(PHOTO BY SAMANTHA N. STRIPE / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
TOBACCO IMPACTS … Karen Pennington, Fulton County Health Department Health Educator, along with Wauseon National Junior Honor Society students presented “How Tobacco Impacts Our Environment” at the March 10, 2025, Wauseon Board of Education meeting.
By: Samantha N. Stripe
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
The Wauseon Board of Education held a meeting on Monday, March 10, 2025, and was called to order at 5 p.m. after roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance. There were no additions to the agenda.
TOBACCO IMPACT PRESENTATION
The meeting began with a presentation from Karen Pennington, Fulton County Health Department Health Educator and Joy Hutchinson, Wauseon Middle School Student Council Advisor, as well as Wauseon National Junior Honor Society students.
Pennington explained that through an Ohio Department of Health grant, she is able to work with the students to learn how tobacco impacts the environment.
In their presentation, the students shared why they were interested in joining the project and their poster boards, which included the effects of tobacco on people, like yellow teeth and weak bones.
Pennington then asked the board for permission to conduct a science experiment that requires tobacco on the school grounds.
The experiment includes a pop bottle full of cotton balls and a lit cigarette “to show the tar and how bad it effects the lungs.” The test will be done outside, on the school sidewalk. Superintendent Troy Armstrong approved the science experiment.
After the approval was granted, she added that they are also continuing tobacco compliance checks in the community.
In these checks, underage purchasers attempt to buy tobacco at local stores, which included Wauseon. There are still two more communities left to test, but “so far, 100 percent not selling to underage purchasers,” Pennington said. “We want to keep our youth safe that way.”
TRANSPORTATION REPORT
Next, Jill Shehorn, Transportation Supervisor, updated the board with a report and presentation. She said that the schools currently utilize 14 bus drivers to complete their routes.
Two additional drivers just completed training, with one passing the exam on Friday, March 7, 2025, and the other planning to take the test on Tuesday, March 18.
The past two weeks have been “rough,” she shared, with a number of drivers sick, with one driver still on sick.
One Sunday night three drivers called off sick within 15 minutes. “But we made it,” she said. “With the group that I have today, they are very good about stepping up, helping, and getting this job done…they do an awesome job.”
Shehorn also shared a transportation “bucket list” includes a bus garage and replacing two vans “that are pretty old.”
The bus garages would include 14 bays on each side that would be open for buses and vans, as well as a washing bay and room for offices.
Stacie Duncan, who also works in the transportation department, then joined the presentation to discuss the possibility of redoing the bus routes and the options available.
A recent transportation audit from the Ohio School Boards Association found that the current bus route models are “efficient and effective,” said Superintendent Armstrong, but they are reviewing the current suggestions to either continue as they are now or make some changes to how the students are grouped together during pick-up/drop-off.
“We did build some routes showing primary school and elementary school together, [and] middle school and high school together,” Duncan said.
She then stated that they were not able to reduce the number of buses used with the potential route changes, noting that bell times and the number of students on the bus play a role in the routes as well.
The board then continued to discuss the pros and cons of the possible change with Duncan and Shehorn.
“As you can see, we’re really doing our due diligence to look at that audit and see if there are some things that would make sense or would not,” Armstrong added.
SRO PROGRAM DISCUSSION
Next, Wauseon Police Chief Kevin Chittenden then reviewed funding for the school resource officer (SRO) program for the next school year.
Chittenden explained that the SRO program partnership between the Wauseon Police Department and Wauseon Exempted Schools began around 1999 to 2000 and “was the first of its kind in Fulton County…and is used on a near-daily basis by school administration and staff.”
The collaboration is also used for security at school extracurriculars and sporting events and training staff and students on how to handle emergencies. Chittenden noted that the number of school incidents has “been steadily on the rise.”
Currently, he stated, six of the seven school districts in Fulton County have an SRO program, but the Wauseon program is the only one fully-funded by the police department. The other school districts that have a program pay between 50 and 100 percent of the wages of the SRO.
He continued to add that the Wauseon SRO program/Wauseon Police Department collaboration was initially paid with grant money for the first few years, but then the funding came completely from the city and the police department budget.
Chittenden then proposed funding in the amount of $35,000 from the board to the City of Wauseon for the SRO program, starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
“As a 20-plus year resident and parent of children in the school district, I understand the school district’s financial situation…therefore, a request of $35,000, which would be approximately 32 percent of the SRO’s total wages paid out, would still be the lowest of any of the school districts in Fulton County,” he said.
With the funding, the goal would be able to help with the increasing cost of the program, as well as adding a part-time SRO for the schools.
The officer would work three days a week, focusing on building relationships with students and staff and providing an additional security presence in the buildings.
The board then discussed the request with the chief, who also took questions about the proposition.
BOND REFUNDING PRESENTATION
Finally, Mark Weekley of Baird Public Finance provided a presentation on bond refunding to the board.
Weekley gave a history of the existing bonds that were approved by voters in 2006 in the amount of $18.8 million dollars, paid from the property tax levies.
They were refunded in 2015 for interest rate savings. They now have a call date of December 1, 2025, meaning they can be paid off and refinanced for interest rate savings.
The tax-exempt status of the bonds would remain to get an even lower interest rate, and the bonds would have the same maturity length.
In order to proceed, a bond rating for the district would be necessary. The current bond rating of the district is A-1, “a very strong” rating that most districts probably in the state fall under, he said.
“Think of it like going out to get a mortgage or a loan,” Weekley said. “The higher the credit score, the better credit you have, the lower interest rate the investor will charge you.”
“It’s our goal to try to help work with you guys to get the best rating possible, to help get the lowest interest rate and therefore maximize the savings.”
Weekley also discussed the current bond market, trends and ratings. He explained that the next steps to continue with a September close and bond pricing in late July, a resolution would need to be drafted for the next meeting to pursue the refunding opportunity but would not require any financial commitment at the time, in case interest rates rocket near the time of pricing.
Additionally, the company would then begin working on a rating presentation over the next few months. A preliminary official statement, a large document of approximately 100 pages, would be created by the bond council, which includes information investors want.
The board then engaged in questions with Weekley, discussing the figures presented, including the rating trends and timelines.
“The savings would roll back to the taxpayers,” said Armstrong. “We’re regularly looking at how we can roll back any kind of tax for our taxpayers.”
TREASURER’S REPORT
Next, minutes were approved, followed by the treasurer’s report and superintendent’s report.
John Kahman, CFO/Treasurer, provided a review of the monthly bills and financial reports, including cash reconciliation, the financial, fund summary and revenue reports, as well as the general fund comparison report.
A variety of donations were then reviewed. Kahman pointed out that an endowed scholarship has been created for Wauseon High School students looking to continue their post-secondary education through college.
The donation, provided by Suzanne and Rodney Rupp of Wauseon will provide $50,000 each year for 10 years – for a total of $500,000. “It’s very generous,” Kahman said.
Preference will be given to students going to Bowling Green State University, The Ohio State University or Northwest State Community College, although the application will be open to all students attending college after graduation.
Next, amended appropriations for the FY 2025 – which included an adjustment to the special trust due to the new scholarship endowment – as well the estimates for real estate tax amounts and rates from the Fulton County Auditors were reviewed.
The treasurer’s report was unanimously approved by the board.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
In the superintendent’s report, Armstrong read a thank you note written to the board, as well as presented a variety of personnel items to the board, all of which were approved.
He noted that Katie Miller, a Wauseon High School Technology Teacher, will be moving to the position of school counselor starting in the following school year.
“The team has challenged her not to do what we’ve always been done because we’ve always done it and to bring some new ideas,” Armstrong added.
An administrative salary schedule grid revision was also reviewed. The student service director and instructional service director positions will be “more accurately placed” in the same column, he said.
Previously, the student service director position was placed in the same column as the psychologist. The change was unanimously approved.
Next, NEOLA policy revisions/deletions/additions were reviewed. Armstrong explained that “a majority” of the edits were due to legislative changes, while other policies were condensed. These changes were approved by the board.
The board also approved a list of College Credit Plus institutions for the following school year. Added to the list this year was Mount Vernon Nazarene University, a private, non-profit university located in Mount Vernon, Ohio.
In one motion, the special education model policies and procedures resolution – which was approved last month – was rescinded and an updated version then re-approved by the board.
According to Armstrong, legal and the policy company had clarified discrepancies in the newer version of the resolution.
Also approved by the board in the superintendent’s report:
-A Memorandum of Understanding between the Wauseon Exempted Village Board of Education and the Wauseon Education Association, which allows for a retiring employee’s severance to be placed and tax-sheltered in an account similar to a health savings account (HSA) or a 403b.
-A special education transportation agreement, which will provide IRS mileage for a parent transporting their student to Holland, Ohio, for special education services.
-An agreement between the Wauseon Exempted Village School District and Grow Your Mind, a contracted provider who provides speech and language pathology services. Services in the next school year will also include occupational therapy.
-An agreement between the Wauseon Exempted Village School District and A. Barrett Academy, which serves students diagnosed with autism, and in which a Wauseon student will be attending.
The board adjourned at 6:10 p.m., returning at 6:15 p.m. in executive session for consideration of the purchase of property for public purposes or the sale of property at competitive bidding.
