PHOTOS BY AMY WENDT / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BUS ROUTE CHANGES … The board reviews the 2025-2026 Bus Route before approving the district’s newly implemented BusRight app. Superintendent Clark noted that the routes differ from previous years due to changes in busing for open enrollment students.
By: Amy Wendt
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
amy@thevillagereporter.com
At its regular meeting on Monday, August 11, the Pettisville School Board worked through a brief agenda, approving a handful of items in preparation for the upcoming school year.
Board members also reviewed district finances and discussed potential funding changes related to pending state legislation.
Following a brief prayer led by board member Barry Hoylman, roll call was taken with Pam Skates, Brent Hoylman, Scott Rupp, Barry Hoylman, and Justin Rufenacht in attendance. Treasurer Chris Lee, Superintendent Josh Clark, and Elementary Principal Jason Waldvogel were also on hand.
Addressing the consent agenda, the board approved minutes from its July meeting and the treasurer’s financial reports before authorizing bills for payment.
In personnel items, the board approved the employment of Pam Bernath as a long-term substitute for the 2025-2026 school year.
Supplemental contracts were approved for Jason Waldvogel as Director of Federal Programs; Duane Beck as Lead Musical Director; Dee Darby-Dixon as Assistant Musical Director and Choreographer; Barnaby Wyse as Musical Director (Vocal) and Set Director; and Regina Reidling as Musical Director (Pit Orchestra).
NEW BUS ROUTES, NEW SCHOOL YEAR
The board reviewed the 2025-2026 bus routes on the conference room TV using the BusRight transportation system app before giving its approval.
Superintendent Clark noted that the routes differ from previous years due to changes in busing for open enrollment students.
The district’s August 2025 newsletter sent to parents states:
“We want to inform our open enrollment families that, unfortunately, we will not be offering bus stops in Archbold, Napoleon, or Wauseon for the upcoming school year.
“This decision comes as a result of the home districts rescinding their long-standing transportation agreements with us.”
In the board report, President Brent Hoylman noted that three school board members have submitted petitions for the upcoming November election.
Since school was not yet in session, there were few student updates in the administrative reports. However, Elementary Principal Jason Waldvogel shared his enthusiasm about the upcoming school year.
“I think our new teachers are excited. I’m excited about them…They’re fitting in already. They’re working hard. They’re here all the time, asking good questions. It’s gonna be a good year.”
Superintendent Clark spoke on behalf of Jr. High/High School Principal Adam Wagner, who was absent, noting that there will be an orientation held for the incoming seventh and ninth-grade students.
Treasurer Christopher Lee then presented his report, pointing out that this quarter’s tax collection was up $3,300 over last July.
EDUCATION LEGISLATION
Ohio’s public school districts are facing uncertainty regarding school funding due to potential legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes, ongoing debates about property and real estate taxes, and examination of district cash reserves.
At the center of these issues is Ohio’s school funding formula, which remains under review decades after the DeRolph case challenged its constitutionality.
Lee provided the board with an update on pending legislation at the state level.
“There were 67 line items that the governor vetoed, some of them were education related. There were five of them that the House was trying to rally troops to override.
“They did override one of those. The Senate has not opted to pick it up at this time, but both chambers of the General Assembly have until…December 31st of 2026 to override those vetoes,” Lee began. “It’s going to be a long haul,” added Superintendent Clark.
Lee continued, “So, we have roughly two years to worry about them (the state) messing up our revenue structures, and then we’ll be right back into the next budget cycle.”
Superintendent Clark took a moment to elaborate further: “We’ve been very up front with staff… I can speak for us in Fulton County.
“We’ve been very proactive, getting kind of the word out about what this is, what it could be, and I never want to be alarmist, but this is a strange, strange situation.”
“You know, it’s one thing to – it’s one thing to want to look at property taxes, right? I think that’s fair – more than fair, right? Nobody wants their property taxes to be high.
“But it’s another way to take power away from the duly elected Boards of Education in the process, which is the same thing that, you know, a lot of these folks who are in the House and Senate were screaming against five years ago during COVID.
So, it was amazing how things can change so quickly. So, and that right there, that piece, is something that, from a local standpoint, that we’re gonna fight tooth and nail for, because you guys govern, right?
“You guys govern your local district. It’s not a Budget Commission. It’s not Congress in Ohio. So, that’s something that we feel very strongly about, and because you know our local story.”
“And we’re going to have a lot of conversation tomorrow during our opening day – we’re going to talk about this. We’re just going to be very real, transparent, you know. ‘Here’s what’s happening, here’s what we can – we’re doing about it.’”
“We’re going to take a step back to assess and look at, you know, everything with an eye of scrutiny moving forward here, because again, December 31st, 2026, a long, long time away.”
Treasurer Lee added, “The frustrating part is… the one item that they’re (state lawmakers) worried about is the cash balances that school districts are – are sitting on, and there’s – there’s a school district somewhere that has a carryover percentage of 199%.
“So – but they’re treating us all like we’re sitting on those piles of monies, and we’re just not.”
“The other thing that I’m particularly frustrated about, and I think I’ve said this before in a board meeting, is that the DeRolph lawsuit was originally filed when we graduated from high school (1991).
“And it was the final ruling that came in 1999, that said that the state wasn’t funding schools constitutionally, and they needed to come up with a plan to change that. I was – I had been a treasurer for just over a year at that point.
“I’m in the twilight of my career with, you know, four years left until retirement eligibility, and we still don’t have it right in Ohio.
“And, in fact, the state share percentage in 1999 of the school funding – the state’s share percentage – was higher in 1999 than it is today.
“So, we’ve gone backwards from doing it correctly. But the school districts have been vilified over the last six months as if all of this is our fault,” Lee concluded.
Clark added that now is the time to engage with state officials, noting they have already spoken with one gubernatorial candidate and hope to meet with another.
“Because it’s not about politics, right?” Clark added. “I mean, we have to be able to agree to do what’s best for our kids and our communities, and that’s kind of where we’re collectively at.
“It’s frustrating, but it’s also a lesson on priority, right? And if we can – we can’t figure out a way to fund our schools, then I feel like we’ve lost the plot somewhere along the way.
“So that’s not even really discussing anything to do with privatizing education and no accountability systems for all that money getting siphoned out of your pockets…So there’s our frustration,” Clark concluded.
Moving on to the Superintendent’s report, Clark said the district is ready for the new school year. He praised the custodial staff for their hard work and commended the student workers for their contributions.
He added that it was nice to see everyone back in the building, noting the sense of optimism heading into the year.
With nothing further, the board meeting adjourned at 8:17 p.m. The next Pettisville Board of Education meeting will be held in the school’s conference room on Monday, September 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.