It’s definitely summer here in Logan County, but for the staff and board of education at Ohio Hi-Point (OHP) Career Center, just because it’s screaming hot and classes aren’t in session doesn’t mean it’s time to slow down. And if the 34-page agenda at their regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25, is any indication, they don’t plan to.
The evening started with a presentation from Tara Bair with Community Health & Wellness (CHWP). According to Dr. Rick Smith, OHP superintendent, they plan to enter an agreement with CHWP to bring health services to the Bellefontaine campus. The providers would set up their clinic in a house vacated by Clark State.
What CHWP will provide is not intended to replace a student’s regular physician but, Bair said, “to be a conduit.” A nominal fee of $25 would be charged to anyone who doesn’t qualify for the sliding fee scale.
Though not a free service, Smith feels it will be useful for students as it will also provide a pharmacy and behavioral health support.
The service will have a long-term benefit as well.
“My goal is that every junior and senior knows they have a primary care home (after graduating),” Bair said. “That’s one thing in life they won’t have to deal with. They have a doctor.”
The agreement will be on the agenda at the board’s July meeting.
CTSO State and National Winners
Terrie Bodey, career tech supervisor, gave the board an annual rundown of this year’s Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) winners. Dozens of students from the various schools participated in state and national competitions with Business Professionals of America (BPA); DECA; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America; Future Farmers of America; HOSA, the Future Health Professionals organization; and SkillsUSA.
Bodey invited Kara Klinger to share about her experiences with BPA. Klinger, a Riverside High School student, was named Ohio state president of the organization for 2025-2026.
“Thank you for allowing us to do the amazing things you’re seeing here,” Klinger said. “I’m super excited to see where BPA can take us with these events.”
‘Decade of Awesome’
As he continues the gradual transition from OHP superintendent to his new job as superintendent of Midwest Regional Educational Service Center (ESC), Smith focused his annual report on the 10 years he’s served at OHP.
Smith will spend the next six months dividing his time between the two centers—working with ESC while also preparing current assistant superintendent Brad Richardson, who will take Smith’s place, for his new position.
Among the accomplishments Smith noted was an increase in the number of students, which led to an additional $3 million in state funding. They also saw the passing rate go from 40 to 80 percent, and increased their credentials from around 200 to 1,600.
He then spoke about the plan they put together for 2030.
“What we’ve done for 2030 is put words on paper, but I want to see them become action steps,” Smith said. “I’ve appreciated how the team has followed and led to accomplish those goals.”
With that in mind, Smith feels confident in Richardson’s ability to move the district forward.
Anne Reames, board president, added, “I believe we’re on the right path. It’s just phenomenal.”
On a related note, the board recognized Kelsey Webb, OHP PR and marketing coordinator, for receiving a Publication and Digital Media Excellence Award from the National School Public Relations Association for the A.S.P.I.R.E docuseries she helped produce.
“It was a fun project to work on,” Webb later said, “and so many people were involved to make it happen!”
An addendum to the current assistant superintendent of career tech employment contract for Richardson, effective July 1 to Dec. 31, 2025, was approved along with an addendum to the current superintendent employment contract for Richardson, effective Jan. 1 to July 31, 2026, and Aug. 1, 2026, to July 31, 2030.
Addendums were also made to Treasurer Caleb Lang’s employment contract effective Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2025, and Aug. 1, 2025, to July 31, 2030, and Smith’s contract, effective Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2028.
In other action, the board:
• adopted the annual appropriation resolution for July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, in the amount of $28,819,427;
• $800 stipend approvals to Tonya Ramirez, Teresa Russell, Ashley Seitz, Kristina Slagle, Sherri Snyder;
• set the certified substitute pay rate at $145 per day and the new facilities and grounds salary schedule;
• certified staff employment contract offered to Katie Johnson, CAN coordinator; and classified staff, facilities and grounds, employment to Scott Murphy, maintenance technician;
• rescinded the two-year employment contract issued for Henwill Casanas on May 21, 2025, and reissue a new two-year contract for Casanas as maintenance lead
• rescinded Kathleen Evans’ continuing contract and reissue new continuing contract for 200 contract days under new position assignment as receptionist/secretary;
• additional employment to Allison Greene, administrative assistant; and for instructors Philip Blake, math; Kristina Brien, pre-engineering; Mollie Forrester, supply chain management; Shelby Landoll, allied health; Christopher Suman, cybersecurity; Dan Young, agriculture;
• extended days to Blake, Brien, Forrester, Landoll, Suman, Young and Bailey Hemmelgarn.
• stipend of $30 a day for a maximum of five hours a day to academic summer school instructors; a summer work-based placement stipend of $200 a student up to a maximum of $2,400, to be paid with Perkins grant funds if available; summer career exploration camp staff – $800 stipend for three days of camp and one day of prep;
• tuition reimbursement payments for staff at 75 to 100 percent reimbursement.
• internship agreements with Golden Giant Building Systems, Kenton; Logan County electric office, Bellefontaine; Logan County engineer’s office, Bellefontaine; Parawave, Marysville.
• affirmed the school’s non-discrimination policy by designating the following coordinators: Tonya Ramey, Allison Kock, Justin Rigsby, Brad Richardson, Brianna McCray, and the ESC superintendent or the Madison-Champaign County ESC superintendent;
• authorized the renewal of membership in the Ohio Association of Career Technical Superintendents for the 2025-2026 school year;
• out-of-state professional development for: John Case, technology director, to attend the AASA AI Super Summit in Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 17-20; Richardson, Justin Rigsby and Brianna McCray to attend the National ACTE Conference in Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 9-12; Richardson and McCray to attend the AASA Innovation for Transformation Superintendent Leadership Cohort at Cherry Creek Schools in Greenwood Village, Colo., Oct. 5-7; Richardson and McCray to attend the AASA Igniting the Future Summit at the Mansfield ISD in Mansfield, Texas, March 9-11, 2026;
• adopted a calamity day alternative make-up plan to provide online learning opportunities for students when the schools are closed for specified reasons. They also approved an online instructional plan for those calamity days.
• approved Dr. Gregg Fulmer from Mary Rutan Hospital, Bellefontaine, to serve as the school physician for the 2025-2026 school year at an annual retainer fee of $1.
• accepted the updated cafeteria price changes: student lunch tray – $3.25, student breakfast tray – $2, adult lunch tray – $4.25;
• approved disposal of 11 textbooks for the Engineering Academy (instructor Zach Balch).
• the Enterprise Zone agreement was approved by the Hardin County commissioners and Kenton City School board of education. Following the latter’s lead, OHP’s board also approved the agreement, which provides payment to both school districts in lieu of property taxes for the exempted property; and
• appointed Paul McMahill as the Ohio School Boards Association voting delegate for the annual meeting with Matt McConnell as the alternate.
The next meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.
