Pictured standing, from left, are Benjamin Logan High School seniors of the month Alyson Fay (October), Hayden Godwin (September) and Michael Dilbone (October) honored during Monday’s meeting. The second September honoree, Joslin Wilber, was unable to attend. Jeff Fay, assistant high school principal, presented each recipient with Chamber Choice Bucks ($10) and a certificate of achievement. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
Benjamin Logan Local Schools Board of Education continued their push to make sure students are safe at their regular monthly meeting on Monday, Oct. 16. Toward this goal, they moved forward on strengthening their security systems by approving three Ohio Facilities Construction Commission grants.
With the financing from these grants, the district will soon have key fob door locks on all exterior doors, which means no longer using keys or codes, along with enough cameras to cover every part of the three buildings.
“It’s another step in increasing our school security,” John Scheu, district superintendent, told the board. “Key fobs are a more secure way to enter, and now every nook and cranny will be covered by cameras.”
School safety grants in the amounts of $3,038 (FY22), $8,853 (FY23) and $105,279 (FY24) will cover the cost, with the balance of $1,142.34 coming from the general fund.
Another point of debate — the approval of revised policy 0148.1, which dealt with board-staff communication — was ultimately tabled until the November meeting. Board member Scott Spriggs and board president Mark Himmeger questioned the purpose of the policy change.
In response, Scheu stated this was simply a return to the regular chain-of-command reporting procedures they had in place four years ago.
High School Principal Annette Ramga-Alatorre agreed, adding, “We don’t want people going straight to Mark and end up on his front porch. Let us (the principals) address the little things.”
Also, Scheu provided the board with information about a Title IX complaint from a father who claimed inequality for his daughter in relation to basketball games. The concern is that boys get the primetime Friday night games and that’s not fair for the girls teams.
This complaint comes from the Toledo area. Benjamin Logan was one of many districts randomly selected to provide information as part of the case.
“We were pulled in through civil rights,” Sally Stolly, director of administrative services, later said. “It’s nothing we’ve done wrong, and we’re not under investigation for anything.”
This led to a question as to whether some money from boys sports should go into the girls programs. Himmeger said, “It will never be equal, money-wise.” And Ramga-Alatorre responded, “It’s not about being equal but equitable.”
In conclusion, Scheu said, “Boys having primetime has been a fight for many years, but it’s not going anywhere.”
Finally, the board accepted a grant in the amount of $1,200 from the United Way of Logan County for the high school ROOTS program. The student-run ROOTS focuses on their mental health and well-being.
Ramga-Alatorre said they have also applied for grants from the Mary Rutan and Logan County Education foundations with the hope of getting to $5,000 to help students’ mental health.
ROOTS programming will start the first Tuesday of November and includes activities like yoga, gardening, crafts and a sleep club.
In other action, the board approved or exended:
• Wastewater/water treatment plant contract;
• Midwest Regional ESC for equitable title I tutoring services;
• MOUs for severance pay in the event a staff member passes away while employed.
• food service worker Teresa Shaw’s resignation effective June 1, 2024, for the purpose of retirement after 31 years;
• employment of personnel-detention, Saturday school, study tables for: Shannon Peterson, Sarah Smith, Anthony Courtney, David Wood, Joslin Lee, Jodie Kavanagh and Sage Caughenbaugh;
• supplemental contracts to: Cody Wood (baseball coach assistant), Trish Hemmelgarn (weight room head coordinator) and Kyle Rose (weight room assistant coordinator); non-athletic: Tom Braddock (Washington D.C. chair, middle school);
• policy update 42.1;
• eighth-grade trip to Washington D.C., May 8-10, 2024; the trip is paid for with $6,000 from the school, then students contribute $536 each, including a nonrefundable $150 deposit; board member Deb Johnson asked if any of that money would be refundable, if necessary, considering the state of the world. She was told the longer they wait, the less they can get back; and
• early graduation on Jan. 19, 2024, for Alex VanVoorhis and Emarie Bensman upon successful completion of the requirements. (Diplomas will be awarded in May 2024.)
The next meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27.
