Brunswick board approves tax budget, construction change orders, employee-dishonesty insurance and routine financial items

The Brunswick Board of Education approved a package of routine but consequential financial items on Jan. 21, 2025, including the district’s tax budget for submission to the county auditor, several purchase approvals and construction change orders related to the new high school project, and a resolution authorizing employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty insurance.

The board unanimously approved the treasurer’s recommendation to accept the Jan. 7, 2025 meeting minutes and the district’s financial and investment report. The unnamed treasurer told the board the district is about halfway through the fiscal year and that revenue is “on par with our estimates,” while expenditures are currently lagging in some areas, which the treasurer characterized as favorable for remaining under budget at year end.

The board approved the tax budget required by the county auditor and state statute. The treasurer explained the tax-budget document’s purpose: it substantiates levy information for the auditor and uses calendar-year figures (taxes are assessed on a calendar-year basis) while the district operates on a July–June fiscal cycle. Board members discussed and accepted corrections submitted for pages of the tax-budget packet prior to the vote.

The board approved then-and-now certificates (purchase orders) including: PO 20252221 to ESC of Northwest Ohio for transportation services ($15,000.03) and PO 20252308 to World Peace Teachings for support services ($6,200).

On construction change orders related to early site work and the new high school project, the board accepted three items: a return of $61,659.27 to PO 20250740 (CMR contingency/site work); a change order of $12,305.71 to PO 20252441 for demolition slab and foundation for a storage building; and a change order of $2,327.82 to PO 20252442 for an underground storm/electrical duct bank conflict.

The board adopted a resolution authorizing the district to purchase employee dishonesty and faithful performance of duty insurance under authority it cited as Ohio Revised Code 3.061 and related provisions (the resolution text referenced House Bill 291 and House Bill 444 as described in the printed motion and cited Ohio Revised Code 2744.081). The resolution authorizes coverage amounts equal to or greater than statutory bond requirements and directs the treasurer to implement policies and procedures to administer the coverage. A district speaker said the policy would raise a current surety limit applicable to the treasurer’s office from $50,000 to up to $500,000 at no additional cost to the district.

The board also approved payment-in-lieu of transportation under Section 3327.01 of the Ohio Revised Code for three families (five students) attending Incarnate Word and St. Mary’s Catholic School; the total payment cited in the agenda was $2,024.25.

All listed motions under the treasurer’s section were adopted by recorded roll call votes; each motion carried with affirmative votes recorded for all board members present.

No additional follow-up steps or challenges were reported for these items at the meeting.