Fairborn City school board approves FY2025 spending plan and dozens of staff and activity contracts

The Fairborn City School District Board of Education on Oct. 3 approved the district’s Five Year Forecast and the Fiscal Year 2025 spending plan and accepted the August 2024 monthly financial report. The motion to approve the treasurer’s recommendations was moved by Mrs. Webb and seconded by Mr. Browning; Mrs. Webb, Mr. Browning, Ms. Landon and Mrs. Mlod voted yea and the motion was declared carried by the president.

The board’s superintendent recommendations package, approved under a separate motion, authorized numerous personnel actions across the district for the 2024–25 school year. Actions included one-year limited certified contracts (examples: Karen Amstutz, intervention specialist at FMS; Mackenzie Dear, Grade 3 at FIS), leaves of absence (Brooklyn Fondriest, mental health therapist at FIS through May 30, 2025), step and start-date adjustments for multiple certified staff, and rescission of a purchased service contract with Barbara Skusa. The package also authorized home-instruction tutoring ($30 per hour), auditorium management stipends ($25 per hour), and a lengthy list of activity and extra-service supplemental contracts (advisors, department coordinators, lead teachers at $75 per day and mentor stipends) across FPS, FIS, FMS and FHS.

Athletic supplements and coaches’ stipends were approved for the 2024–25 athletic year (positions listed in the board packet), as were 183-day building substitute appointments and certified and non-bachelor substitute teacher approvals. The board accepted several resignations and retirements (for example, Zachary Denlinger, Grade 5, effective Sept. 24, 2024; Roberta Ruck, intervention specialist, effective June 1, 2025) and approved Building Leadership Team and mentor/facilitator assignments paid at the rates listed in the packet.

The board approved professional development payments and out-of-state excursions: Sources of Strength PD (up to 12 hours at $30 per hour; paid from Title IV funds), Guiding Gifted Learners PD (up to 15 hours at $30 per hour; paid from Title IIA funds), FHS Marching Band & Color Guard travel to Indianapolis Oct. 17–18, 2024, and the FMS eighth-grade Washington, D.C. trip planned for May 13–16, 2024. Specific PD and travel approvals for named staff were recorded in the consent item list. Where the packet or minutes list funding sources, the board record tied the PD payments to Title IV and Title IIA funding as noted.

The board acknowledged multiple donations to district programs and facilities: uma Enterprises, Inc.; TCA Graphics; John Varner; and Chris & Pam Gayheart each donated $1,000 toward the turf fund; Gospel Outreach & Training Center donated $500 to both the FHS and FMS clinics; Kirk & Amy Gayheart donated five softball helmets; City Church donated food for the Hawks Pantry. The minutes list the donors and designated recipients as part of the gifts/donations section.

The board recessed to executive session at 6:34 p.m. for discussion of the appointment, employment or compensation of public employees and board policy 3231; the motion was approved by roll call. The board reconvened at 7:53 p.m. and then voted to adjourn. The minutes document is dated as approved Nov. 7, 2024 and bears the board president’s and treasurer’s signature lines.

What’s next: actions recorded in the minutes (including personnel appointments, stipend assignments and approved trips) proceed under the district’s normal verification processes such as background checks and certification verification as noted in each consent item.