Rossford Board of Education Packet Summary — August 10, 2026
Key Items on the Agenda
The Rossford Board of Education is scheduled to consider a broad set of recommendations covering staffing, student transportation, service agreements, the district’s annual financial forecast, and the 2026–2027 preschool handbook. The agenda also includes approval of the July 13 regular-meeting minutes, the Treasurer’s Report and financials, monthly administrative reports, audience participation, and open discussion.
Staffing and Personnel
The board is scheduled to consider certified and classified personnel employment, supplemental-contract resignations and employment, volunteers, and a homebound instruction designee. The Human Resources report says recruitment for 2026–2027 is nearly complete and that all outstanding certified vacancies have been filled, with remaining certified recommendations included on the August agenda for approval.
The district continues to recruit for several classified positions, including a Clinic Aide and Bus Aide, along with substitutes and other support positions as needs arise.
Transportation
Several transportation actions are on the agenda, including designation of school bus stops, transportation of public and non-public school students, a resolution concerning transportation of non-public school students, and transportation of developmentally handicapped students.
The transportation report says the district has received nearly 1,000 transportation-form responses and submitted bus-stop locations for board approval. A new 2026 Blue Bird All American Conventional Style Bus, Bus #9, has arrived and is planned for an in-town route along the Dixie Highway/Superior Street corridor to reduce crowding on existing town routes.
Agreements and Outside Services
The board is scheduled to consider an ASM Global Use License Agreement, a Fitness 4 All Agreement, Educational Service Center of Lake Erie West service agreements, I Am Boundless service agreements, and an Owens State Community College College Credit Plus Agreement. Two additional items are listed on the agenda as board resolutions, but the packet’s agenda text does not identify their substance.
Major Financial Items
Annual Financial Forecast
The board is scheduled to consider the district’s annual forecast. The forecast focuses on the General Fund and projects FY 2027 total revenues and other financing sources of about $29.97 million, compared with about $33.51 million in expenditures and other financing uses.
The forecast projects operating shortfalls in each year shown: approximately $3.54 million in FY 2027, $1.65 million in FY 2028, $3.58 million in FY 2029, and $7.79 million in FY 2030. The forecast incorporates transfers into the General Fund, including approximately $620,000 in FY 2027, $8 million in FY 2028, $10 million in FY 2029, and $7.49 million in FY 2030.
The forecast specifically states that the board is expected to vote in August on transferring approximately $620,000 in unused interest from the completed 2022 COPs project, The R, into the General Fund. It also identifies a $25.49 million Fund 070 cash balance as a potential source of General Fund support in FY 2028 through FY 2030.
Levy Assumptions and Revenue Outlook
The forecast assumes renewal of two 6.9-mill Current Expense levies, originally approved at 7.9 mills, that expire after tax year 2026. The forecast anticipates the renewal levies being placed on the ballot in spring 2027.
For FY 2027, the forecast projects $15.43 million in general property-tax revenue, $3.94 million in unrestricted grants-in-aid, approximately $258,000 in restricted grants-in-aid, and $2.65 million in state reimbursement property-tax credits. Other operating revenue, including TIF agreement payments, investment interest and miscellaneous sources, is projected at about $5.84 million.
Rising Operating Costs
Personnel is the largest projected expense. FY 2027 personnel services are forecast at approximately $18.74 million, or 55.9% of expenditures, while employee benefits are projected at approximately $7.88 million, or 23.5%.
The forecast projects personnel services rising to about $22.65 million by FY 2030 and employee benefits reaching approximately $10.11 million. The packet identifies contractual salary and wage increases, healthcare costs and inflationary pressures as major factors behind increasing expenditures.
July Financial Position
The July financial report shows a districtwide fund balance of approximately $80.63 million as of July 31, 2026, with about $18.75 million in encumbrances and approximately $61.88 million unencumbered across the funds reported.
For the General Fund, July revenue totaled approximately $1.47 million and expenditures approximately $2.62 million, leaving a current General Fund balance of approximately $11.05 million. The report lists roughly $80.71 million in district investments and checking balances, with the monthly investment report showing an average yield of 3.88%.
FY 2027 Appropriation Adjustments
The packet includes an August appropriation modification increasing total appropriations by a net $3,337.31, from $90,623,856.31 to $90,627,193.62. The changes adjust several federal grant appropriations to match FY 2027 grant awards, including IDEA Part B, Title I, the Drug Free School Grant, IDEA Preschool, and Improving Teacher Quality.
Confirming Purchase Orders
The packet includes requests for approval of two confirming purchase orders: one associated with Wood County ESC for special-education costs and another for Perf-A-Lawn for district lawn care. The summary request lists $10,095.84 for Wood County ESC and $18,086.25 for Perf-A-Lawn; a supporting Wood County ESC form separately lists $10,095.64.
The documents explain that Ohio law and Board Policy PO6320 require confirming expenditures of $3,000 or more to be submitted for board approval when expenditures occurred without prior Treasurer certification through a valid purchase order.
Student and Family Items
Preschool Handbook
The 2026–2027 Rossford Schools Preschool Handbook returns as an old-business action item. At the July 13 meeting, the handbook appeared as an informational new-business item; the August agenda schedules it for board action.
School Meals and Income Eligibility
The board is also scheduled to consider USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines. The Food Service report says free/reduced benefits carried over from 2025–2026 expire October 1, 2026, and applications for 2026–2027 are being accepted.
The report also states that the signed Ohio budget bill provides state funding to cover reduced-price breakfast and lunch costs for 2026–2027, meaning students who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive those meals free during the school year.
Monthly reports describe the rollout of MyPowerHub, a platform intended to consolidate school communications for families. The system brings together grades, assignments, calendars, attendance, news, forms and communication functions, while linking to other applications still used by the district.
District reports say the platform is intended to reduce the number of separate applications families need and has already been used for back-to-school forms and district communications.
Schools, Programs and Facilities
Summer Academy and Academic Preparation
The Junior-Senior High report says 42 students who needed Summer Academy attended, 20 completed the programming entirely, and students recovered 50 courses overall. The report also notes state-test retakes connected with graduation requirements and says one additional student earned a competency score sufficient for graduation while two improved their scores to proficiency.
At the elementary level, the district reports 777 students enrolled and describes summer preparations that included hiring new staff, Summer Academy, professional development, schedule preparation and classroom setup.
Building Goals
Rossford Junior-Senior High is entering 2026–2027 with four building improvement goals. These include having students establish SMART goals, strengthening writing across departments, reducing chronic absenteeism, and supporting individual student needs through measures such as co-teaching, professional development, quarterly progress monitoring and remediation.
The attendance targets call for chronic absenteeism below 15% at the junior-high level and below 22% at the high-school level.
Middle School and Facilities Work
The facilities report says district crews have been completing summer deep cleaning, painting, flooring work and other preparations. The district also purchased a professional window-washing system so exterior window cleaning can be performed in-house rather than contracted out.
For the new Rossford Middle School, district staff report meeting with the construction team every other week to review progress and upcoming changes. Staff are also examining equipment purchases for the new building and working with the Treasurer’s Department on a plan to cover those costs.
What to Watch at the Meeting
- Long-range finances: The annual forecast shows expenditures outpacing revenues and relies on significant transfers in later forecast years while assuming renewal of two 6.9-mill current-expense levies.
- FY 2027 transfer: The packet says the board is expected to consider moving approximately $620,000 in unused interest from the completed 2022 COPs project into the General Fund.
- Transportation changes: Board action is scheduled on bus stops and multiple student-transportation items as the district prepares routes for the new school year and adds Bus #9 to the in-town corridor.
- Personnel and services: The agenda contains multiple staffing recommendations and several outside service or use agreements.
- Preschool handbook: After appearing as an informational item in July, the 2026–2027 preschool handbook is scheduled for action as old business.
