The Euclid Board of Education met on March 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Fordyce Administration Building.
The meeting was called to order at 7:03 pm by Board President Gabrielle Kelly, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Four Board Members were present, with Mrs. Otoo joining shortly after the meeting started.
The Board reviewed the evening's agenda and made a few small changes. The Board approved the amended agenda.
The Board adopted the minutes for the February 12th and 26th, 2025 Board Meetings.
Superintendent Papouras read Proclamations recognizing Administrative Professionals Day and “Euclid Reads.”
Chardon Hills STEM School Recognitions and Presentation
Four outstanding Chardon Hills Students were recognized as Students of the Month at the meeting:
Chance Clark
Cecilia Dibartomlomeo
Faith Balogh
Deion Clopton
These four students were nominated for exemplifying what it means to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn each day. They consistently follow directions, demonstrate kindness, and contribute positivity to their classrooms. These students demonstrate leadership beyond the classroom by setting a positive example, assisting classmates, and taking initiative in group activities.
Staff Member Ashley Do
Following the recognitions, Principal Deana Stinchcomb along with the Assistant Principal Bill Mayer highlighted the great things happening at Chardon Hills.
Mrs. Stinchcomb began the presentation by introducing Chardon Hills’ theme for the year: “Planting Seeds of Success - Growing and Learning Together.” The presentation focused on six key topics: STEM, Instruction, Professional Learning, Climate/Celebrations, Attendance and Parent Engagement.
STEM Integration & Hands-On Learning
The teachers at Chardon Hills work hard to embed STEM education across grade levels and encore classes to encourage creativity, problem-solving and hands-on exploration. Each grade level engages in unique projects designed to integrate STEM into their curriculum in meaningful ways.
Younger students tackled engineering challenges inspired by classic fairy tales, building bridges for the Three Billy Goats Gruff and building walls for Humpty Dumpty. As students grow, they engage in increasingly complex activities, like the fifth graders that simulated ecosystem clean-up efforts, expanding their knowledge of environmental science and conservation.
STEM extends beyond the normal classroom and into the encore subjects by incorporating STEM principles into activities and artwork.
At the Annual STEM Day, students engaged in a variety of engineering challenges, including a Sphero robot corn maze, a LEGO garden design and a cup-stacking challenge inspired by redwood forests. The entire event was led by fifth-grade student leaders, giving them the opportunity to mentor younger students and showcase their growing STEM expertise.
Instructional Excellence & Student Learning
Chardon Hills has focused on academic growth through engaging, hands-on learning experiences. They have prioritized high-quality instruction through curriculum to help provide students with the foundation they need to excel. Teachers have developed creative ways to make lessons more interactive and engaging. Students have dressed up to roleplay book characters, hosted a mock Olympic Games to better understand the Ancient Greeks and conducted experiments on glacier erosion to better understand natural forces.
Professional Learning & Teacher Growth
Professional learning has remained a cornerstone of Chardon Hills’ success. This year, they’ve implemented the Teacher Clarity Playbook, focusing on learning intentions and determining the criteria to define success to make academic expectations clear for students. Teachers have worked on developing structured learning progressions, breaking complex skills into more manageable steps, and used ongoing assessments to track student progress and adjust instruction as needed.
Collaboration amongst staff has been a driving force behind teacher growth. The Building Leadership Team has helped to foster a culture of peer learning, with teachers sharing best practices and refining instructional techniques together.
Positive School Climate & Celebrations
Chardon Hills has worked hard to build a culture of recognition, teamwork and celebration. This year, the school received the PBIS Silver Award, an achievement earned by fewer than 4% of Ohio schools. Through the PBIS reward system, students have earned recognitions like Student of the Month, Panther Bucks, and Best Behavior Bonuses. Over 90% of students have participated in special incentives such as the Fall Festival, Glow Dance, and Snow Cone celebrations.
Teachers and staff have also been recognized for their contributions to the school, with 19 educators honored as Teacher or Staff of the Month. These recognitions have been supported by local businesses and the PTA to help create an atmosphere where both students and staff feel valued.
Attendance Initiatives & Improvements
Chardon Hills has been committed to improving attendance, using the mantra “Every Minute Matters, Every Moment Counts.” The school has worked to reduce chronic absenteeism, which has dropped 8% this year. Students who achieve perfect attendance have been rewarded with incentives such as classroom celebrations, certificates and Cleveland Browns tickets. Additionally, the school has seen an impressive 55% improvement in students with a history of excessive absences, thanks to personalized support, proactive communication and school wide attendance challenges.
Parent & Community Engagement
Chardon Hills has continued to foster strong relationships with families and the community, recognizing that parent involvement is key to student success. This year, over 200 fathers participated in the annual Father’s Walk. The school also hosted a Veterans Day Assembly, where they welcomed 40 veterans and their families to honor their service. Family nights like the One School-One Book Night and Cavs Family Night have provided parents with opportunities to connect with the school.
Chardon Hills has also worked to build strong partnerships with local businesses, including the Cleveland Browns, Cavs, Dunkin’ Donuts and several local restaurants.
There were no visitor comments.
Treasury/Financial Business
This portion of the meeting covered the district's financial data. Euclid Schools Treasurer Patrick Higley led the Board Members through District Financial Statements.
The Board approved the Financial Data report for February 2025 and approved payments.
The Board approved a contract renewal with Medical Mutual of Ohio for administrative services and a Stop Loss Contract.
The Board approved a contract with Spectrum to provide internet service and connectivity for all district buildings.
The Board accepted a donation of an Indu
stry 2.0 Training Workstation from Rockwell Automation to be used by the Automation and Robotics CTE program. This donation makes Euclid High School one of three high schools in the country that Rockwell has made this type of investment in – only one other high school in the country is fortunate to have this system.
Reports and Recommendations of the Superintendent
Personnel
The Board approved changes to Certified and Classified personnel in the form of resignations, terminations, retirements, permanent substitute appointments, non-teaching appointments, non-teaching assignments, extra duty, athletic duty, athletic duty resignations, and suspensions.
The Board approved the staffing needs for all 2025 summer school programming.
Contracts/Agreements
The Board approved an agreement with PSI Affiliates Inc. and Wraparound Experts LLC to provide services to parochial schools.
Curriculum/Instruction
The Board approved the adoption of the Bluestone Elementary Business, Cooking & STEM Club through the Expanding Opportunities for Each Child Grant. This grant will enable students to participate in after-school business, cooking and STEM clubs.
Routine Business
The Board approved Summer School Programs for Second and Third Grade, Middle School, and High School.
The Board authorized Euclid’s annual renewal of membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2025-2026 School Year.
The Board approved an out-of-district field trip for the SkillsUSA Ohio Competition.
The Board approved the submission of a grant to the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for $3,000 to purchase a textile shredder for the Environmental Service Vocational Program.
The Board approved the submission of a grant to the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce Job Coach/Skills Trainer Project to provide funding for professional developments to train the JTC staff on how to be effective job coaches.
The Board approved the submission of a grant to the Ohio Education Association Foundation to secure funding to purchase equipment needed to start a JTC Spirit Wear Business.
The Board approved the submission of a grant to the National Education Association.
The Board approved the submission of a grant to the Voya Unsung Heroes Awards Program to fund the purchase of materials for the JTC Spirit Wear Business.
The Board Approved the submission of a grant to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Safety Grant for safety planning, training and classroom programs to enhance safety at the schools.
Miscellaneous
The Board authorized the Superintendent to represent the District’s interests by serving on the Board of the Euclid Schools Foundation and the Euclid Chamber of Commerce.
The Board approved an amendment to the 2026-2027 District Calendar.
Policies
The Board reviewed and approved several policies regarding Drug-Free Workplace, Personal Communication Devices, Finances, Technical Corrections and several others.
The Board approved the adoption of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Special Education Model Policies and Procedures.
The Board a policy regarding Inter-District Open Enrollment
Superintendent’s Informal
Superintendent Papouras talked about the end of the third quarter and encouraged students to start off on the right foot for the fourth quarter.
He also congratulated Varsity Chorale and the Euclid High School Cheer Squad on their outstanding seasons. He also reminded the community about Big Show 2025 which will be performing March 27-30, 2025.
He also reminded families about the upcoming Spring Break which begins on Friday, March 14 and ends on March 23, 2025.
Mr. Papouras let families know about the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt, which will be held at Euclid Community Stadium on April 12, 2025.
Mr. Papouras reminded families about the Elementary Instrumental Music Concert on Thursday, March 13, at 7 PM.
Executive Session
The Board entered into executive session at 8:52 pm.
New Business/Old Business
Following Executive Session, the Board passed a resolution to Approve an agreement clarifying terms of separation with an employee and appointed a Board designee for the purposes of a student expulsion hearing.
Adjournment
The Board adjourned the meeting at 9:27pm