The Nordonia Hills Board of Education used its Oct. 20 meeting at Northfield Elementary School to create a human resources director role. Members also honored a longtime community volunteer and celebrated a group of dedicated young readers from Rushwood Elementary.
All five board members attended: President Liz McKinley, Vice President Jason Tidmore, Chad Lahrmer, Matt Ford and Sandra Caramela-Miller. Every vote passed unanimously. No residents signed up to speak during open forum.
A 6 p.m. special meeting preceded the regular session. Its agenda listed an executive session to consider the purchase or sale of property. No related action was reported during the regular meeting.
Todd Stuart Named Director of Human Resources
The board approved reassigning Todd Stuart as Director of Human Resources, along with a related contract addendum.
Superintendent Casey Wright said Tidmore told him, when Wright became superintendent, that he wanted an HR department back at Nordonia. Stuart was curriculum director at the time and interested in personnel work. His training began three years ago. He later moved into the business manager role, and HR duties began shifting to him last December.
Wright called Stuart the most gifted HR director he has worked with. Going forward, the position will require a superintendent or principal license, with business duties tied to it.
“I created an HR department without spending any extra money and I think it fits,” Wright said.
Virost Recognized for 15 Years of Service
McKinley announced that the Ohio School Boards Association honored James E. Virost for 15 years of service. He served three years on the Nordonia board. For the past 12 years, he has represented Nordonia on the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center board.
Virost was also recognized at a football game this fall. Many residents know his voice. He has announced girls soccer games and serves as the voice of the Nordonia High School Marching Band.
After retiring, Virost said, he felt “it was time to give back to the community.” He thanked the board for reappointing him last year to another three year term.
Career Center Earns 5 Stars Again
Virost also delivered the CVCC report. The career center once again earned a 5 star rating on the state report card, he announced.
Program updates included:
- Adult evening cooking classes launched this year and have been selling out.
- The Power Equipment Technology program hosted Ohio Machinery representatives, including Ohio CAT and Ohio Peterbilt, to discuss career opportunities. The program also received a Tier 1 Ohio Machinery Partnership banner.
- Auto Body Repair and Refinishing students attended the Auto Collision Experience in Columbus with more than 400 students from across Ohio. They saw live demonstrations, met vendors accepting job applications and completed mock interviews.
- Two donated Peterbilt trucks are being used in the diesel mechanic program.
Enrollment sits near capacity at about 1,000 students, according to Virost. The center accepts only juniors and seniors. He reported a placement rate of 90% to 95% after graduation.
CVCC Superintendent David Mangas visits Northeast Ohio employers to learn what skills they need. Those conversations shape partnerships with companies such as Swagelok. Programs drawing only four or five students are reviewed and may be dropped. Students who decide a trade is not right for them can switch programs.
Caramela-Miller said she was a Nordonia ninth grader when CVCC opened. Her grandson, a senior in the digital design program, already has a job waiting.
The next CVCC board meeting is Thursday, Oct. 29, following the all boards dinner at 5 p.m.
Rushwood Launches 180 Day Reading Challenge
Each board meeting features one school sharing a highlight. This month, Rushwood Principal Ashley Turner presented the school’s reading program.
Last year, Rushwood students read more than 1 million minutes through a program called Millionaire Minutes. Paraprofessional Becky Decrane took over the program about three years ago. Feedback from teachers and students led to changes this year, she said.
Students now keep a daily reading log for 180 days. Rather than tracking minutes, they color or check a box each day. Parents still sign off on the calendar. Every 30 days, students can collect prizes, and eventually they will earn new books. Grand prizes await those who finish the full challenge.
The goal is engagement without pressure. Some younger students found recording minutes confusing, according to the presentation. The simpler calendar lets them fill it out on their own.
Rushwood Reader Leaders Honored
Mrs. Zaccardelli, who runs the Rushwood media center, introduced three of the school’s top readers. They have met every reading goal since arriving at Rushwood, she said.
All three entered this month’s bookmark contest, themed “Reading Is Cool.” They also completed Golden Ticket books. These are chapter books students read in full before writing a report to earn a special prize. Two of the three had poems published in a young poets anthology released this fall.
Each student told the board what they enjoy about the program. They praised its flexibility and the freedom to pick their own books. The readers received certificates as Rushwood reader leaders, along with gifts.
Ford credited parents for supporting literacy at home. McKinley agreed, saying a love of reading starts with bedtime stories.
Foundation, PTA and Safety Updates
Ford reported on the Nordonia Schools Foundation. About 65 students take part in its student food program. Participants make roughly three food bank trips each month, collecting about 900 pounds of food per trip. Recent efforts include Halloween goodie bags, school donation bins and a $280 fundraiser from Namaste Yoga Studio.
Wright’s update to the foundation covered the district master plan and land use challenges. He also discussed better tracking for the state’s college, career, workforce and military readiness measure. Report card gains may take one or two years to appear because the scores reflect data that is two years old.
PTA walkathons across the district have raised about $100,000, Ford said. Football stands at 8 and 1, and volleyball is 16 and 4. The marching band won grand champion at the Revere competition. Schools have also been marking breast cancer awareness, including pink Wednesdays.
Lahrmer reported on an Oct. 7 safety team meeting at Lee Eaton. Police and fire officials attended, along with central office staff and principals and counselors from every building. The district renewed its crisis alert system for another three years. Staff conduct monthly pop up inspections to confirm doors are locked, IDs are verified and cameras work. The next safety meeting is in February.
McKinley noted that state legislators are starting to propose bills on Flock cameras. That legislation is not focused on schools, she said.
New Policies and Speech Therapy Coverage
The legislature has signed more than 50 changes into law, driving a wave of policy updates, Wright said. He added that the district has seen more policy changes than he can remember. Four new policies received a first reading, which requires no vote:
- 6.17 Student Discipline
- 6.40 Student Conduct on School Buses
- 7.40 Governor’s Merit Scholarship
- 7.41 Mathematics Placement and Promotion
The board also approved one parent transportation contract, which pays a family in lieu of busing.
Members approved an agreement with the Summit Educational Service Center for substitute speech language pathologist coverage. Several district speech pathologists are on leave or absent for medical reasons, Wright explained. The agreement ensures students receive the therapy minutes their IEPs require. Wright credited Director of Pupil Services Carrie Hutchinson for arranging the coverage.
Retirement, Substitutes and Supplementals
Lee Eaton teacher Sharon Aloisi will retire at the end of this school year. McKinley said one of her children had Aloisi and called her absolutely wonderful.
Elizabeth Daniels, a Nordonia graduate, was approved as a long term substitute speech language pathologist at Ledgeview Elementary. She will serve from about Oct. 15 through about Dec. 10.
Other approvals included:
- Annual salary adjustments for staff who earned advanced degrees
- A parent mentor paid at the curriculum rate of $32.74 an hour from grant funds
- Up to 36 hours of tutoring at HM Life, a homeless facility, supplemented by Title I funds
- Head winter guard and head winter drumline supplementals, each at 3%
- Winter athletic supplementals and one purchase service contract
Wright said the HM Life tutoring is approved every year, answering a question he had promised the board he would follow up on. He also thanked Athletic Director Rob Eckenrode for submitting winter coaching supplementals on time.
Students Fix Chromebooks for $11 an Hour
Classified approvals covered new food service workers, paraprofessionals and a high school building and grounds monitor. That monitor position had been hard to fill, Wright said.
He credited Middle School Principal Bryan Seward for finding coverage for a paraprofessional on leave, something Wright said rarely happens. Four paraprofessionals were approved for crisis prevention intervention training.
A high school paraprofessional will work an extra half hour after school once a month. That time allows students with multiple disabilities to join after school programs.
Fifteen students in the district’s computer maintenance and repair program will earn $11 an hour fixing Chromebooks.
“It’s the best deal in the world and they save the district a lot of money,” Wright said.
Familiar Face Returns to Northfield Elementary
Sue Palchesko was approved as temporary Northfield Elementary principal from about Nov. 9 through Jan. 5. Principal Marc Kaminicki will be on leave in November and December to take care of his family. Wright told the board Kaminicki is fine.
Palchesko is retired, a former Nordonia teacher and a Nordonia graduate. Last year, she covered for a middle school assistant principal.
Levy Revenue Arrives as Planned
Treasurer Kyle Kiffer reviewed the first quarter of the fiscal year, July through September. September typically shows the year’s highest cash balance because second half property taxes are collected then.
Revenue rose because of the May 2025 levy, which passed by 94 votes. Kiffer thanked the community and credited the board for planning ahead. New levy dollars take nearly a year and a half to arrive, he explained.
Expenses rose slightly but remain in line with the district forecast. Kiffer will update the forecast in February. He promised to alert the board sooner if numbers shift.
“I don’t like to be surprised,” he said.
The board approved minutes from Sept. 22 and Oct. 15, September financial statements and a then and now certificate.
Members also designated depositories for public funds from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2031. Kiffer said he delivered resolutions to area banks, as discussed at the prior meeting. The district will keep its current banking relationship.
What’s Next
The board’s next regular meeting is Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. at Northfield Elementary School.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nordonia’s new Director of Human Resources?
Todd Stuart was reassigned as Director of Human Resources on Oct. 20. He previously served as curriculum director and business manager, and HR duties began shifting to him last December.
Did creating the HR department cost Nordonia Hills City Schools more money?
No. Superintendent Casey Wright said the HR department was created without spending any extra money.
What is the Rushwood Elementary 180 day reading challenge?
Students keep a daily reading log for 180 days, coloring or checking a box each day instead of tracking minutes. They can collect prizes every 30 days, earn new books and win grand prizes for finishing.
Who is the temporary principal at Northfield Elementary?
Sue Palchesko, a retired Nordonia teacher and Nordonia graduate, will serve from about Nov. 9 through Jan. 5 while Principal Marc Kaminicki is on leave.
When is the next Nordonia Hills Board of Education meeting?
The next regular meeting is Monday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. at Northfield Elementary School.
