Sugaring Ball Board moves $2.5M into capital projects for bus garage, approves final appropriations and several contracts

At its June 30 meeting the Sugaring Ball Board of Education approved a package of financial moves and contracts that reallocate funds and set the district's fiscal footing for the coming year.

Chair called the meeting to order and the board approved the agenda before hearing a presentation on the proposed 2026–27 school calendar. Nora presented the draft calendar and said the board will not vote on it tonight because Ohio rules require calendars be posted at least 30 days in advance; she gave the tentative dates as Aug. 19, 2026 for the first day of school and May 27, 2027 for the last day, and said kindergarten and preschool start dates will be determined later.

The most consequential action was approval of a set of interfund transfers and a capital projects resolution. A district finance staff member explained that recent budget-rule changes (a likely 40% cap referenced in the meeting) prompted the district to move money out of the general fund and into other funds where it will not count against the cap. That reallocation will make this year's transfers appear larger on paper even though, the staff member said, actual spending will not increase.

"We're not increasing expenditures," the staff member said. "We're just moving it."

The presentation showed more than $5,000,000 in transfers out of the general fund. Among those moves, the board approved resolution 25-123 to transfer $2,500,000 into the new 070 capital projects fund to hold money designated for a bus garage/transportation facility that the district has been planning. The finance staff said much of those dollars were previously held in a special cost center inside the PI (permanent improvement) fund; moving the amounts into the capital projects fund changes how the transfers appear on the district's forecast but does not change program spending plans.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the permanence and visibility of those funds. A board member noted that once money is placed in the PI fund some transfers are restricted; staff confirmed the move to the 070 fund is intended to make the bus garage dollars clearly reserved for that capital project rather than appearing available within the PI fund's routine balance.

The board also approved the district's fiscal-year final appropriation (the transcript records a resolution number read during the meeting) and a number of contracts and personnel items that were presented as consent or action items. Among the motions the board approved:

- Student course fees for 2025–26 as presented, with staff noting an effort to standardize fees across grades; "we really made an effort this year to not just get these down, but to get them more consistent," a staff member said. - Handbooks for the intermediate, middle and high schools after a districtwide alignment process using NEOLA policies. - Updated job descriptions and staff hires (the district indicated some late resignations may require a special July meeting to finalize hires). - Coaches and volunteer approvals for high school athletics contingent on meeting requirements. - Approval of community education staff (the presenters said community ed staff set programming and rates and are not paid directly by the district). - Contracts: a middle-school yearbook contract with Jocelyn Lynch; a contract with the Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio for student-based learning services; continued participation in a professional-development network; a Summit DSC contract for nine additional days of consulting to complete an earlier engagement; a contract with Abra for consolidated data services; and a SchoolLinks career-readiness platform for grades 6–12 (staff described a phased transition for seniors and juniors). - An insurance renewal for property, liability and crime coverage (staff noted slight cost increases driven partly by higher asset valuations and said prior carrier selection had produced savings).

On personnel procedure, a board member moved and the board approved entering executive session under Ohio Revised Code 121.22 to consider employment and compensation matters for public employees and officials.

The board set its next meeting for July 9 in the high school library.

What happens next: The calendar will return to the board in August for a formal vote after the 30-day posting; budget forecasts will reflect the transfers in this year's accounting and show lower transfer needs in subsequent years, according to staff.