January 2024 Board of Education Regular Meeting

We got the County Budget finalized, after some headache, I was able to get our SAM registration updated/renewed for the year, the audit is complete, and Linda signed everything we needed to and returned them to the auditor, and has been filed with the AOS but is not certified. Our Julian & Grube auditor stated this could take a month or so for them to certify it. Once the AOS certifies it I’ll have to go in and certify as the auditee. Once that is done and we receive the final copy of the audit, we can get that submitted to complete the S&P Global Ratings submission to maintain our rating. I know Linda already mentioned this, but we had a clean audit, the only “issue” was a Management Letter comment because we needed to certify the 034 transfer to the commission and Auditor of State.

Our fund balances are not out of the ordinary.  The calendar year has been closed out and W2’s and 1099’s were delivered by NEONet last week.  They’re also available in the Employee Kiosk for our staff. The General Fund is looking healthy and on track, at the end of December we are officially half way through the fiscal year.  The beginning months of the calendar year are kind of slow Cash flow wise until we start to see our Property Tax payments. With the way interest is paying, it may be worthwhile to request a tax advance from the county auditor. We made our COPS principal and interest payment in December and the final interest payment for the fiscal year for the COPS will be made in June. 

January is the month to submit our County Budget.  First, I will share with you some graphs of how our valuations and levy monies affect our Revenues.  These graphs are based on full valuation (including Rover Pipeline and full collection of taxes).  The %’s will still reflect the same as they would on the County Budget amount.  We do not show the entire amount on the County Budget because they like to show a 92% collection rate even though ours is usually about 97% and we take out the Rover Pipeline.  We actually show on the County Budget the same amount we use on the five-year forecast.  The first few graphs show this year’s effective tax rates by levy, valuation by class, estimated revenue by class and estimated revenue by levy.  The last few graphs show comparisons of those numbers to last year.  Please take some time and review the comparisons.  I am anxious to get this Rover Pipeline resolved so we know exactly how much we can expect in future years.

The county budget is our annual submission to Richland County for their approval at their Budget Commission meeting.  The first page shows the lesser tax revenues I have been speaking of.  This is the number from our five-year forecast which is a reduced collection amount and reduced valuation for Rover Pipeline. This will be submitted to the County Auditor after your approval.  The deadline is typically January 15^th which falls in line with the traditional district’s deadline for their organizational meeting, I requested and was granted an extension since ours was later this year as we are not required to have our meeting by January 15^th.

January is Board Appreciation Month, I just want to thank you all for your commitment to Pioneer and the time you take out of your schedule and to be Board Members. It can be a thankless job at times, and it’s not a job that you’ll make significant money doing, but you play a vital role at Pioneer. I know I’ve only been here a couple of months, but I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me and the support I’ve received already.

Justin Tuttle was present as EAP Representative.

No one addressed the Board.

Assistant Director Jolene Young reported as follows:

Pioneer will host Sophomore Visitation for all of our partner school sophomores on January 24th and 25th. Following the visitation days, we will host our Sophomore Open House on Thursday, January 25th from 6:00-8:00pm. Sophomores and their parents can visit labs, meet with instructors and tour Pioneer to assist in choosing a potential lab for the 2024-2025 school year. Over 1400 sophomores are scheduled to visit over the 2 days of visitation.

In preparation for Sophomore Visitation, associate school principals and school counselors met at Pioneer on January 19th for a breakfast meeting. Information about sophomore visits and student badges for visitation days were distributed. All 14 of Pioneer’s associate schools were in attendance for the meeting.

Pioneer’s HOSA student organization competed in a regional competition at the University of Toledo. 15 of our students placed high enough to move onto the state contest in April.

Our January Staff Inservice Day is this Friday, January 26th. The focus of our professional development will be health and safety- Stop the Bleed, AED, choking and school safety will be some of the topics. Staff will also complete training to meet Erin’s Law requirements that were established in SB 288.

As mentioned January is Board Appreciation Month and we thank you for your dedication to the students and staff at Pioneer and all you do for the career center. 

Superintendent Nickoli reported as follows:

 I would like to congratulate our new and re-appointed Board Members.  Our newest Board Member is Mr. Ben Blubaugh who was appointed by the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center and comes to us from Galion where he is employed by Covert Manufacturing.  He is filling the final two years of the term vacated by the resignation of Spencer Shipman.  I’d also like to welcome Mary Jean Theaker and Morgan Jones, from Mid-Ohio and the Bucyrus City Schools, respectively, as they return for new three-year terms.  Congratulations and thank you for your service to the students and staff at Pioneer.

January is Board of Education Appreciation Month, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support of our students and staff. You are to be commended for the progress that Pioneer has made toward increasing student learning and improving student achievement.  Also, in recognition of that service is a certificate presented by the Ohio School Boards Association signed by Sally Green, OSBA President and Dr. Kathy McFarland, OSBA Chief Executive Officer.  

I am asking you to approve an agreement with the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center to provide Pioneer with English Language Learner Tutoring Services.  We currently have 24 students identified on the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment (OELPA) as needing English Language Tutoring.  5 of those students have declined services so our Student Services Department has arranged a schedule to provide the remaining 19 with the intensive tutoring they need to be successful here at Pioneer.  Given our recent enrollment trend, I anticipate that this will be a recurring need in future years.

I am asking you to approve an agreement with Fanning-Howey for design services for our new Advanced Manufacturing Facility that is a result of our 6.6 million-dollar grant provided by the State of Ohio.  We received 5 submissions from our Request for Qualifications and, after carefully reviewing each, found Fanning-Howey to be the most qualified, experienced in industrial learning spaces, and best able to staff this project.  Your approval will allow us to begin the design phase.  We have a Zoom Meeting scheduled for Thursday to update the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission on our progress and will then move on to the next phase of the project. 

As has become the practice of this Board, I am asking that you pass a resolution for a donation over $5,000 ($10,000 in this case) from ArcelorMittal to be used to support our Community Service Day activities.  We will use these funds to purchase t-shirts, safety glasses, gloves and other necessary items for our students and staff.  As a reminder, Community Service Day is scheduled for Friday, April 19^th this year.

Calendar items of note are as follows:

January 24 & 25       - New Student Visitation

January 25                - Open House

January 26                - Staff Professional Development Day

February 7                 - Ohio ACTE Legislative Conference

February 8 & 15       - Parent-Teacher Conferences

We have posted and filled a vacant English Teacher position.  You might remember that earlier in the year, veteran English Teacher Shelly Ackley submitted her retirement-resignation.  As a result, one of our Intervention Specialists, Jenifer Stewart has requested a transfer into this position.  She is working towards her alternative license for this position, and upon approval by the Board, will be eligible for an alternative license.  She will then have to complete required coursework to earn her 5-year professional license.  This move will result in the need for an Intervention Specialist.

With regret, I am also asking that you approve the retirement-resignation of Catherine Spayde.  Mrs. Spayde has been with Pioneer for several years as an educational aide, most recently serving in our Media Center.  She has done an outstanding job and we will most definitely miss her.

I am also asking that you approve a Paternity Leave for Terry Stuart, our Home Remodeling Instructor.  I also want to inform you of the birth of a son to Science Instructor Brent Tyrell.  In both instances, the fathers report that Mothers and babies are home and doing well.

Finally, I am asking that you approve stipends for our two Maintenance Technicians.  As a result of the retirement of our Maintenance Coordinator, Mike Grimwood, there are some activities as well as on-call availability that be assumed by Jeff Payne and Tim Slone.  I believe it is only fair that we compensate them for taking on these additional duties.

All other personnel items are common for this time year.

No Discussion - moved to vote. 

No discussion - Moved to Vote.

No Discussion - Moved to vote.

No discussion - moved to vote.

No Discussion - moved to vote. 

Entered into Executive Session at 7:19 pm and returned to Regular Session at 7:25 pm.