Nordonia Hills Board Reviews Falling Expenses and Hires New Tech Supervisor

The Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education met Tuesday for a regular meeting that opened with an agenda change, carrying over an unfinished executive session from a previous meeting to the close of Tuesday’s business. President Liz McKinley called the meeting to order, and members Jason Tidmore, Sandra Caramela-Miller, Matt Ford and Chad Lahrmer answered roll call along with McKinley. Treasurer highlights falling expenses Treasurer Kyle Kiffer delivered the district’s year end financial update, marking the close of fiscal year 2026 and the first full year of the district’s strategic plan. Kiffer noted that under House Bill 96, forecast presentations are shifting from May and November to February and August, a change he said he was not thrilled about but would follow. Revenue for fiscal 2026 rose about 4.3 percent compared to fiscal 2025. Property tax collections tied to the district’s five mill levy, which began in May 2025, increased roughly 9 percent. State aid showed mixed results, with a 12 percent increase offset by a 16 percent decrease tied to the expiration of a science of reading stipend. The district’s settlement payments from the MGM agreement also dropped sharply, falling from $2.4 million in year five to $465,000 in the final year, accounting for a $2 million swing. On the spending side, salaries and wages decreased about 2 percent from the prior year, purchased services fell 2 percent, and supplies and materials dropped nearly four and a half percent. Kiffer credited a multiyear strategy of reducing staff through attrition, restructuring positions and closely managing contracts. Total expenditures came in about $772,000 lower than the prior year, while revenues finished about $2.5 million higher. That combination pushed the district’s cash balance up 1.29 percent. Compared to the February forecast, actual revenues landed $314,000 higher and expenses came in $582,000 favorable, a total swing of $896,000 toward the cash balance and an overall forecast accuracy variance of just 0.22 percent. Strategic plan progress spans five objectives Kiffer walked the board through year one progress on the district’s five strategic plan objectives. Completed enrollment studies aligned with the facility master plan approved earlier this year, and independent projections from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission matched the district’s own numbers. The district also published a shortened, more visual annual financial report and began holding quarterly finance advisory committee meetings, with the next one set for August 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Annex building at Northfield Elementary. Meetings are open to the public. Grant funding helped offset general fund costs this year, including a career tech partnership with CVCC that saved roughly $30,000. The district also completed an E rate technology project and exercised its purchase option on a laptop lease. Looking ahead, Kiffer said the district plans to develop a board approved cash balance policy over the next several committee meetings. Under the facilities objective, Kiffer said funds tied to the MGM settlement have been substantially spent, and future capital needs will shift toward periodic transfers from the general fund into the permanent improvement fund. On budgeting, the district moved its process up to January and February to align with the new forecast schedule and introduced a per pupil allocation model for building budgets, which officials called a transition year they intend to refine. For technology, the district shifted its laptop purchasing timeline from midsummer to spring, giving the IT department more time to prepare devices before the school year begins. Board members praised the reduction in expenditures. One member said the numbers reflected how much work the district has put in over the past several years. Kiffer also mentioned an ongoing staffing comparison study, expected to be completed soon, that will be included in the district’s upcoming audit. Legislative update on math intervention law No residents signed up for open forum, and the board had no CVCC report this month since the organization does not hold a July meeting. A board member gave a brief legislative update on Senate Bill 19, signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine. The bill requires intervention services for students struggling in math and mandates a review of math curriculums statewide. The board member noted the law is an unfunded mandate that applies only to public schools, and encouraged continued attention to how state requirements affect districts differently. Consent items and meeting date change The board approved two consent items on a single vote. The first was a second reading of an updated student absenteeism policy, which the district said better aligns with state guidance for reducing chronic absenteeism through family engagement and more timely reporting to the courts. The second was