Board of Education

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Board of Education Members 2024

Mr. Eric Benington - President
Dr. Lori Reffert - Vice President

five adults smiling and holding stacks of notes and cards(L to R) Ms. Susan Rowland Miller, Ms. Laura Meinke, Ms. Sue Larimer,
Dr. Lori Reffert – Vice President and Mr. Eric Benington – President

 

About our Board Meetings

 
Regular board meetings are usually held on the third Monday of the month. Meetings for July and December are scheduled only if necessary. Changes in meeting dates will be announced in the newspaper and found on our web site.

Every citizen is entitled to attend meetings, but only the Board Members may take part in deliberations. The public is encouraged to listen, observe and comment when appropriate. The Board wants to give everyone the opportunity to be heard in an orderly manner.

How the Meeting is Run
 
The Board President runs meetings according to a modified form of Roberts Rules of Order. The Superintendent or Treasurer, acting as advisor to the Board, will introduce each agenda item.

Board members may ask questions for clarification or an explanation of the facts. They may wish to discuss the issues, debate or share opinions and ideas.
 

Agenda

The Board agenda is available before each board meeting and can be obtained at the school district office and web site. The agenda is divided into three major categories:

Consent Agenda - consists of routine items such as previous board minutes, routine personnel actions and routine financial transactions. Normally, there is little or no discussion on these items.

Action Items - are addressed individually by the Board and may include reports from district administrators. 

Reports - are presented for the Board’s information and require no formal action.

Executive Session

Ohio's Sunshine Law requires that all acts and deliberations of Boards of Education be conducted in public meetings. The exception is called executive session, where Board Members confer privately. No action of any kind can be taken during executive session.

Topics which may be discussed include: personnel matters, property purchase for public purposes, pending or imminent court action, negotiations with employees, matters to be kept confidential by federal or state statutes and specialized details of security arrangements.

Duties of the Board

The Board of Education is primarily the legislative body of the school district. In its role as policy maker, the Board interprets needs; adopts policies ; provides for personnel to carry out policies ; approves activities, techniques and the ways and means for providing financing for adopted policies. The Board also employs and evaluates the Superintendent and Treasurer.

Board Policies

Our Board Policy Manual may be found here on the district web site or by visiting the Board of Education Offices.

Public Input

The Board of Education sets aside time at the beginning and end of their regular meetings to hear comments from the public.

Anyone who wishes to speak at this time is asked to sign in at the podium and announce his/her name and address for the official record. Comments are limited to two minutes per person. This is not a forum for public debate. Questions raised may require further investigation. Typically, the Board may respond at the next meeting or ask the Superintendent to follow-up.

How to Contact Us

If you have an idea, suggestion or concern, first please take it directly to the person most involved. If you still have concerns, then you may take your issue to the Principal in charge of that school building or the administrator in charge of that department. If the administrator is unable to address the issue to your satisfaction or if it is a question concerning the school district, please contact the Superintendent.

The following directors/departments may be contacted through the district web site under the Contact tab or by calling our Board Office (419-874-9131): Athletics, Child Nutrition Services, Communications, Development, Human Resources, Maintenance, Operations, Pupil Services, Teaching & Learning, Technology, Transportation and the Treasurer.

Finally, if the issue is not addressed satisfactorily by the Superintendent, it may be brought to the Board of Education. Questions and comments submitted to the Board President in letter form will be brought to the attention of the entire Board.
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