WHAT: Board of Education meeting Tuesday

PRESENT: Kimberly Barrell, Michele Lamb, Chris Chieffo, Mary Ann McMahon and Tony Perrone

The board:

• Recognized Dr. Erika Meeks, a high school teacher, for her dissertation “Clouds in the Classroom: The Soaring Rise of Vaping Among Ohio High School Students and Puff-Worthy Policy Recommendations.” Meeks conducted a quantitative study analyzing tobacco policies across 40 school districts, recommending a shift from suspensions to restorative justice measures and addiction counseling to address student vaping.

• Approved the employment of non-licensed individuals for coaching positions, including Richard Palumbo as assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach (12% of base salary) and David Woloschak as seventh and eighth grade boys track coach (7% of base salary).

• Approved a resolution regarding a Dec. 17, 2024, settlement agreement, release and waiver with a Niles City Schools teacher as reviewed by the board.

• Approved field trips for the Niles McKinley High School bowling team to 10 Pin Alley in Hermitage, Pa., on Dec. 30, 2024, and Feb. 12, 2025.

• Approved the 2024-25 Afterschool Intervention Programs for students in grades K-12, including supplemental pay of $40 per hour for certificated staff and per diem rates for classified employees.

• Declared transportation impractical for certain routes during the 2024-25 school year and approved payment-in-lieu of $600 for affected families. Niles Superintendent Ann Marie Thigpen explained that transporting one or two students to nonpublic schools like St. Rose in Girard would disrupt regular bus routes, making it impractical.