PHOTO BY JOHN FRYMAN / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BOARD MEETING … Stryker Local Board of Education members, from left, Lincoln Calvin and Bruce Rosebrock go over the agenda of the Monday, July 20, board meeting.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
The Stryker Local School Board of Education met in a regular session on Monday, July 20, with board members Brent Froelich, Sharon vonSeggern, Chase Stuckey, Lincoln Calvin and Bruce Rosebrock in attendance.
Upon the recommendation of Superintendent Nate Johnson, the board approved a resolution to join the Southern Central Athletic Association (SCAA) as a football-only member beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, pending acceptance by the SCAA board of directors.
The SCAA, an 8-man football conference in Michigan, consists of Burr Oak, Camden-Frontier, North Adams, Pittsford, Tekonsha and Waldron.
Currently, Stryker is a member of the Northern-8 football conference, which stretches into the Youngstown area. “It’s a travel and competitive issue,” said Johnson. “This move puts our program into a position to be successful.”
Stryker will be facing a future SCAA opponent in the upcoming season, hosting North Adams on Thursday, August 27.
Johnson also announced the Panther Tech program will be expanding this year, with Brett Freshour offering a robotics program for junior high students.
Despite not filling a four-hour custodial position the district had been posting, Johnson pointed out they will be going fully automatic with robotics.
The robotics program will maintain industry cleaning robots for the district’s newest building additions.
“We completed our additions and we needed a half-time custodian,” said Johnson. “We are starting a new robotics program for our junior high students and looked into options for floor cleaning, and that’s what we are going to do.”
He then added, “Our junior high students are going to have real-life operating the floor cleaning robots and maintaining them.
“Part of the program will be real-life programming our sweeping robots. We are going to start with just the new additions we’ve completed.”
In the treasurer’s report, District Treasurer Nate French reported a general fund cash balance of $6,949,782 at the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
French recommended the board approve the Student Wellness and Success Fund plan for the 2026-2027 school year. The board approved the plan.
He reported the district is moving forward with Hometown Ticketing, involving online ticket sales only for football this season.
The district is in the process of being able to take credit cards at both the concession stand and at the ticket gate.
In other business, the board approved the following:
-The 2026-2027 amended certificate of estimated resources and appropriation modifications.
-A transportation service agreement with Millcreek-West Unity Local School District for the 2026-27 school year.
-A speech services agreement with Bryan City Schools for the 2026-2027 school year.
-A revised classified staff rate schedule for the 2026-2027 school year.
-The purchase of a new 72-passenger bus through the META Solutions purchasing cooperative in the amount of $166,201.
In personnel action, the board approved:
-One-year contracts for Megan DeGroff (25%) and Casey Helton.
-Brooke Wheeler (substitute) and Ricardo Avila (tutor).
-Supplemental contracts for Colton Benson (boys basketball assistant), Nel Rodriguez (junior high football assistant), Ash Walz (junior high football assistant) and Megan DeGroff (junior high cross country).
-Supplemental contract adjustments for Kevin Beck (weight program monitor, 72%), Jeffrie Pace (weight program monitor, 25%), Alex Grice (weight program monitor, 25%) and Brianna Gerken (high school football cheerleading, 75%).
Johnson and French will be meeting with the finance committee to have some idea in the next three or four months regarding the new property tax laws on district funding.
The meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m. Next meeting will be on Monday, August 17, at 5:30 p.m.