Forest Hills Local board approves consent agenda including HR hires, Natatorium HVAC bid advertisement and $13,000 workers' comp settlement

The Forest Hills Local Board of Education approved a package of consent items that included personnel hires, facilities procurement authorization and financial settlements at its regular meeting.

Superintendent (name not specified) told the board the human-resources report included five probationary full-time equivalents being brought on to serve in special-education (ESE) classrooms and recommended approval of agenda item 8.2. Board member Bob moved to approve item 8.2; Mister Bell seconded. Roll call was: Mister Bibb yes; Mister Bell yes; Missus Jonas yes; Doctor Simmons yes; Doctor Strickler abstain.

The board also approved resolutions 9.1 and 9.2 as part of the consent agenda. Staff member John presented the first resolution as a revised "declaring impractical transportation" item and described a separate resolution authorizing advertisement and solicitation for bids to replace the air-handling unit in Turpin High School's Natatorium, which the presenter said had reached the end of its useful life and was part of the district's permanent-improvement plan. The superintendent asked that items 9.1 and 9.2 be included in the consent agenda; a later motion to approve action items 9.1 through 11.3 was seconded and approved on roll call: Missus Jonas yes; Doctor Strickler yes; Mister Bell yes; Doctor Simmons yes; Mister Bibb yes.

Treasurer Miss Cropper presented the finance items (11.1'11.3). Highlights included a recommended transition of the district's third-party administrator for its 403(b) and 457 deferred-compensation plans from Voya to Omni TSA Consulting Group through OASBO; Miss Cropper said the change was driven by Voya's decision to exit that portion of the business and that OASBO had selected Omni TSA. The board approved the change as part of the consent items.

The treasurer also asked approval of a workers'compensation settlement in the amount of $13,000, which staff and outside counsel recommended as in the district's best interest to avoid future liability; the board approved the settlement as part of the consent package.

Miss Cropper summarized financial snapshots: donations in September totaled about $4,600, bringing year-to-date donations to roughly $7,000; the fall property-tax settlement accounted for about 47% of the district's expected property-tax receipts for the fiscal year; the district's cash position at the start of the fiscal year was reported at about $31.2 million and, after first-quarter activity, the cash balance stood just under $42 million with an unreserved balance of about $32.6 million (about 149 days of operating cash, or 116 days after encumbrances). Permanent-improvement activity showed roughly $3.6 million paid of a $4.6 million summer budget with just under $1 million remaining in outstanding encumbrances. Miss Cropper also reported investment earnings of approximately $835,000 so far in the fiscal year.

Action items recorded - Item 8.2 (HR report): motion to approve probationary hires carried (yes: Bibb, Bell, Jonas, Simmons; abstain: Strickler). - Consent package (items 9.1, 9.2, 11.1'11.3): motion to approve carried (Jonas, Strickler, Bell, Simmons, Bibb all yes).

Why it matters: the approved hires are intended to address increased special-education classroom needs; the Natatorium HVAC authorization starts the procurement process for a facility system that staff said has reached its end of useful life; the deferred-comp administrator change and the workers' compensation settlement alter the district's vendor relationships and potential future liabilities.

Provenance: presentation of the HR hires, the Natatorium HVAC item and treasurer's presentation appear in the meeting transcript beginning at 00:00:00, 00:01:31 and 00:05:36 respectively.

Speakers (selected): Superintendent (presenter), Board member Bob (mover on item 8.2), Mister Bell (second), Mister Bibb (board member), Missus Jonas (board member), Doctor Simmons (board member), Doctor Strickler (board member), Miss Cropper (treasurer), John (facilities/staff member).

Clarifying details: the workers' compensation settlement amount of $13,000 was described as vetted by the third-party administrator and the district's attorney; donations and cash figures are reported in the treasurer's quarterly snapshots; the Turpin Natatorium unit replacement was described as part of the permanent-improvement plan and noted to be a full replacement because the system has reached end of useful life.