A motion to approve the three main Benjamin Logan (BL) School District goals for 2025-2026 led board member Scott Spriggs to question if they could “dig deep” and figure out “how we can do better” at the district’s board of education meeting on Monday, Aug. 18.
The three goals focus on a 4.5 or better report card, revenues exceeding expenditures and more “Let’s Talk Schools” gatherings with the community. Spriggs’ contention was that these are obvious goals they should pursue every year.
Superintendent John Scheu stated he had sent information about this action item to the board the week prior to the meeting.
“We’re not comparing apples and apples,” he said. “But if the board wants to add or take away, that’s fine by me.”
Specifically, Spriggs wondered what actions the principals and staff were taking to attain these goals. Annette Ramga-Alatorre, BL high school principal, responded directly, saying they were looking at high attendance and graduation rates, and had added skills programs like manufacturing and, just this year, culinary arts.
They also have focused on the communication part of their goals, which includes sending positive notes home to parents. And, Alatorre said, “We’ve added and tweaked (classes) to hit that four-point-five or higher.”
Board president Mark Himmeger requested each principal give a “blueprint” of what they’re doing, goal-wise, at the September board meeting. In addition, the board asked to hear updates from the athletic director and the buildings and grounds department at that time.
The other top discussion at Monday’s meeting concerned Raider Care, their afterschool childcare program. Based on the information Leah Baker, district treasurer, gathered, the program has continually finished in the red, with the school being out $500 just last year alone.
“I think it’s good to have, but I don’t think the board should supplement this,” Scheu said.
With that in mind, he recommended increasing the price from $4 an hour to $5 an hour, effective when the school year starts. (A family’s second child would be $4 an hour.) This would cover paying the caregiver along with cost of snacks and drinks.
When a board member asked if that would take care of the problem, Baker responded that it would help. And she said only two or three parents hadn’t paid up by the end of the last school year.
Scheu thinks parents would have a hard time finding more affordable afterschool child care. He suggested they see how it goes through 2025-2026, then, if the program is still in the red, consider other options.
“We’re not in this to make money,” Scheu concluded, “but we shouldn’t lose money.”
On a positive note, Scheu and Alatorre updated the board on the new Culinary Essentials track the high school is offering in connection with Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.
With three classes this year—hospitality foundations, baking and pastry arts, and fundamentals of food production—plus a fine cuisine option for seniors in the spring, Scheu said they’re “excited about the opportunities it will present students.”
The hope is to create a career pathway for young people who want to go into the culinary arts when they graduate. Jeffrey Peak, who will teach the classes, has nine years of experience.
“We’re pretty confident we’ll have a program that’s quite popular,” Scheu stated.
Treasurer Report
Baker told the board she will present the five-year forecast at the September meeting since it needs to be submitted to the state by Oct. 15.
After accepting the July 2025 financial report, bank reconciliation and financial statements, and all July 2025 bills, the board also approved:
- Annual commercial paper reporting requirements.
- Unclaimed funds transfer.
- The acceptance of grants, including $12,600 from the Ohio Arts Council for Jennifer Davis.
- Closing the athletic bank account with Union Banking and receiving those funds into the athletic account.
Personnel
Regarding personnel, the board approved the following:
- Resignations of bus driver Jeff Whatley for further employment and educational assistant Danielle Weaver for personal reasons.
- Deduct days for Renae Dearduff to be used after exhausting all accrued leave.
- New hires (certified one-year limited contract): Stacy Hamlin, teacher; Chelsey Webb, middle and high school vocal music; Ronald (Jamie) Gill, middle school teacher.
- New hires (classified one-year limited contract): Cindy Cokain, food service worker, and Ross Zahner, Kurt Guenther and Caitlyn Wickline as bus drivers.
- Leave of absence for Teresa Stratton, elementary school cook, effective Aug. 1 to Jan. 31, 2026.
- Detention, Saturday school and study tables assignments for 2025-2026 at $20 per hour for David Wood, Jodie Kavanagh, Colleen Miller, Joslin Lee, Sage Rausch, Shannon Peterson, Jane Hough.
- $100 payments due to completion of ALICE Training on Aug. 8 to Kellie Lemly, Elaine McWade, Bryan Counts, Kane Beltz, Miranda Hartzell, Laura (Croniser) Smith, Jamie Gill, Brandy Varian.
- ESC substitute list at a rate of $130 per day.
- Home instruction/tutors for the 2025-2026 to be paid $24 an hour per timesheet: Morganne Ackley, Bryan Counts, Lisa Daniels, Aryn Forsythe, Kellie Lemly, Robert Painter, Abbey Shields, Matt Smith.
- Employment of Michelle Phipps as transportation secretary for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Employment of Pete Keeran as a bus driver/mechanic at $20 per hour, effective Sept. 2.
Other Items
- The board appointed Deron King as the delegate, with Deb Johnson as the alternate, to the 2025 OSBA annual business meeting at the capital conference. Reminding the board he served as delegate last year, King said he would “be willing to do it one more time.”
- Bus stops for the 2025-2026 school year as recommended were accepted.
- The board approved renewing the contract with Midwest Regional ESC, which includes services like curriculum and school improvement; speech, occupational and physical therapy; vision-impaired/orientation and mobility, educational assistants, a braillist and a discovery center aide.
- Donations accepted were: $1,000 from the Union Banking Company for the middle school Student of the Month recognition; $3,750 from the James Forsythe Millroy Foundation for Barnyard Buddies to FFA/BLES; $3,500 from Honda for the middle school FLL team and high school robotics team; $3,500 from Citizens Federal for student CTE program sponsorship at the high school; $1,250 from OHSS for the athletic enrichment fund; and two strider bikes, helmets, pedal components, two storage racks, teacher bike and teacher training valued at $9,000 from HTM.
The next meeting will be Monday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m.
