Ashland Board of Education approves new health plan, public library renewal levy

ASHLAND — The Ashland City Schools board of education approved a new health plan for its employees and voted to put a renewal levy for the Ashland Public Library on ballots at its regular meeting on Monday.

The district’s new health plan from Meritain Health will run from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 and features increased premiums, deductibles, and co-pays, Supt. Steve Paramore said.

“Obviously post-Covid things are more expensive than they ever have been in healthcare. I am confident we provide very good healthcare through (the) self-insurance fund here at Ashland City Schools,” Paramore said.

“And it is important for us to take care of our employees, but we also know that there have to be concessions that are made when you make decisions towards things that look more expensive.”

The board later passed a memorandum of understanding with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees to accommodate the increased health insurance rates into the board’s contract with the union.

Board members also voted to put a 1.0-mill renewal tax levy for the Ashland Public Library on ballots. Renewal levies are to maintain existing levies and will not create a new tax on local residents.

Under Ohio law, the largest school board in a library’s service area is responsible for administering its public funds.

At the end of the meeting, board vice president Pam Mowry explained that the board’s vote was not an endorsement or criticism of the levy, but just an action to put the levy before voters.

“I just have a feeling that could get confused and I wanna make sure it doesn’t,” Mowry said.

In other business, the board voted to purchase a 72-passenger school bus and a 54-passenger school bus for $110,517 and $123,714 respectively.

The board also voted to purchase new grades 3-5 language arts textbooks for $181,024.64, new grades 6-8 language arts textbooks for $227,315.83 and new math textbooks for $94,389.60.