Minerva School Board hears concerns

Three individuals addressed the Minerva Local Board of Education during public participation at its Jan. 12 meeting. 

They included Lisa Followay, director of Adaptive Sports Ohio, of Wooster, who spoke to the board regarding the Ohio Interscholastic Wheelchair Basketball Program. 

Holly Reed and Norlene Gill, both of Minerva, spoke to the board regarding Americans with Disabilities Act stadium accessibility. 

In other business, the board: 

— Approved an International Circle field trip to New York City June 1-14 for members of the International Circle at Minerva High School. 

— Accepted the resignations of Kara Corbett, elementary school substitute, and Nicole Drakulich, high school intervention specialist. 

— Hired Cathy Viola, elementary school permanent substitute, and Nadia Gray, high school intervention specialist. 

— Added the following employees to the classified substitute list: Tiffany Brown, Paige Brant, Laura Keith, Jacsyn Hilliard and Brandi Grove. 

— Accepted the resignation of Tania Monk, bus aide. 

— Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2025-26 school year: Arin Rettig, boys head track coach; Leslie Strain, assistant track coach (2/3 stipend); Laura Bauman, middle school assistant track coach (2/3 stipend); Megan Keyser, middle school assistant track coach (2/3 stipend); Devon Patterson, middle school assistant track coach (1/2 stipend); Eric Nickell, middle school assistant track coach (1/2 stipend); Tim Wolf, middle school assistant track coach (1/2 stipend); Kathryn Hannen, head softball coach; Stacey Patterson, assistant softball coach; Troy Richeson, head baseball coach. 

— Approved Olivia Scott as head girls track coach. 

— Approved Marcy Herstine as assistant girls track coach. 

— Approved the following volunteers for the 2025-26 school year: Dick Rutledge, Mackenzie Scott, Jacob Cruz Perez and Erin Roach, all track. 

— Approved the 2026-27 school calendar. 

Resolutions approved by the board included: 

— The use of paper test administration for the third-grade Ohio State Test assessments for the 2026-27 school year. 

— Membership in OSBA’s Legal Assistance Fund for 2026 at a cost of $250. 

— Indoor track and middle school girls wrestling Sunday participation. 

— Policy and administrative guidelines as presented. 

— Memorandum of Understanding with Kent State University for College Credit Plus. 

— Participation in Stark County Schools’ Council Cooperative bids for integrated school bus units and authorization for the superintendent to sign the SPARCC Program Agreement between Minerva Local Schools and the Stark County Council of Governments. 

— Approved expenditures for November of $3,564,429.08 and December of $2,182,902.18. 

— Approved the amendment of the superintendent’s contract as presented. 

— Heard an administrative update by Superintendent Mark Scott. 

— Set the next meeting for Feb. 23 at 6 p.m.