From a potential new school site to a digital hall pass system, the board tackled a packed agenda at its June 23 regular meeting.
The Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education met June 23 at Northfield Elementary School for its regular monthly meeting, which doubled as the fiscal year-end session. Board President Liz McKinley presided over a lengthy agenda that included a landmark facilities vote, a strategic plan update, new safety technology, and a slate of financial actions to close out the 2025-26 school year and open 2026-27.
All five board members were present: McKinley, Vice President Jason Tidmore, Chad Lahrmer, Sandra Caramela-Miller and Matt Ford.
Education & Curriculum
Year One of ‘Stronger Together’ Shows Progress
Director of Curriculum and Instruction Carol Tonsing presented a detailed update on the “Achieve” component of the district’s “Stronger Together” strategic plan, wrapping up year one of implementation.
Tonsing said the administrative team spent time early in the school year developing a shared leadership commitment statement and a fidelity rubric designed to help building leaders assess where they are and where they need to go. Professional development throughout the year focused on critical thinking, learning targets, evidence of learning, and what to do when students are not progressing.
The district also worked on vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment, ensuring that what students learn in one grade connects meaningfully to the next. Tonsing described a K-12 intervention pyramid aligning programs for both ELA and math, designed so that students receiving intervention services encounter consistent language and approaches regardless of setting.
Year one objectives, Tonsing reported, were largely complete or in progress, with several year-two goals already underway. Areas flagged for additional focus in year two include math performance in grades 3, 7, Algebra 1 and Geometry; multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) implementation; and improved assessment design. Tonsing said closer collaboration between general education and special education around intervention alignment is a priority going into next year.
Superintendent Casey Wright praised the approach, noting the district is moving from individual schools that have systems toward functioning as a unified school system. “Kudos to you and your team,” Wright said. “The work that you guys have done collectively should be praised in this space.”
Facilities
Board Greenlights Due Diligence on Potential School Site
The most closely watched item of the evening was the board’s unanimous approval of an agreement with ASHTIF LLC allowing the district to conduct due diligence on a potential future site as part of its long-range facilities planning.
Wright was careful to frame what the vote does and does not mean. The agreement gives the district 150 days to conduct soil testing, environmental reviews and other studies on a parcel that has cleared a number of preliminary reviews. It does not commit the district to purchasing the land, does not place a bond on the ballot and does not authorize construction.
“We will not go forward with a bond until we have all our ducks in a row,” Wright said. He explained that any bond issue would require separate board votes, and ultimately a community decision at the ballot.
The superintendent noted the district has been searching for approximately 30 acres capable of supporting a 5-8 grade building, the first phase of the district’s 25-year master facility plan. Available land in the community has been scarce, and other parcels previously evaluated did not pass initial review.
The vote came after a community member from Ward C in Northfield Village spoke during the open forum, asking for clarity on bond timing following rumors circulating in her area. Wright confirmed that a November 2026 bond issue is not planned.
Board members emphasized that the process is just beginning. McKinley noted that even if due diligence goes well, a separate board vote would be needed before any land purchase, and the community would ultimately decide whether to fund construction.
Safety & Technology
Smart Pass System Expanding to Middle and High Schools
The board approved an agreement with Raptor Technologies for Smart Pass, a digital student hall pass management system. The system was piloted at Lee Eaton Elementary last year and showed strong results, including significant reductions in bathroom-related behavioral incidents and vandalism.
The system allows teachers to issue digital passes, tracks when students leave and return, and can flag situations where students with known conflicts are heading to the same location at the same time. QR codes in restroom areas allow students to check in and out.
Wright noted the system has also become a communication tool for parents and could serve as an early indicator of academic or behavioral patterns when students are frequently requesting to leave class. The expansion to the middle school and high school was handled cost-effectively, with principals presenting budget plans to cover the cost from within their existing allocations.
Centegix Safety System Renewed for Three Years
The board renewed its three-year contract with Centegix, the provider of the district’s staff emergency alert system. Staff members wear wearable devices that, when activated, can trigger building-wide lockdown protocols, notify the nurse and principal of a health emergency or summon law enforcement.
Wright noted that when a lockdown is triggered, every law enforcement agency in the area receives a notification on their devices. The system has been in place for three years, with only one inadvertent activation during that period.
Finance
District Receives Record $370,000 in State Special Education Reimbursement
Treasurer Kyle Kiffer reported that the district received $370,000 in state reimbursement through the threshold costs program, which covers a portion of expenses for students placed in specialized programs outside the district. That figure represents a district record, up from $269,000 the prior year and roughly $90,000 annually before the current treasurer began implementing a more aggressive submission process.
Kiffer credited Director of Pupil Services Carrie Hutchinson and her team for the multi-month process required to compile and submit qualifying expenses.
General Fund Balance Healthy at $22.7 Million
Through May, the district’s general fund cash balance stood at $22.7 million. Revenue for the year tracked about $4 million above the prior year, driven largely by collection of the 5-mill operating levy approved by voters. Expenditures through 11 months were running about $465,000 under budget.
Year-End Fund Transfers Approved
The board approved several year-end general fund transfers totaling just over $1.245 million. Notable items included the final transfer related to the MGM settlement ($465,575 to the Permanent Improvement Fund), year one of a three-year employee buyout transfer ($699,577 to the Termination Benefits Fund) and $73,742 to the High School Athletics Fund.
Kiffer noted the MGM settlement transfer was the last of its kind. “We are completely done with the MGM settlement,” he said. “It’s nice and refreshing to just move on.”
Insurance Costs Down; Premium Holiday in July
The district’s property, liability and cyber insurance package came in approximately $445 lower than the prior year, a notable achievement in a market where most public entities are seeing premium increases. Kiffer credited Director of Business Todd Stuart for months of negotiation.
The board also approved a health insurance premium holiday for July, meaning neither the district nor its employees will pay health insurance premiums that month. The 2026-27 health insurance rate increase was held to 4.89%, below the 7.5% the treasurer had budgeted for planning purposes.
HP Laptop Buyout Approved
The board approved an $84,000 buyout of teacher laptops previously leased under a three-year agreement. Technology Director Mike Russ explained that the devices were built to last up to six or seven years if needed, and the buyout was more cost-effective than entering a new lease for replacement equipment at current market prices. Devices from the prior refresh cycle are still being used by co-teachers and paraprofessionals.
Personnel
New Staff Appointed for 2026-27
The board approved several new certified staff hires for the coming school year, including Julia Beck as a music teacher at Northfield Elementary, Mira Momayez as a Middle School ELA teacher and Amanda Gardner as Middle School Counselor.
Rushwood Elementary counselor Kirk Galbreath was approved for retirement at the end of the 2025-26 school year. A food service worker at Rushwood also resigned, and the district is seeking a replacement for that position.
Community
Middle School Scoreboard Gets a Community-Funded Upgrade
The board accepted a $12,000 donation from Melinda and Kenneth Varian toward the purchase and installation of a new scoreboard at Nordonia Middle School. The existing scoreboard was in need of replacement. The district also accepted a $500 donation from Phat Tees Apparel in Streetsboro for the baseball program.
CVCC Update: Dental Students Get Hands-On Learning
James Virost, the Nordonia Hills representative to the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center Board of Education, reported that CVCC dental assisting students recently visited a local orthodontic practice for a hands-on learning experience. A Nordonia Hills junior who works in the office demonstrated dental scanning techniques she developed on the job. Virost also reported that CVCC wrapped up the school year with its annual student picnic on June 2 and has no board meeting scheduled for July.
SGO to Cover Roughly $275,000 in Kindergarten Costs
Board member Chad Lahrmer reported that the Nordonia Schools Scholarship Granting Organization expects to cover approximately $275,000 in all-day kindergarten costs for families in the 2026-27 school year, including full tuition for approximately 45 students and a $1,000 credit for all remaining all-day kindergarten enrollees. That is up from about $222,000 covered last year.
Track Team Earns Trip to Jesse Owens Stadium; Football Heads to Baldwin Wallace
The board approved overnight trip requests for the high school track team, which competed at the OHSAA State Track Meet at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus June 5-7. The football team will attend a team camp at Baldwin Wallace University July 14-16.
Wright noted that Nordonia placed a high number of athletes at the state track meet, suggesting it may be a district record for placers, pending final confirmation.
The next regular meeting of the Nordonia Hills City School District Board of Education is scheduled for Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m. at Northfield Elementary School, 9374 Olde Eight Road, Northfield.
