Board Meeting Recap for October 2026

Forest Hills School District is utilizing these articles as a way to communicate specific action taken at regular Board of Education meetings throughout the year. The Board of Education met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at Mercer Elementary School to discuss a variety of topics relevant to students, staff and the community.

The official agenda and related attachments for this meeting can be found on the FHSD BoardDocs page here. You can watch a full recording of the meeting on the district’s YouTube page here.

Board Shout Outs

Board members shared highlights from across the Forest Hills School District, celebrating student achievements, athletic and artistic accomplishments, and engaging learning experiences. The discussion also recognized the tremendous involvement of PTOs, families, and community volunteers in supporting school events, student activities, and enrichment opportunities. Additional highlights included school improvement projects, student leadership and service initiatives, and recent recognitions for district programs. You can click the following link to view the full shout out section, which begins at 30:54 during the meeting livestream.

Superintendent Update

Superintendent Suzanna Davis shared several district highlights, including student recognitions, the official designation of all nine FHSD schools as Purple Star Schools in support of military-connected families and the launch of the Seeds of Inspiration staff recognition program. She also provided updates on community and student engagement efforts, including the ongoing Superintendent Listening Sessions, student listening sessions at all nine schools, and the formation of a Superintendent Student Advisory Council, which received approximately 150 student applications from grades 2–12.

The update also included a comprehensive presentation on district enrollment, student demographics, academic performance and staffing trends. Highlights included FHSD's leading Performance Index among Eastern Cincinnati Conference districts, a cost per pupil below the county average and staffing updates for the 2026–2027 school year. The presentation also addressed an increase in paraprofessional positions to support students with special needs. Davis emphasized the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with the district's commitment to maintaining and enhancing student opportunities and experiences, noting that future planning and strategic decisions will remain focused on providing an excellent educational experience for every student.

Board Action

The Board of Education often reviews and votes on a variety of actions that impact different departments throughout the school district. For specific information about any of the following items, you can find the meeting agenda and attachments here.

The following items in the consent agenda were approved by the Board of Education.

Superintendent Action Items

• 10.1 Human Resources Report
  
  • The report covers a variety of topics including retirements, resignations and appointments of different staff members. Lance Perry, approved as director of business operations, and Lisa Dawson, approved as executive assistant to the superintendent, were both in attendance at the meeting and were formally introduced to the Board of Education and community.
• 10.2 Addendum to HCESC Annual Contract
  
  • This is an agreement between FHSD and HCESC to amend the agreement to remove Orientation and Mobility Services and add additional Occupational Therapy Services for the 2026-2027 school year with no change in cost.
• 10.3 Resolution Declaring Impractical Transportation (Revised)
  
  • This resolution lists certain non-public schools where transportation has been declared impractical. Families of students attending those schools will be offered payment in lieu of transportation, pursuant to state law.
• 10.4 Overnight Field Trip
  
  • This item approves an overnight field trip for FHSD students.

Treasurer Update and Action Items

• 12.1 Treasurer's Report
  
  • Treasurer Alana Cropper presented the September report which provided information on various items including:
    
    • Donations
    • General Fund Summary (Revenue and Expenditures)
    • Permanent Improvement Fund
    • Investment Income Snapshot
    • Past Month Reconciliation
    • Certification of Funds
    • Permanent Appropriations

This completes the meeting’s consent agenda.

Committee Reports

• Teaching and Learning Committee
  
  • Committee Chairperson Wendy Strickler summarized the September 28 meeting of the Teaching and Learning Committee, which included updates on the district’s five star state report card, a discussion on efforts to provide a highly rated educational experience at a lower cost per pupil than the state or county averages. The committee also did a deep look beyond the report card data, analyzing topics like student growth data, college and career readiness metrics, support for attendance and chronic absenteeism and other topics.
• Finance Committee
  
  • Committee Chairperson Jason Simmons provided an update on the October 5 meeting of the Finance Committee, which included an in depth look at district financial figures, review of the general fund and other funds in the overall budget, legislative updates and a discussion on property tax rates.
• Human Resources Committee
  
  • Committee Chairperson Jeff Nye discussed the October 13 meeting of the Human Resources Committee, much of which was presented during the superintendent update of this evening’s meeting by Rob Fellows, executive director of human resources. The meeting touched on consistent efforts to find operational efficiencies and creative ways to reallocate positions, while acknowledging the changing needs of students is having an impact on staffing changes year-over-year.

Board Discussion and Action

The Board of Education discussed a number of different topics during this portion of the October 21, 2026 meeting. You can click the following link to view the full discussion period, which begins at 2:05:04 during the meeting livestream.

Board members discussed the district's meeting schedule, including the decision to cancel the previously scheduled November 3 meeting in keeping with the board's earlier commitment to hold these “work session” meetings only when significant business requires discussion. The board also discussed potential alternative meeting locations for future meetings, upcoming opportunities to engage with the Ohio School Boards Association and the importance of advocating for public education.

The board discussed a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a Joint Planning Committee with the Anderson Township Trustees and the Anderson Park District Board of Commissioners. The partnership is intended to encourage collaboration, align planning efforts and identify opportunities to better serve the community while being mindful of the shared property tax base. The three entities will continue to operate independently, with each retaining its own voice and decision-making authority. The MOU establishes a commitment to work together but does not predetermine the outcomes or decisions that may result from the committee's work. The discussion also outlined the district's board and staff representatives who will participate in the committee. Wendy Strickler and Erin Walczewski will serve as FHSD Board of Education representatives on the Joint Planning Committee, with Superintendent Davis and Treasurer Cropper serving as staff liaisons.

The MOU was approved unanimously by the Board of Education, and you can read it here to find more information.

Approved Minutes

The Board of Education approved minutes for the following meetings, which you can view in the meeting agenda on the FHSD BoardDocs page here.

• Regular Meeting - September 16, 2026
• Teaching and Learning Committee Meeting - September 28, 2026
• Finance Committee Meeting - October 5, 2026
• Special Meeting - October 7, 2026
• Human Resources Committee Meeting - October 13, 2026