By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Swanton Local School District Board of Education approved a lease-purchase agreement providing $1.5 million for the district’s baseball/softball complex during its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening.
Superintendent Chris Lake said the agreement – through Jefferson Health Plan – works by using the complex property as collateral until the district pays off the lease amount.
“Schools aren’t allowed to just take out a loan,” Lake said. The agreement was buoyed by the prime rate being reduced in December.
JHP offered the agreement at 65 percent of the prime rate, putting the final interest rate on the lease at 4.8%
Lake said he now has to send the signed agreement back to JHP, which will vote on the agreement at their board meeting next week.
Once it has been approved by both parties, the district will receive the funds after March 1 and be able to move forward. In addition to the new funds, the district already has roughly $325,000 previously raised for the project.
“The estimate that I got for what we want to do with the two fields and the stuff we’re going to include is $1.3 million and some change, but that’s been a few months ago, and with the price of everything going up that’s why we did $1.5 million,” Lake said. “Plus, it gives us a little more wiggle room.”
The current plan for the project is to break it into two phases, with the first focused on playable fields, fencing, backstops, dugouts, scoreboards, and a batting cage, and the second adding press boxes with storage areas, restrooms, lighting for night games, and other amenities.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board approved a resolution accepting the 2025 tax rates based on estimates provided by the county auditor. LIBRARY The board approved the appropriations submitted by the Swanton Public Library for fiscal year 2025.
The board approved its annual membership agreement with the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The board approved an eighth-grade overnight trip to Washington, DC, from May 6 to 9, and to authorize certain staff and chaperones to distribute medicine as necessary during the trip.
The board approved the high school Quiz Bowl team’s trip to the national tournament in Chicago from April 24-28.
The board approved a contract with the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center to provide special education services for fiscal year 2025 at an annual cost of $1,245,255.88.
The board approved a slate of personnel changes including non-renewal of a custodian contract effective Jan. 28, 2025, for Nikkole Bettinger, rescission of a supplemental for Ricardo Artiaga as middle school girls track head coach and addition of Kevin Tufts in his place, as well as several supplementals for high school girls and boys track, softball, and spring strength and conditioning. Five athletic volunteers for baseball and one for bowling were also approved.
The board accepted donations of $118.10 from Box Tops for Education to the elementary school, $1,580 from Johnson Gold to boys basketball, $300 from the Holland Engraving Company for baseball, $150 from Soaring Software Solutions for Adulthood Day, $1,500 from Swanton Welding for boys basketball, $1,100 from the Swanton Athletic Boosters for softball, and $500 from the Swanton Athletic Boosters for the baseball/softball complex.
The board recognized 2024 retirees Pamela Raab and Glen Dominique. The board recognized Swanton Middle School student Gracie Peebles, who won a Scholastic Writing Award for a story she wrote as part of her language arts class.
The board approved updated policies as recommended by NEOLA.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Local School District Board of Education is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19 at 108 N. Main Street.