May 2025 Regular Board of Education Meeting

No discussion - moved to vote. 

Treasurer Bazley reported as follows:

We received our renewal from Jefferson Health Plan for next year. They originally wanted a 6.11% increase based on plan performance, but with the way our reserve has been performing we got it down to a flat 5% increase. Their initial and final proposal had a 0% increase for our dental, so those rates will stay the same.

Interest looks a little wonky this month and is posted as a negative amount. This is due to the movement of $20 million of investments from Star Ohio to Meeder Investments and purchase accrued interest associated with so many purchases to fund that account on the initial investment. Since we are cash basis we have to record it as negative interest even though it isn’t really, as we’ll receive the purchased accrued interest back and then some once the bond pays the coupon.

Our General Fund is looking good, nothing out of the ordinary for this month outside of the interest which we already discussed. We were pretty accurate with our real estate and PUPP estimates from November. We have received all of our real estate settlements from all of our counties, the only things we have to receive still may be some MH settlements as well as the Homestead and Rollback allocations which we receive from the state as reimbursement. We will most likely need to do another transfer to Adult Ed at year end to bring it to zero. Our Salary line item will go up in June when we have severance payouts to make. The only journal entries we have for the month are moving some money from a student’s lunch balance to Graphic Arts rotary to pay for a zoo ticket and moving some of the sale proceeds from Shelby HS FCCLA to Shelby MS FCCLA.

The fiscal department is kicking off its busy season. Equipment requests have been entered and ordered. Inventory has been sent out for staff verification, and we’ve begun to prepare for Fiscal Year End as June is quickly approaching. Mindy and I had a training and are ready to launch our new process of sending out contracts and salary notices, we will do so utilizing SCView and they’ll now be sent via email rather than sending two paper copies and requiring one be sent back to the Board Office. Staff will receive an email with a link where they can open, view, and digitally sign their contracts/salary notices. We can then retrieve the signed copies on our end through SCView.

State Budget deliberations continue. The Senate sent the 30% carryover rule back to the House to be re-evaluated. I have heard that the 30% is a non starter and if the House wants that provision in the percentage needs raised significantly. I’m hoping that the provision will just get dropped, but it sounds at the very least the percentage will have to go up. I’ve heard from some people it won’t go in at all and others it’ll go in with a higher percentage. I still have not heard at all that Career Technical Centers will be impacted, but that could always change in a heartbeat. The push is still to get the FSFP fully implemented with updated inputs, but we will have to see what ends up happening with state funding.

Now, let’s shift focus to the Five Year Forecast Update.

This first slide shows the Revenues, Expenditures and cash balance presented by the five year forecast. Similarly to November, expenditures catch up to revenue and we’ll start to negative spend in FY28.

The overview of revenues shows that we are substantially on target with original estimates at this point in the year. Total General Fund revenues (line 1.07) are estimated to be $858 thousand, or 3.3%, higher than the November forecasted amount of $25.9 million. This indicates that the November forecast was 96.7% accurate.

Line 1.01 and 1.02 - Property tax revenues represent our second most significant source of revenues at 31.8% and are estimated to be $8.5 million, which is $290 thousand higher for FY25 than the original November estimate of $8.2 million. Our estimates are 96.5% accurate for FY25 and should mean future projections are also on target.

Line 1.035 and 1.04 - State Aid continues the implementation of the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP), which has caused significant changes to the way our state revenues are calculated. We are estimating our state aid to be $16.4 million, which is $121 thousand higher than the original estimate for FY25. We are pleased that we were able to be 99.3% accurate for FY25. We are a formula district and would remain one if the FSFP were to be fully implemented and continued. 

Line 1.06 - Other revenues are projected higher than the November forecasted amount due to higher interest earnings due to less federal rate cuts than expected.

All areas of revenue are tracking as anticipated for FY25 based on our best information at this time.

Rover is still an unkown. Back in March it was reported that the Tax Commissioner is commencing settlement negotiations with Rover in accordance with the ruling of the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals that the State Tax Commissioner’s expert’s appraisal was the best evidence of its value for property tax purposes. We are forecasting the PUPP revenue based on what Rover is actually paying, not what their actual valuation is. I worked with the County Auditors to get an idea of what the difference between their valuation and what Rover thinks their valuation should be and what they're actually paying on. 

Total General Fund expenditures (line 4.5) are estimated to be $22.1 million for FY25, which is $397 thousand higher than the original estimate of $21.8 million in the November forecast, which is roughly 98.2% on target with initial estimates. The expenditure line most significantly under projection is Purchased Services (line 3.030) which increased by $235 thousand due to college credit plus tuitions, which fluctuate each year and are difficult to accurately forecast.

All other areas of expenses are expected to remain on target with original projections for the year.

Our ending unreserved cash balance June 30, 2025, is anticipated to be roughly $28.4 million. The ending unreserved cash balance on Line 15.010 of the forecast is anticipated to be a positive accumulative balance through 2029 if assumptions we have made for property tax collections, state aid in future state budgets, and expenditure assumptions remain close to our estimates.

Forecast Risks and Uncertainty: A five-year financial forecast has risks and uncertainty not only due to economic uncertainties noted above but also due to state legislative changes that will occur in the spring of 2025 and 2027 due to deliberation of the two (2) state biennium budgets for FY26-27 and FY28-29, both of which affect this five-year forecast. We have estimated revenues and expenses based on the best data available and the laws in effect at this time.

Mr. Nickoli recognized Mr. Frye, Mrs. Young, Mr. Kowalski, Mr. Parr, satellite teacher Gwen Schwemley and her students and parents. 

None. 

None

None

Director Frye reported as follows:

Senior Moments 5/9/2025

Outstanding ceremonies- both very full with students and parents

Data/information for the Class of 2025

585/587 seniors will graduate- 99.7% (99.6% in 2024)

2 seniors who are working on an academic requirement to earn the credit they are missing

Class of 2025 earned over $1.3 million dollars in scholarships

244 students took 1620 college courses and received 4927 college credits (222 students/1491 courses/4516 credits)

Of those, 133 were CollegeNOW Business and Engineering students- all 133 earned their Associates Degrees

210 Seniors participated in Early Job Placement (181 in 2024)

16 students have enlisted in the armed forces

106 students have earned their CTE Honors Diploma (87 in 2024)

Students Last Day (cookout) 5/29

End of the year Staff Recognition Breakfast 5/30

Mr. Parr introduced Pioneer's Satellite instructor Gwen Schwemley who teaches FCS at Shelby Middle School. Mrs. Schwemley talked about her FCCLA program and the things that her and her students are able to do and discussed a Nationals trip upcoming to Florida. Mrs. Schwemley introduced her students Karlie Bowman, Paysen Senseimer, and Sydney Gunder. The three students shared their projects with the Board that helped them earn a trip to Nationals.

Mr. Mike Grady reported as follows:

An organization called “Citizens for Property Tax Reform” is proposing an amendment to the Ohio Constitution titled, “Abolishment of Taxes on Real Property”.  The three clauses in the amendment state: (A) No real property shall be taxed, and no law shall impose any taxes on real property. (B) No other provision of the Constitution shall impose any taxes on real property.

(C) As used in this Section , ‘real property’ includes land, all growing crops, all buildings, all structures, and all improvements permanently attached to land.  The Attorney General accepted the language and the 1000 signatures the group collected to permit “Citiizens for Property Tax Reform” to pursue the 413,487 signatures from registered voters necessary to put the amendment on the ballot.  Signatures would need to include voters from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.  The group is based in Cuyahoga County.

The group’s social media account states,  "Citizens for Property Tax Reform is a non-partisan, grassroots citizens group. Our mission is to inform the public on skyrocketing taxes, and the impact high taxes have placed on everyone. And to bring public advocacy and reform to property taxes.” Attorney General David Yost, who approved their initial petition, states on a May 14th post, “The people are going to blow it up at the ballot box–and the resulting chaos will be a failure of the legislature, which knew better but would not act.” On May 16th, David Yost announced he is suspending his campaign for governor.

You will recall the last General Assembly commissioned “The Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform.”  The group adjourned without reaching any consensus on addressing property tax reform.  In 2022, 19.5 billion dollars of property taxes were collected in Ohio, the preponderance  of which funded public schools.

Superintendent Nickoli reported as follows:

YEAR END UPDATE

May is a very busy time of the year with all the end of-year responsibilities including partner school award assemblies and graduations. The Pioneer Awards Assembly and Senior Moments were held on April 23 and May 9, respectively. It is so rewarding to see our students recognized for their excellent work!!

our year-end administrator work session is scheduled for June 4 in the Community Room. At that time, we will review our current school year progress and share relevant data and begin to plan for the 2025-2026 school year. we will be scheduling our Board Goal Setting Meeting for August where we will update you on our Strategic Planning initiatives and set our goals for the coming school year. You will receive an invitation including the time, date, and location of the meeting and an Agenda of the activities for the day later in the Summer.

TEXTBOOK REQUEST FOR THE 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR

I am recommending that you approve the purchase of two new sets of textbooks. Our Chemistry textbooks are due to be replaced as are our Agricultural Program textbooks at Colonel Crawford. Both texts have been reviewed by Mr. Frye and the appropriate Supervisor and were found to be acceptable.

PARTNERSHIP WITH RICHLAND NEWHOPE INDUSTRIES, INC

You may remember that we operate a Project SEARCH site at OhioHealth Mansfield. That programs requires us to partner with an Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) approved vendor. RNI has filled that role in the past. The Steering Committee for the program met several weeks ago and has recommended that we work to find a different vendor. Several issues arose this year that went unresolved by RNI. I want to make you aware that I will be sending a letter dissolving that partnership and we will work with OOD to select another vendor. There are several other vendors who serve individuals with disabilities in Richland County.

REVISION AND UPDATES TO BOARD POLICY

This is a reminder that attached revisions and updates to Board Policy were presented for your review at the April Meeting.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF PIONEER REGARDING TUITION REIMBURSEMENT

I am requesting that you approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the Education Association of Pioneer to increase the annual tuition reimbursement eligibility amount from the current $1,500 to $3,000 for teachers approved to take approved College-Credit Plus eligible courses. We are hoping that this will encourage our current teaching staff to pursue the 18 Master’s Level hours that are required for a high school teacher to teach CCP classes here at Pioneer.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION OF PIONEER REGARDING STRS RETIREMENT NOTIFICATION

In light of the late April change by the State Teachers’ Retirement System to allow teachers with 32 years credit to retire with an unreduced benefit I am asking that you approve an MOU that waives the April 1 notification deadline for the enhanced severance package.

CALENDAR ITEMS

05/29/25 - Last Day for Students

05/28/25 - Strategic Plan Core Team

05/29/25 - Adult Education Graduation

05/30/25 - Staff Recognition Breakfast/Teacher Work Day

06/02-05/25 - Pioneer Summer Camp

06/02/25 - Summer Hours Begin (Continues for 8 weeks)

PERSONNEL

I am pleased to recommend the voluntary transfer of Dan Slaughter to our Academic Supervisor position. Mr. Slaughter is completing his fourth year as a Career-Tech Supervisor and will do a great job in this new role.

I am recommending that you accept the resignation of Matt Hanning, our Engineering Design Instructor, who is transitioning to the private sector. Instructors with these qualifications are often difficult to locate.

I am also recommending that you approve the employment of Jesse Meyer and Jon Secrist as our new Welding Instructors. They fill the new position created by the addition of a second welding lab and the retirement of current instructor Kip Stevens.

I am also recommending that you approve the employment of Michael Messersmith as our new Auto Tech Instructor. He is filling the vacancy created by the retirement of current instructor Dave Such. Mr. Messersmith has an outstanding background in auto repair, including recent training in Electric Vehicles.

I am also recommending the approval of Maternity Leave for Morgan Schumacher, one of our School Counselors for up to twelve weeks beginning May 5.

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 7:11 pm.

No discussion - Moved to vote.