Superintendent Outlines Public School Funding Challenges
Berkshire Board of Education – Regular Meeting, June 9, 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: John Manfredi, President, Jody Miller, Vice President and members Dan Berman, Linda Stone and Bryan Wadsworth.
Staff Attendance: Superintendent John Stoddard and Treasurer Beth McCaffrey
Meeting called to order at 6:00 pm
Observer Note: The Board meeting begins at the 16:01 min of the video.
Pledge of Allegiance – led by Mr. Manfredi
Approval of Agenda – unanimously approved without discussion
Approval of Minutes – Minutes for the May 12, 2025 meeting were unanimously approved without discussion.
17:35 Min Public Participation
School parent Jessica Guarnera notified the Board she had filed a complaint against Board member Bryan Wadsworth regarding his “alarming and inappropriate behavior” toward her husband, Ronald Guarnera III, at Berkshire’s graduation on May 18. She stated that Mr. Wadsworth confronted her husband in the school parking lot in “a manner not only unprofessional but also threatening” in front of their 15-year-old daughter. She said she witnessed Mr. Wadsworth forcefully push his shoulder into Mr. Guarnera’s shoulder saying, “we need to talk.” Mrs. Guarnera also noted that her husband and Mr. Wadsworth had previously exchanged messages in which Mr. Wadsworth “had expressed his displeasure” with Mr. Guarnera’s social media posts about him, including one message from Mr. Wadsworth that she characterized as “ominous.” She said the incident overshadowed the family’s celebration of their son’s graduation, describing how hard he had worked to graduate on time with his class, overcoming, with the support of his family, severe depression and a suicide attempt his freshman year. Mrs. Guarnera asked the Board to address Mr. Wadsworth’s conduct saying it reflected poorly both on him and the entire school district.
Mr. Wadsworth responded that he did not throw his shoulder into Mr. Guarnera. He noted that Mr. Guarnera “had said some things online” and that “freedom of speech is treasured in this country.” Mr. Wadsworth stated Mr. Guarnera had written online that he couldn’t wait to see him in public and had interpreted the statement as an invitation to talk. Mr. Wadsworth noted he had previously reached out privately to arrange a meeting, and when he saw Mr. Guarnera he “shook his hand” and asked when they “could get together.” He apologized to Mrs. Guarnera for not seeing her or her daughter in the parking lot.
Mrs. Guarnera said that if the situation had happened off school grounds on another day, it would not have mattered so much, but it had happened on graduation day, in front of her daughter.
Observer Note: Mr. Manfredi commented on Mrs. Guarnera’s comments later in the meeting under Old Business.
23:10 Min Treasurer’s Report
Financial Statements – unanimously approved without discussion.
The detailed Agenda states: The Treasurer has submitted a statement to the Board and 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 May 2025 have been submitted subject to audit and include the Financial Summary, Appropriations and Revenue Summary, Check Register Recap, and Bank Reconciliation per ORC (Ohio Revised Code) 3313.29.
Observer Note: See Financial Statement details in the meeting agenda available online.
Donations – Approved 4-0, with Mrs. Miller abstaining
There was a total of $2,650 in donations from the following sources:
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$150 for Board Scholarships from Mrs. Miller
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$2,500 for After Prom (this amount is the sum of donations from 10 different individuals)
Financial Amendments – unanimously approved
Among the amendments are a long list of Permanent Appropriations for FY26 totaling
$28,147,462.30. Observer Note: A complete list of financial amendments is available in the meeting agenda online.
2025/2026 Insurance Policy - Property/Cyber Crime - unanimously approved
The Board voted unanimously without discussion to approve the following insurance companies for 2025/2026:
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Ohio School Plan - Property & Liability Coverage $98,680
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Travelers - Cyber and Crime Policy $14,300
25:25 Min Superintendent’s Report
Supplementals – unanimously approved
The Board unanimously approved without discussion the following supplemental positions:
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Assistant High School Cheer Coach
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Auditorium Manager
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Future Farmers of America Advisor
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District Testing and Assessment Administrator
Personnel – unanimously approved
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.
Volunteers – approved
The Board voted 4-0, with Mr. Wadsworth abstaining, to approve the following volunteers:
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Kelly Blair Boys Basketball Coach
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Bryan Wadsworth Cross Country Head Coach
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Jack Arnold Football Coach
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Matt Tiller Football Coach
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Bryan Wadsworth Track & Field Head Coach
Class of 2025 - unanimously approved
The Board unanimously approved the graduating class list for the 2024-2025 school year. Observer Note: A list of graduates is available in the meeting agenda online. Mrs. Stone noted that many students had additional recognitions by their names. Dr. Stoddard said there were 111 graduates and 75% had state-approved pre-apprenticeships.
State Model Policies Procedures for Special Education – unanimously approved
The Board unanimously approved without discussion a Resolution on the State of Ohio's Model Policy Procedures for Special Education which stated, in part, that the Berkshire Board of Education will comply with the Ohio Revised Code regarding free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities. Observer Note: Additional information regarding the Special Education Resolution is available in the meeting agenda online.
Contracts – unanimously approved
The Board unanimously approved without discussion contracts for:
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Proactive Behavior Services (special education services)
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Crossroads (Extended School Year (ESY) Services)
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Re-Education Access 2025-2026 School Year
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Bloomboard Program Implementation memorandum of understanding (MOU) (Grow Your Own Teacher- for professional development)
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ETLA (EdTech Leaders Alliance) Membership Service Agreement 2025-2026 (for SB29 technology data tracking compliance)
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Gardiner (HVAC Maintenance)
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Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U) (Student Tech Internship). This is a nonprofit organization appointed by the State of Ohio Department of Development as the Intermediary Agency for the High School Tech Internship Program.
The following contracts for the Workforce Development Campus were also approved:
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KICC Services Excavation & Construction - Office Demo Building B - Strategic Community Improvement Grant
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KICC Services Excavation & Construction - Cleaning/wall repair Building B - Strategic Community Improvement Grant
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Conti Plumbing - Bathroom Building B - Strategic Community Improvement Grant
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Mullett Masonry - Building B - Strategic Community Improvement Grant
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Comfort Systems - Building B - Tube Heating Replacement
Observer Note: Additional information regarding the contracts is available in the meeting agenda online.
29:50 Min Old Business – Mr. Manfredi addressed the comments made during Public Participation, telling Mrs. Guarnera that, as he’d promised, he spoke with Mr. Wadsworth about the incident she had mentioned. Reviewer Note: There was no further discussion at the meeting, and it is not clear how this complaint is being resolved.
30:50 Min New Business
Mr. Roger Miller, Auburn Career Center (ACC) Board Chair, updated the Board on happenings at the school. He said they are excited about the newly appointed superintendent, Joe Glaven. Mr. Glaven is a former work development leader in the Mentor school district and “has hit the ground running” with new enthusiasm and ideas. They expect to see “exciting stuff” as they work on a new strategic plan in the coming year. Mr. Miller also noted that Mr. Glaven plans to get all the heads of the area career centers together to coordinate their offerings. He said he was proud to represent Berkshire on the ACC Board, as the school is a leader in vocational training among area school districts.
Mr. Manfredi pointed out that Berkshire “expands their programs a little bit more each year” and they want to work with ACC on that expansion. He thanked Mr. Miller for his advocacy of Berkshire to the ACC Board.
34:37 Min Burton Public Library Tax 2026 Budget – unanimously approved without discussion.
The budget estimated a yield of $419,329 from a 1.7 mills levy.
35:05 Min State of Public School Funding
Dr. Stoddard gave a lengthy presentation with slides that outlined serious concerns about the future of public education funding in Ohio, saying “that our public education system is at a breaking point, especially for small rural districts like ours.” He highlighted how the June state budget deepens the funding crisis, citing several proposals under consideration that would restrict key funding tools, including:
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Elimination of replacement levies, which would freeze revenue
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Eliminating inside millage, which would force districts to go to the ballot more often
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Local property tax revenue limitation proposals that would cap growth
Dr. Stoddard also spoke about the growing erosion of public trust in schools, noting that many residents see their property tax bills increase and wrongly assume that schools are receiving more funding as a result. In reality, he explained, this is not the case. He said that State funding for education has steadily declined from a high of 41% in the 1990s to a projected 32% by 2027, shifting more of the burden onto local taxpayers. Observer Note: See meeting video for the complete presentation.
48:15 Min After the presentation, Mr. Manfredi talked about Geauga County’s high desirability as a place to live because of its safety and good schools. He predicted that this desirability will cause property values and therefore taxes to rise after reappraisals in 4 years. He said no one wants higher taxes but “this is what the school has to maneuver through.” He also mentioned the $1 Million tax revenue shortfall that the school experienced due to the Orwell-Trumbull pipeline bankruptcy. The delinquency is in litigation, but Mr. Manfredi stated he is not hopeful about any fund recovery. Mrs. McCaffrey pointed out that Berkshire is not the only entity affected by the bankruptcy. She said the county is due a total of $12 Million that would be divided among schools, townships and the county.
53:54 Min Board Discussion
Dr. Stoddard reported on the Early Childhood Center construction, stating that the punch list is complete, the interiors are finished, and paving will start the week of June 9 followed by striping. Once paving is completed, the State will issue an occupancy permit, perform their inspection and then the Early Childhood Center can move in. He said he expects the facility to be ready by the next meeting on July 14. The Board discussed plans to take a field trip out to the building at the next meeting, with meeting attendees included.
Dr. Stoddard also reported that Workforce Development campus construction is moving along, with foundation work set to begin. Contracts approved at today’s meeting are for work on the “B” building which will serve as the diesel building until the classroom is ready, which is expected in September. Dr. Stoddard mentioned they have received some in-kind donations (gifts of goods or services) for the campus from different community partners. He noted that the Transportation Department has started moving into their offices on campus, and buses will move over in July.
Next regular meeting dates - July 14, 2025 and August 11, 2025 in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 44021 at 6 pm.
No Executive Session
58:17 Min Meeting Adjourned
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: 06/25/2025
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