DILLONVALE — The Buckeye Local School District has reached an agreement with Buckeye Power Inc. regarding property tax valuation at the Cardinal Power Plant in Brilliant.

During Monday’s regular school board meeting, officials adopted a resolution authorizing the settlement of a Jefferson County Board of Revision case stemming to March. District Treasurer Merri Matthews explained that the previous agreement with Buckeye Power had expired, after which the county auditor increased the property’s total tax year 2024 value. Under the deal with Buckeye Power, the valuation was set at $16,200,437, but following the expiration the auditor increased the total amount of the 11 parcels to $55,356,652.

“Buckeye Power wanted to lower it to more than $9.5 million,” Matthews explained, adding that the case went before the revision board.

According to the board resolution, the school district and Wells Township separately filed counter complaints with the revision board and asked for the initial complaint to be denied and instead retain the auditor’s current value for the property. District, township and Buckeye Power officials and their legal representatives discussed matters at length and ultimately agreed that the property’s circumstances and condition had not changed between tax year lien dates for 2023 and 2024, and the total tax year 2023 value of $16.2 million should be carried forward. The parties agreed that, assuming the property’s circumstances and condition do not materially change in future tax years, the figure should remain the same through tax year 2028.

“The board of education finds it to be necessary, and in the best interests of the Buckeye Local School District students and community, to execute the settlement agreement, and protect valuable present and future financial resources,” the resolution concluded.

“I think it’s best to take the $16 million,” Matthews added. “It’s been functioning over the last four years.”

Following brief discussion, the board formally adopted the resolution at the session.

Officials also approved an electricity supply agreement under a plan with Ohio Mid-Eastern Regional Educational Services Agency. Matthews explained that OME-RESA partnered with Titan Energy to perform a competitive bid and solicit pricing from retail electricity service providers and the school board had an opportunity to approve a deal.

“Every few years, we have Titan Energy get quotes on electric and gas and they locked the rate in at .0629 cents per kilowatt hour,” she continued.

The board approved the resolution, while the contract begins in December and continues for 48 months.

Leaders also approved several personnel matters, including a continuing certified contract for Miranda Glasgow at Buckeye South Elementary; the removal of Karleigh McCardle from the long-term substitute teacher list and subsequently added as a teacher on a one-year limited contract; the employment of Hailee Nelson and Isaac Rine on one-year limited teaching contracts; and the employment of Megan Gibbons as a long-term substitute teacher after 60 days for the first semester of the 2025-26 school year.

Officials also accepted the resignation of school psychologist Melissa Frate, employed J.D. Nidle as volunteer football coach at Buckeye Local Junior High School on a pupil activity contract and employed returning substitutes for the upcoming school year. The latter include Danielle DaGrava and Sarah Lewton, educational aides; Dustin Jarvis, Patricia Kanoski and Mark Olenar, custodians; Mary Kircher, Amanda Stewart and Amy Nestor, cook, educational aide and secretary; Ashley Krzys, bus driver; Tammy Morelli, cook/custodian; Caryn Porter, educational aide/secretary; Ashley Smigle as cook, custodian, educational aide and secretary; Brian Young, cook; and James Means as substitute bus driver.

Among other action:

• Board President Teresa George and Vice President Melissa Supanik were chosen as delegate and alternate for the annual meeting of the Ohio School Boards Association in November;

• The board agreed to reschedule future meeting dates for Oct. 6 to approve the four-year forecast and Nov. 24 to meet quorum, and both sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the central office in Dillonvale;

• Superintendent Coy Sudvary recognized Buckeye North Elementary Principal Susan Nolan for organizing another successful Back-to-School Bash and thanked the staff, students, parents and community for their support. He also recognized the custodial staff for preparing the buildings for the start of school, congratulated Chet Pobolish and his late father, Ron, a past coach at Buckeye Local, for being inducted into the OVAC Hall of Fame. Sudvary accepted the honors on their behalf. Sudvary further congratulated students for their participation in the Jefferson County Fair and wished good luck to student athletes and coaches in the fall sports programs and said the district’s new website was up and running while a new bus and bus mechanic’s truck were purchased;

West gave an update on the state biennial budget, saying Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed 67 line items, many of which affected schools, but the House voted to override the veto while the Senate was still planning to take action;

• The next regular session was set for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at the administrative offices in Dillonvale.