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Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for Buckeye Local. We found 6 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Secret Student Placements Without Public Review
| 📅 Vote Scheduled July 14, 2026 |
The Board is voting to approve a contract addendum with ‘Evolve Academy’ for the education of Buckeye students. This item is buried in the consent agenda, and the district has failed to attach the contract for public review. Parents have no way of knowing what Evolve Academy is, why students are being sent there, what kind of ‘education’ they will receive, or how much it will cost taxpayers.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email Treasurer Mark Donnelly at mdonnelly@buckeyeschools.org: ‘I demand Item 9.C, the Evolve Academy Contract, be pulled from the Consent Agenda for a separate discussion and roll-call vote. Parents have a right to see this contract before you approve sending our children to an outside facility.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Giving Your Child’s Data to a Sports Vendor for Marketing
| 📅 Vote Scheduled July 14, 2026 |
The district is contracting with a private company, ‘JumpStart Sports,’ for youth camps. The fine print of the contract (Item 9.I) requires the district to hand over students’ personal information, including names, ages, addresses, emails, phone numbers, and medical conditions. The contract explicitly allows the vendor to use this private data for their own ‘marketing of future programs and general sales and marketing functions.’
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Call Board President Seth Kujat at (330) 722-8257: ‘Regarding Item 9.I, I do not consent to my child’s personal information being shared with JumpStart Sports for their marketing purposes. The district must not trade our children’s privacy for a 20% cut of camp fees. Vote NO.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Your child’s private data.
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 5) |
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Mental Health Provider Gets a Foothold in Schools
| 📅 Vote Scheduled July 14, 2026 |
The board is accepting a donation from ‘Ohio Guidestone,’ a large behavioral and mental health agency. While the donation is just for t-shirts, this is a common tactic used by outside groups to build relationships with the district, opening the door for future contracts for mental health screenings and services that may operate without full parental consent.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Email Treasurer Mark Donnelly at mdonnelly@buckeyeschools.org: ‘Regarding the donation in Item 9.L, what is the district’s relationship with Ohio Guidestone? We need assurance that this donation does not lead to future contracts for mental health services that bypass parental consent.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: $712.00 (Donation)
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 5) |
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Using Tax Dollars to Push a Social Agenda in Contracts
| 📅 Vote Scheduled July 14, 2026 |
A revised policy (6325) on how the district spends federal grant money includes language that prioritizes vendors based on social factors. It requires ‘affirmative steps for… minority businesses, women’s business enterprises’ and allows giving preference to bidders who commit to ‘other worker protections.’ This means contracts may be awarded based on a company’s politics, not on who provides the best value for our kids and taxpayers.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Call any board member at (330) 722-8257: ‘Regarding Policy 6325 in Item 9.D, district contracts should be awarded based on the best price and quality for students, not on a vendor’s social profile. Please pull this policy from the consent agenda for public discussion.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Potential for higher contract costs by prioritizing social factors over best value.
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 4) |
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Limiting Parents’ Time to Speak
| 📅 Meeting on July 14, 2026 |
The board’s public participation policy (Item 5.A) limits the total time for all public comments to just thirty (30) minutes per meeting. This is a structural tactic to silence dissent. If more than ten parents sign up to speak for their allotted three minutes, some will be shut out and unable to address their elected officials.
Recommended Action Plan
PROTECT FREE SPEECH: Call Board President Seth Kujat at (330) 722-8257: ‘The 30-minute total cap on public comment is an unacceptable restriction on parental rights. We demand the board remove this arbitrary time limit and listen to all parents who wish to speak.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Your right to be heard.
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 3) |
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Grading Your Child’s Social Skills on Report Cards
| 📅 Vote Scheduled July 14, 2026 |
The proposed new grading policy (5421) for K-3 students includes assessments of ‘social skills attainment,’ ‘social interaction,’ and ’emotional… control over self.’ This is a subtle way to introduce subjective, behavioral grading (similar to Social Emotional Learning) into your child’s report card, shifting the focus from academic achievement to social compliance.
Recommended Action Plan
Monitor: Track how these ‘social skills’ are defined and measured. No immediate action required, but be prepared to challenge subjective grading at parent-teacher conferences.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Shift from academics to behavioral assessment.
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