The July 13, 2026 regular meeting packet centers on preparing Firelands Local School District for the 2026-2027 school year through financial oversight, student support planning, transportation approvals, strategic planning, and operational recommendations. The packet emphasizes both routine fiscal management and longer-term priorities for student achievement, facilities, and community engagement.
One of the most significant items is approval of the district's FY27 Student Wellness and Success and Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) plan. Approximately $87,516.92 in DPIA funding and approximately $106,319 in Student Wellness and Success funding would support positions including a School Resource Officer, Literacy Specialist, School Psychologist, nursing services, behavior specialists, and social workers. More than 75% of the Student Wellness and Success funding is designated for mental or physical health services through partnerships with the Lorain County Educational Service Center, Lorain County Public Health, and ABA Outreach Services.
Financial reports indicate the district closed June 2026 with approximately $27.39 million in cash across all funds and FY2026 expenditures of approximately $28.30 million. The General Fund budget totaled about $25.09 million, with roughly 97% of regular instruction appropriations expended and substantial remaining balances reserved in permanent improvement and capital-related funds for future projects.
The packet also highlights the district's updated strategic vision. Priorities include strengthening literacy and mathematics instruction, expanding Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), improving attendance, exploring long-term facilities planning, enhancing cybersecurity, maintaining fiscal sustainability, and strengthening relationships with community partners and local businesses.
Major Discussion and Action Items
FY27 Student Wellness and DPIA Funding Plan
The board is scheduled to consider approval of the FY27 funding plan governing two important state funding streams supporting student success.
The proposed DPIA allocation of approximately $87,516.92 would support:
- District School Resource Officer
- District Literacy Specialist
- Firelands Middle School/High School School Psychologist
The Student Wellness and Success allocation of approximately $106,319 would support:
- Nursing services
- Behavior specialists
- Social workers
The plan emphasizes collaboration with regional service providers and notes that more than three-quarters of wellness funding will directly support mental health or healthcare services for students. These investments affect students districtwide and reinforce the district's student support infrastructure.
District Strategic Vision and Goals
The packet includes an updated district vision statement identifying priorities for the coming year.
Major instructional priorities include:
- Strong Tier 1 classroom instruction
- Expanded literacy and mathematics improvement
- Project-Based Learning in grades 6-12
- Greater use of student assessment data
- Continued expansion of MTSS supports
Operational priorities include:
- Attendance improvement
- Facility planning
- Cybersecurity improvements
- Professional development
- Careful management of revenues and expenditures
- Expanded communication and community partnerships
These priorities establish the framework guiding future administrative recommendations and budget decisions.
Financial Oversight and Year-End Fiscal Review
The Treasurer presents June financial reports summarizing FY2026 activity.
Highlights include:
- General Fund appropriations of approximately $25.09 million
- Total expenditures across all funds of approximately $28.30 million
- Current cash balance of approximately $27.39 million
- Permanent Improvement Fund continuing to retain substantial balances for future capital work
- Dedicated capital project funds remaining available for planned district improvements
These reports provide the board with year-end financial status before beginning FY2027 operations.
Extended School Year Transportation
Supporting exhibits include transportation plans for Extended School Year services.
The packet contains route sheets showing student transportation schedules, stop locations, estimated travel times, and assigned drivers for August Extended School Year programming.
These approvals help ensure transportation services are in place before ESY instruction begins.
Student Programs and School Operations
Supporting materials include agreements and operational documents connected with special education and instructional services.
One agreement outlines conditions for obtaining tutoring services through North Coast Tutoring Services while establishing employment restrictions intended to preserve the contractual relationship between the district and the provider.
Although administrative in nature, these agreements support continuity of specialized educational services.
Public Participation Procedures
The packet includes the district's public participation procedures.
Residents wishing to speak on non-agenda matters or request agenda placement are expected to notify the superintendent at least three days before a meeting.
The policy generally provides:
- Individual recognition by the board president
- Approximately three minutes per speaker
- Maximum public participation period of about 30 minutes
- No board action on issues first raised during public comment unless later placed on a future agenda
The procedures are intended to balance public participation with orderly conduct of board meetings.
Financial Matters
The June financial reports show the district entering FY2027 with a strong overall cash position.
Key financial highlights include:
- Total appropriations across all funds: approximately $31.54 million
- Total FY2026 expenditures: approximately $28.30 million
- Current cash balance: approximately $27.39 million
- July 1 cash balance: approximately $25.13 million
The General Fund accounts for the majority of district spending, while separate funds support food service, bond retirement, permanent improvements, classroom facilities, federal grants, student activities, and athletics.
Major disbursement reports include significant payments to educational service providers, transportation vendors, instructional suppliers, technology vendors, maintenance contractors, and student service organizations. Large individual expenditures include educational service agencies, a truck purchase, audit-related costs, and specialized instructional services. The packet primarily documents routine operational spending rather than introducing new major capital contracts for approval.
Policies, Ordinances, Resolutions, and Governance
The most substantive governance item is adoption of the FY27 Student Wellness and Success/DPIA funding plan.
The packet also includes:
- Updated district vision and strategic priorities
- Existing public participation procedures governing board meetings
- Operational agreements supporting educational services
No major policy rewrites or governance restructuring are evident in the accessible packet materials.
The Treasurer provides comprehensive June financial reports documenting year-end revenues, expenditures, appropriations, encumbrances, and cash balances.
The strategic planning documents explain how district leadership intends to improve instruction, attendance, facilities, technology, student wellness, fiscal stewardship, and community engagement during the upcoming school year.
The wellness funding plan explains how state resources will be directed toward academic intervention, mental health, behavioral support, nursing services, and student safety initiatives.
Personnel, Appointments, and Organizational Matters
The accessible packet identifies positions supported through state funding rather than traditional hiring actions.
Funding is proposed to support:
- District School Resource Officer
- District Literacy Specialist
- School Psychologist
- Nursing services
- Behavior specialists
- Social workers
The packet emphasizes collaboration with the Lorain County Educational Service Center, Lorain County Public Health, and ABA Outreach Services to deliver these services. No extensive hiring or resignation lists are supported by the accessible packet text.
Projects, Facilities, Infrastructure, and Operations
Facilities planning remains one of the district's long-term strategic priorities.
The vision document calls for continued evaluation of facility and funding options supporting academics, athletics, and district operations.
Technology priorities include implementing recommendations from network security reviews and expanding staff cybersecurity training.
Transportation operations are also addressed through approval of Extended School Year bus routes and schedules supporting summer instructional programming.
Residents may participate during the board's public participation portion of the meeting.
According to district procedures:
- Requests to address non-agenda matters should be submitted to the superintendent at least three days before the meeting.
- Speakers are generally limited to approximately three minutes.
- Public comments become part of the meeting record, although board action generally occurs only after issues return on a future agenda if necessary.
No separate public hearings are identified in the accessible packet.
Students and families may benefit most directly from expanded investments in literacy, mental health, behavioral supports, nursing services, and school safety.
Employees are affected through district strategic priorities emphasizing instructional improvement, professional collaboration, cybersecurity training, and student attendance initiatives.
Taxpayers receive detailed year-end financial reporting demonstrating how district funds were allocated and the financial resources available entering FY2027.
Community organizations and regional agencies continue to play an important role through partnerships supporting student health, educational services, and community engagement initiatives.
- How will success of the FY27 wellness investments be measured?
- What outcomes are expected from the literacy specialist position?
- How will additional behavioral and mental health supports affect student services?
- Which facility needs are considered the highest priority?
- How will the district evaluate future capital improvement projects?
- What cybersecurity improvements are planned during FY2027?
- How will attendance improvement efforts be measured?
- What metrics will be used to evaluate MTSS expansion?
- How much flexibility remains within the General Fund entering FY2027?
- What additional community partnerships are planned during the coming school year?
Important Dates, Deadlines, and Next Steps
- July 13, 2026: Regular Board Meeting and consideration of FY27 wellness funding plan.
- FY2027: Implementation of updated strategic vision priorities.
- 2026-2027 School Year: Student Wellness and DPIA funding supports become operational if approved.
- August 2026: Extended School Year transportation routes support scheduled ESY services.
- Future board meetings will continue monitoring financial performance, strategic initiatives, and student support programs as implementation progresses.
Key Takeaways
- FY27 wellness funding prioritizes student mental health, nursing, and behavioral supports.
- Approximately $87,516.92 in DPIA funding supports instructional and safety positions.
- Approximately $106,319 in Student Wellness funding supports health and behavioral services.
- More than 75% of wellness funding is directed toward mental or physical healthcare.
- June financial reports show approximately $27.39 million in cash across all district funds.
- The district continues emphasizing literacy, mathematics, MTSS, and attendance improvement.
- Facilities planning and cybersecurity remain strategic priorities.
- Extended School Year transportation routes are prepared for summer programming.
- Community partnerships remain central to student support services.
- Public participation procedures require advance notice for non-agenda topics.
Official Sources
About the Public Body
- Name: Firelands Local School District
- Organization type: school-district
- Government body: school-boards
- Location: South Amherst, ohio
- County: Lorain County
- Provider: boarddocs
Keywords
Firelands Local School District, Regular meeting, July 13 2026, Board of Education, FY27, Student Wellness, Student Success, DPIA, Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid, School Resource Officer, Literacy Specialist, School Psychologist, nursing services, social workers, behavior specialist, Lorain County ESC, ABA Outreach Services, financial report, General Fund, Permanent Improvement Fund, cash summary, transportation, Extended School Year, facilities planning, MTSS, cybersecurity, attendance, community engagement, strategic vision, South Amherst
*Source: Firelands Local School District meeting packet and supporting documents.
