By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The financial situation for Pike-Delta-York Local School District continues to be positive in the short term as the board of education keeps an eye to the future, when the failure of a continuing tax levy will present major challenges.
According to Treasurer Leland Hays, the district’s revenues in excess of expenditures is sitting at $416,260 year to date, compared to $469,104 at this point last year.
Of those expenses, roughly 75 percent to 78 percent are from payroll and benefits, which he said is fairly standard.
“Overall, we’re doing fairly well,” Hays said. “We’ll see what the impact is this time next year … but my expectation is that at least we’ll run flat. That’s my plan, to run flat next year.”
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER
Superintendent Jon Burke said he spoke with new Delta Police Chief Samuel Chappell about school concerns and opportunities for partnership.
“He’s very motivated to get [a school resource officer] in the district, which I think would be a very good thing,” Burke said. “We are the last district in Fulton County that does not have an SRO. Swanton just got one in December.”
He said Chappell is putting together some numbers and a preliminary contract for the board to review.
“The nice thing for the SRO is there’s a five-year grant that they’re going to apply for,” Burke said.
If approved, the grant would provide 100 percent of the funding for the first year and then taper off throughout the term of the grant. He said the district can reapply for the grant after the initial five years.
Burke said he would report any new information on the effort to board members as it developed.
SUPERINTENDENT TRIP
The board approved acceptance of a scholarship for Burke to attend the Buckeye Association of School Administrators’ Global Leadership Development Program from July 7 to 15 in Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.
Burke noted the trip will not generate any costs for the district, being covered completely by the program and himself.
During the trip, which includes superintendents from across the country, Burke will have the chance to interact with a Finnish superintendent who he said is considered the best in that nation at revamping schools. He also pointed out Finland was “known to have the best schools in the world.”
Burke was accepted as part of the trip after submitting an application.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board approved a series of personnel changes, including the hiring of Baylee Nofziger as head cook at the high school concurrent with her resignation as second cook at the elementary school.
The district will also be looking for a new head track coach with the resignation of Coach Brittany Zedlitz.
The board approved early graduation for the Class of 2025 students Emily Cornell, Savanna Gibson, Kiyah Leonard, and Bailey McCullogh.
The board set 2025-2026 kindergarten registration for May 27 and May 28 at Pike-Delta-York Elementary School. School will not be in session for current kindergarten students on those days.
The board approved its annual participation agreement with the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center Governing Board.
The board accepted donations of $100 from David Bechtel for Cory’s Backpack, $670 from Lassus BP for Cory’s Backpack, $1,674 from PAC for cheer uniforms, $3,500 from PAC for baseball, $500 from PAC for Marty Friess T-shirts, $500 from Cathy Etchie for bowling, $20 from Diane Morr for Cory’s Backpack, $1,909.10 from Christmas collections for the DMS Student Council, $500 from PAC for basketball, $2,50000 from PAC for a scoreboard, $200 from Jackie Chiesa for the district board of education scholarship, and $780 from the American Legion for girls basketball.
The next regular meeting of the Pike-Delta-York Local School District Board of Education will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19 in the Pike-Delta-York High School auditorium.
