FREDERICKTOWN — Fredericktown Local Schools will postpone the hiring of tutors to address learning loss using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to garner more applicant interest.
“We are going to hold off on that until January,” said superintendent Susan Hayward during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Hayward said the district will reach out to colleges and universities who have graduates in December.
Tuesday’s board meeting began with roughly 25 minutes of public participation. Residents voiced opposition to the district’s mask mandate, several of whom also spoke at the September meeting. No action was taken related to mask or COVID-19-related policies.
The board renewed and approved several contracts during its Monday meeting.
Two food services were renewed, including the food service purchasing co-op with HPS at an annual fee of $1,300 — no price increase from last year — and the EMS Linq food service point of sale for an annual fee of $6,352.50 — for a price increase of $186.50 from last year.
The board also approved a contract with Final Site (formerly SchoolPointe), which provides school website and digital communications tools, for $4,500.
Regarding staff, the board approved a student teacher, Paige Oswalt, for field experience from Marion Technical College for the second semester. The board also approved supplemental contracts for Chris Sipes, middle school boys basketball coach, as well as for volunteers Tom Foster, boys basketball coach, and Marilyn Rutherford, volleyball coach.
The board approved several NEOLA policy and administrative guideline updates related to public participation at board meetings, the college credit plus program, positive behavior intervention and supports/limited use of restraints, among others.
“Public participation is not a requirement of the school board meetings but we do that because we do want to hear and connect,” board member Patty Miller said.
The public participation policy remained largely the same, except it now requires people who want to speak at meetings to turn in a public participation request 24 hours before the meeting, Miller said.
In other business, the district is transitioning to online report cards for kindergarten through 12th grade, said middle/high school principal Brent Garee and elementary school principal Matthew Caputo.
Parents can still request a hard copy of report cards, and additional information will be sent out in a robocall, they said.
Regarding finances, expenses exceeded revenue during September by $481,000, said Hayward, who gave the treasurer’s report in place of treasurer Heather Darnold who was absent Tuesday.
Medical claims and expenditures were also higher than revenue received, by $81,000, Hayward said. Staff also received a 2.5% base increase for the 2021-22 school year.
“The base increase will be approximately $168,200 higher than fiscal year ‘21,” Hayward said.
The board also authorized the payment of outstanding debts for AP exams for the 2021 fiscal year ($516) and two invoices from Ohio Industrial Commission Elevator Inspection for the 2019 fiscal year ($196.50).
The board changed the date of its regular November meeting to Nov. 16 because of the OSBA conference.
Fredericktown students have off from school Oct. 18 for a teacher work day and will have a two hour delay Oct. 19 for staff to receive ALICE safety training.
