Riverside board unveils its case to fire the superintendent just as a judge pauses a $4.6 million transfer
PAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — The Riverside school board has publicly laid out the reasons behind its move to dismiss Superintendent Christopher J. Rateno, tying the misconduct allegations to nearly a year of tension over the Buckeye Elementary construction project and to Rateno’s involvement in a November 8 community meeting about the work.
The new disclosures emerged this week as a judge temporarily blocked the board from permanently shifting $4.6 million from the general fund, placing the district in a moment of administrative and legal ambiguity in the final weeks before Board President Scott Fishel and Vice President Dennis Keeney leave office after losing reelection.
The outgoing majority — Fishel, Keeney, and member Denise Brewster — has until December 31 to complete any actions.
Their push to oust Rateno has intensified an internal rift as newly elected members prepare to assume seats on January 1.
Documents provided to cleveland.com show the firing effort largely stems from a tense November 8 listening session in which Rateno described mounting financial pressures tied to the Buckeye project.
Yet the roots of the discord stretch back nearly a year.
A year of conflict over Buckeye Elementary
Board records indicate the dispute began in December 2024, when Fishel moved to advance a 12-classroom addition and a new gym at Buckeye Elementary.
Grassi and Krenisky objected, arguing the plan was rushed. Fishel, Keeney, and Brewster contended that Buckeye students had spent more than 15 years in modular trailers, and delaying the project would push construction back another year and raise costs.
The motion passed 3–2, signaling the start of a deep and ongoing split among board members.
In March, the board shifted to a cheaper, smaller plan — an eight-classroom addition and a new gym.
Outgoing leadership acts soon after losing reelection
On November 5, the morning after Fishel and Keeney lost reelection, the board met to set the guaranteed maximum price for Buckeye at $9.58 million, effectively locking in the revised renovation plan favored by the outgoing majority.
Krenisky attempted to delay the vote so the two newly elected members, Joseph Audino and Jimmielee Vires, could weigh in when they take office on January 1, but the effort failed.
Grassi and Krenisky called for a special meeting three days later on November 8. The agenda included a motion to halt the borrowing for the Buckeye project, but the meeting never occurred.
Fishel, Keeney, and Brewster did not attend. With no quorum, no official action could be taken. Grassi and Krenisky left to avoid violating Sunshine Laws, Rateno told attendees at the time.
Rateno and Treasurer Stephen Thompson remained and held an informal public discussion about the project’s financial crossroads. They explained that the scaled-back plan would leave the main Buckeye building outdated.
During that discussion, Rateno and Thompson explained that the larger 12-classroom plan — initially supported by Fishel and Keeney — would push the project budget toward roughly $15 million.
They warned that time was running short because the district planned to issue debt for the project within days. With only one opportunity to set the borrowing amount, they asked attendees for guidance on which direction to take.
Backing out entirely was not feasible, Rateno noted, since the district had already spent more than $1 million on pre-construction and design and had removed its modular classrooms.
Some residents voiced support for the larger renovation. One speaker, who preferred delaying the decision, described the process as rushed.
Board moves to fire Rateno
On December 4 — following an November 26 executive session citing “imminent court action” — the outgoing majority voted to issue a notice of intent to consider terminating Rateno’s contract. Krenisky opposed, and Grassi was absent.
The board’s resolution enumerated numerous allegations, many tied directly to the Buckeye timeline, the November 8 community meeting, and disagreements over long-term facilities planning.
The board’s case against Rateno centers on what the resolution characterizes as persistent communication failures, poor administrative judgment, and repeated attempts to undermine the board’s direction for Buckeye Elementary’s construction project.
“Your actions and inactions jointly and severally amounted to improper communication with stakeholders in the Buckeye Building Project … that were intended to undermine and in fact undermined the prior formal action taken by the board,” Fishel said at a Wednesday meeting.
The resolution notes that Rateno received low evaluation scores for two consecutive years for not keeping the board adequately informed and for not meeting performance goals related to communication, leadership, and implementing board directives.
Regarding Buckeye, Rateno is accused of improperly discussing alternative construction plans with residents and project consultants, sharing information that allegedly contradicted the board’s formal decisions, and “allowing a sham board meeting” on November 8.
The resolution also claims Rateno’s actions caused the project adviser to resign and hindered the board’s ability to move the project forward as approved.
Rateno has vehemently denied wrongdoing. He was suspended without pay pending a hearing.
Union lawsuit, restraining order
The Riverside Local Education Association filed suit on Tuesday to stop the board from transferring $4.6 million from the general fund to the permanent improvement fund, which finances capital upgrades like Buckeye. Once completed, the transfer would be irreversible.
Consultant James Briscoe had recommended the transfer, warning the fund was depleted and needed an immediate infusion.
In an affidavit, teachers union President James Ozinga argued the transfer would cause irreparable harm by depleting the general fund to the point where the district could not meet its contractual obligations to pay teachers. Ozinga also noted that the board’s composition would change on January 1 when the newly elected members take office.
Lake County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Condon granted a temporary restraining order blocking the transfer, at least until a December 16 hearing.
This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.
