SALEM — Treasurer Mike Douglas discussed potential funding changes in the board of education’s February meeting.

Douglas said that Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed biennial budget has been published and that while the district was pleased the proposed budget would retain the fair school funding formula, it would reduce the state’s funding contribution per student, shifting more of that cost to taxpayers and urged taxpayers to contact their state representatives.

“Education in general in state receives about $23 billion of the state’s budget and of that public school districts receive about $16 billion, in Governor DeWine’s proposal that is actually down about $103 million, a .7% decrease in what we received the prior year,” said Douglas. “The state share or the base cost for 87% of the districts in the state is going down. What that means is the state is paying less per student and putting more of the burden on the public tax dollars in your communities.”

Douglas also clarified that a rate adjustment from the Columbiana County Auditor’s Office in the board’s consent agenda was reducing the collection rate of the district’s property tax levies to collect the appropriate amount.

“As property taxes we have a couple of ballot issues on that are fixed sum levies so they can only collect so many dollars and as property values goes up the rates that we originally passed the levies at decrease, so we don’t over collect. So those rates were adjusted down so we collect the proper amount of money,” said Douglas.

The board also approved several administrative and personnel items.

Administrative items approved included: a trip to Washington D.C. for government students from March 31, through April 2, and a Washington D.C. Trip for High School Choir students from April 2 through April 5; foreign exchange students; acceptance of a laminator from the Salem Public Library; in lieu of transportation payments for Grayson, Gabriel, Paisley, and Ryleigh Perkins; an agreement with Easterseals of Northeast Ohio’s Community Center of the Deaf; College Credit Plus Memorandum of Understandings with Kent State and Youngstown State Universities; a trip to Disney World for the Salem High School Band from January 16 through 19, 2026; dues to the Ohio School Board Association for 2025 in the amount of $6,820; the award agreement between the Ohio Department of Higher Education and Hannah E. Mullins School of Practical Nursing for the period of December 15, 2024, through June 30, 2026; and the Rising Scholars Agreement with Kent State University for the period of Sept. 1, through May 31, 2026.

Personnel items approved included: unpaid leave for Bus Driver Kelly Waters and Junior High Secretary Kelly Waters; workers for the Division II and III Basketball tournaments; the resignations of Cafeteria Cashier Samantha Smith and Bus Duty Aide Jennifer Burbick; the resignation of Cheryl Webber; maternity leave for Fifth Grade Teacher Sydnie Hill, and Third Grade Teacher Claire Duckworth; Reilly Elementary Book Fair and Family Enrichment Night event workers; athletic supplemental positions for the Spring 2024-2025 season; the termination of Bus Driver Michael Showalter; the hire of Bus Driver Melissa Beck; the retirement of Bus Driver Kelly Water effective June 20; the termination of Busy Duty Aide Mindy Wardell; maternity leave for Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Teacher Bethany Glasser; and Buckeye Elementary Family Literacy Night.

The meeting concluded with an executive session for the discussion of personnel matters with no action to follow.

The board of education will meet next at 7 p.m. March 18.