Documenters: Ravenna Board of Education meeting for Aug. 25, 2025

Ravenna Board of Education meeting
Ravenna High School
Aug. 25, 2025

In attendance at the Aug. 25, 2025 Ravenna Board of Education meeting were President Patricia Dennison, Vice President Joan Seman, Member Pamela Calhoun, Member LaTesha Dukes, Member Mike Wisniewski, Superintendent Ben Ribelin and Treasurer Kristen Plageman.

The meeting, which took place in the auditorium of the Ravenna High School, started at 5:30 p.m. with a roll call, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.

The first order of business was a call for approval of the agenda. With no comments, the motion to approve was unanimously carried. Dennison then invited any members of the public forward to provide comments to the board. Elizabeth Justice rose to share her support for the creation of STARCHILD Ravenna, which she believes could be introduced into West Park. She had previously shared a proposal on the same with the members of the board.

With no other members of the public prepared to speak, Ribelin took a moment to recognize new teachers and staff members for the 2025-2026 school year. Ribelin also acknowledged new members of the administration and support staff. Following this recognition, a short reception was held in the cafeteria.

When the meeting was called back into session, the first order of business was the treasurer’s report. Plageman has been working to meet a new state mandated date for the district’s four-year financial forecast, so she did not have a full report. She did, though, provide a financial snapshot that showed that revenue in the district is up and expenses are down versus the previous fiscal year. The district was predicted to close the year with $2.4 million on hand, but if current trends continue, that number will be closer to $3.5 million.

Wisniewski offered a report on Maplewood. They are preparing to celebrate their 50th anniversary and are currently in the planning stages for this event.

Plageman again spoke, this time to put forth several items under a consent agenda. Those were the approval of the minutes of the July 21 and Aug. 11 meetings and the approval of three community gifts: $250 each from Fit Chicks and the Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority for the Back to School Bash and $1,200 from the OHSAA for athletics expenses. Additional approval was sought for the July financial reports, Then and Now payments, and fund transfers. The consent agenda was unanimously approved.

Ribelin next presented his agenda items to the board. First he asked for, and was given approval to, authorize staff to work with Accurate IT Services to sell and/or recycle surplus or damaged computers.

He then presented items across several consent agendas. He recommended a revision to the policy on student records, asked for the ability to permit an alternate to attend the OSBA Capital Conference, to appoint Kendra Fashing as an expulsion hearing officer and for the district to approve the hiring of substitutes without a bachelor’s degree. He stated that this was something they had to authorize every year, but that there was also a policy that applicants had to actively participate in a class and pursue coursework. When Seman agreed to be the OSBA alternate, all items were approved as a group by unanimous voice vote.

The next superintendent consent agenda asked for approval of the 25-26 school year bus routes and for the suggested suppliers (Nickles Bakery, Hershey and East Side Jersey Dairy) to be named as primary suppliers for bread, dairy, pizza and ice cream. Approval was also asked to be given to the a la carte prices on the lunch menu. All three agenda items were approved.

Ribelin asked for the approval to enter into a contract with the ESC regarding the employment of William Calhoun at Brown Middle School. Dennison, Seman, Dukes and Wisniewski voted yes. Calhoun abstained.

Resignations, one-year limited contracts, pay scale changes and a list of substitutes were next put forward by Ribelin. These were passed by unanimous consent.

The next consent agreement was to approve the contracts for coaches and extra curricular advisors. A motion was made to vote on this agenda item; it was seconded and approved by unanimous consent.

Ribelin asked for the approval to offer a supplemental contract for teaching band at the middle and high school to Andre Dennison. Calhoun, Seman, Dukes and Wisniewski voted yes. Dennison abstained.

The march toward approving personnel continued with the unanimous approval of volunteers, a new bus driver and a parent aide. Three resignations were also accepted.

Dennison then offered calendar updates. There will be no school on Sept. 1 because of Labor Day. The next Ravenna Board of Education meeting will take place on Sept. 22 at the high school at 5:30 p.m. And on September 25-28, the Randolph Fairgrounds will host the Ravenna Balloon A-fair.

A motion was then made to move the meeting into an executive session. The motion passed at 6:15 p.m. After a nearly 20 minute period, the board returned from the executive session and Dennison put forth agenda item 17a.1: a resolution to sell West Park school for $775,000 to Magnolia Realty Holdings. The board approved the resolution unanimously. The meeting was then adjourned.