Breckenbsville-Broadview Heights City — At its annual organizational meeting on Jan. 8, 2025, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Board of Education unanimously elected Mark Dossin as board president and Ellen Kramer as vice president and approved a series of routine resolutions and administrative authorizations for the calendar year.

The board approved the annual order of voting (alphabetical with the president voting last) and adopted Robert’s Rules of Order to govern procedural questions. It appointed Eva O’Meara as the district’s one-year rotating representative to the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC) and set board member pay at $100 per meeting effective Jan. 1, 2025 — a rate the board said represents no change.

The board also approved continuing authorizations for the superintendent and treasurer/CFO to carry out district business for the year with no changes from the prior year; designated the treasurer/CFO and the director of people services as district records officers; and approved staff assignments for compliance roles including Title IX coordinator, anti-harassment compliance officer, 504/ADA officer, civil-rights coordinator, homeless liaison and suspension appeal officer.

On administrative and legal matters, the board approved its 2025 list of outside legal firms (including Fisher & Phillips, Squire Patton Boggs and the Riley Law Firm as listed on the agenda), affirmed participation in the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) membership for $10,334, and authorized participation in the OSBA Legal Assistance Fund for $250.

The board adopted the new Ohio minimum wage rate listed on the agenda ($10.70 per hour) for district purposes and approved filing the district’s alternative tax budget for fiscal year 2026; the superintendent noted the tax budget must be submitted to the county auditor and Budget Commission the following day as part of the county-level tax-rate process.

Board members spent the longest portion of discussion describing an updated approach to assigning “areas of responsibility” to individual board members (for example: curriculum, finance, transportation appeals, safety, permanent improvement and extracurricular/PSO liaison duties). The board described those assignments as a communications and escalation role rather than a replacement for staff responsibilities; several members said they prefer two members on key areas such as finance and permanent improvement but view some liaisons (PSO, school foundation) as suitable for a single member. The superintendent said these groupings are informational and not board meetings and that legal guidance prompted the change in format.

The board recognized district support organizations under policy 9211 (listed on the agenda) — including the parent school organizations, band and orchestra boosters, athletic boosters, the high school foundation, speech and robotics boosters — and directed staff to follow up with those groups to confirm required documentation such as liability insurance and financial records.

The meeting ended after the board approved its 2025 meeting dates; members noted no calendar conflicts that would prevent the schedule from standing. The board adjourned and noted its first regular meeting will be held the following week.

Votes at a glance: All recorded motions on the Jan. 8 organizational agenda passed on unanimous roll-call votes (5-0) unless otherwise noted.

- Resolve to appoint Mark Dossin as board president — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to appoint Ellen Kramer as board vice president — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to approve member order of voting (alphabetical; president last) and adopt Robert’s Rules of Order — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to appoint Eva O’Meara to the one-year rotating representative term at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to approve annual authorizations for the superintendent and treasurer/CFO (no changes from prior year) — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to set board member compensation at $100 per meeting, effective Jan. 1, 2025 — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to approve list of legal counsel firms for 2025 as listed on the agenda — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to approve OSBA membership for 2025 in the amount of $10,334 — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to participate in the OSBA Legal Assistance Fund for 2025 ($250) — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to appoint listed staff to compliance and liaison roles (Title IX coordinator, 504/ADA officer, anti-harassment coordinator, civil-rights coordinator, homeless liaison, suspension appeal officer) — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to designate the treasurer/CFO and director of people services as district records officers — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to adopt the Ohio minimum wage rate shown on the agenda ($10.70 per hour) — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to adopt and file the alternative tax budget for fiscal year 2026 — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to recognize district support organizations listed under board policy 9211 — Approved, roll call 5-0.
- Resolve to approve the 2025 Board of Education meeting dates as listed on the agenda — Approved, roll call 5-0.

The board did not take separate public comment during this organizational meeting and described many items as routine annual housekeeping required to open the year.