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Board Unanimously Approves Five-Year Forecast; 

Levy on November 2026 Ballot Possible

 

Berkshire Board of Education – Regular Meeting, February 9, 2026

Meeting Details:   The meeting was held in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon-Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 4402. 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, Linda Stone, Vice President, and members Dan

Berman, Brandon Townsend and Bryan Wadsworth.

 

Staff Attendance: Superintendent John Stoddard and Treasurer Beth McCaffrey. 

 

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 – Approved unanimously without discussion.

 

Approval of Minutes – Minutes for the Organizational and Regular Meetings on January 12, 2026 and the Special Meeting on January 29, 2026 were all unanimously approved without discussion. Minutes are available through Board Docs here by clicking on the Meetings tab. The minutes are available in the detailed Agenda for the meeting following the meeting in question.  

 

2:35 Min. Student/Staff Presentation – Berkshire Early Childhood Center (BECC)

Dr. Stoddard introduced BECC Director Mr. Bill Kermavener who gave a presentation with slides about the center. He introduced the preschool’s staff, talked about the three class levels and their “play-based” curriculum. While Mr. Kermavener spoke, BECC students (called “friends”) and their teachers, seated at three tables in front of the stage, demonstrated activities related to their Lights Unit. Teachers described for the Board the different activities the students were performing, though their comments were difficult to hear because the speakers  did not have  a microphone. 

The Director said the program is growing. They graduated over 25 students to kindergarten last year and now have 41 students, a number that increases almost every week. He pointed to the students’ enthusiasm for the school, praised the staff and thanked the Board for their new state-of-the-art facility.

Dr. Stoddard said he’d shared with the Board a message from a parent who expressed appreciation to the staff at BECC “for everything they do.”

 

14:00 Min. Public Participation – No public comments.

 

14:25 Min. Treasurer’s Report

Financial Statements

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, the purposes, and the balances remaining in each fund. The financial

statements for the period ending January 2026 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 unanimously approved donations from:

 

Mrs. McCaffrey noted that the Preston & Ford contribution is in addition to the $750,000 they gave to purchase the Workforce Development property. This second donation was used for remodeling three existing buildings and construction of a new classroom building on the campus.

Mr. Manfredi expressed amazement at the consistent donation support from the community, especially the Preston family.

Financial Amendments - The Board unanimously approved the following financial amendments:

Appropriation Changes

Then & Now Invoices

17:23 Min. Five-Year Forecast – Approved unanimously in vote taken after the presentation

Mrs. McCaffrey presented the district’s required February five-year forecast in a slide presentation, noting significant uncertainty due to recent state property tax reform legislation. Because key calculations—particularly under House Bill 186—will not be available until April 20, she said she will present an updated forecast in May.

Mrs.McCaffrey reviewed Berkshire’s current tax structure and recent changes:

• The district is on the 20-mill floor, and property tax revenues rise or fall with property values.

• It has a 1% earned income tax and a 2.45-mill bond levy.

• Property values increased nearly 30% in the 2023 reappraisal.  However, House Bill 920 limits inflationary growth in property tax revenue to schools.

• The permanent improvement (PI) renewal failed in November 2024 and is no longer generating revenue.

Impact of new legislation:

In December, Governor DeWine signed several property tax reform bills (HB 186, HB 129, HB 335, HB 309).  Of greatest concern is House Bill 186, which caps revenue growth for 20-mill floor districts and changes how reappraisal increases are treated. The law is retroactive and expected to significantly reduce previously anticipated revenue growth. While the exact formula is unknown, the district estimates a loss of over $1 million in one year and potentially $3 million through 2030.

Forecast outlook:

Even prior to reform, the district’s cash balance was projected to turn negative in 2029. With property tax reform, the district now expects to go negative in 2028, triggering fiscal caution status with the Ohio Department of Education. By 2027, the district is projected to have only seven days of cash on hand. Once the forecast is filed, the district will receive a “ten-day letter” requiring a formal recovery plan to be submitted to the State outlining cuts or revenue measures.

Funding trends:

Mrs. McCaffrey noted that State support for schools has declined from 47% in 1997 to about 31% today, which has shifted more burden to local taxpayers. She said expenditures have grown more slowly than inflation, indicating the district’s issue is not overspending but constrained revenue growth due to state funding changes and property tax caps.

Dr. Stoddard discussed next steps, which include expenditure reductions and expanded revenue-generating programs, such as preschool tuition, Workforce Development and vocational program seat sales to other districts, business partnerships, and potential in-district alternative programming for court-placed students to reduce costly outplacements.

He noted, “the only way for school districts to really add significant revenue is through levies. So, there will be a levy campaign of some sort.” He said they will “be deciding in April (after the State issues their tax projections) what we need, and we’ll start running that campaign to shoot for next November….”

Mrs. Stone asked about the impact on schools if property taxes were abolished. Dr. Stoddard said the State is constitutionally bound to support a system of common schools and would have to find another way to fund them. He was uncertain what a new system would be, saying “that will be a whole other animal and a whole other plan of attack when that happens.” 

Observer Note: See LWV Geauga Observer report for the January 29, 2026 Special Meeting for additional information on Berkshire’s finances.

29:50 Min. Superintendent’s Report

Personnel - The Board unanimously approved without discussion 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 unanimously approved the following volunteers:

 

 

Contracts – The Board unanimously approved the following contracts:

• Agreement of Articulation - The University of Akron/Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences

• First Student (School bus service)

• Old Fashioned Lawn Care

Observer Note: The full texts of the contracts are available in the meeting agenda online.

OHSAA Membership – The Board unanimously approved a motion to authorize the continued membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2026-2027 school year.

 

Overnight Trips – The Board unanimously approved the following overnight trips during Spring Break:

• Softball - Pigeon Forge, TN; Sunday, March 22 to Friday, March 27, 2026

• Baseball - Myrtle Beach, SC; Tuesday, March 24 to Saturday, March 28, 2026

32:00 Min. Old Business – Dr. Stoddard said the earlier presentation of the Five-Year Plan was his only Old Business and noted that the forecast was largely what was discussed at the January 29, 2026, Special Meeting.

 

Mr. Manfredi asked about the status of the search for a new Treasurer. Dr. Stoddard said the application window closes at the end of February and they have received one application from Kettering Schools. He said he’s heard two more candidates will apply closer to the deadline.

 

32:05 Min. New Business – Dr. Stoddard reported on three new bills under consideration by the State legislature: 

• HB 671 would withhold state funding from any district participating in the “Vouchers Hurt Ohio” lawsuit, which includes 330 districts, including Berkshire. The case was won at trial, where vouchers were ruled unconstitutional, but the case is under appeal. Dr. Stoddard characterized HB 671 as an intimidation tactic designed to pressure districts to withdraw from the lawsuit.

• HB 304 would require all Ohio public schools to provide two separate 30-minute recess periods daily for grades K-8. The bill doesn’t specify where the time would come from or provide funding, staff support or relief from existing academic requirements. The district does not currently offer recess for middle schoolers. The Board agreed that students benefit from movement and unstructured time but expressed concern about adding requirements without flexibility or resources.

• HB 2 would increase transparency and accountability requirements for for-profit educational organizations, such as charter schools. The bill, however, is stalled by legislators, who, Dr. Stoddard hypothesized, have been influenced by lobbyists for for-profit education. 

The Board noted what they see as a pattern: increasing regulation and mandates for public schools while reducing oversight for private and charter schools that receive public funds.

 

Overall, the Board expressed concern about mounting unfunded mandates, potential funding threats and what they see as inconsistent accountability standards. They described the situation as increasingly unsustainable but expressed hope that the growing public awareness of these issues may prompt change.

Mr. Manfredi read an email from the mother of a recent Berkshire graduate who made the Fall Dean’s List at John Carroll University with a 4.0 GPA. She detailed his many interests and activities, including community work, and thanked the Board for their support during his time at Berkshire and for his generous scholarship. Mr. Manfredi said he wanted the public to know that “people do appreciate what we do.”

45:50 Min. Board Discussion

Next Regular Meeting Dates - March 9, 2026, and April 13, 2026, at 6 pm in the Auditorium of the Berkshire Local Schools complex, 14155 Claridon-Troy Rd, Burton, Ohio 44021.

46:00 Min. Executive Session – No Executive Session. 

46:27 Min. Meeting Adjourned

Observer: Rooney Moy

Editor: Harry Rees

Reviewer: Sarah McGlone

Date Submitted: February 13, 2026

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