Berkshire Considers Proactive Talks about Consolidation with Neighboring Districts
Berkshire Board of Education – Regular Meeting, November 10, 2025*
*Observer Note: This meeting was rescheduled from November 17 which was the date announced at the last board meeting and on the school website. According to the School Treasurer, the date was changed due to a conflict with the OSBA (Ohio School Boards Association) Capital Conference. The meeting notice was faxed to the Geauga County Maple Leaf and the Geauga Times Courier on 10/31/2025.
Meeting Details: The meeting was held in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 44021 at 6:00 pm. A video of the meeting is posted here. View the agenda online and any attached documents here by selecting the meeting tab and then the meeting date. The notation of minutes refers to the time posted on the video for the discussion of the item listed.
Board Members Attendance: John Manfredi, President, Jody Miller, Vice President, and members Dan Berman, Linda Stone and Bryan Wadsworth.
Staff Attendance: Superintendent John Stoddard, Treasurer Beth McCaffrey, and Berkshire Elementary School Principal Heather Giel.
Others in Attendance: Newly elected Berkshire School Board Member Brandon Townsend.
1:36 Min. Opening of Regular Meeting - The Regular Meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Mr. Manfredi who led the Pledge of Allegiance. The roll was called.
Approval of Agenda – unanimously approved without discussion.
Approval of Minutes – Minutes for the October 13, 2025, meeting were unanimously approved without discussion.
3:12 Min. Student/Staff Presentation – Berkshire Elementary School
Dr. Stoddard introduced Heather Giel, Berkshire Elementary School Principal, who spoke about the first grade’s “Doctor Day,” when students, dressed as doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals, spent the day rotating through five classrooms where they used their knowledge of the human body to complete themed crafts, games, and puzzles. She said each station gave students the chance to apply what they had learned in science lessons, exploring how different parts of the body work together while practicing teamwork and problem-solving. The following day parent volunteers who work in the medical field visited the classrooms and shared stories about their professions and explained how their roles helped keep the community healthy and safe. Ms. Giel said the day gave first graders a fun and memorable way to connect classroom learning with real world experiences.
Two first graders spoke about their favorite parts of Doctor Day, such as riding in an ambulance and seeing lots of equipment, including a heart monitor.
Ms. Giel thanked the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) for their teacher grants that funded materials for the project and the Burton Fire Squad who taught the children about safety.
10:15 Min. Public Participation – No speaker requests.
10:45 Min. Treasurer’s Report
Financial Statements – unanimously approved without discussion
The Treasurer submitted a statement to the Board and the Superintendent showing the revenues and receipts from whatever sources derived, the various Appropriations made by the board, the expenditures and disbursements therefrom, the purposes thereof, and the balances remaining in each fund. The financial statements for the period ending October 2025 were submitted subject to audit and include Financial Summary, Appropriations and Revenue Summary, Check Register Recap, and Bank Reconciliation per ORC 3313.29. Observer Note: See Financial Statement details in the meeting agenda available online.
Donations – The Board voted unanimously to accept the following donation:
|
Great Lakes Cheese
|
Combat Junior Bots
|
$ 1,500.00
|
The donation helped fund Berkshire robotics team’s participation in the recent robotics competition at the IX Center.
Financial Amendments – The Board unanimously approved without discussion the following financial amendment:
Bus Purchase – The Board unanimously approved a motion to purchase up to three 72-passenger buses through the Ohio Schools Council cooperative bus purchase from Rush Truck Centers for $129,749 per bus and to authorize the Superintendent and Treasurer to enter into a 5-year municipal lease at a rate of 4.784% with Santander Bank.
Mrs. McCaffrey noted the move to purchase new buses now was prompted when she learned that one of their buses is beyond reasonable repair. After some investigation, she learned that bus prices have jumped from $94,000 the last time they purchased one to almost $130,000. She reported that the bus dealer informed her that new bus emissions regulations will cause prices to rise up to an additional $20,000 next year. She said they will need to replace 7 buses in the next three years, and she proposed Berkshire purchase three buses now to avoid the cost increase and take advantage of the current low interest rate. Mr. Manfredi agreed. He further noted that the financial leases are the same as those done in the past and that after the fifth year, the buses “will be basically paid off.”
There was discussion about holding on to two buses purchased in 2014 to use as “spares.” Mrs. Stone asked how long a bus lasts. Mrs. McCaffrey said they last about 10 years, though longevity depends on the length of the bus routes. She noted road salt can cause a lot of damage to buses.
Mrs. Miller asked about the effect of the purchases on cash flow over the next five years. Mrs. McCaffrey said she had budgeted for the bus purchases over 5 years and has accounted for them in the budget forecast.
Mr. Wadsworth asked how many students ride the buses. Dr. Stoddard said 900 children ride on 20 bus routes twice a day. Mr. Manfredi noted they are extending the life of the buses by running only one route in the morning and one in the afternoon.
19:00 Min. Superintendent’s Report
Personnel – The Board unanimously approved the personnel actions for Certified and Classified staff as listed on the meeting agenda. Observer Note: A complete list of personnel actions is available in the meeting agenda online.
Volunteers – The Board approved 4-0 the volunteers listed below. Mr. Wadsworth abstained as Brad Wadsworth is his brother.
|
Gina Gastaldo
|
Gymnastics Coach
|
|
Kelly Nyzen
|
Swim Coach
|
|
Brad Wadsworth
|
Track & Field Coach
|
|
Anthony Lignetta
|
Boys Basketball Coach
|
Contracts – The Board unanimously approved contracts for:
-
Interdistrict Contract for Educational Services with Riverside Local School District (Preschool Services)
-
Interdistrict Contract for Educational Services with Joseph Badger School District (Preschool Services)
-
Fire Alarm Monitoring - Quick Response (Central Station)/Southeast Agreement
-
Fire Alarm System - Preston Educational Garage
Observer Note: Details of all contracts are available in the meeting agenda online.
School Calendars – The Board unanimously approved without discussion the school district calendars for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years.
22:30 Min. Old Business
-
Salt Dome Demolition - Mr. Manfredi asked about the status of the demolition of the salt dome on the Workforce Development campus. Mrs. McCaffrey said she believes it will happen in the next two to three weeks. Mr. Manfredi said he would push to make sure it’s done by the next board meeting. Observer Note: Later in the meeting, Mr. Manfredi announced that the next board meeting will be held at the Workforce Development Campus at 13595 West Center Street, Burton, to give the community an opportunity to see the facility.
-
New Sidewalk Construction - Mrs. Miller asked about sidewalk construction between the school and the Village of Burton. Dr. Stoddard reported that “everything looks positive” and that they are waiting for grant approval, which he said is slowly working its way through the state bureaucracy. He said they have approval at the local level from the Engineer’s Office. Mr. Manfredi praised the new County Engineer’s helpfulness with the project.
24:15 Min. New Business – Legislative Updates
Mrs. McCaffrey reviewed four bills that have gained significant traction in the past two weeks:
-
House Bill 129
-
Would have minimal impact on the district.
-
Requires emergency and substitute levies to be included in the 20-mill floor calculation.
-
Berkshire does not have these levies and is already at the 20-mill floor.
-
Mrs. McCaffrey expressed frustration that the bill is being promoted as tax relief, but in reality, it removes the 2.5% and 10% tax credits when substitute levies must be placed on the ballot as new levies—resulting in higher taxes for residents.
-
House Bill 309
-
Would affect the district by expanding the authority of the county Budget Commission.
-
Mrs. McCaffrey expressed concern that the bill would allow the Budget Commission to override local school board control, despite the fact that school boards are elected to make district decisions.
-
House Bill 186
-
Significant impact on the district as it would cap property-tax growth on the 20-mill floor.
-
Retroactive to the 2023–24 reappraisal, which would reduce district revenue.
-
State proposes a partial backfill, funded by eliminating the 2026 sales-tax holiday. Mrs. McCaffrey and the board criticized this idea as illogical.
-
House Bill 335
Reviewer Note: All four of these bills were passed by the Ohio Senate on November 19, 2025 after being previously approved by the Ohio House. The bills are currently awaiting approval by the Governor. See this WKYC article for more information.
Dr. Stoddard noted that Ohio legislators continue to push for school consolidation and are on record that 607 is too many districts. He asked the board if, given this pressure, Berkshire should proactively initiate talks with neighboring districts about consolidation rather than wait for a forced decision. Observer Note: No specific districts were mentioned during the meeting. Key points raised in the discussion that followed included:
Dr. Stoddard pointed out that initiating conversations does not commit the district to consolidation but ensures Berkshire has input and influence should consolidation become necessary.
Mrs. Stone asked about charter schools and the rationale for keeping them. Dr. Stoddard said the charter schools will only exist if people go to them, saying the Legislature wants fewer schools and more competition. Dr. Stoddard emphasized that he has asked that public schools be rewarded for enrollment growth, but the state has not adopted that approach yet. He noted that public schools need to keep pushing that point, that if it is really parent choice, public schools should be eligible to receive voucher money also if they choose to send their children to public school.
Dr. Stoddard discussed funding concerns:
-
Recent tax-relief legislation caps growth at the 20-mill floor, while the state’s funding formula still assumes a 23-mill charge-off, meaning the district is expected to raise revenue it legally cannot collect.
-
This results in a slow loss of revenue, even as costs (staffing, health insurance, buses, etc.) continue to rise.
-
Despite these pressures, the district has managed finances well: the last new operating revenue (aside from the bond issue) came from an income tax passed around 2007–2008, nearly 20 years ago, which is highly unusual since most districts seek new operating funds every 3–5 years.
He said the school has been finding ways to address funding issues, but “it gets harder and harder when the ways we find keep getting taken away.” Mr. Manfredi noted that adopting a single statewide school calendar could save transportation costs, but that hasn’t been pursued by the state.
Additional New Business –
Mr. Manfredi offered several items:
-
Welcomed newly elected school board member Brandon Townsend, who will begin serving in January. Observer Note: Mr. Townsend will replace Mrs. Miller, who did not run for re-election.
-
Proposed starting the search for a new Treasurer, as Mrs. McCaffrey will be leaving her position at the end of 2026. He said he and Mrs. McCaffrey had discussed hiring a new Treasurer by August 2026 to allow time to train that individual. After discussion, it was decided to begin the search immediately and post the position to the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) website. If the search hasn’t yielded candidates by February, the board would consider using an outside search firm such as Paul Pendleton.
-
Bryan Wadsworth was congratulated for being named Coach of the Year in cross country. Mr. Wadsworth said the kids are fantastic and are great to work with. Mrs. Miller pointed out that Mr. Wadsworth coaches as a volunteer.
-
Dr. Stoddard announced he has volunteered to be the girls wrestling coach in the team’s initial season.
-
Mr. Manfredi praised all the people—administrators, teachers, and others—who lead “our children” and make Berkshire Schools special. He said “people in the district should be damn thankful because it’s unlike that anywhere else.”
41:20 Min. Board Discussion
Next Regular Meeting Date - December 8, 2025 at the Workforce Development building on the new campus at 13595 Center St., Burton, Ohio 44021 at 6:00 pm.
No Executive Session
42:45 Min. Meeting Adjourned
Observer: Rooney Moy
Editor: Gail Roussey
Reviewer: Sarah McGlone
Date Submitted: 11/20/2025
The League of Women Voters Geauga is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. They do not support or oppose individual candidates or parties. Learn more about the LWVG at www.lwvgeauga.org.