PHOTO BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
LEADING BRYAN … From Left: Both Superintendent Mark Rairigh and Treasurer/CFO Kevin Schafer present personnel recommendations to the Bryan Board of Education at the July 13 meeting.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Bryan Board of Education met on Monday, July 13, with a short agenda to work through. President Dustin Schlachter called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
After the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, Treasurer/CFO Kevin Schafer took roll call. All members were present and are as follows: Ben Camarillo, Debra Opdycke, Caleb Turnbull, and Lynn Wieland.
Minutes Approved
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from both the regular meeting held on June 8, and the special meeting held June 19. Turnbull moved to approve and Opdycke seconded. The minutes were approved by all members.
Four County Career Center Report
With no public participation, the agenda moved into communications with Camarillo delivering a report from Four County Career Center.
Two students competed at the HOSA, Health Occupations Students of America, international leadership conference in Indianapolis held June 16 through June 20, one in physical therapy and one in phlebotomy.
Three students from the Early Childhood Education program competed at the FCCLA National Conference in Washington D.C.
Four County Career Center recently held Summer Camp from June 1 through June 4. The camp was free to any students in the Four County area in grades seven through nine.
Programs offered were cosmetology, cooking, and visual art and design with approximately 42 students participating.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new electrical and welding lab addition will be held on Monday, August 17, at 2:00 p.m.
The lab addition will be open to staff and community from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Camarillo added, “A challenge coin has been designed as a complimentary gift for elected officials and board members who were instrumental in helping with the grant and this project.”
Treasurer’s Report
Schafer followed with the treasurer’s report and recommendations. The monthly financial reports were provided to the board.
Schafer said that as the fiscal year wraps up, the district finished roughly $900,000 under its appropriations.
Schafer then moved into the amended appropriations for Fiscal Year 2027. He noted that the transportation director had reported three buses that are no longer economically feasible to repair.
This reduces the fleet to 23 buses. With 22 routes to cover, the district would be left with only one spare. One of the buses deemed non-repairable is equipped with a chair lift, meaning the district would have no backup chair-lift-accessible bus.
The budget already included one new bus purchase. Schafer is asking to increase that to two buses as well as a van, which has also been deemed unrepairable.
The transfer would be for $250,000 from the General Fund to the Permanent Improvement Fund. Schafer also noted there were a few other odds and ends in the amended appropriations.
Opdycke asked what the estimated delivery time was and Schafer noted the turnaround time is approximately 9 to 12 months. Placing the order now should ensure delivery around the start of the next school year in 2027.
Schafer continued through the recommendation with the NBEC agreement with NWOCA to assist with technology needs.
He followed with a recommendation to authorize the treasurer to transfer up to $600,000 from the General Fund to the Food Service Fund when deemed necessary.
This has already been included in the budget as a cost to run the CEP program which allows the district to offer free meals to all students.
A resolution followed to authorize Beilharz Architecture to conduct bidding for the construction of the Arts and Education Center renovation project.
Schafer concluded with the change funds for 2026-2027, along with the petty cash funds, noting that the petty cash amounts remain unchanged for the upcoming year.
He ended with a donation from the athletic boosters, who contributed $500 each to softball, volleyball, and girls basketball, and he expressed appreciation to the boosters for their support.
Wieland moved to approve all treasurer recommendations with a second from Camarillo. All members approved.
Schafer then provided one personnel recommendation, explaining that within the department contracts are renewed yearly.
The recommendation was to renew Janet Hageman as Assistant Treasurer. The motion to approve was made by Opdycke and a second by Turnbull.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Mark Rairigh followed by updating the board on ongoing and new business.
He gladly reported that all teaching positions have been filled for the upcoming year with a handful of support staff vacancies.
On June 24, the district officially took occupancy of the new middle and high school addition. Currently furniture is being installed, the computer lab is being set up, and the weight room equipment is being moved in.
The weight room and gym is expected to be open for use on July 31. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the career tech center is planned for August 12, at 9:00 a.m.
Rairigh touched back on the Arts and Education Center, which was approved to go out for bids just a few minutes prior. That will take approximately a month to receive bids in.
Rairigh moved on to administrative recommendations. First was to approve a contract with the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center at a rate of $96 per day for any student who would be placed there.
Next was a minor revision to the 2026-2027 K-12 student handbook. Rairigh noted it was an adjustment to the language of the attendance policy to match the new attendance laws.
Rairigh then moved to a routine annual resolution formally recognizing the district’s support organizations: the Bryan Athletic Boosters, Bryan Music Boosters, Bryan Academic Boosters, and the Bryan Elementary PTO.
Rairigh then introduced the annual transportation resolution for the 2026-2027 school year, covering bus stop locations as set by the transportation director, authorization for the director to adjust those stops as needed, and payment in lieu of transportation at the rate established by the Ohio Department of Education when district transport is deemed impractical under the Ohio Revised Code.
Camarillo made the motion to approve all administrative recommendations. Wieland provided a second and all members approved.
Personnel Recommendations
Rairigh continued with a series of personnel recommendations, including the following actions listed on the agenda for the 2026-2027 school year:
Classified staff resignations
-Joslin Locke, education aide (effective June 26, 2026)
-Jacqueline Conrad, education aide (effective July 31, 2026)
Classified staff new hires
-Kristina Brown, elementary general aide (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Carmen Roth, elementary educational aide (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Brianna Swank, elementary educational aide (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Shannon Bowen, elementary student paraprofessional (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
Certified staff changes
-Voluntary transfer: Allison Zimmerman from grade 5 to grade 7 ELA (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-New hires: Rose Reinhart, middle school science teacher, and Mckendry Semer, grade 5 teacher (both effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Salary schedule column change: Joshua Schmitt to MA+20 (effective Aug. 17, 2026)
Administrative staff rehires and contract renewals
-Rehires: Ned Ruffer, director of maintenance; Thomas Karnes, director of technology; and Gary Wyse, network technology specialist (all effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-One-year renewals: Kendra Smeltzer, superintendent secretary; Juliet Stockman, central registration/EMIS clerk; and Jennifer Vogelsong, transportation/maintenance secretary (all effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Three-year renewals: Brian Arnold, grades 6-8 assistant principal (effective Aug. 1, 2027); Marchetta Caryer, food service director (effective Aug. 1, 2026); and Ryan Eberly, transportation director (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
-Four-year renewal: Chad Bassett, assistant superintendent/EMIS coordinator (effective Aug. 1, 2026)
Administrative contract addenda and the administrative compensation and benefits schedule were also provided to the board.
Athletic supplemental changes
-Resignations: Hilary Staten, head softball coach (effective June 11, 2026), and Garrett Glicker, head track coach
-New hires: Amber Franzdorf, junior high cheerleading advisor; Isaac Lamore, boys soccer assistant coach; Jennifer Radabaugh, junior high volleyball assistant; Ashtyn Wiyrick, cheerleading assistant; and Nichole Huard, cheerleading assistant
-Volunteer: Jordan Brown, high school volleyball
Golden Bear Television Network Production Crew for 2026-2027
-Contractors: Eric Herman, Mark Hagans, Connor Hagans, and Jeff Theobald
-BCS staff: Jordan Brown and Kathryn Rockey
-BCS students: Elijah Cummins, Josiah Cummins, Griffin Davies, Ethan Fryman, Easton Heater, Wesley Lupo, Gabriella Malanga, Monica Maynez, Miles Northrup, Nola O’Dell, Camden Reasoner, Remington Rosebrock, Trinity Sampson, Colton Sheline, Owen Sines, Dylan Steele, Haley Strine, Jackson Vashaw, and Lily Walker
-Volunteers: Brian Arnold, Dave Brobston, Tim Meister, and Kevin Schafer
Wieland moved to approve all personnel recommendations with a second from Opdycke. The motion passed unanimously.
Contract Addenda and Adjournment
President Schlachter then presented his recommendations, noting that neither Rairigh nor Schafer could recommend their own contracts.
He requested a motion to approve the Superintendent Contract Addendum for Mark Rairigh and the Treasurer/CFO Contract Addendum for Kevin Schafer, including an extension through July 31, 2031.
Turnbull moved to approve with Camarillo providing a second. All members approved.
With no need for an executive session and no board discussion presented, Opdycke moved to adjourn the meeting.
Wieland seconded and all members approved adjourning the meeting at 6:17 p.m. The next board meeting will be held on Monday, August 10, at 6:00 p.m.
