As per their usual arrangement, the Ohio Hi-Point (OHP) Joint Vocational School District Board of Education met right after the center’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 21. Since the convocation had to be held at Bellefontaine High School due to rain, they headed over to OHP afterward for a late meeting.
With that in mind, the group moved through the agenda quickly, focusing mostly on the construction of a fourth building — the Criminal Justice and EMT Training Center. This stand-alone structure will hold classrooms and learning laboratories for the criminal justice and emergency medical technician programs.
The first step will be putting a notice requesting proposals for a design professional and a construction manager in the Saturday, May 24, edition of the Bellefontaine Examiner.
According to Brad Richardson, assistant superintendent, what happens next depends on how many proposals they get.
“If it’s a lot we’ll need a special meeting,” Richardson said. “If it’s only a couple, though, we’ll have it ready for the regular (June) board meeting.”
OHP Superintendent Dr. Rick Smith reminded the board this projected building is part of the center’s five-year forecast. Future building project interviews have been scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, before the board meeting that night.
Treasurer’s Report
Treasurer Caleb Lang asked the board to approve the April 2025 financial statement as well as interest and investments totaling $55,013.18.
A modification moved $1,200 from CT to the district fund. They also approved the permanent transfer of $100,000 from the general fund to the severance fund and $1.5 million from the general fund to the P.I. fund.
Advances from the general fund were $240,000 to the CT equipment grant and $40,000 to Perkins FY25. In the reverse, $84,475 from Perkins FY24 and $355,525 from the CT equipment grant were advanced to the general fund.
The treasurer asked to increase appropriations by $1,515,000, splitting the money between the general fund – transfers, the Aspire fund and the culinary CTSO.
In addition, the board approved the five-year forecast as presented at a May 14 board work session.
Finally, they agreed to auction off an Aquaponics system from IL FFA through the public surplus auction site.
Superintendent’s Report
The board approved the following action items as recommended by the superintendent:
• internship agreements with Duff Quarry, Inc., Huntsville, and MD Solutions, Inc., Plain City;
• resignations of Lisa Coburn, business instructor; Robin Harrington, intervention specialist; Kelsey King, agriculture education instructor; David Marsteller, construction instructor; Jeremiah Martin, supply chain management instructor; Dustin McClain, facilities specialist; and Maelinn Myers, math instructor;
• new job description for maintenance lead and a revised one for receptionist/secretary;
• new policies re: a drug-free workplace, the parents’ Bill of Rights and for restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms and changing rooms, along with 26 revised policies, including student supervision and welfare, tuition reimbursement and criminal history record checks for contracted school services.
• full-time administrative contracts for John Case, technology director; Matthew Heaston, business operations director; Justin Lacher, coordinator of student enrollment; Brianna McCray, director of teaching & learning;
• employment for certified staff, including Skylar Jones, agriculture education instructor, as well as one- and two-year contracts to many current staff members;
• extended days for the submitted list.
• teacher’s supplemental employment contracts for the submitted list;
• classified staff employment, secretarial/aide, to Jerry Allford and Mikalia McIntosh, educational aides; plus two-year contracts to Kelly Carder and Valerie Hensley, and a continuing contract to Kathleen Evans;
• one-year administrative staff employment contracts to Shawn Bradley, Chelsea Minter, Ray Van Nest; and two-year administrative staff employment contracts to Jenna Alig, Staci McCully, Chloe Ortman, Linda Overly;
• two-year cafeteria employment contracts to Sherri Snyder, Teresa Russell, Ashley Seitz;
• two-year facilities & grounds employment contracts to Henwill Casanas and Laban Laird;
• establish van driver pay at $20 per hour, effective July 1;
• establish certified substitute pay at $130 per day, effective July 1;
• classified employment contracts to Mark Butler, Career Awareness coordinator — salary to be paid with career awareness funds if available; and Jon Cronkleton, van driver;
• employment for adult education staff instructors Nicole Hill, Tanya Knief, Keith Teague;
• recognition of staff members: 5 years—Chloe Ortman; 10 years—Nikki Hill, Allison Koch, Patricia Leiss, Samantha Schaffner-Gessler, Jonathon Smith, Richard Smith, Robin Williams; 15 years—Matthew Heaston, Monica Young; 20 years—Cindy Harlan, Tanya Knief; 25 years—John Case, Lisa McCullough; 30 years—Angela Walls;
• FY26 bus contract with Kenton City Schools;
• out-of-state professional development for Justin Silver, graphic and media arts instructor, to attend the 2025 International Society for Technology in Education Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 29 to July 2 at the approximate cost of $4,000 to be paid by the general fund;
• disposal of four textbooks from the Champaign AHN program;
• rescind the employment contract for Brandi DeLong, which was approved in April;
• employment for Patricia Leiss as an accounts payable substitute. Because Leiss is retiring on June 30, a stipulation on that means she can’t work for the school for 60 days except as a substitute. This allows her to cover for another employee in the department who is on a several-months-long medical leave; and
• authorization to procure a design professional and a construction manager for the Criminal Justice and EMT Training Center project.
The next Ohio Hi-Point board of education meeting is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25.
