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Berkshire Board of Education

LWV Geauga Observer Corps



Resident Criticizes Board, Superintendent and Treasurer 

for Failures Over Millage Transfer Request


Berkshire Board of Education – Regular Meeting, May 12, 2025 


Meeting Details: 
The meeting was held in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 44021 at 6 pm.  A video of the meeting is posted here.  View the agenda online and any attached documents here by selecting the meeting tab and then the meeting date.  The notation of minutes refers to the time posted on the video for the discussion of the item listed.


Board Members Attendance:
The following members attended: John Manfredi, President, Jody Miller, Vice President and members Dan Berman and Linda Stone. Bryan Wadsworth was absent.  


Staff Attendance:
Superintendent John Stoddard and Treasurer Beth McCaffrey

 

Meeting called to order at 6:00 pm


Pledge of Allegiance –
led by Mr. Manfredi


Approval of Agenda – unanimously approved without discussion

 

Approval of Minutes – Minutes for the April 14, 2025, meeting were unanimously approved without discussion.  To view the minutes click here and go to the Meetings tab for the date and click on the date.  This will open the Agenda and, if approved, the Minutes.

 

1:47 Min Student/Staff Presentation


Berkshire Student Services

Mr. Stoddard introduced Ashely Brzozowski, Special Education Supervisor, who gave a presentation about Berkshire Student Services, with slides which can be found here at 2:10 Min. Highlights:

  • The services’ purpose is to ensure that every student, Pre-K to 12, has access to the support they need to succeed academically, socially and emotionally.

    • Programs:

o   Badger Nest (elementary) provides foundational academic and functional support

o   Badger Den (middle school) provides targeted academic support and skill development

o   Badger Lab (high school) focuses on targeted academic support, credit recovery, vocational preparation and post-secondary transition. 

o   Pathways program for vocational students.  She noted that two graduating seniors have already found full-time employment.

o   Wrap-around mental health services from Ravenwood Health for all student levels. Two professionals in classrooms provide behavioral and therapeutic support

o   Support for students with IEPs (Individual Educational Plans/Programs)

o   Visits to Gilmour Ice Skate for Badger Lab students and First Responder Fishing Trip for Badger Nest students

 

7:30 min Public Participation 

Resident Vickie List addressed the Board about the April 22, 2025, Budget Commission meeting at which Berkshire’s request for a 2.5 inside millage transfer was denied. (Click here for the LWV Observer report on the April 22, 2025 Budget Commission meeting.) She said the Commission told the Board that such a transfer would bring in almost 3 times the revenue that the old permanent improvement (PI) levy would have generated.  Observer Note: The last PI levy failed to pass in the last two elections. A 2.5 inside millage transfer was one of four options the Board considered to offset a projected deficit in the fifth year of the school budget. Mrs. List said that “something is amiss, as the Budget Commissioners also said.”  She continued saying that the treasurer and superintendent are both “employees who seem to be operating outside of their lane in giving incorrect information.”  She said that the “treasurer was also told by the commissioners that she was trying to slip in a non-approved revised budget into the budget commission meeting.”  Addressing the Board, she said that “the information that you are providing  is not being investigated or studied by you or you would not have been taken to the cleaners by the Budget Commission. Everyone is now finding out that it was almost three times of what you actually needed by your own admission.… It is your job to review the information you are given and you have failed.”  Reviewer Note:  There is no indication in the Budget Commission report that the Berkshire School Board or the staff agreed that the amount was three times what was needed.  


Dr. Stoddard responded that 2.5 mill and 4.9 mill revenue-raising options were a response to the budget deficit projected in the fifth year of the five-year forecast, stating “that is what we were asked to make up for, not a one year (deficit) as the budget commission pointed out that they looked at a one-year, not a five year. If we had been trying to solve a one-year issue, we would have recommended a smaller amount.”


11:14 Min Treasurer’s Report

 

Financial Statements – approved unanimously without discussion

The detailed Agenda states: “The Treasurer has submitted a statement to the Board and to the Superintendent showing the revenues and receipts from whatever sources derived, the various Appropriations made by the Board, the expenditures and disbursements therefrom, the purposes thereof, and the balances remaining in each fund.  The financial statements for the period ending April 2025 have been submitted subject to audit and include Financial Summary, Appropriations and Revenue Summary, Check Register Recap, and Bank Reconciliation per ORC 3313.29.”


Observer Note: See Financial Statement details in the meeting agenda available online.


Donations – unanimously approved a total of $7101.45 from the following sources:

  • $750 for Board Scholarships from Mr. Manfredi and Mrs. Stone

  • $4,950 for After Prom from 14 donors

  • $376.4 for Art Easel/Water Table/Slide from The Step 2 Company

  • $1,020.00 for BES PBIS from 2 individuals (Behavioral and Educational Support (BES) programs provide specialized support for students with emotional or behavioral disabilities while PBIS is a framework used to create safe and positive learning environments for all students.)

Observer Note: See meeting agenda for a complete list of donations.


Mr. Manfredi expressed his appreciation for the continuing community support, noting especially that many people want “to keep our kids safe” through After Prom.  


Financial Amendments


Cash Transfers/Advance

From General - To Health Care – Transfer                  $150,000.00

Observer Note: The Health Care fund is the existing Self-Insurance Fund

 

Appropriation Changes

General                                                   +  22,549.80                                                                                          
Athletics                                               
  +    6,898.14    

School Safety                                          +    5,807.02          

Title I (for low-achieving children)      +    3,375.63          

Title IV (for student financial aid)        +       338.61          

Title II (for supplemental instruction) +       859.38      

Modular Construction                            +  12,617.13                                       

Healthcare                                                +150,000.00                            

OHSAA (Ohio HS Athletic. Assn.)          +    3,191.98


Then and Now Invoices
                                                                                                               

Western Hurd  Special Education                  $5,716.28


13:14 Min Five-Year Forecast    

Mrs. McCaffrey presented the district’s five-year forecast for the General Fund accompanied by slides beginning at 13:16 in the video. Highlights include:

 

Overview

  • The forecast is intended to engage the Board and community in long range planning and discussions of financial issues facing Berkshire schools.

  • It serves as a basis for determining the school’s ability to sign the “412 certificate” and for monitoring by the Ohio Department of Education and Auditor. Observer Note: The 412 certificate documents that a school district has or will have adequate funds in approved tax levies, state funding and other resources to cover the amount of contracts for their entire term.

  • The current forecast assumes State School Foundation payments based on House Bill 33 (Fair School Funding Formula).

  • Based on Y-T-D financials, revenue and expenditure estimates are over 99% accurate.

  • Total revenue is projected to grow 1.89% annually over the next 5 years while expenses are estimated to grow by 3.38% a year.

Multiple threats to the forecast, including:

o  Pending Legislation: 14 bills (9 House, 5 Senate) to impact local property taxes that could reduce local funding for all public schools.

o  Governor’s Budget (HB 96) cuts $103M from public school funding and increases EdChoice vouchers by $448M.

o  HB 96 is currently under Senate review after House revisions. The deliberations include limits on the amount of funds schools can carry over year to year.

The school will not get details of a complete state budget or potential property tax changes until October/November 2025 following state budget approval at the end of June. The school forecast will be updated in November 2025 after budget approval. 


Key Financial Pressures

  • Loss of Open Enrollment revenue

  • Permanent Improvement Levy Failure

  • $942K in Delinquent Taxes from the Orwell-Trumbull Pipeline. The claim is being appealed to the state by the Prosecutor’s Office. 

Develop New Revenue Streams

Dr. Stoddard outlined strategies to develop new revenue streams, including:

  • Tuition from preschool expansion and opening the vocational and workforce development programs to other districts. 

  • Evening workforce development classes are also possible. 

  • Establish an alternative school at the workforce development campus for students not successful in a traditional educational setting. 

  • Continuing to seek grants and partnerships with businesses for training and internships.

A New Operating Levy in November 2025 is off the table for now. 

Potential Expenditure Reductions

  • Staff buyouts. They are predicting 7 staff members will take the buyout, saving the district approximately $500,000 over 5 years.

  • Reducing professional learning options

  • Reducing field trips

  • Increasing fees

  • Instituting Pay to Play Athletics

  • Staffing Decisions (Reviewer Note:  These were not discussed.)

25:58 Min. Mr. Manfredi asked about Berkshire’s partnership with Auburn Career Center (ACC). Dr. Stoddard said Berkshire’s vocational and workforce programs enhance their relationship by offering pathways not available at ACC. Berkshire is also exploring satellite opportunities for popular ACC programs to expand overall enrollment. Mrs. Stone said she liked this approach since their current programs are working so well.

Mr. Berman thanked Mrs. McCaffrey and Dr. Stoddard for their hard work and continuing to “pour your heart and soul into this district.” He noted the “ugly financial climate out there” and acknowledged that they are “shouldering a lot of responsibility…It was the five of us that decided to go the direction we did and that put you in a bad position.” Mrs. Stone agreed, saying they are a team who works well together and who are “totally dedicated to students of the school and to the community” and who “try very hard to make the best decisions, and we very much trust our people here.”


The Board unanimously approved a motion
to approve the Five-Year Forecast to be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education.


29:18 Min Superintendent’s Report

  • Tutor Rate – The Board unanimously approved without discussion a motion to raise the hourly tutor rate to $35.00.

  • Personnel – The Board unanimously approved the personnel actions for Administrative, Certified and Classified staff as listed on the meeting agenda. Observer Note: A complete list of personnel actions is available in the meeting agenda online.

  • Before the vote, Dr. Stoddard introduced Amber Taylor, the new Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), who spoke about her upcoming role at the school which will include developing behavior intervention plans and training registered behavior technicians. Ms. Taylor’s full-time position replaces outsourced services provided only 3 days a week.

  • Medication Administration – The Board voted unanimously without discussion to approve a motion to allow staff listed below to administer medication:

    • Julia Clough

    • Christa Keating

    • Jessica Humes

  • Contract approvals – The Board unanimously approved without discussion contracts for:

    • Ravenwood - School Social Worker for 2025-2026 school year

    • ESCWR (Education Service Center for the Western Reserve)- Service Agreement for 2025-2026 school year

    • Greenheart Exchange (Foreign Exchange Student Program)

34:00 Old Business  

Dr. Stoddard reported that they had a final walk-through of their new preschool building, and the punch list is completed. They are waiting until school is out to pave the area near the preschool. Once paving is completed, the state will issue an occupancy permit, perform their inspection and then the school can move in. Mr. Manfredi asked that the Board get a tour when the new building is ready. 


35:35 Min New Business

Burton Public Library Board Member Appointment

The Board unanimously approved without discussion a motion to appoint Julie Ziemak to fill the unexpired term of Kathy Beten, with the term expiring on December 31, 2025.  Reviewer Note:  Burton is known as a School District Library.  See information about the library here and the law that governs this library here.


36:25 Min Board Discussion


Next meetings will be the regular meetings scheduled for June 9, 2025 and July 14, 2025 at 6 pm in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 44021. pm.


37:10 Min Executive Session - The Board unanimously approved a motion to adjourn into Executive Session in accordance with ORC Section 121.22 for the purpose of promotion of a public employee. No action followed.


1:11 Min Meeting Adjourned

 

Observer: Rooney Moy

Editor: Carol Benton

Reviewer: Gail Roussey


Date Submitted: June 9, 2025


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