Board approves treasurer and tax measures; accepts donations and personnel items

The Westlake City Schools Board of Education on March 24 approved a package of financial and administrative measures, certified property-tax valuation challenges to the county, and accepted several donations to district programs.

Treasurer Todd Hopkins presented five consent items grouped under the treasurer’s recommendations. The board approved authorization to go to bid through the Ohio Schools Council for two 78-passenger buses (the district does not expect to purchase them in the current fiscal year), renewal/extension of the district’s master energy agreement with Power for Schools and its energy supplier NG Resources (Hopkins said the agreement lowers the per-kilowatt-hour price and represents a roughly 6.5% reduction from current rates), a contract with AED Vector to maintain the district’s automated external defibrillators, and a Cintas agreement for uniform and mop services. The board also approved setting classified substitute pay at the step 0 base rate for each job category (substitutes would not receive steps or contract stipends), a change Hopkins said is intended to make substitute pay competitive and reduce overtime costs.

Hopkins said a bus purchase cycle of roughly three buses per year has been typical for a 12–13 year replacement plan, and that conventional buses in recent bids ran about $118,000–$120,000 apiece while electric-bus price estimates cited in discussion were in the roughly $400,000 range plus charging infrastructure costs. He said the district faces capital pressures and noted the district has financed prior facility improvements; he suggested that a future PI levy could be considered to support long-term fleet and capital needs.

In a separate tax section the board approved ten resolutions to challenge property valuations for recent commercial sales that Hopkins said had not been fully reflected in current valuations. Hopkins said the property-review resolutions were prepared by the district attorney based on recent sales and will be certified to the board of revision for property valuation changes if the board’s motion stands.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Goggin asked the board to accept multiple gifts and donations, including a $3,000 contribution from David and Mrs. Sidlowski to the Ally Sidlowski Memorial Scholarship Fund and a $1,000 donation from the William Corley Foundation of the Westlake Bay Village Rotary Club to the Best Buddies club at Westlake High School. The board approved grouped superintendent personnel and donation recommendations (items 7a–7j).

Votes at a glance - Agenda approval: approved by roll call (motion carries). - Minutes (Feb. 10) approval: approved by voice vote. - Treasurer recommendations (items 5a–5f): approved by roll call. - Tax matters (items 6a–6j): approved by roll call; ten commercial-property valuation challenges to be certified to the attorney and Board of Revision. - Superintendent recommendations (items 7a–7j): donations and personnel items approved by roll call.

All motions described above were approved by the board during the March 24 meeting as recorded in the meeting minutes. No formal dissenting vote on these items was recorded on the meeting transcript.