BELOIT — The board of education approved a grant agreement with the Brookfield Local School District in its October meeting.

The board voted unanimously to approve the agreement for the $144,000 United States Department of Agriculture distance learning and telemedicine grant that the districts were awarded through a joint application last fall. Superintendent Micki Egli said that the agreement was necessary as Brookfield was the lead district on the joint application and outlines that Brookfield Local will reimburse West Branch with grant funding for the costs of distance learning equipment and telehealth carts which will be purchased as part of the grant initiative.

At the board’s February meeting, Egli said that the telehealth carts would allow students and staff to speak with a nurse practitioner remotely, and that the telehealth visits through the carts would have a cost of only $10, a full $30 cheaper than the $40 fee charged for telehealth visits through the district’s insurance program.

The meeting also saw the approval of several personnel and administrative items.

Administrative items approved included: the eighth-grade trip to Washington DC from May 19-21; an agreement with the Columbiana County Board of Developmental Disabilities for the 2024-2025 school year; NEOLA policy updates; and an amendment to ACCESS bylaws.

Personnel items approved included: the resignation of Custodian Curt Wuthrick effective Oct. 9; the retirements of High School Teacher Amy Eddins and Vocational Agriculture Teacher Greg Sharp effective May 31; the retire-rehire of Physical Education Teacher Bob Sheperd effective Sept. 1; the hire of certificated and classified substitutes; staff for the Warrior Academy and eGroup for the 2024-2025 school year; the hire of Tutor Maureen Smith; the designation of Ashley Agnew as a Music Department Volunteer; athletic supplementals for the 2024-2025 school year; the list of mentors for the 2024-2025 school year; and the appointment of Brian Coffee as Superintendent Pro Tempore for the 2024-2025 school year.

The meeting concluded with an executive session for the discussion of personnel matters with no action to follow.

The board of education will meet next 6 p.m. Nov. 21.