By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Pike-Delta-York Local School District Board of Education appointed its leadership, set meeting dates, and handled other annual logistical issues during its organizational meeting Wednesday evening.
Board member Jackie Chiesa was approved as president, while outgoing president Jeremy Lohman was approved as vice president.
The board maintained pay levels for themselves at $80 per meeting for a maximum of 24 meetings. If they had chosen to increase that amount, it would only go into effect as they were re-elected or as new members were elected.
The board renewed its annual membership in and subscriptions with the Ohio School Board Association, as well as naming its liaisons to the organization.
Alice Simon will serve as the legislative liaison with Chiesa as her backup and Lohman will serve as the student achievement liaison with Tim Ford as his backup.
The board confirmed committee assignments, with Chiesa and Jeff Lintermoot on the personnel committee, Ford and Simon on the finance committee, and Ford and Lohman on the facilities committee.
The board established the 2025 Public Records Commission for the board, consisting of Treasurer Leland Hays, Superintendent Jon Burke, and Chiesa in her capacity as board president.
The board approved annual standing authorizations for Hays to invest funds, pay bills within appropriations, make necessary short-term advances from the general fund to ensure continued operations of various other school funds, to review and approve all Then and Now Certificates, to review and approve expenses related to refreshments for meetings involving the community and/or staff, and to seek advance draws of taxes from the Fulton County Auditor.
The board designated Burke as the district’s purchasing agent and approved annual standing authorizations allowing him to make all purchases up to $50,000 without a board vote, to approve expenditures for activity accounts, to employ personnel and accept resignations as determined necessary to cover emergency situations, and to approve staff leave and professional meetings for 2025.
The board designated Ennis & Britton Co., LPA, Brickler & Eckler, and Taft Stettinius & Hollister, L.L.P., as the district’s legal representation.
The board set its annual service fund at $5,000, to be used to cover members’ expenses relating to attending meetings and/or other board business as allowed by state law. It remains unchanged from 2024, when it was not completely spent.