WHAT: Board of Education meeting Tuesday

PRESENT: Katie Berdis, Fred Marcum, Harold Porter, Kim Smrek and Don Sherwood

The board:

• Approved December 2025 monthly financial / expenditure activity report and December 2025 month-end forecast report as submitted by the treasurer.

• Approved purchase orders over $15,000 and transfers for the month as submitted to the board.

• Accepted a donation of $1,295 from Robert Senn to Fitch Athletics.

• Approved the scrap disposal of one school bus.

• Accepted the resignations of Monica Pawlen, IT computer technician and Mathew Galchick, special education paraprofessional.

• Accepted the retirement resignation of Andrew Bakes, Austintown Elementary School art teacher.

• Approved the appointments of Regina Locicero and Chelsie Sheets to the food services department.

• Approved the transfers of Kathy Mirto from Austintown Middle School night custodian to Austintown Intermediate School turn leader custodian and Pamela Markulin, paraprofessional monitor at Austintown Elementary School to special education paraprofessional there.

• Approved leaves of absence for Debra Shelley, Pamela Markulin, Angela Carchedi, Anthony Ferradino, Andrew DeNiro, Kelly Vinion, Robert Duda, Amy Tibolla and Cheri Watson.

• Approved Falcon Swim Camp for grades 3-8 March 25 to 27 at the downtown YMCA. Cost is $40.

• Approved the Austintown Fitch speech and debate team traveling Jan. 16 and 17 to the Wooster High School speech tournament by school bus. The trip is self-funded.

• Received confirmation that Austintown Local School District will administer the third-grade English language arts assessment in a paper format to all students in the third grade, except students whose IEP advises otherwise.

• Accepted a proposal from Unyque Therapy Services to assign three dedicated Registered Behavior Technicians to provide daily support within three designated kindergarten classrooms during the service period through May 22, 2026.

• Approved a memorandum of understanding with Youngstown State University and Kent State University to participate in the College Credit Plus Program.

• Approved the district’s open enrollment policy for the 2026-27 school year

• Susan Wojnar