Highland Local School District - Regular Meeting

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the minutes for the March 12, 2025 Regular Board of Education Meeting as presented.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the March 2025 Financial Statements as presented.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Messmer:

Short:

Belcher:

Castle:

Thacker:

In order for the Board to fulfill its obligation to complete the planned agenda in an effective and efficient manner, a maximum of 30 minutes of public participation may be permitted at each meeting.
Each person addressing the Board shall give his/her name. If several people wish to speak, each person is allotted three minutes until the total time of 30 minutes has elapsed. During that period, no person may speak twice until all who desire to speak have had the opportunity. Persons desiring more time should follow procedure of the Board to be placed on the regular agenda. The period of public participation may be extended by a vote of the majority of the Board present and voting.

WHEREAS, as a public board of education may hold an executive session only after a majority of a quorum of this board determines by a roll call vote to hold such a session and only at a regular or special meeting for the sole purpose of the consideration of any of the following matters:

A. Consideration of the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official.

B. Investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee, or student unless such employee, official, licensee, or student requests a public meeting; except that consideration of the discipline of a Board member for conduct related to the performance of their duties or their removal from office shall not be held in executive session.

C. Consideration of the purchase of property for public purposes, or sale or other disposition of unneeded, obsolete, unfit-for-use property at competitive bidding, if premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest.

D. Discussion with the Board's legal counsel of disputes involving the Board that are the subject of pending or imminent court action.

E. Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of employment.

F. Matters required to be confidential by Federal law or regulations or State statutes.

G. Specialized details of security arrangements and emergency response protocols where disclosure might reveal information that could jeopardize the District's security.

H. Consideration of confidential information related to the marketing plans, specific business strategy, production techniques, trade secrets, or personal financial statements of an applicant for economic development assistance, or to negotiations with other political subdivisions respecting requests for economic development assistance, provided that both of the following conditions apply:
    1. The information is directly related to a request for economic development assistance that is to be provided or administered under one of the statutes referenced in R.C. 121.22(G)(8)(1), or that involves public infrastructure improvements or the extension of utility services that are directly related to an economic development project, and

    2. An unanimous quorum of the Board or its subcommittee determines, by a roll call vote, that the executive session is necessary to protect the interests of the applicant or the possible investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project.
Therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Highland Local Board of Education, by a majority of the quorum present at this meeting, does hereby declare its intention to hold an executive session on item(s) as listed above.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following resignations

Joey Longhino        HS Social Studies

Chad Russell          MS STEM Teacher

Mary Conners         ES Teacher

Dana Kemmer        ES Library Aide

Bryee Guisinger      ES Aide

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following classified substitutes    

Joseph Farrell        Custodian

Courtney Clinedinst    Aide/Cook/Secretary

Mary Cochran           Secretary        (Effective 4-3-25)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following classified contracts

Paul Ulrey                    MS Custodian                        (Step 5)    (Effective 3-24-25)

Melanie Nauman         Administrative Assistant          (2 year)    (Retroactive to 8/1/2024)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following certified personnel per the adopted salary schedule.

Mike DeLaney        Middle School Social Studies        (Step 28)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker            

Resolution to approve the Highland Local School District Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Highland Education Association effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following personnel for extended school year services paid at their hourly rate of $48/hr.

Sidney Hammer    Speech Language Pathologist       

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve a one-time reimbursement of $100 to the following bus drivers for electricity used to plug their buses in at home during the 2024-2025 school year.

Christy Carson

Jody Keller

Sandy Beckel

Kendra Albanese

Brad Duncan

Trina Ratliff

Brandi Eichhorn

Ron Ragor

Danielle Rehm

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to authorize payment of $300 per teacher mentored for resident educator teacher mentors for the 2024-2025 school year.

Kelley Hutchins (2 people)

Mary Davis (2 people)

Syanne Palmer (2 people)

Tasha Terrill

Tarren Woodruff

Cait Nelson

Sasha Kent

Tom Haring

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following policy updates

Resolution to approve the first reading of the following board policy changes.

PO 0131.1    Technical Corrections

PO 0171        Rescind Review of Policy

PO 1422.01    Drug Free Workplace

PO 2271        College Credit Plus Program

PO 2340        Field and Other Sponsored Trips

PO 2431        Interscholastic Athletics

PO 2460        Revised Special Education

PO 5113        Inter-District Open Enrollment

PO 5120        Assignment Within District

PO 5131        Student Transfers

PO 5136        Revised Personal Communication Devices

PO 5223        Release Time For Religious Instruction During The School Day

PO 5330        Use of Medications

PO 5350        Student Health, Well-Being, and Suicide Prevention

PO 5460        Graduation Requirements 

PO 5610        Removal, Suspension, Expulsion, and Permanent Expulsion of Students

PO 5751        Parental Status of Students

PO 5780.01    Parent's Bill of Rights

PO 6151        Insufficient Funds Checks

PO 7440.01    Surveillance and Electronic Monitoring

PO 8142        Criminal History Record Check For Contracted School Services

PO 8452        Automated External Defibrillators and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

PO 8500        Food Services

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the 2025-2026 preschool calendar

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve preschool tuition of $200 per month beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve entering into an MOU with Columbus State CC for college credit plus tuition and fees/school district book processes.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following overnight trip requests

MS Robotics         Dallas, TX (5/8 - 5/12)

HS BPA                 Orlando, FL (5/7 - 5/11)

HS/MS Robotics    Detroit, MI  (5/13 - 5/14)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the payment of robotics expenses from the General Fund for the trips to worlds and Detroit not to exceed $10,000 total from the General Fund (General Fund expenses to be incurred only if the robotics team can't raise the needed funds).

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the payment of BPA expenses from the General Fund for the trip to nationals not to exceed $10,000 total from the General Fund (General Fund expenses to be incurred only if BPA can't raise the needed funds).

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the purchase of a commercial dishwasher from Skelton's at a cost of $27,336 for the high school.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to accept a donation from the boosters of a vertimax machine estimated to be worth $2,500.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the agreement with Julian and Grube to provide Medicaid School Program agreed-upon procedures.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to authorize the Superintendent and Treasurer to review the lowest responsible bid for the Slack Center renovation and grant authority to the Superintendent and Treasurer to execute and sign a contract with the lowest responsible bidder with appropriate technical competence.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to adjourn this meeting and schedule the next meeting of the Highland Local School District Board of Education to be held Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the middle school robotics room.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker