By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer
The May meeting of the North Royalton Board of Education took place on Thursday, May 15.
The Board approved the 2025 five-year forecast.
The Board approved the following 2024-25 appropriation adjustments: Fund 200 Student Managed Student Activity Fund, from $500,000.00 to $560,000.00; Fund 003 Permanent Improvement from $1,800,000.00 to $2,789,501.12 (increased for High School boiler replacement and auditorium theatrical lighting).
The Board approved the following retirements and resignations:
Resignations:
Alyssa Beck/Intervention Specialist Pre-K/Elementary School/effective June 6, 2025; Stephanie Buit/Grade 6 Math/Middle School/effective May 14, 2025
Retirements:
Laura Kunz/Speech-Language Pathologist/Elementary School/effective July 1, 2025 (last day of work will be June 6, 2025); Cathleen Rush/MTSS/Title I/Elementary School/effective June 1, 2025 (last day of work will be May 30, 2025); Kerry Sheppard/Grade 3/Elementary School/effective July 1, 2025 (last day of work will be June 6, 2025); Scott Spessard/Counselor/High School/effective December 1, 2025 (last day of work will be November 7, 2025)
Disability Retirement:
Scott Matusik/Assistant Building Custodian/High School/effective January 1, 2025
The Board approved the continuing status as teachers to the following staff members, salary on schedule, effective for the 2025-26 school year:
Angela Bazzo, Amber Kaselonis, Catherine Mack, Kelly Puleo, Lauren Stefancin and Michelle Sutyak.
The Board appointed Beth Steele as District Health Coordinator, effective August 1, 2025 and authorized a on-year contract at a starting base salary of $62,588.00, subject to increase per the Central Office Professional Staff Association Compensation Plan.
The Board approved the following appointments:
Certified Employees (2025-26):
Kelsey Burdoff/Grade 7 English Language Arts/Middle School; Anna Cappas/Grade 2/Elementary School; Margaret Carter/Small Group Instructor/Middle School; NRCS Board of Education Meeting 5/15/25; Amy Fleming/Intervention Specialist/Elementary School; Natalie Hanna/Counselor/Middle School.
Kaitlyn King/Math/High School; Ryan Madison/Intervention Specialist/Middle School; Claudia Napier/Art/Middle School; Natalie Nassif/Grade 6 Math/Middle School.
Classified Employees (2024-25):
David Jarosz/Bus Driver/Transportation/
The Board approved the change of assignment, effective 2024-25 school year, for Morgan Boldt from Small Group Instructor/Middle School to Grade 5 English Language Arts/Middle School.
The Board approved the following leaves of absence:
George Kostelac/effective April 14, 2025 through June 5, 2025; Michelle Sutyak/effective June 3, 2025 (half-day p.m.) through June 6, 2025.
The Board approved the following Safety Town instructors:
Session I (June 9-20, 2025 – no classes on 6/19)
Tracy Csizmadia (a.m./p.m.)
Session II (June 23 – July 3, 2025)
Tracy Csizmadia (a.m./p.m.)
The Board approved the following extended school year services for June – August 2025, as needed, salary on schedule:
Certificated Summer ESY Services (June & July 2025)
Catherine Dostal (up to 70 hours at hourly rate—classroom and tutoring); Kate West (up to 54 hours at hourly rate); Summer Evaluation Team (June-August 2025) outside of extended time days; Kara Gillespie (up to 48 hours at hourly rate); Devan Humrichousr (up to 20 hours at hourly rate); Lori Pekare (up to 20 hours at hourly rate)
Certificated Summer ESY Services (June-August 2025)
Emily Krause (up to 90 hours at hourly rate)
Certificated Substitute ESY Services (June-July 2025)
Emily Nagy (up to 12 hours at hourly rate); Jennifer Petty (up to 12 hours at hourly rate); Briana Flowers (up to 12 hours at hourly rate)
Classified Summer ESY Services (June & July 2025)
Kaley Colorito (up to 45 hours at hourly rate); Crystal Gibson (up to 45 hours at hourly rate); Bridget Lewandowski (up to 45 hours at hourly rate); Kristina Rauscher (up to 45 hours at hourly rate); Amanda Skyrm (up to 45 hours at hourly rate).
Classified Summer ESY Substitute Services (June & July 2025)
Bridget Lewandowski (up to 18 hours at hourly rate)
Certificated Summer Home Instructor Services (June-August 2025)
Katherine Bornstein (up to 50 hours at hourly rate)
The Board renewed the following supplemental contracts for the 2024-25 school year, paid fully by the North Royalton Education Association (NREA:
Richard Emch/NREA Treasurer/$2,500; Kelly Galey/NREA President/$5,500; Devan Humrichouser/NREA Membership Chair/$2,000; Michelle Sablyar/NREA Vice President/$3,500; Laura Whitehead/NREA Secretary/$3,000.
The Board approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2025-26 school year or as indicated, as needed, salary on schedule:
Cathy Drescher/Power of the Pen Club Advisor/Middle School (2024-25); David Guciardo/Summer School Director/$5,000/year (Summer 2025); Lauren Heldt/Head Girls Basketball Coach
The Board approved the following stipends at $250 per full day or $125 per half day, as indicated: Summer professional development – AP Seminar for English, online at University of Texas at Arlington, full days June 16, 2025 through June 19, 2025 – Lourena Roach
The Board approved the following administrative contracts, salary on schedule:
Erin Calabrese/Middle School Principal/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028;
Jeffrey Cicerchi/Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028; Patrick Farrell/Director of Human Resources/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028; David Guciardo/Middle School Assistant Principal/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028; Lesley Smith/Elementary School Assistant Principal/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028; Melissa Vojta/Assistant Superintendent/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028; Jasminne Wessel/Middle School Assistant Principal/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028.
The Board renewed the following administrative contracts for non-teaching supervisor/coordinator positions, salary on schedule:
Harry Swartzlander/Food Services Supervisor/effective August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2028
The Board approved the first amendment to a purchase agreement with GreyFoxREE LLC on the purchase agreement for property that was effective as of August 15, 2024. The amendment reads as follows:
“1. This Amendment modifies the Agreement to the extent provided herein. In the event of any conflict or ambiguity in the terms of the Agreement and this Amendment, the terms of this Amendment shall govern. Any capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning as set forth in the Agreement.
2. Section 3.a of the Agreement shall be amended to extend the Feasibility Period by 90 additional days to 8/10/2025.
3. Section 3.a of the Agreement shall be amended to allow for the $2,000 extension payment for the additional 30-day extension to the Initial Feasibility Period, which would extend the Feasibility Period to 9/9/2025.
4. The remaining terms of the Agreement are ratified and affirmed.
5. This Amendment may be executed in multiple counterparts, all of which shall be read together and be construed as one instrument. A PDF copy of a signature shall be deemed to be an original signature hereto and shall be as binding as an original signature.”
The Board authorized the purchase from school bus bids received by the Ohio Schools Council on November 1, 2024. The Board authorized the purchase of three 71-passenger conventional buses at a cost of $140,537.00 per bus and one 54-passenger special needs equipped bus at a cost of $171,045.00.
The Board approved the following agreements: Southeast Security to update district phone system for an initial term of 36 months; American Association of School Administrators, Inc., for services related to Portrait of a Graduate and Vision Enhancement from July, 2025 through March, 2026; PaySchools for payment processing services for food services for one year; Peak Potential Therapy for ESY 2025; Suburban School Transportation, Inc. for special needs student transport for the 2025-26 school year; ABA Outreach Services for Board Certified Behavior Analyst for training and support for the 2025-26 school year; LLA Therapy for occupational, physical and speech therapy services from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027; Tender Loving Care Transportation Company for the 2025-26 school year; Educational Alternatives for special education programs and transportation for the 2025-26 school year; Steps Educational Group for special education programs and services for the 2025-26 school year; Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio for special education services for the 2025-26 school year; Cleveland Clinic Lerner School for Autism for special education programs and outreach for the 2025-26 school year; Sheakley Uniservice, Inc., for worker’s compensation group rating program services for the 2025-26 school year; and Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company for voluntary student accident and sickness insurance for the 2025-26 school year.
The Board approved parental transportation contracts for students attending Global Village Academy for the 2025-26 school year.
The Board accepted and acknowledged the following gifts and donations:
– North Royalton Middle School PTA donated $225 to North Royalton Middle School for the fifth-grade field trip to the Akron Zoo.
– North Royalton Middle School PTA donated PBS-NRSWAG Bear Store incentives, valued at $591.66, to North Royalton Middle School.
– The Progressive Insurance Foundation! CAF America donated $200 to North Royalton Elementary School.
– The North Royalton Educational Foundation donated $13,074.57 in grant materials to North Royalton City Schools.
– Christopher and Jennifer Lopez donated $200 to North Royalton Elementary School.
– First Place Spiritwear donated $65.37 to North Royalton Elementary School
The Board approved the attendance of Board Members to the School Board for Academic Conference on June 25-27, 2025, in Covington Kentucky.
The Board then recessed into Executive Session to discuss matters confidential by state and federal law.
The next monthly Board meeting will take place on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 p.m. at the North Royalton High School Community Room.
