GIRARD — School district officials have approved their strategic plan for the 2025-26 school year, which focuses on enhancing learning and other improvements in the district.

Superintendent Bryan O’Hara said the strategic plan also includes a capital plan that focuses on how district funds are being utilized.

“The plan provides a fiscal framework on how to support the priorities of the strategic plan,” O’Hara said.

The strategic plan was approved in June.

The Impact Group of Hudson has been working on the strategic plan with representatives speaking this summer at a board meeting on the plan’s framework and the draft of the capital plan.

“What the Impact Group did for us was high quality work,” O’Hara said.

The board has met in 2024 and 2025 with the Impact Group on the new strategic plan and visions for the future.

The agency was hired for $33,500 paid with the district’s ESSER funds. The plan includes the district’s goals and objectives.

The Impact Group obtained information through meetings with schools officials, focus groups, and online surveys.

He said the plan will help the board of education and school administrators with data-driven decision making in terms of resources to better enhance the education of the students.

Board President Vince Ragozine said the plan will help direct the district as it plans for the future.

“We are excited to have the plan completed as we move forward;” he said.

O’Hara said the district will continue its working relationship with the Impact Group over the next year in monitoring the plan and the district’s progress.

“The plan will be used for our decision making and goals, accomplishments and benchmarks. The Impact Group will provide leadership in those areas for us.” he said.

The board had approved a capital projects fund for improvements to district buildings, facilities and other assets.

Treasurer Maureen Lloyd said any capital projects done in the district will follow the capital plan guidelines.

Projects completed over the summer included boiler work at the high school.

In other business, the board voted 4-1 declaring two pianos, a 1923 and a 1990, obsolete and have O’Hara determine future use and/or disposal.

Board member Sue Ellen Harris-Davis, a retired music teacher, said she would have liked to see them saved and repaired for use by students. She said new pianos cost $27,000. Harris Davis said she went on and played the one piano and said all keys are fine.

Other board members said the one piano is over 100 years old and beyond its use and the pianos are getting in the way for space in music rooms.

The pianos were checked and one is broken and can no longer stand on its own and the other no longer has intonation and is too expensive to fix.

O’Hara said he will make final decisions on the pianos and whether they are to be sold.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business at the August board meeting, the board:

* Approved a three-year contract agreement with Lloyd as treasurer effective August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2028. Lloyd’s current pay is $112,000.

* Approved an agreement with the Girard Police Department for $100,000 for two school resource officers, with one for the high school junior high building and one for the elementary and intermediate building.

* Named Brandon Snyder as robotics build coach and Saddie Giddings as assistant robotics coach.

* Named Tammy King as board delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association annual meeting in November and Ragozine as alternate.

* Approved an agreement with Kent State University for field-based teacher education experiences during the 2025-26 school year.

* Approved substitute criteria personnel and custodians at $11.25 per hour, substitute nurse at $17.50 per hour and substitute bus driver at $19 per hour.

* Approved Riley Gresley as a school psychologist intern through May 22, with a $25,720 grant covering costs.

* Accepted the resignation of Michael Cochran as district-wide supervisor of student wellness and strength.

* Approved an agreement with SMARTS for its staff to fill in as substitutes for art and music teacher.

* Approved free breakfast and lunch to all students in the district for 2025-26 year.