Parma City School Board elects Steve Vaughn president, names Mark Ruta vice president and adopts 2025 tax budget

The Parma City School District Board of Education elected Board member Steve Vaughn as its 2025 president and Board member Mark Ruta as vice president during the board's organizational meeting held under Ohio law on Jan. 1, 2025. The board also approved procedural organizational items, set committee assignments and eliminated a separate legislation committee, and adopted the district's tax budget for fiscal year 2025.

The board opened the meeting under Ohio Revised Code §3313.14, which requires the board to organize by electing a president for a one-year term. Board member Steve Vaughn was nominated and elected president; he then took the oath of office, repeating the statutory oath, including “I, Steve Vaughn, do solemnly swear … that I will faithfully and impartially discharge my duties as president of the board of education of the Parma City School District, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.” Board member Mark Ruta was elected vice president and likewise repeated the oath.

The organization discussion included committee assignments for the coming year. The board voted to discontinue a standalone legislation committee, with several members saying legislative updates and changes from Columbus are better handled through the board's policy committee and by staff briefings. The board set committee rosters as follows: Business — Mark Rudow and Miss McTaggart; Curriculum — Miss Kerpich and Steve Vaughn; Finance — Miss McTaggart and Miss Cohart; Policy — Miss Kerpich and Miss Cohart. Board members discussed that staff and the policy committee will provide updates on state law changes and potential bills as needed.

On routine business, the board approved the written record of proceedings from the Dec. 12, 2024 regular meeting and adopted Resolution 2025-01-03, approving organizational items under consent action (calendar and meeting schedule). The board also approved Resolution 2025-01-04, adopting the tax budget for fiscal year 2025. Those items were adopted by roll call as part of the organizational consent actions.

Superintendent Dr. Smiley (listed in the meeting as Doctor Smiley) had no substantive reports to add at the time; the board president and vice president offered brief remarks about priorities for the year, including communication, student opportunity and fiscal responsibility. The meeting concluded after the board adopted Resolution 2025-01-05 to adjourn.

Votes at a glance - Election of president: Steve Vaughn — elected by roll call; oath administered. - Election of vice president: Mark Ruta — elected by roll call; oath administered. - Resolution 2025-01-02: Approval of written record of proceedings from Dec. 12, 2024 — approved by roll call. - Resolution 2025-01-03: Approval of 2025 organizational items under consent action (meeting calendar, committee framework) — approved by roll call; included elimination of legislation committee and assignment of committee memberships. - Resolution 2025-01-04: Adoption of tax budget for fiscal year 2025 — approved by roll call. - Resolution 2025-01-05: Adjournment — approved by roll call.

The board did not discuss substantive new policy changes or programmatic budget allocations during the organizational meeting; members asked for calendar invitations and logistics for committee meetings to be circulated to all members. The meeting was livestreamed and adjourned after the organizational business was completed.