FACING THE FUTURE … Members of the Swanton Board of Education pose for a new website photo during their monthly meeting Wednesday. Among the updates heard by the board were several related to the ramping up of the new school year. Pictured are (from left): Treasurer Sheila Horseman, Member Kris Oberheim, Vice President Steve Brehmer, President Ben Ramer, Superintendent Chris Lake, Member David Smith, and Member John Schaller.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
A bevy of items related to the upcoming school year were heard by the Swanton School Board at its meeting Wednesday.
On the staffing front, the hourly rate for classroom and student aides was increased from $10.50 per hour to $13 per hour, the job description for the IT Support position was updated, and the superintendent’s personnel recommendations were accepted.
The board also extended a food service management company contract with AVI Food Systems through the ’23-’24 school year.
It is the third of five possible extensions before the contract has to go out to bid again.
The board voted to update the Swanton High School handbook to reflect each quarter going from 50 percent of students’ grade to 40 percent, with the reintroduction of a semester exam counting toward 20 percent of the grade.
More than $117,000 in temporary appropriations for fiscal year 2024 were approved.
The board voted to update the SHS handbook to reflect each quarter going from 50% of students’ grade to 40%, with the reintroduction of a semester exam counting toward 20% of the grade.
The board approved an agreement with the Wood County Juvenile Detention Education Program for the ’23-’24 school year to provide education to incarcerated students at a rate of $85 or $90 per individual per day depending on whether they are assigned to the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center or the Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio.
The board also approved pass-through federal funding for St. Richard Catholic School through the IDEA-B federal grant for the ’23-’24 school year in the amount of $16,736.21. School psychologist services will be $86.30 per billed hour as needed, occupational therapist services will be $299.10, and speech therapist services will be $2,744.00 for the year.
SCHOOL VOUCHER LAWSUIT
After comments from Swanton Schools Superintendent Chris Lake, the board voted to continue membership in the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and its participation in the Edchoice voucher lawsuit.
According to Lake, the organization and the school agree the universal voucher system that has been created in Ohio is unconstitutional so they’re challenging it.
He added that funding has been expanded under the latest plan, with K-8 students receiving just over $6,100 and students in grades 9-12 receiving just over $8,400, while the Swanton system receives roughly $5,000 per student.
“This is money that is taxpayer money, but there’s no accountability for it,” Lake said. “It goes right to private schools – they don’t have to hold meetings like we do, they’re not audited by the state.”
Coalition dues are $562 (50 cents per student) and EdChoice Voucher litigation dues are $1,686, for a total of $2,248.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
A graduate of Swanton schools spoke at the beginning of the meeting, trying to make a connection to start a scholarship program.
Mark Butler spoke fondly of his time at the school and of picking up the clarinet in fourth grade. His mother, Viola, was a teacher for the school system.
Now, Butler said, he would like to establish some kind of scholarship program for other African-American students to go to college in Ohio.
Lake told Butler to give him a call and that he would try to help him get something going.
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL COMPLEX
Board members voted to support entering into a contract with Beilharz Architects for professional design services for the baseball/softball athletic complex project.
The board ended the public portion of the meeting by going into executive session.
Jesse can be reached at jesse@thevillagereporter.com
