By: Sienna Garza
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Pettisville Board of Education held its regular meeting on Monday evening, February 9, 2026. The meeting began at 7:00 p.m. and opened with a prayer led by board member Mrs. Skates, followed by a roll call conducted by treasurer Mr. Lee.
All board members were present, including Mr. Brent Hoylman, Mr. Barry Hoylman, Mr. Rufenacht, Mrs. Skates, and Mr. Rupp. No guests were in attendance.
The board moved into the consent agenda, approving the January 2026 meeting minutes, financial reports, and payment of bills.
Also approved were the school nursing contract for 2025-2026, membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for 2026-2027, and cafeteria price increases for chips (from $0.75 to $1.00), milk when not included with a reimbursable meal ($0.50 to $0.75), and Propel beverages (from $1.50 to $2.00).
The board also removed the Spanish Club fund from the annual interest allocation approval, approved the proposed 2026-2027 school calendar, and rescheduled two upcoming board meetings to Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, June 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Under personnel matters, the board approved the retirement resignation of Dawn McKibben, effective May 31, 2026, and approved JV volunteer coaches for softball (AD Mendoza and Giezi Hernandez) and baseball (Adam Wagner, John King, Jason Rodriguez, and Josh Clark).
It was moved by Mrs. Skates and seconded by Mr. Rupp to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried unanimously.
Following the consent agenda, Elementary Principal Jason Waldvogel presented his report. He outlined the PES testing schedule, with English Language Arts testing for grades 3-6 scheduled for April 8-9, math testing for April 21-22, and grade 5 science testing on April 28.
Mr. Waldvogel recognized Mrs. Saffell during School Counselor Appreciation Week, stating, “We would like to sincerely thank Mrs. Saffell for all that she does and for the incredible support she provides to our students, staff, and families.”
“Her kindness, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our school community do not go unnoticed.”
“She is not only a trusted counselor, but also a constant source of encouragement, strength, and positivity for so many.”
Mr. Waldvogel shared that free early childhood developmental screenings for children ages 0-5 will be held on March 2 at Crossroads Evangelical Church and March 30 at the Northwest Ohio ESC.
He also reported that grades K and 1 celebrated the 100th day of school with an Olympic-themed event, while grade 2 celebrated the 101st day with activities including the movie 101 Dalmatians.
The annual Fulton County Spelling Bee, featuring students from eight area schools, was held on Tuesday, February 10th at the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center.
Pettisville’s participants are Wyatt Mack (6th grade) and Molly Bishop (5th grade).
Regarding kindergarten registration, Mr. Waldvogel explained that students who will turn five by August 19, 2026 are eligible due to House Bill 114, which changed the cutoff from August 1 (determined by Pettisville Schools) to the school start date.
Kindergarten screening is scheduled for April 2, with parents asked to allow at least an hour for the process. Mr. Waldvogel concluded by highlighting the Reading Bowl results, noting that 5th and 6th graders “absolutely crushed” last year’s total, reading 92,503 minutes compared to 62,526 in 2025.
The trophy went to the 5th graders, with top readers being Johnny Bratton, Lauren Burkholder, Nolan Bieber, and Jadyn Wyse.
Junior High/High School Principal Adam Wagner then presented his report, beginning with plans for ACT Day on February 24.
Juniors will take the ACT while other grades participate in various sessions, including Peace Officer training and Safe Dates for seniors, pre-ACT testing for sophomores, Algebra 1 prep for freshmen, and Health Department sessions for 7th and 8th graders.
Mr. Wagner noted that the afternoon schedule is being modified this year to include Surviving College, Career Focus, Life After HS, and Career VR Headsets presentations instead of returning to regular classes.
Mr. Wagner announced that Macy Hoylman was awarded the Franklin B. Walter Award for Pettisville High School, recognizing outstanding academic achievement, community service, and school activities.
She will participate in an awards ceremony at the Northwest Ohio Education Service Center in March and selected Mr. Waidelich as her honored teacher.
Additionally, Ava Genter was awarded a $3,200 semifinalist scholarship through the NHS organization, competing against students from all 50 states and being one of approximately 20 recipients from Ohio.
Mr. Wagner reported that School Counselor Week featured multiple activities planned by Mrs. Roper and Mrs. Saffell.
Guest speaker Brock Mealer, a Wauseon graduate, will speak to Grades 5-12 on Tuesday, February 10, after Friday’s cancellation. Prom will be held on April 18, with board members invited to help park cars for walk-ins beginning at 5:00 p.m.
Next, Treasurer Chris Lee presented his report. The income tax quarterly settlement received at the end of January totaled $148,002, representing a 4% increase over the same period last year.
It was moved by Mr. Barry Hoylman and seconded by Mr. Rufenacht to accept the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission and authorize the necessary tax levies. The motion carried unanimously.
Mr. Lee expressed concern about the continuing enrollment decline. From fiscal year 2025 to 2026, the district has seen a drastic decrease in unrestricted grants aid (state aid).
He explained that the revenue deficit is larger than predicted in August, primarily due to dropping enrollment. While the district has built up a carryover over the past few years to weather such challenges,
Mr. Lee stated he is not yet panicked but the situation is definitely concerning.
Mr. Lee noted that too many variables exist to determine when additional operating money might be needed, including potential property tax reform and possible referendum to eliminate property taxes.
The resident population has declined rapidly over the past 10-15 years, previously offset by open enrollment, but open enrollment has also declined in recent years.
The district is graduating larger classes than incoming classes. It was moved by Mr. Rupp and seconded by Mrs. Skates to approve the February 2026 update to the 3-year forecast. The motion carried unanimously.
Superintendent Josh Clark then presented his report, beginning with the calamity day hour situation. Since the state moved from days to hours in 2014-2015, grades 7-12 must attend 1,001 school hours.
The school year started at 1,125 hours, and the district now has 8.88 calamity days remaining (granted that a school day is 6.5 hours). Teachers have been notified that they will be present even if students are not.
Mr. Clark noted that with February not yet passed and potential fog ahead, the situation requires monitoring.
Lunch time is not counted as instructional time, and only some professional development time counts toward the total.
Mr. Clark provided an update on the Unity Project, reporting that building shells are nearly complete near the south fields and track.
The district is determining whether to break ground for baseball during or after the season.
Regarding personnel, Mr. Clark reported that Jodi Yeager expressed interest in the open second grade position and will move from third grade.
This will be beneficial as she understands requirements for preparing students for third grade, the first testing level.
The district will post a third grade position and contact previous second grade applicants about the third grade opening.
The district is also accepting applications for the high school science position being vacated by Donna Meller, with posting expected within the next week.
It was moved by Mr. Rupp and seconded by Mr. Barry Hoylman to approve Jodi Yeager as a second grade teacher beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. The motion carried unanimously.
It was then moved by Mr. Rufenacht and seconded by Mrs. Skates to enter an executive session for the purpose of preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations with employees. The motion carried unanimously.
The executive session began at 7:43 p.m., and non-board members were asked to leave. The meeting was adjourned following the executive session. The next meeting will be held on March 9, 2026.