Enrollment losses over the past five years will mean a nearly quarter-million-dollar loss in state revenues for the next two years for Pettisville Schools.
Superintendent Steve Switzer informed the Board of Education about the lower revenue forecast at the Feb. 6 meeting. The numbers come from Gov. John Kasich’s two-year budget proposal.
“Like last time, we do poorly under his version, although we lose a lot more dollars than in the last budget,” Switzer stated in his report.
“Gov. Kasich’s budget proposal has Pettisville losing $112,329 the first year of the biennium and holding the same funding for the second year for a total loss of almost a quarter million dollars.”
Between Fiscal Year 2011 through FY2016, Pettisville has seen a 14.5 percent loss in enrollment, the largest in the county. That means the district has 59 fewer students in that timeframe, according to figures released by the district.
Evergreen (89) and Wauseon (78) lost more students in the same period, but the losses were a lower percentage, 7.2 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively. Fayette lost 38 students, but that was an 8 percent loss.
Pike-Delta-York Schools gained 24 students by comparison.
Pettisville’s enrollment decline translates into a 5.1 percent drop in Core Aid from the state.
The board held a hearing on the proposed 2017-18 school calendar.
The draft calendar has the upcoming school year beginning Aug. 17 and ending May 31, 2018. Highlights include graduation for the Class of 2018 May 27.
The board has not made a decision on the final calendar.
In other news, the board:
•Awarded stipends for the spring musical, The King and I.
Musical Director – Duane Beck
Assistant Director/Drama – Michael Short
Assistant Director/Music – Ryan Briley
Pit Orchestra Director – Ryan Briley
Choreographer – Michael Short
Set Director – Karen Grieser
•Accepted the resignation of Jack Young has submitted his resignation for the purposes of retirement as of June 30. The board thanked Young for his service to Pettisville Schools and wished him the best in retirement.
•A correction from “junior class advisor stipends” approved last month. Rachel and John Horning are overseeing the program committee for 2017 Prom, not Amanda Wyman.
•Approved bus drivers Mike Zimmerman, Brian Leppelmeier, and Jason Waldvogel.
The district has a number of employees who are getting their licenses as bus drivers and each is in a different stage.
The board approved the Activate Health and Wellness Center as a provider for bus driver physicals.
High School Principal Michael Lane reported several students were chosen to participate in the 43nd Annual Fulton County Music Festival, Jan. 22 at Swanton High School. Lane thanked Duane Beck and Ryan Briley for supporting the students who were chosen to participate in this event.
Participating Pettisville High School students were:
Choir – Birch Baer, Alicia Barhite, Zach Basselman, Gabriel Beck, Joshua Bock, Joel Flory, Nichole Foor, Sarah Foor, Mikayla Graber, Graeme Jacoby , Rebekah Liechty, Ryeana Klopfenstein, Jacob Myers, Harper Nolander, Kendal Pursel, John Rufenacht, Brittney Sauder, Madison Stuckey, Tessa Waidelich, Connor Wyse
Band – Birch Baer, Zach Basselman, Nichole Foor, Katie Hauter, Sarah Herring, Ava Hoops, Kayla Johnson-Dixon, Zach Morrison, Aubrey Reiniche, Aaron Rupp, Morgan Sauder, Jensi Shaw, Kayla Wyse
Gabe and Ava received the Four-Year Award for being selected in each of their high school years to participate in the honors band and choir.
A School Safety Drill took place on Wednesday, Jan. 25. A lockdown was ordered around 10:35 a.m., and the appropriate procedures implemented to provide for the safety of students and staff.
Due to changes in math graduation requirements over the past couple of years, the high school will be implementing a change in course offerings and progression beginning next school year. The new sequence offerings will be as follows:
Sequence 1 – Sequence 2 – Sequence 3
Grade 8 – Algebra 1
Grade 9 – Algebra 1 – Algebra 1 – Geometry
Grade 10 – Geometry – Geometry – Algebra 2
Grade 11 – Algebra 2 – Algebra 2 – Advanced Math
Grade 12 – Business Math – Advanced Math – Calculus
UPCOMING EVENTS
•Junior High Dance – Feb. 17
•Science Fair – Feb. 18
•FFA Hog Roast – February 18
•Sophomore Class Supper – Feb. 23
•Mini Birds – Feb. 23
•FFA Week – Feb. 20– 25
•FFA Pancake Breakfast – Feb. 22
•MathCounts Competition – Feb. 22
•Regional Science Fair – March 4
•District Science Day – March 11
•Ohio Junior Science & Humanities
Symposium – March 15–17
•Musical – March 16–18
Jason Waldvogel presented the Pettisville Elementary School report.
Three students represented the district at the Fulton County Spelling Bee will be held at the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center Feb. 7, 6th Grade – Haylee Bronson; 5th Grade – Olivia Rossman; 4th Grade – Cayden Bishop.
Sophomore Supper & Minibirds Jamboree
The sophomore class will hold its annual supper from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23. On the same evening, fourth-through sixth-grade girls and boys will display their basketball talents starting at 6 p.m.
Kindergarten Registration
Students who will turn 5 by Aug. 1 are eligible for kindergarten. Parents who are planning to have their children register for next year’s kindergarten should call the school. Parents will need to be ready to supply the child’s name, birth date, parents’ names, address, and phone number. During the call, the school would also like to schedule an appointment time for the child’s registration screening process March 3.
Parents will need to allow at least an hour of time for their child to go through the entire screening process.
An information session for parents will be held during the individual screening sessions. The session will allow parents to see what a typical day of a student will be and to answer any questions they may have.
The state is using the American Institutes for Research (AIR) to give Ohio’s math and English tests, science and social studies tests. In the fall, the school administered the English Language Arts (ELA) test to the third-grade students.
As last year, this is a reading and writing test. The “reading” portion of that test meet the requirements for the Third-Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG).
All elementary school tests will be given on the Chromebooks within regular classrooms, with the exception of students with accommodations.
The proposed schedule is as follows:
April 4: Fifth and sixth grade ELA.
April 6: Third and fourth grade ELA.
April 7: Sixth grade Social Studies; fifth grade Science.
April 11: Third and fourth grade math.
April 12: Fifth and sixth grade math.
April 13: Fourth grade Social Studies.
Cabe Cordy from the Cordy Insurance Agency, along with the Wauseon Fire Department sponsored a fire ladder and extinguisher give-away. Contest winners were: Darrah Kate Shaw (FL), Ashalyn Rice (FL), Caleb Lako (FL), Carson Andres (FE), Caite Wixom (FE).
The fire department also offered free smoke alarms for all first-grade families.
The school is having curriculum brainstorming sessions. This is a time for teachers to discuss and share thoughts with Jen Ripke (ESC) and Waldvogel. The initial meetings are with individual teachers, then progress to grade level and entire staff sessions.
Enrollment Change Drives the Funding Structure – FY11 to FY16
Enrollment Change – FY11 to FY16
Total Enrollment Change %
Archbold: -49; -3.7%
Evergreen: -89; -7.2%
Fayette: -38; -8.0%
Pettisville: -59; -14.5%
Delta: 24; 1.7%
Swanton: -17; -1.2%
Wauseon: -78; -4.0%
James Pruitt may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
