Benjamin Logan Board of Education members approved at their Monday evening meeting a Memorandum of Understanding with Community Health & Wellness Partners to provide an on-site school health center that officials said will help bolster student productivity and reduce the amount of time pupils miss because of health check-ups or other medical reasons.
For the health clinic, the agreement begins Jan. 1, 2022, and continues through June 30, 2022, with the agreement to automatically renew annually unless one of the parties notifies the other no less than 45 days to the end of the term.
Additionally in a related motion, the board approved a second Memorandum of Understanding with CHWP to offer behavioral health services in the district that begin Aug. 1.
The district provides the clinic space for the programs, but does not incur additional expenses to house the health center and behavioral health services.
During the 2020-21 school year, CHWP also began offering a school-based health care center at the West Liberty-Salem School District, as previously reported in the Examiner.
The concept of the “school-based health center” is to serve, “students and faculty with primary care, integrated behavioral and ancillary health services — pharmacy, nutrition, chronic care management and social services,” Tara Bair, President/CEO of Community Health & Wellness Partners said.
Bair also provided a presentation on the result of a recently completed survey of students, parents and staff members relating to their health needs.
Families maintain complete control over what health services their children do or do not receive and will be provided with consent forms for services.
Ultimately, the goal of the school-based health center is to maximize the amount of time students spend in in-person instruction, and, “studies indicate that students who receive school-based health care also have fewer long-term health issues and experience improved academic outcomes,” Bair said at a previous meeting in April when the program was first presented.
“School-based health care connects students to health care providers in a way that minimizes overall disruption to their instructional time — including tardiness or early dismissals,” she said. “Research has shown that schools that provide healthcare on-site report better graduation rates, improved grade promotion, lower rates of absenteeism, tardiness, withdrawals, dropouts, failing grades and fewer disciplinary problems.”
School-based health centers offer access to healthcare for children regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.
“When parents give permission for their children to be seen at a school-based health center, they know they will not have to miss work to care for minor problems,” Bair said. “They also know that their children will receive prompt attention from health care providers trained at working with youth.”
Also at the meeting, members approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Benjamin Logan Education Association to add a middle school activities director to the supplemental exceptions.
Outgoing Activities Director Scott Reule offered recognition of the following student athletes for their performances at the state level: Sydney Wesson, golf, ninth place in 2020 state championship; Cadman Roose, wrestling, fourth place in 2021 state championship; Erica Warne, bowling, fifth place, 609 series in state tournament; and state placers Brady Burrey, track, eighth place in 200M dash, set school record during season, and Davontae Fahle, track, runner-up, long jump, set school record.
The board also approved the upcoming 12-day AP European History trip, slated for June 2022, led by Trisha Hemmelgarn; along with the following FFA overnight trips: National FFA Convention in Indianapolis during October, and Greenhand Camp II in Carrollton during September.
Members also convened in executive session for the purpose of discussing specialized details of security arrangements. The board returned to open session at 6:15 p.m.
In other action, the board:
• accepted the resignation of Melissa Widman, high school English, effective July 1;
• approve employment of the following new hires: one-year contracts to certified staff Laurie Kimmel, middle school English language arts; Megan Hastings, high school English; and Natalie Hays, third-grade; and one-year contracts to classified staff Cedar Schneider, middle school educational aide, and Kara Wenger, high school one-on-one aide;
• extended the following high school athletic supplemental contracts to certified staff members:Jeff Fay, head football; Trisha Hemmelgarn, varsity football cheerleading; Allison Reule, head volleyball; Jamie Hughes, varsity boys soccer; Cadan Goldstein, varsity girls soccer; Kyle Seeley, head wrestling; Amanda Davis, head softball; and middle school supplemental contracts to Joel Phillips, boys basketball; Nancy Forsythe, cross country;
• extended the following high school athletic supplemental contracts to non-certified staff: Scott Wenger, boys cross country; Mike Coder, girls cross country; T.J. Fink, head boys golf; Cam Saylor, head boys basketball; Ryan McClain, head girls basketball; David Overholser, boys bowling; Tammy Poling, girls bowling; Amber Eirich, varsity basketball cheerleading; Mike Coder, head girls track; Chad Studebaker, Rob Painter, assistant boys soccer; Dayna Goldstein, Dave Evans, assistant girls soccer; Jeremy Allen, JV boys basketball; Mark Campbell, freshmen boys basketball; Scott Wilson, head baseball; Nate Stierhoff, Brian Hemmelgarn, Scott Wilson, Kyle Seeley, assistant football; and middle school contract to Garrett Allen, boys basketball;
• approved the following volunteer coaches: Courtney Forsythe, assistant middle school cross country; Scott Vermillion, assistant middle school boys basketball; Chris Conley, assistant high school boys golf;
• extended a number of non-athletic supplemental contracts for 2021-22;
• approved foreign exchange student Koki Yajima from Japan during 2021-22, with host family Thomas and Susan Seeley;
• approved a $420 stipend for Melissa Widman for supervising independent study for two students ($210 per student);
• approved membership in the Southwestern Ohio Education Purchasing Council for Liability, Fleet & Property Insurance Program; no cost for membership.
• expressed appreciation to Tri Valley Fire & EMS Fire Chief Luann Davis and board members and Richland Township officers Cathy Pool and Tracy Baker for donations to the district; and
• approved attendance to the ASBO annual conference in October 2021.
The next meeting is 6 p.m. July 19, in the central office.