Ashland City School Board approves levy resolution, sets capital funds and ratifies contracts including three-year teacher pact

ASHLAND CITY, Ohio — The Ashland City School District Board of Education on May 19 approved a package of fiscal and administrative items, including a resolution to renew an existing 1.25-mill permanent improvements tax levy to be placed on the November ballot, creation of capital project funds, purchases for school kitchens, insurance renewals and a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the teachers’ association.

Kyle Klingler, the district treasurer, introduced the levy resolution and told the board, “This is our first resolution of 2 that we need to approve before we put this levy back on the ballot.” The board voted to declare it necessary to renew the 1.25-mill levy for general permanent improvements and asked the Ashland County auditor to certify current valuation and estimated revenue for ballot planning.

The board also authorized establishment of capital project funds (USAS 070) to accumulate resources for acquisition, construction or improvement of fixed assets and to permit transfers into those funds. Klingler said the step follows capital planning discussed at the board’s prior meeting and is tied to the district’s five-year forecast process.

Board members approved a contract through the Ohio School Council bidding process for kitchen equipment for Taft Intermediate and Edison Elementary. The district presented the procurement as funded from the food service fund balance earned while lunches were provided free to all students; the transcript did not specify the final purchase amount in clear numeric form.

The board approved the district’s five-year financial forecast for fiscal years 2025–29 as presented and accepted Treasurer Klingler’s assumptions, with Klingler saying there were no significant changes since the last forecast presented in November.

Under the superintendent’s consent calendar the board approved an agreement with Maritime Health to provide employee health coverage for the period listed in the motion as July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The district described itself as self-insured and moving that arrangement into the next fiscal year.

The board renewed property, fleet and liability coverage through the Schools of Ohio Risk Sharing Authority (SORSA) for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026. Superintendent Rod Paramore said the coverage is “an absolute necessity” and that the premium “didn’t go up all that much.” The transcript records the annual premium as $230,000 and $81 US currency in the board materials.

The board approved a minor policy revision to policy 1310 (employment of the treasurer) after a prior first reading; the change was described as clarifying surety-bond language.

The board ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement with ACTA (the teachers’ association). Paramore described the process as collaborative, thanked negotiators on both sides, and said the contract “is a fair representation of the value” teachers provide. The board approved the agreement by roll call.

Roll-call votes were recorded for each motion. Most consent and action items carried unanimously; one vote on the superintendent’s consent calendar recorded an abstention by board member Missus Deppert, who said she had a family member under exhibit H and therefore abstained from that specific set of consent items. All other recorded votes related to the motions reported in the meeting passed by recorded affirmative votes.

What the board discussed but did not adopt at the meeting included continuing operational reminders from the superintendent — such as final forms for athletics and opt‑in transportation, dates for preschool graduation and scholar recognition — and ceremonial recognitions of student and staff achievements. No public comments on agenda items were recorded at the meeting.

The board set a regular meeting date for June 23, 2025, and noted other calendar items such as Memorial Day closure and end-of-year events; no additional formal actions on those calendar items were recorded in this meeting.

Votes at a glance (motions approved during the meeting): - Treasurer’s consent calendar — approved by roll call (motion carried). - Resolution to renew 1.25-mill permanent improvements levy and request auditor certification — approved by roll call. - Establishment of capital project funds (USAS 070) and related transfers — approved by roll call. - Initial contract procurement through Ohio School Council for kitchen equipment at Taft Intermediate and Edison Elementary — approved by roll call (purchase amount not clearly specified in the transcript). - Five-year forecast and assumptions, FY2025–2029 — approved by roll call. - Superintendent’s consent calendar — approved by roll call (one abstention by Missus Deppert on exhibit H items). - Agreement with Maritime Health for employee healthcare coverage, effective 07/01/2025–06/30/2026 — approved by roll call. - Renewal of SORSA fleet, property and liability insurance, effective 07/01/2025–06/30/2026 (annual premium recorded in materials as $230,000.81) — approved by roll call. - Policy 1310 (employment of the treasurer) revision — approved by roll call. - Collective bargaining agreement with ACTA (three-year term) — approved by roll call.

The meeting’s approved motions move a set of budget, procurement and personnel matters forward; the levy resolution begins the formal process of placing a renewal levy before voters, while the capital fund action and procurement approvals enable near-term facility and kitchen work in the district.