The Bellefontaine Board of Education rolled out details regarding the upcoming levy during their monthly meeting Monday evening.
Superintendent Brad Hall said the substitute emergency operating levy will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot. This levy will replace an existing emergency operating levy that was originally passed in 2007. Voters approved renewal levies in 2011 and 2016.
Essentially, the substitute levy is a continuation or renewal of the emergency levy that was approved in 2007, with the exception that it can capture new revenue when new homes and new business/industry buildings are built in the district.
The substitute emergency operating levy would collect the same dollar amount annually ($1.185 million) that taxpayers are currently paying. Homeowners’ taxes will not increase as a result of the substitute emergency operating levy if they had an existing home under the original levy.
The revenue from the levy will be used for day-to-day operating expenses, including educational programs, school safety measures, personnel, transportation, textbooks, and utilities.
“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, if the community approves this levy, as it has in the past, the district would not need to return to voters until 2029,” Hall said.
The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 4. Online registration is available at https://olvr.ohiosos.gov/. Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 5.
Members also were updated on the renewal of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant that Bellefontaine Middle School was awarded last month. The grant funds BMS+, which will offer before and after school programming for middle school students.
The program includes morning homework help Monday through Friday from 6:45 to 7:35 a.m.
After school programming will be Monday through Thursday afternoon from 2:35 to 4:35 p.m. The after school portion will offer a snack, homework help, enrichment, and specialized assistance in math and reading.
BMS guidance counselors Julie Kurtz and Natalie Collins co-coordinated the grant.
Also during the board’s committee of the whole, BHS varsity baseball coach Russ Hogue detailed a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach in March. A total of 20 players and six coaches will be on the trip, which is pending board approval.
The last two trips have been cancelled because of COVID.
The district will not fund the trip. Players will conduct fundraisers in the fall and winter.
In other action, the board:
• accepted the following federal grants: $591,056.23 Special Education, Part B, IDEA; $613,939.50 Title I; $16,820.60 Title I-D (Delinquent Grant); $91,109.34 Title II-A (Improving Teacher Quality); $51,342.48 Title IV-A; $20,781.68 Expanding Opportunities for Each Child Grant; $5,172,897.55 Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund;
• recognized August seniors of the month Chloe Lloyd and Samuel Moreland;
• approved salary adjustments for additional training to: bachelor’s plus nine — Brian Timpe, Elizabeth Hogue, Josh Wallace, Ashley Wood, Michaela Baker; bachelor’s plus 18 — Morgan Richmond; bachelor’s plus 30 — Jon Reminder, Ami Horvath, Meagan Young, Robert Rogan; master’s — Melissa Wical; master’s plus nine — Jason Calton; master’s plus 18 — Kim Allen, Christy Dodds, Stephanie Fissel; master’s plus 30 — Jeremy Karg, Stacey Holycross, Lindsey Maus, Catherine Davis; Fame Faler, Kristina McKirahan, Matt Gallaway, Erin Hoyng, Laura Mitchell; master’s plus 45 — Carol Fultz, Whitney Stolly, Lisa Plank, Julie Kurtz, Stacey Penhorwood, Donna Brunner, Katie Rychener; Paula Shaw;
• accepted the resignations of Elizabeth Kieffer and Tera Kunze, food service employees;
• appointed Tami Dowell as a high school media aide and Nichole Watkins as an elementary school aide;
• appointed the following instructional leaders for the school year — Megan Cira, Katie Davis, Erin Hoyng, Bri Hughes, Sharon Lewis, Lindy Martin, Shawn Miller, Meagan Moeller, Kristy Mount, Cheryl Poppel, Leslie Regula, Ashley Reser, Jordan Reser, Karen Scott, Mary Smith, Susan Stahler, Bess Standley, Cathy Ulmer and Ashley Wood;
• extended supplemental activity contracts to: Nathan Arbogast, TEAMS; Donna Brunner, Quiz Bowl; Jeanie Denkewalter, National Hispanice Honorary, Spanish Club; Caroline Federinko, drama club; Morgan Fultz, weight room coordinator; Shannon Hodge, French Club; Stacey Holycross, prom adviser; Angie Horvath, OSU-MUN; Jean Minnick, creative writing, GSA, Kristy Mount, Educators Rising, DARE, Envirothon, GSA, TEAMS; Amber Newkirk, Agape;
• extended supplemental contracts for extended days of service to: Natalie Collins, G. Erick Hamm, Julie Kurtz, Shalie Logan, Lindsey Maus, Rebecca O’Rielley, Paula Shaw, guidance; Aaron Gregor, television; Brice Henry, vocal music; Jeremy Karg, instrumental music; Julie Phillips, behavioral support specialist, Katie Rychener, marketing education;
• extended supplemental contracts for Drug-Free Facilitators to be paid by Title 1-D funds: Krista Belser, Lauren Burkhardt, Ciara Irick, Carol Fultz and Kristy Mount;
• approved stipends of $750 paid through IDEIA grant funding to Intervention Assistance Coordinators Kristy McKirahan, Susan Stahler and Lori Wilson; and
• approved $200 stipends for Building Leadership Team members Abby Boop, Jen Brown, Katina Godwin, Jon Hayduk, Lisette Hiatt, Stacy Holycross, Angie Horvath, Shalie Logan and Meagan Young.
The next board meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, at the Bellefontaine High School Distance Learning Center.