Stow-Munroe Falls schools superintendent steps down
The superintendent of the Stow-Munroe Falls City Schools has decided to step down, effective Jan. 1, citing health concerns.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the students, faculty, staff, and families of Stow-Munroe Falls Schools,” Tom Bratten said in a news release. “Every day I have been reminded what a wonderful district this is and how much promise there is in every student who sits in our classrooms. We are teaching the future leaders of our community and our country, and that has been a humbling experience.”
The school board met Monday to accept Bratten’s resignation and named Kristen Prough, currently the assistant superintendent, as interim superintendent. The board will conduct a national search to find Bratten’s replacement.
Bratten was named superintendent in early 2015, replacing Russ Jones, who was superintendent for nine years. Bratten previously served as superintendent for Salem City Schools.
Prough joined the Stow-Munroe Falls school district in 2017, serving first as director of special services and assuming the role of assistant superintendent/director of student services in 2020.
Bratten said in the Tuesday news release that he plans to remain active with the schools. He will serve as special projects administrator to oversee completion of the district's new field house and assist with the implementation of a master facilities plan — two projects that he led the district in creating. He then will take a cabinet-level position to be determined by the new superintendent.
“We want to thank Tom for his leadership during a time when all school districts have faced big challenges,” said Nancy Binzel Brown, president of the Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education. “Tom has constantly presented our board with new ideas and creative solutions that have helped our district excel and maintain its reputation for excellence in Northeast Ohio.”
During Bratten’s tenure, voters in Stow and Munroe Falls passed a permanent improvement levy in 2017 and a new operating levy in 2022 — the first in 13 years, according to the news release. The district also noted that Bratten helped create the Bulldog Online Academy — which resulted in capturing more than $700,000 in revenue that might have gone to other online schools — as well as established a preschool program that is now operated by the district and launched a wellness program for staff.
During his tenure, with funds allocated from Ohio House Bill 264, the district completed $4.2 million in renovations, addressing updates to lighting, windows, and ventilation systems, and has reduced expenditures by $28 million in seven years by restructuring. Overall, more than $24 million in projects benefiting students, teachers, and staff have been completed in the past seven years, including security upgrades to buildings, new air conditioning in all elementary buildings, air purifiers in every classroom and other spaces, and various technology upgrades including the addition of 5G connectivity for all buildings.
Things haven't always been smooth sailing in Bratten's administration. He was placed on paid administrative leave in November 2018 amid questions about his spending, and returned to duty in good standing two months later after the school board announced it was "confident there was never a conscious attempt to misuse district funds.” At the time he was placed on administrative leave, Bratten was already on medical leave following heart surgery
A report released by the state auditor's office in April 2019 found Bratten had authorized illegal expenditures and misspent taxpayer dollars on expenditures that lacked proper public purpose. State auditors reviewed school payroll records and found that his administrative assistant received a total of $14,111 for unworked overtime. The auditor's office also reported that Bratten used a total of $2,290 in public funds on personal travel expenses and to pay for gifts that went mostly to board members and administrative staff. The office issued findings for recovery of these sums.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stow-Munroe Falls school district Superintendent Tom Bratten resigns
