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Big Walnut board adds employee discussion to executive session, approves routine business items and contracts
Summary
At its Aug. 18 meeting the Big Walnut Local Schools board voted to add an employee personnel discussion (G1) to its executive session and approved a slate of routine items including bus stops, commercial paper reporting, continuation of the multi‑year forecast, several contracts and memoranda of understanding.
The Big Walnut Local Schools Board of Education on Aug. 18, 2025 voted to add a personnel discussion to its scheduled executive session and approved a series of routine administrative and financial items, including the district’s bus-stop plan for 2025–26, a commercial paper annual report and continuation of its long-range financial forecast under the new House Bill 96 template.
The board approved an amendment to the executive-session agenda to include division G1 (consideration of appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion or compensation of a public employee or official) after a motion to add “employee discussion.” The board read the statutory language for G1 aloud during the meeting; the amendment passed on a recorded vote with named board members voting in favor.
Why it matters: the G1 designation authorizes the board to discuss personnel matters in private under Ohio law. The other votes completed routine governance and procurement tasks that affect daily district operations — transportation, contracts for student nursing services, propane purchasing and memoranda of understanding with county juvenile court and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office for school‑based services.
Highlights from the superintendent’s report: Superintendent Ryan McClain said the district opened the year with 4,448 students, an increase from last year’s start of 4,389. He reported early transportation delays that staff expect to resolve as routes settle and described a new volunteer process that combines three‑year background checks with a short mandatory information video.
Financial and contract items: Treasurer/finance staff (identified in the meeting as Scott) and other staff reported that July revenue and advances left the district with an ending cash balance of about $44.1 million, $2.5 million above forecast for the start of the fiscal year. The board approved a fund transfer of $4,073 from the athletic tournament account to the high school athletics account per the Ohio Auditor of State, and it approved a propane purchase arrangement for up to 165,000 gallons at approximately $1.489 per gallon through May 31, 2029, billed at market price at delivery.
Student presentations and community items: The board heard a student‑council update from Valencia McKim and a class‑gift concept from Sam Ert proposing to brand North Miller Drive as “Eagles Run” with red-and-gold signs; the students provided a preliminary estimate of under $600 for 10 signs, brackets and posts and said they would pursue remaining funding options. No board action was required or taken on the student proposal.
Ending: After completing the consent and business agenda the board entered the amended executive session. The meeting record shows the listed motions passed with the vote tallies read into the record where noted.
