(PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
NOT GOOD NEWS … Superintendent Dr. Jayson Selgo (right) provides an overview of an email from the Henry County Auditor, explaining that Rover Pipeline’s pending litigation is now at the Supreme Court, with a decision not expected before 2026. This litigation affects school funding for many districts across Ohio.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
The Archbold Board of Education met on Monday, August 19 with all members in attendance. Superintendent Jayson Selgo, Treasurer Joyce Kinsman, Curriculum Director Michele Bagrowski, and all three principals were also on hand to update the board on the latest happenings within the district.
The board heard reports from each principal beginning with Andrea Thiel from the elementary.
Thiel spoke on the passing of 2nd-grade teacher Amy Johns who lost her battle with cancer on August 8 noting that it will be a difficult start to the year for students and staff, however, she believes the school has a lot of support in place to help them with the loss of the beloved teacher.
“Mrs. Johns was a wonderful teacher who inspired and impacted countless students’ lives with her love and kindness. Her presence will be greatly missed, but her contributions as a teacher will never be forgotten,” expressed Thiel in her report.
Thiel went on to share staffing changes at AES and welcomed the new 4th-grade teacher Morgan Vickery and Samantha Black, the new kindergarten teacher.
Former first-grade teacher Jamie Zagarella will now be teaching the 2nd grade. Carrie Hancock and Amy Sauder will be serving as Paraprofessionals/Aides for some upper elementary students.
Julia Yeager and Paige Patton have joined the AES staff as preschool teachers in preschool, and Gracie Wolf will be serving as a preschool Paraprofessional/Aide.
Howard Hoge has joined the AES Custodial Staff and Jennifer Marihugh has replaced Ann Dominique in the AES Cafeteria.
A note of thanks was offered by Thiel to the custodial staff for getting the building ready for the new school year.
According to the numbers as of August 12, the elementary school will welcome 445 students through its doors on the students’ first day back.
Over the summer, several students moved into the district, contributing to the current enrollment numbers: 107 students in kindergarten, 83 in 1st grade, 91 in 2nd grade, 84 in 3rd grade, and 80 in 4th grade.
The elementary school has several upcoming events on the calendar. There will be no school on September 2, in observance of Labor Day, and on September 3, for Junior Fair Day. School pictures are scheduled for September 6. On September 18, the 3rd grade will participate in the Ag Fest in Wauseon.
Principal Matt Shields provided updates on the latest in the middle school, including several staff changes. Garrett Grime moved from teaching 6th grade English Language Arts (ELA) and Social Studies to Junior High Math.
MacKenna Whitacre transitioned from 6th-grade ELA to teaching 5th-grade Math and Science, while Zeb Frank shifted from 5th-grade Math and Science to 5th-grade ELA.
Dana Hilfinger will now teach 7th and 8th-grade ELA, instead of her previous assignment of 7th-grade ELA and History.
Doug Rupp has been hired to teach 6th-grade ELA and coach 7th-grade boys basketball. Kayla Horning will teach 6th and 7th-grade Social Studies, and Claire Conrad will teach 6th and 7th-grade ELA.
Alison Burch has been hired as the Junior High Athletic Director and Mary Alvarez will serve as a playground/office aide.
Shields thanked the custodial staff for their efforts in preparing the school for the new year. The technology department disposed of outdated equipment, including desktop lab computers, outdated Chromebooks, iPads, and telephones, which created much-needed storage space.
The building’s entry system is being upgraded from older keypads to the key card system, and final adjustments have been made to the security camera system.
While repairs to the building’s air conditioning were completed, there are still areas where further repairs are needed.
Course offerings for the upcoming school year include a new elective option for 8th-graders: Honors STEM with Mrs. Bentley. Mr. King will take on one section of Algebra to free up time in Mrs. Bentley’s schedule.
For 5th-graders, special classes (PE, Choir, Art, Computer) will now be on a weekly rotation throughout the year. Also new this school year, 6th-grade students will experience a “middle school style” schedule versus the traditional “elementary school style” schedule they have had in the past. 5th-grade students will have the opportunity to participate in LifeWise.
AMS enrollment has slightly decreased compared to previous years. Currently, AMS serves 346 students, with 85 in 5th grade, 75 in 6th grade, 103 in 7th grade, and 83 in 8th grade. Additionally, three students attend the MD unit in Wauseon, and one is served at the IEC. Over the summer, 10 new students have enrolled, while eight have withdrawn.
Shields also mentioned that the cross country, volleyball, and football teams, along with the cheer squad, have started practicing in preparation for their upcoming seasons. In upcoming events, the middle school will see picture day on August 27.
With high school news, Principal Royal Short welcomed Mr. Brad Hurst to the Math Department, where he will teach Algebra 1, Statistics, Precalculus, and Calculus.
Short also thanked the custodial staff for their hard work over the summer preparing the building for the new school year by painting several exterior doors, adding letters to each door to enhance security, and upgrading restrooms in the Annex.
This year, students will have the opportunity to enroll in a virtual course on American Sign Language, offered in partnership with the Ohio School for the Deaf.
Short also shared that Mr. Throne’s Speech class will be rebranded as Communications as it will cover all forms of communication. A Communication Class YouTube channel has been set up to feature interviews by students.
High school enrollment totals 387 students, with 95 freshmen, 108 sophomores, 91 juniors, and 93 seniors. This fall, 33 juniors will be attending Four County Career Center, joining the 32 seniors who will be completing their program at the vocational school.
AHS has several upcoming events, including the first day of school and picture day on August 21. September 20 will see Homecoming and the Alumni Band performance, while the Homecoming Dance will take place on September 21.
Michele Bagrowski, the district’s Curriculum Director, noted that three staff members, Kayla Horning, Claire Conrad, and Morgan Vickery, are enrolled in the Resident Educator program.
The first year is dedicated to observing and being observed to improve instructional planning, classroom management, and feedback.
In their second year, the new teachers will take the RESA assessment to complete the state-level program. Kim Walker, Jessica Miller, and Jen Hurst will serve as mentors who will assist the new teachers during their initial years at Archbold.
Bagrowski also reported that the English Learner Program serves 19 students, including 6 returning from last year and 13 newly enrolled. Service plans have been developed for each student, which will be shared with their teachers. The program offers translation, bilingual instruction, assignment modifications, accommodations, and family support.
Superintendent Selgo updated the board on several key areas. Pending board approval, Kelly Short, Samantha Black, Tracy Dohm, and Mary Alvarez will join the Archbold Area Schools team.
The district is still finalizing hires for various positions. Selgo also praised the maintenance, custodial, and grounds staff for their summer work. Notable AES improvements include updated landscaping, a new digital LED sign, replacement of a rooftop A/C unit, and updated flooring.
AHS received upgraded lighting in the parking lot and main entrance. At the AMS, a building access project is underway which will integrate with the AHS and AES key card entry systems.
Closing out his report, Superintendent Selgo offered an update received from the Henry County Auditor regarding the Rover Pipeline lawsuit.
“I will summarize what she shared with us,” Selgo began. “Dating back to 2019 is when the pipeline was originally contested by its owner, which is Rover. It’s been an ongoing litigation issue since then.
“In 2024 the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals issued a ruling setting the value at 3.6 billion which was in line with the outside expert appraisal that the Ohio Department of Taxation received.
Rover did not like that value and appealed to the Supreme Court and when they did, they asked for mediation between the Department of Taxation and impacted auditors.
“As I understand – throughout – since about last spring until now, they have been attempting to resolve those disputes and they were not successful.”
“So, at the time, the email we received said it will proceed to the Supreme Court and a decision on this matter isn’t expected until 2026, at the soonest.”
“So that’s news but not good news. But I – as far as what this means for us – that means it will further delay the collection or finalization on that revenue.”
“But if there – if there is a bright side, I think it speaks to the diligence of our board when we did pass the emergency levy a couple of years ago. This was exactly the reason that we did that.”
“We had heard in that year, maybe that there was going to be a settlement. It did not pan out. It continued to sit in litigation and ultimately will go to the Supreme Court.
“So, I think that it’s just another example. As we went through that process together, we did so trying to be as cautious as possible not to – I wanna say – count the chickens before they’re hatched.”
“So, as it turns out, it continues to be delayed by – 2026 – will almost be seven – seven years we’ve been going through this.
“So, we are very fortunate that the community supported that levy and appreciate the board for their work in identifying an appropriate value that would help get us through to that point.”
Board President Jeremy Hurst weighed in with his thoughts on the pending litigation. “In the end, we don’t know any more now than we did two years ago and it’s – I’ll clean up my language – but it’s frustrating that something as simple as this takes as long as it does to get done.
“And in the meantime, it’s like no one really cares how this impacts all the districts that are involved with this and instead, that burden ends up getting transferred to the taxpayers to pick up … and it’s left to school boards to explain why they have to go back to the taxpayers and ask for more money.”
“When there are a lot of schools in this state that are impacted by this pipeline, – and dare we say it – more time, more dollars to keep being taken from all of our paychecks to help fund our school districts. And it’s – in my opinion, it’s – it’s crap. But here we sit.”
Hurst emphasized the need for proactive planning, including asking voters to pass a levy, rather than relying on uncertain additional funding from the pipeline appeal.
Treasurer Joyce Kinsman presented her report to the board, which included a printout of funds at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. She highlighted a positive cash flow which she attributed to the levy passing.
After amending the consensus agenda, the Board adopted minutes and financial reports from June and July. A transfer of $100,000 from the General Fund to the Retirement Benefits Fund was also given the green light.
The district received $11,078.51 in donations from various sources which the Board approved and $36,792.48 in additional temporary appropriations was accepted to start the new school year.
An agreement with the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio for the 2024-2025 school year was accepted.
Addressing an annual report requirement the board approved the purchase of Commercial Paper and Banker Acceptances, per Ohio Revised Code 135.142. Also adopted were the 2024-2025 Bus Routes and resolutions for transportation agreements concerning two families.
Skeat Hug was appointed by the board as delegate and Gina Beneke as alternate for the 2024 OSBA Annual Business Meeting.
With several personnel matters also on the consensus agenda the Board approved the following:
-Revised Board policies 7510 and 3124.
-Paraprofessional substitute list provided by the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2024-2025 school year.
-List of certified bus/van drivers for the 2024-2025 school year.
-Resignations of Rachel Plassman, Amy Sauder, and Karla Petersen.
-One-year supplemental contract for Cody Ruffer as Head Wrestling Coach for the 2024-2025 school year.
-Volunteer coaches for the 2024-2025 school year: Cash Gericke, Tom Short, Derric Martinez, and Brady Johns.
-One-year contract for Kelly Short as a School Nurse for the 2024-2025 school year.
-One-year contract for Samantha Black as a teacher for the 2024-2025 school year.
-One-year contract for Tracy Dohm as an Assistant to the Treasurer for the 2024-2025 school year.
-One-year contract for Mary Alvarez as a Middle School Aide for Playground for the 2024-2025 school year.
-One-year contract for Carrie Hancock as an elementary aide for the 2024-2025 school year.
-Classified Substitutes for the 2024-2025 school year: Bonnie Wickerham, Britney Stoepfel, Natalie Nofziger, Nicholas Yates, Hailie Hahn, and Anne Cline.
-Ian Radabaugh as a Classified Substitute for the 2024-2025 school year.
-One-year contract for Andrea Thiel as CCIP Coordinator for the current school year.
-One-year contracts for Resident Educator Mentors
-Substitute teacher list provided by the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2024-2025 school year.
Archbold Board of Education will hold its next regular meeting on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. in the high school media center.