By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
Swanton Local School District Superintendent Chris Lake updated board of education members on issues facing the Fair School Funding Plan during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday.
Lake reported that he wrote a message to parents of students recommending they contact their state legislators to call for changes to the plan.
In it, he wrote that Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed biennial budget includes implementation of the final phase of the plan, but using financial data from fiscal year 2022 rather than 2024, an oversight he wrote would result in “a significant reduction in state funding.”
“Specifically, Swanton Local Schools will lose $220,405 in 2025-26 and an additional $162,957 in 2026-27, totaling a loss of $383,362 over the budget cycle,” Lake wrote.
“Currently, local taxpayers fund 57 percent of Swanton Local Schools, while the state covers only 37 percent. The Governor’s proposed budget would shift an even greater financial burden onto local taxpayers.”
OTHER BUSINESS
The board recognized the seventh-grade boys basketball team, which won the Northwest Ohio Athletic League championship. Recognized were players Gavin Duvall, Tyler Balish, Ryan Goolsby, Nolan Kodar, Jackson Myers, Luke Newberry, Carson Braden, Gabe Lennoz, Austin Ramirez, AJ Witt, Nick Goings, and Chase Bergmann, along with coaches Eric Braden and Tim Nelson.
The board approved a slate of personnel changes including non-renewals, approval of classified substitutes, and acceptance of resignations, among other changes.
The board accepted combined donations of $3,100 for Adulthood Day, $750 for prom, $131.12 for the high school, $13,103 for baseball, $1,500 for the baseball/softball complex, $500 for Swanton 7, and $363.46 for NJHS.
The board approved the Swanton Public Library Board of Trustees’ recommendation to renew the term of Trustee Brooke Chinni for seven years, beginning immediately and expiring Dec. 31, 2031.
The board approved an electricity agreement with Power4Schools, an energy purchasing consortium for schools in Ohio.
The board approved a 2025-2026 service agreement with the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center at a total cost of roughly $1.85 million.
Just over $1.77 million of the payment will be deducted from the board’s state foundation payments and paid instead to the NwOESC, with the board making a remainder payment of $75,000, according to the agreement.
The board approved revisions to special education model policies and procedures as required by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, after having voted to accept the DEW’s policies and procedures during the January 8 board meeting.
The board approved updated policies as recommended by Neola, Inc.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Local School District Board of Education is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16 at 108 N. Main Street.