Bellefontaine City Schools Board of Education began the new year at their Monday evening organizational meeting with the swearing in of two new members and one incumbent member for new four-year terms, along with the oath of office administered to the district’s new treasurer Joshua Wasson.
Wasson administered the oaths of office to new members Mark Fissel and Colin Yoder, and also to Brenda Sanford, who has served on the board for 20 years.
Newly elected Board President Scott Abraham administered the oath of office to Wasson, who replaces the district’s 40 1/2 year treasurer Keith Krieger, who retired effective Dec. 31. The new treasurer previously served as the Northwestern Local Schools assistant treasurer, as detailed in the Examiner.
Also in organizational matters for 2020, the board changed its schedule to only one meeting a month, which will take place on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the board office, 820 Ludlow Road, with the next meeting slated for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10. The board previously met twice a month.
Members also elected Sanford to the vice president role for this year.
During the board’s regular meeting that followed, members recognized Bellefontaine High School senior Ben Sailors for his selection as one of two Ohio students to attend the prestigious 58th United States Youth Senate Program, which takes place March 7 through 14 in Washington, D.C., as previously featured in the Examiner.
The Bellefontaine High School senior joins student Madison Paige Soboslai of Wellington and Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman for the trip. The pupils were selected from among the state’s top student leaders to be part of the 104 national student delegation who will also each receive a $10,000 college scholarship from the Hearst Foundation for undergraduate study.
The USSYP was created by Senate Resolution 324 in 1962 and has been sponsored by the Senate and fully funded by The Hearst Foundations since inception.
The student delegates attend meetings and briefings with senators, members of the House of Representatives, Congressional staff, the president, a justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, an ambassador to the United States and senior members of the national media.
In addition to outstanding leadership abilities and a strong commitment to volunteer work, the student delegates rank academically in the top 1 percent of their states among high school juniors and seniors.
In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of teacher Donna Howell, fourth-grade, effective May 22.
Members also extended a one-year contract to Michael Mosbarger as a middle school special education aide, effective Jan. 6.
In other action, the board:
• extended high school supplemental contracts to: Mark Brunswick, head baseball; Katherine Buffkin, head softball; Benjamin Davis, head boys, girls track; Russ Hogue, Joshua Wallace, assistant baseball; Garth Miller, Jim Robinson, Cody Sigrist, Kate Smith, Larry Young, assistant track; Doug Walters, assistant softball;
• recognized students of the month Garrett Gross, Grant Smith and Karma Williams;
• established a board service fund in the amount of $3,000;
• authorized the treasurer to invest funds and obtain advances;
• approved membership in the Ohio School Boards Association, at a cost of $6,888 for membership dues;
• members appointed Anne Reames as the board’s delegate and Scott Abraham as the alternate delegate to attend the OSBA annual business meeting in November;
• approved the superintendent, assistant treasurer and technology coordinator to attend public records to attend public records training; and
• designated the Bellefontaine Examiner and WPKO radio as official media outlets of the district.