The Austintown Local School District Board of Education elected Greg Markham president and Kathy Mok vice president at its Jan. 14 organizational meeting, each winning by 3–2 votes, and approved a package of governance and administrative measures to guide board operations through 2025.

The board opened nominations for president and nominated Greg Markham; in an individual roll call Markham, Board Member Kathy Mok and Board Member Porter voted yes, while Board Member Don Sherwood and Board Member Kim Smrek voted no, producing a 3–2 result. The board then administered the oath of office to the president. The board subsequently nominated and elected Kathy Mok as vice president by the same 3–2 tally.

The meeting adopted Robert’s Rules of Order to guide board and committee proceedings and approved administrative authorities for routine fiscal and personnel actions. The board authorized the treasurer to make payroll and accounts-payable disbursements when due, established a $4,000 service fund for reimbursable board expenses, and approved a provision reserving the board’s right of approval for purchases exceeding $15,000 with a mechanism to authorize the board president or vice president in exceptional circumstances.

Other items approved by consent or routine motion included: continued participation in state and federal grant programs; retention of outside legal counsel; authorization for the superintendent to temporarily hire staff and to accept resignations between board meetings; approval for board-related travel expenses through Jan. 1, 2026; and compensation for board members in accordance with Ohio Revised Code 3313.12.

On education-program items the board approved a memorandum of understanding with Kent State University to participate in the College Credit Plus program effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026; set substitute-teacher education requirements for the 2024–25 school year and thereafter; approved a bass-fishing program for grades 7–12; and adopted board policy PO 2265. The board also approved a list of 501(c)(3) booster and school-support organizations to operate during 2025 and set the board’s regular session schedule for 2025 as the third Thursday of every month at 5 p.m. at Austintown Middle School (AMS).

Don Sherwood was approved to serve as the board’s legislative liaison with the Ohio School Boards Association; Kim Smrek was approved as a delegate to the OSBA capital conference. Several delegate/alternate appointments were moved and recorded in consent but the transcript does not specify a named appointee for one of the student-achievement liaison slots and one alternate delegate nomination was recorded as a self-nomination without a clear name in the minutes.

The board set a work session for Feb. 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. at AMS with a 4 p.m. preparatory session in the board office. The meeting adjourned after routine superintendent and treasurer comments.

Votes at a glance

- President (nomination of Greg Markham): approved, 3–2 (Markham — yes; Mok — yes; Porter — yes; Sherwood — no; Smrek — no).
- Vice president (nomination of Kathy Mok): approved, 3–2 (Markham — yes; Mok — yes; Porter — yes; Sherwood — no; Smrek — no).
- Adopt Robert’s Rules of Order: approved (roll-call affirmative votes recorded).
- Establish $4,000 board service fund: approved.
- Reserve board approval for purchases over $15,000 with emergency authority to president/vice president: approved.
- Treasurer authority to make payroll/disbursements and invest funds per policy: approved.
- Authorize superintendent to temporarily hire staff and accept resignations between meetings: approved.
- Approve participation in state/federal grant programs and authorize filing grant applications: approved.
- Retain legal counsel as recommended: approved.
- Kent State University College Credit Plus MOU (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026): approved.
- Substitute-teacher education requirements (2024–25 and thereafter): approved.
- Bass fishing program (grades 7–12): approved.
- Adoption of board policy PO 2265: approved.
- Notify Ohio Department of Education that district will be open enrollment for 2025–26: approved, 4–1 (Porter — no; others — yes).

No ordinance or bond measures were considered. Many items were approved by unanimous or near-unanimous roll call; where the transcript records a dissenting vote it is listed above.

Ending

Most agenda items were routine organizational or consent matters designed to set the district’s governance and administrative processes for 2025. Several appointments were explicit in the record; a small number of liaison/alternate appointments were recorded without a clearly named appointee in the provided transcript.