Associate principal wins state award

by Laura Bednar

Oct. 28 board of education meeting

Nordonia High School Associate Principal Jessica Archer was recognized for earning the Ohio Association Of Secondary School Administrators Associate Principal of the Year award.

Senior Hailey Wright was one of Archer’s recommenders and spoke highly of her at the meeting, saying Archer is a mentor, leader and true friend to the high school students.

“She creates an environment where we feel valued, where our voices matter,” said Wright. Archer accompanied students, including Wright, on a class trip abroad. Wright said even though she was far from home, Archer made her feel safe and supported.

“She leads with her heart, and her impact goes far beyond any recognition,” said Wright.

As part of the recognition, the OASSA awarded Archer $1,000.

Archer, who came to the district in 2017, said it is a pleasure to work for Nordonia, and the district “empowers us to do right by kids.”

The Nordonia Academic Challenge Team competed on the local high school quiz show, “Academic Challenge” on ABC News 5. The show will air on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 at 11:30 a.m.

Finances

Treasurer Kyle Kiffer said the district’s cash balance for September compared to September 2023 was down slightly; both amounts are approximately $19.2 million.

Total revenue in September increased by 60.5% compared to the same time last year, which Kiffer said is due to an increase in local taxes, with property tax settlements coming in September this year instead of August. State aid also increased, partially because the district was reimbursed for paying teachers to take classes for the state’s new Science of Reading initiative.

Kiffer said expenses in September increased by 15% compared to last year due to higher fees and a $569,931 increase in purchased services from July through September, which included occupational and physical therapy services, electrical utilities, information technology, nursing services, main transportation vendor, preschool payments and special education transportation services.

The treasurer gave a brief presentation on fund accounting, which requires the district to allocate funds based on the purpose defined by the source of revenue. Money is broken down into governmental funds, proprietary funds and fiduciary funds.

Kiffer said it is vital to use fund accounting for “accountability, transparency and legal compliance.”

Governmental funds encompass the district’s general fund, building fundraisers, state and federal funds, local grants, student activity funds, athletics, debt service and the permanent improvement fund.

A proprietary fund is self-sustaining through regular fees and charges. Kiffer said this fund is primarily comprised of money from food sales in the cafeteria and fees, donations and grants related to school libraries.

The fiduciary fund manages resources held on behalf of others and cannot be used for operations. An example is the unclaimed check fund, to manage checks the district issued. ∞