Warren Local Board approves energy contract, two buses and five-year superintendent, treasurer hires

Warren Local Board of Education members on Oct. 23 voted unanimously to authorize a set of financial and administrative measures, including a contract for energy upgrades, the purchase of two large school buses and multi-year contracts for a superintendent and treasurer.

The board approved a resolution authorizing an agreement and Guaranteed Maximum Price amendment with Veregy LLC (formerly Dynamix Energy Services) for an energy-savings project to improve HVAC controls across district facilities. The administration said the contract sum would not exceed $141,159 and that the district was using the META Solutions cooperative procurement under Ohio Revised Code Section 167.081. The board authorized the superintendent and treasurer to execute the agreement.

In finance actions the board approved payment of bills and expenses for September 2025 totaling $2,638,052.02 and accepted financial reports for the month. The board also recorded $402.64 in investment earnings deposited to the Permanent Improvement Fund and created fund 019-9820, the GRIT Program Special Revenue Fund. Two invoices were approved for payment under ORC 5705.41(d)(A): $9,000 to Learning Inspired for participation in Jennings Foundation Student Agency cohorts and $8,280 to META Solutions for Securly filtering services.

The administration recommended and the board approved disposal of two older buses (numbers 2 and 11) and the purchase of two Saf-T-Liner C2 Thomas 72-passenger buses via Complete Bus and Specialty through the META Solutions cooperative at prices listed as $145,070 for a 2027 model and $151,945 for a 2028 model.

On personnel matters the board approved routine certified and classified recommendations, including parental leave for an elementary teacher and a set of reductions in force for two aides effective Oct. 3, 2025, with subsequent recalls and transfers recorded in the minutes. The meeting included an executive session to consider employment or compensation of an employee. After returning to open session, the board approved RES. NO. 82-25 appointing Kyle Newton as superintendent and Melcie Wells as treasurer on five-year contracts beginning Aug. 1, 2026, through July 31, 2031.

During public participation, Emily Heddleston of Fleming urged the board to review the district’s active-shooter drill at the middle school and said parents had not been informed that blank rounds were used during the drill; she said she had raised the matter with the principal, the district SRO and the sheriff’s office and asked the board to review communication practices. Teresa Beech of Vincent asked whether any board members had been present for the drill and requested that board members participate in future drills. DeLynn Edgell asked the board to inspect a bus stop on State Route 550 she described as narrow and said she had video evidence; she asked board members to walk the stop. The minutes record these public comments but do not show board responses or formal remedies on those topics.

The board set its next regular meeting for Nov. 20, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. in the Warrior Room at Warren High School and adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

Votes at a glance: RES. NO. 77-25 (consent/financial items) — approved unanimously; RES. NO. 78-25 (bus purchases/disposal) — approved unanimously; RES. NO. 79-25 (Veregy energy contract) — approved unanimously; RES. NO. 80-25 (personnel certified/classified) — approved unanimously; RES. NO. 82-25 (administrative hires: Newton and Wells) — approved unanimously; RES. NO. 83-25 (adjourn) — approved unanimously.