Board approves hires, administrative reassignments and title change for student services

The Cuyahoga Falls City School District board approved multiple personnel actions Wednesday, including new hires and administrative reassignments, by roll-call votes.

Superintendent staff recommended and the board approved the superintendent's consent agenda, which included certified and classified appointments and renewed contracts for some services. Among the hires, the board approved Abby Kaufman for an early-childhood intervention-specialist role and appointed an assistant principal at the high school. Kaufman addressed the board and said she was "excited to start my education career" after being introduced by the superintendent.

The board also approved administrative reassignments that were discussed in the meeting agenda. Kenneth Elder was reassigned from director of student services to director of human resources and compliance, effective Aug. 1, 2026; the board record notes that other terms of his contract remain unchanged. The board voted to change Heather Zeman's title from director of special education to director of student support services effective Aug. 1, 2026, a change staff described as intended to reflect a whole-child support approach rather than singling out one student group.

Superintendent staff said the reassignment work followed an earlier discussion of central-office consolidations and was intended to preserve required services while adapting roles. The title change prompted discussion about community messaging; several board members supported the student-support-services title as inclusive. All personnel actions on the superintendent's consent agenda and the reassignments were approved by roll call.

The board did not discuss individual compensation details in public; the actions approved were employment appointments and internal reassignments reflected in the meeting agenda.