Liberty

WHAT: Board of education meeting Monday

PRESENT: Shawn Chrystal, Janine Hamilton, Hans Kirr, David Malone and Kara Morgan

The board:

• Approved an agreement between the district and SMARTS (Students Motivated by the Arts) to provide K-12 art classes and teachers in visual art, music, dance, theater and creative writing. The classes will be provided in-person, recorded and/or live virtual, or a combination of both. The $35,000 cost of the program is being provided by a donation to SMARTS by an unnamed donor, while the district is contributing $30,051 from its general fund.

• Approved Robert Housel, Superintendent Brian Knight, Jessica Kohler, Ryan Yemma and Thomas Zetts as Ohio Teacher Evaluation System 2.0 Credited Teacher Evaluators for the 2025-26 school year.

• Approved Knight as an Ohio Principal Evaluation System 2.0 Credited Principal Evaluator for the 2025-26 school year.

• Approved declaring the following books obsolete: 80 copies of Algebra – Structure and Method; 10 copies of MathMatters2; 76 copies of Trigonometry – A Grappling Approach, 3rd Edition; 60 copies of Geometry and 10 copies of Somos Asi 1 and 2.

• Approved declaring a 2010 Thomas school bus with 190,562 miles obsolete and authorized Knight to determine its future use, sale and / or disposal.

• Approved granting Nicole Ulrich a one-year limited contract as a school nurse, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Her salary will be $54,738.

•  Accepted the resignation of Branning Street as a Title I and remedial tutor, effective Sept. 18.

• Accepted David Hope’s resignation as an intervention assistant, effective Aug. 25, 2025.

• Approved granting a one-year limited contract to Christina Kratchner as a bus driver, at a rate of $21.75 an hour.

• Approved 18 licensed substitutes for the 2025-26 school year.

• Approved Adam Fisher and Alana Carkido from Youngstown State University as student teachers. Upon the recommendation of Knight and approval of YSU, they may serve as substitute teachers in their assigned teacher’s classrooms when the teacher is absent. They will be paid $100 per full day if they fill in.

• Accepted a $4,193 donation from Donor’s Choose for the purchase of educational games, a carpet, classroom supplies, instructional resources and athletic equipment for the district’s classrooms.

• Brandon Cantwell