Board approves consent calendar; district accepts two grants, extends 6‑year math subscription

The Willoughby‑Eastlake City Schools Board of Education on Jan. 6 adopted a consent calendar that included the district’s tax budget for fiscal year 2026, routine appointments and policy procedural items, acceptance of two grants, and approval of a six‑year extension for a middle‑school math curriculum pilot.

The treasurer’s report said the district’s cash balance continues to decline seasonally and is expected to stabilize after property‑tax collections in late January and February. The treasurer additionally reported that expenditures for the first half of the fiscal year remain below estimates because a portion of purchase services have not yet been billed.

Grants and donations accepted - Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation School and Safety grant: $40,000 to upgrade building access control systems across the district; funds to be spent in the coming months for hardware and installation as noted by district staff. - Lakeland Foundation grant: $535 to support a new student activity centered on hydroponics (student built systems and related materials).

Donations reported during the meeting included multiple fishing‑club supplies donated to South High School (rods, reels, lures, tackle boxes) with individual donations valued between $25 and $6,747.60; the transcript lists donors and reported valuations for each donation.

Curriculum and trips - The board approved a six‑year subscription to the Intro to Math curriculum for grades 6–8, extending the pilot approved in May and spreading cost commitments across several years. - The board discussed a proposed new senior‑level Spanish course (a Spanish 5 experiential learning course slated as a flex course) and an MOU with Kent State University for College Credit Plus; an overnight student trip to the Galápagos Islands for students in the Spanish program was noted as planned for March 2026 (details and approvals appear on future agendas as required).

Routine items approved on the consent calendar included establishment of service funds per Ohio Rev. Code §3315.15 (district enrollment certified at 6,898 as of Dec. 1, 2024), OSBA membership dues, legal assistance fund participation, meeting dates for 2025, personnel recommendations and standard monthly financial authorizations for the treasurer.

Votes and board action - Motion to adopt the consent calendar: moved and seconded; approved by roll call (board members present recorded “yes” during the vote). Specific consent entries called out during the meeting included the tax budget for FY2026, establishment of the service fund, legal counsel appointments, and authorization for the treasurer to request tax advances and reinvest available funds for calendar year 2025.

What this means: The $40,000 safety grant will allow planned upgrades to building access control systems. The math curriculum extension preserves continuity for students already in the pilot program and spreads the district’s financial commitment over multiple years. Additional specifics about the Galápagos trip and the Kent State MOU (such as student counts and cost per student) were mentioned as agenda items but not specified in detail during the meeting.