New Kenston Local Schools Website and App to Go Live on December 26, 2024
Kenston Board of Education Regular Meeting – December 16, 2024
Meeting Details: The Kenston Board of Education (BOE) regular meeting took place on December 16, 2024, at 7:00 pm. The full video is posted on the Kenston Website page here and on Kenston’s YouTube page here. View the agenda online and any attached documents here by selecting the meeting tab, the meeting date, and the agenda.
Call to Order and Welcome by Mr. Manning at 7:04 pm
Board Attendance: Tom Manning, President; Jennifer Troutman, J.D., Vice President; Jim Henry, Beth Krause, Ph.D., and Dennis Bergansky
Staff in Attendance: Superintendent Bruce R. Willingham Jr., Ed.D., and Treasurer Seth Cales.
9.35 Min Pledge of Allegiance with Stan Koterba, KMS 6th Grade Student, and Board member, Jim Henry.
10.37 Min REGULAR MEETING WELCOME AND ROLL CALL: This meeting is being held in accordance with Section 3313.15 of the Ohio Revised Code.
11.18 Min Approval of the Minutes The Kenston Board of Education approved that the reading of the minutes be waived and approved the minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 18, 2024 as recorded or corrected. The minutes of this meeting can be found here.
11.50 Min Varsity Jazz Performance
The Varsity Jazz Choir under the direction of Ms. Julie Green sang a Christmas Song for the Board and community audience. Upcoming Holiday concerts include the 8th grade band and choir on December 17th at 7:00 pm, and KHS band and choir on December 18th at 7:00 pm.
Informational Items
16.15 Min Kenston Organization Update The Director of Kenston Community Education (KCE), Jennifer Moore, spoke about the successes of the program:
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KCE was founded in 1976 by a joint recreation board formed of the then Bainbridge and Auburn School Boards, and currently has over 200 volunteers
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KCE utilizes the district space where and when it is not otherwise occupied
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Ms. Moore advised that the program has grown tremendously and is now a $1.1 million organization that includes activities for the Kenston community ranging from preschool and toddler classes to an adult mens volleyball club
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Ms. Moore advised that the program takes no tax dollars, and costs only $1 per household resident (of the Kenston Community) to operate
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Senior citizens walk the hallways of Gardner between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.
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KCE participates in Midwest Travel Basketball with 98 teams from Ohio
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Strong finances have allowed the group to contribute $10,000 to the new weight room and $12,000 to support the concession stand
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The group would like to look at fundraising in order to put a turf on fields 4 and 5 out front of the high school
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There may be a new Driver's Ed program at Gardner starting in February of 2025, though this is not currently 100% certain.
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Three KCE scholarships a year are given to seniors who volunteer.
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There are 70 teams in the KCE volleyball league.
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For further information about KCE, look here, and for KCE senior adults there is more information here.
29.00 Min. Kenston Department Updates Technology Director John Molnar provided the Board with an overview of technology upgrade projects and technology goals for the year, accompanied by a visual slide presentation.
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The district switched to CONNECT ITC (Information Technology Center) and upgraded the district’s internet connection to 10 GB. Mr. Cales advised that this “huge” transition went very smoothly, thanks to Mr. Molnar and the technology team.
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640 new Chromebooks were given to 1st, 5th, and 9th graders. Repairs of these devices continue to be done in-house.
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Replaced the district’s phone system, including added safety and security devices.
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A camera replacement project included the integration of ZeroEyes Technology, which is now live and being actively monitored. Reviewer Note: ZeroEyes is AI security software that detects weapons and sends an alert to prevent and stop active shooter threats. It was created to protect people from mass shootings occurring in schools and other public places. It is also in place at the Geauga County Office Building.
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Goals include continued focus on cyber security and awareness among others.
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Mr. Molnar also highlighted the efforts of Mr. Kuckleheim and Mr. Evey as part of the technology team.
35.45 Min Legislative Update by Jennifer Troutman
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The Ohio General Assembly is considering changes to transportation laws. Schools can choose to pay a financial penalty rather than transporting children to private schools. As the fine is one set amount, larger school districts such as Columbus find it cheaper to pay the fine rather than attempt to transport a large number of children to various private schools. Dr. Willingham advised that the process for determining viability of transportation for private school students can be a drawn out process that is difficult for a school district to navigate and can then still result in fines after the fact. Ms. Troutman advised that due to these types of challenges, BASA (Buckeye Association of School Administrators) is now “advocating for a taskforce to design a modern transportation system that is also appropriately funded.”
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There have been updates and fixes to Ohio Senate Bill 29 (SB 29). For more information about SB 29, see here.
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Two Ohio House Bills and one Senate Bill currently being debated in the Ohio General Assembly focus on school bus safety enhancements, grants to pay for the school bus safety enhancements, increased penalties for motorists who pass school buses, and additional education for motorists.
43.20 Min Superintendent’s Report
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Dr. Willingham thanked the board for the Professional Development (PD) Day held on December 2nd. There was much positive feedback from staff members.
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Dr. Knight will be in for a second staff PD session and then further for student, parent, and community sessions.
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A new Kenston Local Schools Website and App will GO LIVE on December 26th. Dr. Willingham advised that the app is not a scaled-down version, but a “true functional app.” This app can be downloaded from the iOS App Store or the Android Play store. The app can fully replace the need for the website if desired, but the website will remain available, regularly updated, and easily navigable.
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The district is working on a timeline for implementation of, and staff training for, a new school communication app, Rooms, which will take the place of apps such as Remind, and ClassDojo. Parents will be able to communicate with teachers safely and securely through this app.
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On Wednesday, December 18th, Dr. Willingham and Mr. Cales will meet with facilities departments to review and “pare down” a spreadsheet of combined “wishlist” projects for Permanent Improvement monies. They then will begin the process of prioritizing projects in January of 2025, and finally presenting recommendations to the Board in February of 2025. After this, departments will pursue quotes, etc. to bring before the Board for final approval around August of 2025
53.51 Min. Hearing of the Public on Agenda Items - None
54:00 Min Financial Items - These are available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 8.1-8.10 on the agenda. All Approved.
Certified Personnel Items - These items are available here for review by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 9.1-9.4 on the agenda. All Approved
Classified Personnel Items - These items are available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 10.1-10.3 on the agenda. All Approved
Observer Note: There appears to have been an issue with the video as it jumps right after the roll call vote for classified personnel items, to the midst of the Treasurer’s Report. While items 11 through 17 and the Hearing of the Public on Non-Agenda Items below are not available in the video, they were approved at the meeting as witnessed by this observer.
Supplemental Personnel Items - These items are available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 11.1-11.4 on the agenda. All Approved
Exempt Personnel Items - This item is available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 12.1 on the agenda. Approved.
Business Operations - These items are available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 13.1-13.4 on the agenda. Approved.
Teaching and Learning - None
Special Education Items - These items are available here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 15.1-15.4 on the agenda. Approved.
Old Business Items - None
New Business Items - These items can be found here by selecting the meeting tab, meeting date, and 17.1-17.3 on the agenda. Approved
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A motion was made, seconded, and approved to appoint Tom Manning as President Pro Tempore for the 2025 Organization Meeting of the Kenston Board of Education to be held on January 13, 2025.
Min Hearing of The Public on Non-Agenda items - None
56.23 Min Treasurer’s Report
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Mr. Cales spoke about an annual audit, completed for Kenston by an independent auditor who assembles a set of financial statements according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which are established by GASB, the Government Accounting Standards Board. The audit is “designed to better inform the reader”of how the district did financially in the last year. The audit is very comprehensive and will conclude in December, and it will be posted to the website in February or March of 2025. Mr. Cales advised that the purpose of this audit is transparency and continuous improvement on the part of the district, and he is available for any questions that anyone may have.
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Mr. Cales gave a shout out to his team as they worked together throughout the six month process of this audit.
1.02.18 Min Motion to adjourn was approved at 8:01 pm and the video ended at 1.02.33
Next regular meeting: January 13, 2025 at 7 pm (Organizational Meeting begins at 6:30pm)
More information here: Board of Education | Kenston Local Schools
Observer: Jacqueline Berger
Editor: Sarah McGlone
Reviewer: Carol Benton
Date Submitted: 12/26/24
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