Solon Board approves 2026 tax rates, awards Roxbury parking-lot contract and clears routine personnel and legal items

The Solon Board of Education on April 7 approved tax rates for tax year 2026, awarded a contract for a Roxbury Elementary parking lot and circulation project and approved a bundle of routine personnel and administrative actions.

The board voted to accept tax rates certified by the Cuyahoga County Budget Commission for tax year 2026 — including the general fund rate listed at 80.8 mills, an inside levy of 5.2 mills and a permanent levy of 2.8 mills — and authorized the necessary levies to the county auditor. "This is an annual requirement," the district's treasurer said during the meeting, noting the listed mills are the voted rates and that effective mills are reduced under House Bill 920. The treasurer explained how a mill is calculated and offered to discuss questions outside the meeting.

The resolutions approving minutes, routine payments and purchase orders were also carried. The board approved payment of bills totaling $21,509.96 and approved several "then-and-now" purchase order certificates for prior-year charges and late invoices; the treasurer explained the items were within budget and intended to avoid audit citations.

In personnel actions, the board: - Accepted a resignation for Daphne Williams (monitor), effective March 17, 2025. - Approved retirements for Michelle Rothenberg (26 years), Kenneth Shizek (10 years) and Deborah Holley (34 years). - Approved the list of candidates for graduation (the attached list was approved contingent on each student's completion of state and local requirements). - Approved nonrenewal notices for certain limited- and part-time contracts as part of the district's annual staffing alignment. - Approved an unpaid childcare leave of absence for Desiree Nixic for the 2025–26 school year. - Approved Colleen Hartett as a substitute teacher and approved a set of home-instruction tutors and tuition reimbursements noted in the meeting attachments.

The board authorized the retention of two law firms — recorded in the meeting as Bricker Grama and Ratzel Andress — to provide legal services related to education matters, including tax policy support. The superintendent and board noted Bricker Grama was recommended for tax-policy familiarity and that Ratzel Andress would continue representation tied to an attorney who moved firms.

On facilities, the board awarded a contract to Platform Cement, identified in the meeting as the lowest responsible bidder, for Roxbury Elementary School's parking-lot and site circulation project in the amount of $1,893,000. "I know that number looks big, but I would say to you that this number is actually under our estimated budget of $2,300,000," the superintendent said, adding the work is intended to improve drop-off/pick-up flow and provide additional parking for events. Construction was described as starting in April with the goal of completion by the start of the next school year; the superintendent noted the contractor will work off to the side to limit impacts to students and that the work includes water-retention, right-of-way and landscaping elements.

Board members also reviewed a packet of policy updates that were presented for information and will return for vote at a future meeting. The updates align district policies with recent state laws and Ohio Department of Education model policies and cover topics including drug-free workplace language for administrators, single-gender classes and activities, College Credit Plus enrollment windows, field-trip accommodations tied to restroom/cohabitation rules, interscholastic athletics (including sudden cardiac arrest training), special-education model policies consistent with the 2023 Ohio operating standards, interdistrict open enrollment for active-duty military families, release time for religious instruction, medication administration, student mental-health and suicide-prevention requirements (House Bill 33), graduation-seal options, expanded expulsion-authority for imminent and severe endangerment (House Bill 206), parental-status accommodations for students, parental-notification provisions in the Parents Bill of Rights (House Bill 8), restroom facility assignments required by SB 104, authorization of smart sensors (vape detectors, gunshot detectors, license-plate readers) in video surveillance policy, RAPBACK criminal-history enrollment for contracted staff, and AED/CPR requirements.

Several student recognitions and program reports were presented as information: Solon's Acceletech students won gold medals at SkillsUSA championships, the middle-school MathCounts team won the state title for the third consecutive year, and three students placed in the National Chinese Speech Contest. The district's SCTV productions and a recent spring musical were also highlighted.

The board adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for April 21, 2025.