PHOTO BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FINANCIAL FORECAST … Treasurer Joyce Kinsman delivers her last financial forecast to board members as she submitted her resignation and will be stepping away from her post effective March 8.
PHOTO PROVIDED / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
HONOR …Third-grade teacher Ben Gericke (center) receives the CORAS Outstanding Elementary Teacher Award.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
The Archbold Area School Board of Education met on February 19, 2026, in the high school media center for its regular monthly meeting with board members Tyson Stuckey, Christine Ziegler, Gina Benecke, Skeat Hug, and Jeremy Hurst in attendance.
Elementary Principal Andrea Thiel, Middle School Principal Matthew Shields, High School Principal Royal Short, Curriculum Director Michele Bagrowski, Superintendent Jayson Selgo and Treasurer Joyce Kinsman were on hand representing the school’s administrative team.
Following the pledge of allegiance, Treasurer Kinsman administered the oath of office to re-elected board member Skeat Hug.
Media representatives and the public were then acknowledged. Approximately 40-50 community members attended the meeting. The Board President noted that no one had submitted a request to speak in advance, as required by board policy. No public comments were made by audience members.
With a motion from board member Ziegler, which was seconded by Skeat Hug, the board approved the agenda with no further changes or revisions.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
In administrative reports, Elementary Principal Andrea Thiel shared that 2026-2027 Kindergarten Registration is currently underway through Final Forms and will be open until March 2.
Children must be five years old on or before August 19, 2026, per the new state law. With screening taking place on March 16 through 17, there will be no school for the Preschool, KinderStreaks, and Kindergarten classes on those days.
The annual Power of Purpose (PoP!) fundraiser concluded on February 16, bringing in around $58,000 with proceeds benefiting the elementary library, playground, field trips, and PBIS programs. Steve Kershner of PoP! will host a “Best Day Ever!” event on May 18 for students to celebrate.
Elementary School Students of the Month for December and January who were recognized for displaying “gratitude” were as follows: from the KinderStreaks and Kindergarten classes included Reignah Sutton, Vivian Smith, Freya Earley, Elliot Wyse, Brenna Elling, and Yetta Piorkowski. In the first grade, the students nominated were Ashley Martinez, Nylah Brooks, Lillian Hancock, Oakley Wurster, and Eugenia Lozano. The second-grade students were Leo Baez, Livie Stuckey, Lofton Beck, and Oaklynn Graber, while the third grade was represented by Addy Reisser, Addilyn Bernath, Malia Covarrubias, and JD Holdgreve. Fourth-grade students honored were Lauber Ruffer, CJ Sortor, Charlie Coons, and Rhydian Martin. Students nominated by special area teachers were Corbin Wyse, Cooper Williams, Giovanni Jasso, and Addisyn St. John.
Other upcoming events in the elementary include an assembly with Steve Harpster on February 27, the AES Literacy Night on March 2, and the AES Book Fair from March 9 through 13.
Moving on to the latest news in the middle school, Principal Matthew Shields recognized AMS Bluestreak Leaders.
Fifth-grade students receiving the award were Jazzy Murillo, Emma Coats, Brantley Williams, and Gia Alt. Sixth-grade honors went to Ellis Fruth, Emma Thatcher, Ilias Perez, and Wade King. Seventh-grade students receiving the award were Mycah Miles, Lowen Stuckey, Quinn Petrea, and Taitlynn Coons while eighth-grade students Mason Grooms, Jazzy Lopez, Allison Gaona, and Adelle Bentley obtained the honors.
Choir students Allison Gaona and Addyson Baker were selected to perform at the OMEA District 1 Honors Festival at the Stranahan Theater in Toledo.
In wrestling, league champions included seventh grader Sawyer Lauber and eighth graders Alex Baden and Gus Legato. All four basketball teams reached their respective championship games of the NWOAL tournament.
Spirit Week activities were organized by the cheerleaders, student council, and band students. School Resource Officer Levi Gerig coordinated a dodgeball match between APD officers and students, which was a highlight of the festivities.
The Bluestreak Brainiacs Quiz Team took part in their first match on January 29, and the Fulton County Quiz tournament is slated for March 2.
The Fulton County Spelling Bee was held on February 10, with Kaydence Prosser, Abby Stevens, Marley Livensparger, and Willa Smith participating. Livensparger was the Fulton County sixth-grade overall winner, while Kaydence Prosser was runner-up.
Students also participated in exercise activities and an obstacle course fundraiser to support Fulton County Heartradiothon.
In the high school report, Principal Royal Short recognized NWOAL Scholar Athletes for being involved in a winter varsity sport while maintaining a cumulative GPA over 3.5.
Those students included Emma Krukowski, Elise Mello, Lila Nichols, Ashton Stuckey, Lars Soles, Landon Wanless, Miley Gericke, and Charlie Forward.
The junior class will be taking the ACT on February 24 and will also participate in job shadow day on April 2.
Short recognized AHS music students for various honors. Molly Rutledge and Reese Bunke were selected to sing with the OMEA Honors Choir.
Participating in the D1 OMEA West’s Solo & Ensemble Event on Saturday, January 24 were Eric Voll, who received an Excellent (II) rating; Bo King, who received a Superior (I) rating, and Lily Cox, who received a Superior (I) rating. Junior Bo King was chosen to perform in the OMEA District 1 performance on January 18 at the Stranahan.
March 9-13 will be Spring Break for all AAS students, and the high school’s Spring Musical, Grease, is set for March 27 through March 29.
In her monthly update to the board, Curriculum Director Michele Bagrowski shared that identified students are currently taking the OELPA (Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment) and the Alternate Assessments for Students with Cognitive Disabilities. Ohio State testing will begin on April 7 and is scheduled through April.
Junior Achievement volunteers will be returning to classrooms in the spring, where they will teach financial literacy to grades K through 6.
Teachers recently took part in a professional development day focusing on de-escalation techniques and crisis prevention strategies.
LEVY ON MAY BALLOT
In his report, the Superintendent read the following statement regarding a levy that will appear before voters on the May ballot.
“On Monday, January 12, 2026, the Archbold Board of Education approved a fixed-sum levy to appear on the May 2026 ballot.
The proposed five-year levy of 3.218 mills (approximately $1.1 million) reflects the same amount originally requested in 2006 to maintain district operations.
“Although property tax laws and levy options have changed over time, this level of funding is still necessary to support the district’s basic functions.
“This is not new funding. It is the same levy that was approved in 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 by the voters of the district. However, this is a new name for the same amount of funding for Archbold Schools.
“The Archbold Board of Education believes passage of the levy is critical, as reductions in programming would not meet the standards of excellence expected by our community, administration, employees, or students.
“The district continues to be proactive in staffing decisions, carefully evaluating each vacancy to ensure efficiency and appropriate staffing levels.
“Financial challenges such as the Rover Pipeline, state funding, tax laws, and property taxes remain at the forefront of our planning and will continue to do so in the coming years.
“The district remains committed to fiscal responsibility and appreciates the community’s support, which allows us to remain one of the highest-achieving academic schools in the area.”
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
The superintendent then recognized third-grade teacher Ben Gericke for receiving the CORAS Outstanding Elementary Teacher Award.
“Ben consistently goes the extra mile to support his students, whether through extra time, personalized instruction, or encouragement when they need it most.
“He builds strong, trusting relationships with his students and truly sees each child for who they are, valuing their strengths, needs, and growth beyond test scores,” Selgo noted.
A College Credit Plus update from Mr. Grime indicated that during the 2025-26 school year, 88 students are participating in the program and enrolled in 344 courses, with an estimated cost of $189,754.61, which is an increase from last year.
Selgo shared that the district has been awarded $6,590.00 in an Ohio School Bus Safety Grant.
Speaking on the Miller Athletic Complex, Selgo noted that due to the scale of the project, a larger gas line is necessary and now requires an easement.
TREASURER’S FINANCIAL FORECAST
Treasurer Kinsman presented the district’s updated financial forecast, which includes a 3-year history of the General fund, including the current fiscal year and three years of projections.
Funds not taken into consideration are the Athletic, Cafeteria, Federal Grant Money, Principals’, Permanent Improvement, Bond, and Retirement Benefits.
According to Kinsman’s report, the projected revenue and cash balance decline is caused by a number of factors, including recent property tax reform, the decreased tax revenue from Rover Pipeline, and enrollment decline.
Recent property tax reform is expected to reduce local revenue for all schools. Changes to the 20-mill floor calculation may prevent future tax growth and could slightly reduce collections.
The district is receiving only 43% of the taxes owed from Rover Pipeline due to ongoing litigation; however, the state funding formula still counts the full valuation, which reduces the district’s actual state aid received.
Kinsman also noted that enrollment continues to decline locally and statewide, and because of this, the district sees flat state funding with no increases to be expected. The state funding formula is based on FY22 costs and does not reflect current inflation.
In looking at revenue against expenses, it is shown that revenues are stagnant or declining due to flat state funding, reduced tax growth, Rover Pipeline underpayment, and fixed sum levies that do not grow.
On the other hand, expenses continue to rise due to salary and health insurance increases, as well as inflation in services.
The district is projected to enter deficit spending within the forecast period, and cash reserves are projected to decline steadily. Based on current projections, the district could run out of cash by 2030, which is just beyond the forecast window.
Kinsman noted that the district is working to control costs and may realize some savings through staffing changes due to retirements and resignations.
Hurst weighed in on the district’s financial forecast, “Well, I think the biggest thing to know here is there are a couple of points in your presentation that the general public needs to be aware of.
“The first one is, yes, property tax reform has been a major agenda item for legislators in Columbus, and as someone who pays property taxes, I appreciate that.
“As someone who sits on the school board side of it, what it’s doing is essentially – it’s killing off public school systems, is what it’s doing.
“Because when you look at the statistics that you provided, the total revenue coming in per student is close to $15,000. $11,000 of the revenue that’s generated comes from the taxpayers.
“So we literally get just over $3,800 per pupil from the state. And that continues to decline.
“A few years ago, there was the Fair School Funding Act, which was supposed to correct these things, and for some reason, those that we elected decided, ‘That’s not going to work, let’s hit the property tax agenda.’
“Which again, is a good thing, but what they haven’t done or accounted for is, where are we going to make up the balance of the dollars that we’re taking away from property taxes? No one has come forward with any answers on where that is going to come from.
“That does not only affect, as you mentioned, public school systems. It’s police, it’s our fire stations, our EMS, all of our public services. No one has come forth with, how are we going to recoup those costs…
“So, you know, the point of talking about this tonight is to make sure that our voters are aware of what is happening in public school systems.
“When you see $8,000, almost $8,300, going to charter schools, private schools, and public schools are getting less than $4,000, it kind of goes, for me, a question comes to mind – and some initials, WTH, what the hell?
“What is going on here, and why is it happening this way? And when we ask those questions, we don’t really get clear answers on the why.
“But, you know, all the things that we are passionate about in local school systems, sports, our extracurriculars, band, the plays that we put on – all that stuff will go away because we’ll have to get rid of those things faster than anything else, because the core of what we do in education is to teach.
“So the extracurriculars, unfortunately, what happens – and you’re seeing it happen all over northwest Ohio, is those are the first things that get chopped off the top before we start to look at staffing.
“The point here isn’t to paint a doom and gloom picture, but it’s a reality of what has been coming for a number of years.
“And I think the other thing of note here that you (Kinsman) touched on is, less than six months ago, we got great news that the state board of tax appeals said, ‘Hey, the evaluations on the Rover pipeline are affirmed, we’re sticking with that.
“So Mrs. Kinsman makes projections based on receiving those evaluation amounts. There’s also some back pay that they owe us for all of the short pay that’s been happening over the years that if I remember right, did we account for any of that?
Kinsman responded that those numbers were not factored into projections.
Hurst continued, “…So we were conservative in what we did there, and then fast forward a few months later, and then we find the news that Rover Pipeline had filed an appeal with Franklin County Court system, which is holding the process up again.
“I guess the good news from that is, worst case, we hear in November of this year, we’re hearing potentially we could hear a ruling that it’s going to get way sooner than that, but we’re not going to count on it.
“So it goes back to what you talked about, which is when we are valued by the state, they are assuming we’re getting all of the funds from the Rover Pipeline when in reality we’re down here. So now we’re analyzed yet again in getting less funding.
“I guess where the balance of that is set to be made up, and that’s on us, the citizens in the area we’re in.
Hurst pointed out that other schools in Ohio are encountering the same problem.
“And I just don’t understand where all that is coming from, given that a lot of people that have been elected by us came from systems – public school systems.
“And when you come forward with an agenda that is taking those dollars away in property taxes – a great thing, and maybe help you get reelected, but what are you doing to solve the problem with those dollars that are coming away, other than saying, ‘Hey, school districts, have fun figuring that out.’ Or, ‘Hey Fire/EMS, have fun figuring that out, and going back to your people in the area you live and ask them for more tax dollars. So what’s the point?
“So I hope the people who are attending tonight at least walk away with a little bit of education on this process, which is school funding is an absolute roller coaster ride in determining where we are, what we’re doing, how do we predict what to cut, what to ask for when.
“The model, the revenues that are coming in, change sometimes three or four times in two years, sometimes two to three times in a given season. So, being a school treasurer is certainly an adventure.”
Hurst thanked Kinsman for her service as treasurer, as she submitted a formal resignation effective Friday, March 6, 2026.
OTHER ACTIONS
Addressing the Consensus Agenda, the board approved regular and organizational meeting minutes from January 12.
January 2026 Financial Reports were also accepted, as were $4,100 in total donations, which included $3,430 from various sources to the archery program.
Multiple appropriation modifications, resource changes and fund transfers were approved. The board approved the STRS Resolution on Picked Up Contributions for the 2026-2027 school year.
Other items approved included:
-The district’s Financial Forecast for submission to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce by February 28, 2026.
-Resolution Accepting the Amounts and Rates as Determined by the Budget Commission and Authorizing the Necessary Tax Levies and Certifying Them to the County Auditor.
-Continued membership to the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2026-2027 school year.
-A resolution to grant a permanent easement to the Ohio Gas Company, Bryan, Ohio.
-Approve an update to the 2025-2026 current school year calendar to reflect changing the end of the 3rd quarter from March 6, 2026, to March 20, 2026, for the High School.
In personnel recommendations, the following items were approved:
-The paraprofessional and teacher substitute lists provided by the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2025-2026 school year.
-One-year supplemental contracts for Spring Coaches for the 2025-2026 school year.
-Spring Coach volunteers for the 2025-2026 school year.
-One-year supplemental contracts for Fall Coaches for the 2026-2027 school year.
-Anne McCarty, Amy DeLong, and Jessica Truck as grade-level high-dosage tutors effective January 13, 2026.
-Accepted the letter of resignation from Joyce Kinsman, Treasurer/CFO, effective March 6, 2026.
-Accepted the letter of resignation from Mark Miller as a long-term bus aide substitute, effective January 23, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Shannon Schmucker effective May 31, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Sherry Wyse effective June 1, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Maria Oyer effective May 31, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Jeff Benecke effective June 30, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Sharon Ziegler effective July 1, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Matt Shields effective June 30, 2026.
-Retirement Resignation of Laura Kennedy effective May 31, 2026.
When later asked about the recent increase in retirement resignations, Selgo explained that the trend in Archbold is due to two factors.
First, the district’s staff is more veteran compared to many other schools. Second, recent changes to the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System now allow educators to retire after 32 years of service, prompting more long-serving teachers to take advantage of their eligibility.
At 5:56 p.m., the board entered into executive session for the purpose of considering the employment of a public employee of the School District and stated that no action would be taken.
Following the meeting, several parents and others involved with the volleyball program who were in the audience spoke with media representatives regarding concerns about the volleyball program. No discussion of those concerns occurred during the public session.
The next regular Archbold Board of Education meeting is set to take place at 5:00 p.m. on March 16 in the high school Media Center.
More Archbold BOE coverage: Archbold Board of Education Honors Beck & Hurst For Years Of School Board Service