Elyria City School Board approves budget and personnel measures; treasurer warns state budget could force special meetings

The Elyria City School Board on June 25 approved meeting minutes and a package of treasurer, contract and personnel items while the treasurer warned that a state budget bill could force special meetings in July.

The board unanimously approved the meeting minutes and then accepted a set of treasurer recommendations including acceptance of the district's May 2025 financial reports, approval of purchase orders, and start-up petty cash funding. Treasurer Pauline April told the board that the district's May report includes bank reconciliations, an investment report and a cash balance report as detailed in the treasurer's attachments.

"I just wanna give you a heads up, but I don't know until they actually pass it," Treasurer Pauline April said, describing ongoing, late changes to a budget bill in Columbus. April said those changes could require the board to hold one or more special meetings in July to update wording on an emergency levy and a new-money proposal depending on what the legislature passes.

The board approved a set of additional treasurer actions that included appointing board members to serve as primary and alternate representatives for an expulsion hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 16 at 4 p.m. at the district administration building; authorization for transfers from the general fund to close fiscal year 2025 accounts; modifications of final appropriations for fiscal year 2025; temporary appropriations for fiscal year 2026; and an amended certificate of estimated resources for fiscal year 2025.

Under superintendent action items, the board authorized several contracts and agreements. The superintendent presented authorization for a food-service vending agreement, two catering agreements serving two other schools, an updated primary services agreement with the ESC, a contract with an ombudsman program identified in the agenda as "Ombudsman K-3" for placement of students, a contract with Education Alternatives for instruction of students placed outside regular classrooms, and an education-alternative transportation agreement for the 2025-26 school year. All of those motions were approved by roll call.

Superintendent Anne Schloss summarized personnel actions that the board also approved. The board adopted updated certified and classified job descriptions, accepted retirements and resignations, approved appointments (including Elyria High School student workers for Performing Arts Center rentals), granted at least one unpaid leave of absence for a classified staff member, and ratified an MOU creating new lead positions for food preparation and lead stock handler duties. The board also approved athletic supplemental contracts, other supplemental contracts for certified staff, and multiple new hires and appointments.

The superintendent introduced newly hired staff: Justin Bacon, speech-language pathologist at The Village; Kelsey Caldwell, an English-language-learner teacher who recently returned to the U.S.; and Courtney Corson, a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher assigned to Northwood. Schloss additionally thanked operations staff for summer work readying facilities for the next school year.

The meeting concluded with a motion to enter executive session; the motion carried on a roll call.

Votes at a glance - Approval of meeting minutes: approved by roll call (members present voted aye). - Treasurer consent items (May financial reports, purchase orders, start-up petty cash): approved by roll call (members present voted aye). - Treasurer supplemental package (expulsion hearing appointments; transfers; final and temporary appropriations; amended certificate of estimated resources): approved by roll call (members present voted aye). - Superintendent contracts (food service vending, catering agreements, ESC primary service update, Ombudsman K-3 contract, Education Alternatives contract, education-alternative transportation 2025-26): approved by roll call (members present voted aye). - Personnel package (job description updates, retirements/resignations, appointments, student workers, MOU for lead positions, supplemental contracts, athletic supplements): approved by roll call (members present voted aye). - Motion to enter executive session: approved by roll call.

No item in the agenda was postponed or tabled during the meeting. Several agenda items and approvals were presented as consent or routine items and passed without substantive public debate.