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Athens Area School District board meeting, Jun 15, 2026

2 h 27 min · 0 public speakers

Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 35:49Enrollment ▶ 35:49

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Athens Area board takes up $47,262,473 final budget with 5.1% tax increase 1:05:48

  • A district staff member presented the final 2026⁠-⁠27 budget, saying the budgeted loss had grown from $1,520,037 in May to $1,642,009. 46:28
  • The chair described the final budget as $47,262,473 with a 5.1% tax increase at the Act 1 index, and a roll call followed. 1:05:48
  • Board members discussed the wording of a junior high athletics roster size memo, and Christopher Jones moved to amend it to recommended roster sizes with discretion for coaches to increase them. 1:29:48
  • The superintendent presented 3 options for the district's structure, including closing SRU and creating K-4, 5⁠-⁠8 and 9⁠-⁠12 campuses for '27-'28, and said no vote was being asked for that evening. 1:42:00

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Item by item (13)
  1. Opening and meeting minutes 12:24
    • The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance. 12:24
    • The board adjourned briefly to an executive session for its annual safety presentation. 13:34
    • The chair said the prior month's minutes would be approved by unanimous consent. 13:18
  2. Superintendent remarks on budget questions 35:49
    • The superintendent said one-time ESSER funding ended in 2024⁠-⁠2025 and that rising costs exceeding revenues led to difficult budget decisions. 35:49
    • The superintendent said the district had lost over 12 teachers and several support staff over the last 2 years and cut over $100,000 in athletic budgets this year. 37:29
    • The superintendent said the cyber charter school tuition bill rose from $789,000 in 2020⁠-⁠21 to $1.4 million in 2024⁠-⁠25. 42:54
  3. Final budget presentation 45:09
    • A district staff member said the deficit grew mainly because of higher benefit costs and a replacement water heater at the high school costing about $50,000. 46:28
    • The staff member said the district would reduce 7 teaching positions next school year and that real estate taxes would rise to the Act 1 index of 5.1%. 53:37
    • The staff member said the fund balance could fall to about $2.5 million and that the district's financial problem is not solved. 55:37
  4. Committee, career center and solicitor reports 1:02:01
    • The extracurricular committee reviewed spring coach evaluations and adjusted the community use of school facilities policy for referral to the personnel and policy committee. 1:02:15
    • The solicitor reported continued work on right-to-know requests and said an appeal involving the county remained in process. 1:04:33
  5. Final budget vote 1:05:20
    • The chair said the 2026⁠-⁠2027 budget totaled $47,262,473 with a 5.1% tax increase at the Act 1 index. 1:05:48
    • A staff member then called the roll. ~1:06:15
  6. Financial business 1:06:34
    • The items included bills, treasurer reports, a homestead farmstead exclusion resolution, appointment of an auditor for the 25⁠-⁠26 school year and a year-end budget transfer resolution. 1:07:05
    • The superintendent said the items were standard and done each year. 1:07:16
  7. Personnel and summer school staffing 1:08:18
    • One staff member said the fall football coaches were not listed and asked whether the board had already voted on them, and another said no names had been given. 1:09:59
    • A staff member said summer school teaching and support staff were listed because some spots had to be filled on late notice. 1:12:46
    • The chair separated personnel items D and E into a second vote. 1:13:24
  8. Contracts and agreements 1:14:43
    • The agreements included internet access, medical services, sports medicine services, shared special education services and a Head Start memorandum of understanding. 1:14:55
    • The superintendent said one medical agreement covers physicals and evaluations and the other covers the athletic trainer. 1:15:33
  9. Transportation items 1:16:36
    • The items included one vehicle upgrade request and one update to the driver's list. 1:16:47
    • A staff member said the district is required under McKinney-Vento to transport certain students from Canton. 1:17:02
  10. Buildings and grounds contract 1:19:06
    • The one item was the PowerPay contract, and no board questions were raised. 1:19:12
  11. Item 1:19:47
    • A staff member said junior high programs had grown so large that 30 or 40 students for 2 coaches was becoming a safety issue. 1:20:18
    • One board member said of the roster cap, I don't like the language, and another board member said caps exist in other extracurriculars. 1:25:33
    • Christopher Jones moved to amend the language to approve recommended roster sizes for the junior high athletic teams, effective with the 26⁠-⁠27 school year, with discretion for the coach to increase those sizes. 1:32:06
  12. District structure options presentation 1:33:20
    • A district staff member said closing SRU would net about $970,000 in identified annual costs and that furloughs could be a possibility. 1:34:12
    • A district staff member presented 3 options: keeping the 4-building model, closing SRU and creating K-4, 5⁠-⁠8 and 9⁠-⁠12 campuses for '27-'28, or keeping all buildings and reducing programs. 1:42:00
  13. Board communications and adjournment 2:20:32
    • The chair said the next meeting is July 21st at 7 o'clock at the admin office. 2:20:56
    • The meeting was adjourned. ~2:21:26

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “Athens Area School DIstrict Board Of Directors Meeting - June 15,2026”