Votes at a glance: Tallmadge Board approves contracts, field trips, calendar first reading and personnel slate

The Tallmadge City Board of Education on March 2 approved a series of routine and contract items, including renewal of an energy purchasing agreement, a three-year occupational therapy contract, several overnight student trips and a slate of personnel appointments. The board also gave a first reading to an updated 2025–26 school calendar and reviewed 21 district policy updates.

Votes and key outcomes

- Minutes (02/19/2025): Approved (voice vote). The board approved minutes from its Feb. 19 meeting; documents are posted online.

- Financial reports (January 2025): Approved (voice vote). The treasurer presented normal monthly reports; no significant issues were reported.

- Tallmadge High School 2025–26 course guide: Approved (voice vote). Board members praised staff who prepared the guide and noted one new CCP (college credit plus) English course to be taught in-house by a teacher with a master’s degree.

- Power for Schools agreement (energy purchasing consortium): Renewed for a 24‑month term through June 2027 (voice vote). The program, hosted by the Ohio Schools Council, supplies district electricity at a negotiated rate noted during the meeting as roughly 5–6¢ per kilowatt-hour.

- Star Therapy and Sales Corporation: Accepted proposal for comprehensive occupational therapy services for a three-year term ending in 2028 (voice vote). The board approved a small rate increase described as a low-percentage uptick.

- Field trips (overnight): Approved (voice votes) - Tallmadge Middle School robotics team to the 2025 VEX Robotics State Championship, Dayton, Ohio, March 13–14, 2025. - Varsity baseball (coaches listed) to Chillicothe, Ohio, April 18–19, 2025; roughly 15 athletes expected. - FCCLA state leadership conference, Columbus, Ohio, April 23–25, 2025.

- Donation: Accepted a long-jump pit tarp from Arrow Industries of Brimfield (estimated value $800). The solicitation was credited to Jeremy Huth.

- First reading: Updated 2025–26 school calendar (first reading approved). Changes were described as a reshuffling of days — teacher workdays and total student days remain unchanged — to add a records day at the end of each quarter, reduce professional development days from three to two for this year, and move the post-Memorial Day records day to an earlier date; students and staff will report on April 6 instead of having that Monday off. This is a first reading; final approval is expected next month.

- First reading: Review of 21 updated board policies. Administrators noted recent state legislation (including references to the parent bill of rights and other new requirements) informed the policy revisions. The board asked that two members undertake a thorough joint review of the changes.

- Personnel items (1–15 consolidated): Approved as a single motion. The board confirmed multiple hires and assignments, including a new strength and conditioning coach, Farron Murphy, and JV softball coach Tracy McCoy, among others.

Procedural notes

Most items were routine and approved by voice vote with aye responses for trustees recorded during roll calls. Several presenters — including a representative from Star Therapy and district directors — attended in person. No item included a recorded no vote or abstention in the meeting transcript.

The board also discussed scheduling a special meeting to review and approve a draft fiscal oversight plan that must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Education by the end of March; a date will be announced following coordination after this meeting.

The meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that passed by voice vote.