues of approximately $1 million and expenditures of $12.7 million, with a large transfer made to reduce the cash balance and comply with regulations. The district's ending cash balance was $19 million. Personnel costs were under budget by 0.4%. The district's current cash reserve is 124 days, which is above the minimum safety level of 90 days. Administrative expenses were reported at 11.86%, under the 15% cap.

Consent Agenda:

No items were removed from the consent agenda during the meeting. The consent agenda items that were approved include:

• Certified personnel recommendations.

• Classified personnel recommendations.

• Supplemental personnel recommendations.

• The check register and bank reconciliation for June 2025 as attached.

• Minutes from the June 25, 2025, regular board meeting as attached.

• The Superintendent's consent items A through E.

The Superintendent noted that while there weren't huge lists of new hires, one new hire and one unpaid leave were on the agenda. The district is nearing completion of filling all positions, still seeking a three-quarters phys ed position at the high school and a math position, with interviews conducted for these roles. These individuals will be on board before the start of school and will be board approved at the August meeting. A new fourth-grade teacher, Reagan Monaghan from Kent State, who is from the area, was introduced and welcomed to the district. The supplemental list was extensive, partly due to the partnership with Coaches Tool Chest, which streamlined certifications for coaches that were due for renewal in June. The check register and bank reconciliation for June were presented, with the Treasurer confirming that the format of the check register had been changed to be easier to read. The bank reconciliation for June typically shows more deposits in transit as books are closed, and these are intensely audited during the fiscal year crossover. All consent agenda items passed with a five-zero vote.

Superintendent's Recommendations:

The Superintendent's recommendations covered a range of essential agreements and proposals, primarily focusing on educational services, district operations, and student programs. The 2025-2026 ESC Audiology and Hearing Impairment Services agreement was approved. These agreements are standard for the district, enabling them to provide specialized services for students with special needs when required, even if no students are currently receiving hard-of-hearing services. Similarly, the 2025-2026 ESC Visual Impairment Services agreement was also approved to ensure comprehensive support for visually impaired students.

The BBH High School Cross Country Trip proposal was approved. This trip is for a team camp held at the Northwestern Ohio Christian campgrounds, a location frequently utilized by many schools in the area, including the superintendent's previous district. The camp serves as an opportunity for the cross-country team to engage in workouts and build team chemistry.

A significant item approved was the Second Amended and Restated Consortium Agreement of Suburban Health Consortium. This agreement aims to streamline decision-making within the consortium, which comprises 17 school districts, by allowing for more timely actions rather than requiring resolutions from every single board. The Superintendent noted his active participation in the health consortium and expressed his intent to volunteer for the executive group to further contribute to its efficiency. A key change facilitated by this agreement is the district's potential transition to becoming the fiscal agent for the consortium. This role, previously held by Orange, would involve handling bill payments and compliance for the consortium and is estimated to bring an administrative benefit of $50,000 to $60,000 to the district. If the district assumes this fiscal agent role, the Treasurer would not have a vote within the consortium (as the Superintendent would), but would remain actively involved as part of the new nine-member executive structure, ensuring strong representation. The change in fiscal agent was primarily due to Orange's treasurer retiring. The agreement also expands participation to other political subdivisions, such as school libraries, to help them access better health insurance rates.

The resolution declaring transportation impractical for the 2025-2026 school year was approved. This applies to students attending private schools located within the district's boundaries for whom it is not feasible for the district to provide transportation. Instead, these families will receive a payment in lieu of transportation, amounting to approximately $600 per student.

Finally, the contract with the K Company for the replacement of boiler number two and associated pumps at the BBHHS was approved. This project is part of the district's ongoing maintenance and permanent improvement initiatives, addressing the aging systems at the high school as they approach the 25-year mark. The contract was secured through the Cooperative Council of Government's Equalis group, a cooperative purchasing agreement. The district confirmed that it had sought additional quotes, and the K Company's proposal through Equalis was the lowest, representing a significant saving of approximately $150,000 compared to other quotes. The installation is anticipated to be completed before the heating season.

Treasurer's Recommendations:

The Treasurer's recommendations focused on critical utility agreements and essential audit arrangements, demonstrating the district's commitment to fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency. The Board resolved to accept two key agreements with EUS related to utility cost reduction: the auditorium house lighting replacement agreement and the main campus utility cost reduction service agreement addendum. The main campus utility cost reduction service agreement, originally established in 2015, pertains to providing primary power for the main campus. This agreement is being extended for an additional five years, a decision believed to be in the district's best interest. A notable aspect of this extension is that at its conclusion in five years, the district will take ownership of the associated electrical equipment, such as transformers. This future ownership will necessitate the district to determine its service strategy for power provision at that time. Regarding the auditorium house lighting, which involved an upgrade to LED lights at the middle school and high school, the end-of-term agreement will be concluded. After evaluation and discussions with EUS, it was determined that extending this particular agreement was no longer financially sensible for the district.

Furthermore, the engagement letter with LGS (Local Government Services), a division of the Auditor of State's office, was approved. This approval continues the existing annual arrangement where LGS is responsible for converting the district's financial books from a cash basis to an accrual basis. This service is crucial for maintaining accurate and compliant financial records.

Finally, the audit engagement letter with Charles E. Harrison & Associates was approved for the district's financial audits. This firm was selected through a competitive RFP (Request for Proposal) process conducted by the state auditor's office, which involved five different interested firms. Charles E. Harrison & Associates will serve as the independent auditors for the district for the next five years.

In addition to these financial and utility-related approvals, the updated Student Athletic Activity Handbook was also approved. This handbook includes important updates and new screenshots related to the district's partnership with Givebacks, an online platform designed to streamline and monitor fundraising activities, ensuring compliance with board policy. This update reflects the ongoing efforts to enhance operational efficiency and accountability across all district activities.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for August 20, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The meeting was adjourned.