Riverside Middle School/High School Principal Kelly Kauffman presents during Tuesday’s regular board of education meeting. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
Like other schools in the state, Riverside recently received their 2023 Ohio Report Card. And it reminded them of what’s important: caring for the students in their district. The district superintendent and principals presented the results to the Riverside Board of Education at their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19.
“In the 15 years I’ve been here, we’ve had a lot of moving targets,” Dr. Scott Mann, school superintendent, said. “One target we’ve never moved off of is how we treat our kids. We’ll never back away from a challenge, and we’ll never give up. I want to produce great citizens when they leave here.”
Overall, Riverside earned an average score of four out of five. According to Bryce Hodge, elementary principal, that’s above state standards. Of course, the elementary school doesn’t get ratings for things like graduation or college and career preparation.
“But,” he said with a laugh, “if there was a playground component, our students are ready.” Still, he added, they’re focused on growth and making sure the kids know they’re cared for.
“I don’t talk about test scores with our staff, but relationships.”
According to Hodge, they’re currently concentrating on improving literacy, which is at 30 percent in kindergarten through third-grade. Fortunately, they are showing improvement in third grade and will keep working to close that gap.
On a related note, and with the goal of better composition skills, Hodge said Riverside has invited professionals from the Collins Writing Program. They’ll be onsite to work with elementary students this week and high school students next week.
Middle/high school principal Kelly Kauffman spoke about their report card as well, noting how they continue to struggle with math.
Kauffman also gave an update on fundraising efforts for Riverside senior Makayla Brandyberry, who has battled osteosarcoma for three years.
“We raised over $4,000,” she told the board. “We’re very happy, very blessed and very thankful to our community.”
The money came in during a special Spirit Week after Labor Day, which culminated at the Friday night football game. The fundraisers included the sales of T-shirts and bracelets, a 50/50 and brownie ice cream sundaes.
Though Brandyberry hasn’t had a chance to experience her first day of her last year of high school yet, Kauffman expressed hope that day will come soon.
Mark Zumberger gave a brief Ohio Hi-Point update, letting the board know almost all the programs there are full this semester. He also spoke of OHP’s second annual fall craft show on Saturday, Oct. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the school’s plans to offer a unique viewing opportunity for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024.
“Bellefontaine is in the path of totality,” he said, “so we’ll have three minutes and 30 seconds of complete darkness.”
Elementary school picture day is Thursday, Sept. 21, and parent-teacher conferences will be a week later, on Sept. 28, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
In other action, the board:
• approved supplemental payments to speech language pathologists Erica Heitkamp and Katie Hodge (three students each) at a rate of $1,500 per student;
• accepted the resignations of Randy Tyler, seventh-grade girls basketball, and Hunter Kreglow, eighth-grade boys basketball, for the 2023-2024 contracted year;
• extended one-year supplemental employment contracts for: Kelly Kauffman, senior play; football: Nicole Harshbarger (HS cheer coach), Megan Graves (JH coverage), Rod Yoder (JV and varsity coverage); volleyball: Tim McGill (JH coverage), Stephanie Knight (HS coverage); baseball: Todd Guthrie (varsity head coach) and varsity assistant coaches Jacob Herron, Tim Walls, John Godwin, Zerah Crouch and volunteer Ryan Robinson; softball: Andy Phelps (head coach), Kylee Purtee (varsity assistant coach), Helena Faulder and Haley Reschke (JV co-coaches); track: Tim McGill (HS boys coach), Maelinn Myers (HS girls coach), Morgan Robison (JH girls coach), Jayden Burchett (JH boys coach);
• approved stipends to staff mentors in the RESA program for the 2023-2024 school year, to be paid June 5, 2024: Chelsea Andrews (Jennifer Walls), $500; Kyle Knight (Andy Phelps), $500; Haley Reschke (Lindsay Wyan), $500; Jenny Withrow (Stacey Fauley), $250; Taylor Wooten (Nancy Dunham), $250;
• approved out-of-state trips for the 2023-2024 school year: Nov. 1-3—FFA to Indianapolis for their national conference; May 9-14, 2024—BPA to Chicago for their national conference
• Virtual education delivery plan (formerly known as blizzard bags) as directed by the district bylaws and policies;
• approved the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission;
• approved permanent appropriations for fiscal year 2024;
• approved the sale on publicsurplus.com of the trailer and any contents (office furniture) no longer in use;
• accepted a donation from Sandi Short for $500 to help with school lunches (Grace for Kids fund); and
• setup and use of athletic facilities capital project fund for track replacement in the coming years, and transfer of $100,000 from the general fund.
The next meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.