Benjamin Logan Local School District’s Board of Education accepted the resignation Tuesday of its current treasurer during a regular meeting.
Board President Tod Johnson said France has tendered her resignation effective end of business Tuesday, Feb. 4.
He said France is moving onto another job.
Karen Dill, board member, thanked France for her four years with the district.
“Her new role is simply a good fit for her in her career,” Johnson said. “It’s unfortunate for the Benjamin Logan School District to lose Mandy at this time — while determining how we move forward in the best interest of the district.”
School board members also adopted a policy Tuesday to accept $1 pay per meeting for 2020.
The board unanimously approved Policy 0147, which changes board members’ pay to $1 per meeting up to 24 meetings for this year.
Superintendent Dave Harmon said this action shows the board’s dedication to the district.
Harmon also reduced his longevity pay he would receive in 2021 to $0, forfeiting $25,000.
Harmon’s current annual salary is $113,403.60.
Harmon updated the board that there was a recent leak at the high school under the roof ruining at least one printer and causing countertops to bubble.
He said a contractor will be on-site today to evaluate.
In addition, Harmon said the agricultural shop at the high school also had a thermostat glitch, causing the temperature to drop to 45 degrees on Tuesday.
The problem was temporarily fixed, but the glitch still needs to be evaluated for a long-term solution.
Another long-term solution the district is still seeking is a fix to its financial health.
In a Friday press release from the district, administrators state that although the district’s expenditures continue to rise at a rate of 3 percent per year along with the loss of certain state funding, the board has delayed asking voters to approve a levy for the March ballot to “review the current financial condition of the district.”
“During this process we wanted to exhaust all options for business changes that would not force job loss or educational program reductions,” the release states.
Johnson said the board is “moving forward expediently, trying to understand what we need to do to move this district forward in a positive way.”
This is being done through work sessions where members are determining what needs to be done, he continued.
“This is a process not something that happens overnight,” Johnson said. “We hope to come back to the public in the next couple months with what we are working towards to be in the best possible direction.”
The release states $1 million in cuts for the 2020-2021 school year will be made as follows:
• reduction of school year;
• changes to the retire to rehire program;
• outside contract reductions;
• organizational re-alignment;
• pay to participate;
• reduced extended days for employees;
• reduction of supplemental contracts;
• Reduction to board of education member pay to $1 per meeting; and
• Reduction to superintendent longevity pay.
In other business, the board approved:
• membership with the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2020-2021 school year;
• authorizing the superintendent to serve as purchasing agent for the district up to the purchase of individual items not to exceed $50,000;
• retaining the legal counsel of Bricker and Eckler, Attorneys at Law of Columbus;
• a district calendar for the 2020-2021 school year which will expand staff and student days by a half hour, increasing total staff hours by four hours, reducing total staff days to 173 days and reducing total student days to 165 days;
• Lisa Cox, Nancy Forsythem Tabetha Lewis and Lori Weyant as teachers for tutoring “Math Minds” beginning Jan. 29;
• a resolution opposing the State of Ohio EdChoice Scholarship (voucher) program;
• two $500 grants from Logan County Electric Cooperative, two $1,000 grants from Logan County Electric Cooperative and the Ohio Space Grant Consortium, a $7,521.67 grant from the Ohio Attorney General and a $450 grant from the Logan County Community Connection Fund;
• donations including 20 microphone batteries from Elementary PTC valued at $105 and volunteer services from middle school Assistant Basketball Cheer Coach Kasey Copeland, high school Assistant Softball coaches Jon Horsley and Lareese Marston, high school Boys Assistant Track Coach Mike Overturf and high school Assistant Softball Coach Mackenzie Daulton;
• the formation of a Growing Gardens, Growing Minds student organization that will be advised by school and community volunteers;
• a five-year forecast reflective of no new levies;
• the resignation of Danielle Poland, intervention specialist, effective Jan. 17;
• employment of certified individuals Christa Knight, family and consumer science instructor, effective Jan. 3, and Abbey Shields, intervention specialist, effective Jan. 14;
• the 2020-2021 school year employment of supplemental extra duty personnel high school Softball Head Coach Amanda Davis, middle school Assistant Track Coach Cadan Goldstein, high school girls Assistant Track coaches Trisha Hemmelgarn and Allison Reule, high school boys Head Track Coach Kevin Butler, middle school boys Head Track Coach Tom Braddock and middle school girls Head Track Coach Jamie Hughes;
• the 2020-2021 employment of non-licensed individuals Jeremy Burrey, Brad Arn, Jeremy Allen and Quinn Morris as high school assistant basketball coaches, Scott Wilson as high school head basketball coach, Chuck Stevens and Clint Zedeker as high school assistant softball coaches, Taylor Quay and Krista Jackson as middle school assistant track coaches, Matt Wilt, Brian Hemmelgarn and Scott Wenger as high school boys assistant track coaches, and Mike Coder as high school head track coach;
• an overnight trip for the high school choir to New York City in October; and
• a memorandum of understanding with the Benjamin Logan Education Association (teachers’ union) regarding the calendar changes and changes to the retire-rehire program.
The next regular meeting is 6 p.m., Feb. 18.