By Elizabeth Mayle
FPS Correspondent
The Brown Local Board of Education met Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Media Center. Board President Tami Hulit was absent.
The meeting began with a presentation for board members Tami Hulit, Nathan Bush, Tara Bowe, Ron Ruegg, and Kim Engle. Several students, staff, and members of the community came to show their appreciation for the board’s hard work and dedication in positively impacting the district. A special superhero-themed appreciation video created by the High School Leadership and Communication class was presented to commemorate the occasion.
“We are incredibly grateful for our school board members,” Superintendent Mark Scott said. “They work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our students receive the best possible education and opportunities for success.”
Following matters of legislative action, Mark Scott delivered the Superintendent Update. He began with a celebration of the success of Teacher Professional Learning Day, which took place on Jan. 17. According to Scott, elementary staff were able to finalize LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training, and middle and high school staff worked with Margaret Searle on effective instructional strategies.
Additionally, Scott highlighted the successes of multiple winter sports teams. At the time of the meeting, boys basketball was 17-3 and had earned Malvern’s sixth straight IVC North Championship. Girls basketball, he said, was 12-9 at the time of the meeting, up seven wins from the previous season. Notable achievements for middle school basketball included an IVC runner-up finish for the seventh-grade girls and an IVC championship for the eighth-grade boys. Middle school wrestlers placed fourth at the IVC championships, where they had five champions and eight who placed. Tyson Clear, a varsity wrestler, recently broke the all-time wins record for Malvern High School.
Scott also issued a few updates regarding two construction projects. Construction on the Malvern Community Learning and Wellness Center has been delayed due to poor weather conditions.
“We are looking at a mid-September to early October opening date,” he said.
Agreements have been made with Stray Dog Strength as the fitness area vendor and Martin Public Seating as the loose furnishings vendor. The Malvern Athletic Project was getting final approval for drawings the week of the meeting, and bids will go out this week. The demolition of the current fieldhouse has been tentatively scheduled.
In other matters, the board:
-APPROVED January 2025 financial reports.
-PAID bills in the amount of $713,731.28 for January 2025.
-APPROVED Brown Local School’s membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
-APPROVED 2024-2025 budget and purpose statements for cheerleading, the Science Club, and volleyball.
-APPROVED Stray Dog Strength for fitness center equipment for the Malvern Community Wellness and Learning Center.
-ACCEPTED the resignation of paraprofessional/health aide JoAnn Gotchall (effective June 30, 2024).
-APPROVED memorandums of understanding for Stark State College, Mount Union University, and Kent State University for College Credit Plus programs.
-APPROVED tuition reimbursement for Tara Tucci.
-APPROVED an out-of-state field trip for Malvern wrestling to Virginia Beach, Virginia, March 27-30.