Madison Dearmon sworn in as Hillsboro City Schools board's student representative

Hillsboro City Schools treasurer Ben Teeters administered the oath of office to the school board’s 2024-25 student representative, Madison Dearmon, during the board’s Monday, Sept. 16 meeting.

Dearmon is the daughter of Jason and Stacey Dearmon. Her activities include being a member of the Hillsboro Great Oaks FFA chapter, National Honor Society and the varsity softball team.

Superintendent Tim Davis and members of the school board congratulated and welcomed Dearmon, as they and members of the community in attendance also gave her a round of applause.

“We’re very thankful and grateful to have you through the school year and to help us stay informed,” board president Bill Myers said.

Also on Monday night, Davis praised the district’s “absolutely awesome” showing on the state report cards in his report to the board. The state released the annual report Friday, Sept. 13.

“Hillsboro City Schools overall was a four star out of five,” Davis said. “Our intermediate school, for the second year in a row, was given the highest rating of a five-star rating. Congratulations to Mrs. [Darci] Miles [principal] and the intermediate staff and students for doing a great job last year.

“Our primary school was a four-star, the high school was three and a half and the middle school was three. We're very, very pleased with the strides that we're making academically, and we're very encouraged to see what this year brings, with all the preparation and the new things that we are doing, as far as preparing for the state test.”

To read more about scores for Hillsboro and other Highland County districts, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/highland-county-districts-schools-….

“Nice job on the state report card,” board member Larry Lyons added in his report. “The staff has done a good job making sure our kids are educated, so thanks for that.”

In other updates, Davis congratulated board member Beverly Rhoads, who has been selected as recipient of the Ohio School Boards Association’s Aptitude Award this fall.

According to the OSBA, “The OSBA Aptitude Award requires a board member to demonstrate an understanding and comprehension of a variety of board governance skills based on six leadership areas: vision, accountability, policy, community engagement, relationships and advocacy.”

Rhoads is in her 19th year serving on both the Hillsboro and Great Oaks boards, following a 43-year career with the district.

“She will be honored at our Southwest Region conference coming up in October,” Davis said. “Congratulations, Beverly.”

Davis also thanked Southern Ohio Educational Service Center superintendent Curt Bradshaw for presenting the district with 72 book bags filled with school supplies.

For more from Davis’ report, see the story at: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/hillsboro-superintendent-updates-b….

In her first report to the board, Dearmon gave an overview of some recent events and accomplishments and previewed upcoming activities, such as homecoming.

For the Hillsboro Great Oaks FFA chapter, Dearmon announced that seniors Carter Boyd and Corbin Winkle were among the top placers at the Eastern States Exposition, better known as the Big E, where Boyd placed first in Prepared Speaking, and Winkle placed second in Employment Skills.

“It’s a national competition, so it's super big that they got to get there,” Dearmon said. “Ohio as a whole won the Big E this year, so it's super cool that two of our members got to contribute to that.”

Davis also congratulated Winkle and Boyd in his report. “Helping Ohio win that overall competition is something great to see our kids being able to participate in,” he said.

Other FFA members saw success earlier in September at the Highland County Fair, Dearmon said.

“Many of our members participated in the Highland County Fair and were awarded various champions,” she said. “We had several members with several projects such as beef, dairy, swine, goats, poultry, rabbits and then other special interest projects. Some members also participated in the calf scramble competition, and almost every member worked at the FFA food booth.”

Some of the chapter members (officers, seniors and freshmen) are now looking forward to attending the Farm Science Review, while two officers will also be participating in the Ohio Legislative Leadership Conference, according to Dearmon.

In other upcoming events, the annual homecoming football game is set for Oct. 4, with the dance Oct. 5, Dearmon said. Spirit week will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 4 leading up to homecoming.

“Student council has been working hard on planning,” Dearmon said. “Ticket sales just started last Sunday. Cundiff’s Flowers decided to make the flowers for our homecoming court parade to us for free, so that was pretty cool.

“The National Honor Society Program has been planning and organizing the powderpuff and beefcake games at the pep rally.”

Dearmon said the senior class is also starting to work on “decorating the senior wall” with handprints and announcements, while the “junior class just began a fundraiser to sell bricks with their names and grades on them.”

Dearmon also weighed in on the first few weeks of school with the Yondr pouches, which lock up students’ cell phones throughout the school day.

Under this year’s new policy, students are required to bring the pouches to school each day. The pouches keep the phones locked away until the end of the day when students can access designated unlocking areas.

“We are seeing a positive impact on discipline issues, so that's good,” Dearmon said. “From my perspective, I don't ever see phones at school, and I think students are benefiting from that academically, so that's going good.”

In other reports:

• Rhoads discussed the Sept. 11 Great Oaks board meeting, where president/CEO Harry Snyder announced record-high enrollment numbers of 3,324 juniors and seniors for the 2024-25 school year.

“That’s 88 more students than we started with last year,” Rhoads said.

Also reviewed at the Great Oaks meeting were the Master Renovation and Expansion Plan; the establishment of advisory committees; and a reminder of the aforementioned upcoming OSBA Southwest Region Fall Conference.

“Board members may attend,” Rhoads said. “All you have to do is send in registration.”

• Lyons thanked the community for their ongoing support, through both financial and voluntary efforts, during his report to the board.

“The community support we get, we really appreciate, and we get a good bit,” he said. “We have clothing available for children that might need it, maybe have had an accident or whatever, and we just appreciate having that. That's all, again, funded through donations.

“And then we have a whole host of volunteers. We appreciate the volunteers that we had.”

For his legislative update, Lyons reported that the state legislature is reviewing school funding, “taking a look at report cards and the funding that is provided at the state level.”

In other action, the board made the following approvals, each by a 6-0 vote:

• The board accepted and approved the Eva Jean Walsh Memorial Scholarship Fund. According to Davis, the inaugural scholarship will be awarded in spring 2025.

“We are fortunate for the Walsh family providing us a total of $81,000,” Davis said. “They will be giving a $1,000 scholarship to a senior that is going into the medical field, so we are approving a scholarship fund for our students.

“We want to thank Jack Walsh and his family for providing us this scholarship opportunity, and it will be a big help for one of our seniors that's going into the medical field.”

• The board authorized the following food service price increases for adults, effective Sept. 9: breakfast, from $2.50 to $2.85; and lunch, from $4.50 to $5.

“This is just for the adults,” Teeters said. “That doesn't include students on it. The state has done an audit on our food service, and they said that the rates that we accepted in the spring for adults were not high enough, and that for us to participate in receiving federal funds, we had to increase the adult lunches and breakfasts at these amounts.”

Students will continue to receive free meals, as pointed out by Myers.

• The board approved a resolution declaring allocation of one-half inside mills from current expenses to permanent improvement. A hearing on the proposal was held prior to Monday night’s meeting.

“This is to help with the future cost of maybe replacing roofs, doors, school buses, computers,” Teeters said. “Our buildings are getting to the age where we are going to have to replace some of the doors and the windows.”

Lyons clarified that “the inside millage is changing, but at the end of the day, there’s no change” as far as residents’ taxes are concerned. Teeters agreed, calling it a “switch” between funds.

“What the board acts on tonight will not increase the taxes for residential property,” Teeters said. “It's a switch that we are reducing the bond retirement fund by the same amount that this permanent improvement would increase it.

“What we're doing tonight will not increase property taxes.”

• The board approved the financial reports as presented. Teeters reported an August general fund cash balance of $11,051,822, compared to $8,977,054 a year ago; expenses of $2,420,727, down from last year’s $2,254,897; and revenues of $1,605,459, down from $1,795,532 last year.

“We continue on with the even keel that we’ve had for the last year,” Teeters said.

• The board approved the following individuals for the contracts and positions indicated:
— Sub classified: Samantha Crawford, Brian Cummings (Great Oaks) and Paige Teeters (Great Oaks), all van drivers; Susan Harker, aide, cook, custodian; Karen McElwee, aide; Melissa Stiffler, cook; and Ashley Wyatt, aide, retroactive to Aug. 26.
— Volunteers: Jennifer Adams (HES, HHS); Derek Ames, Donna Fadeley, Joshua Spradlin (all); Zach Elam, Kordell Ford, Mary Fulton, Ryan Juillerat, Blake Kibler, Kerri Moots, Renee Poppaw, Jeremy Priest, Kelly Priest, Rebecca Shawhan, Phillip Schurman, Laura Wolf (HES); Lindsey Bender, Todd Bender, David Binnion (HHS); and Bethany Hale, Angela Martin, Wendy Setty and Shira Smith (HES, HMS).
— Sub certified: Annetta Baker, Rylee Callahan, Baylee Carey, Jessica Chase, Stacey Howard, Donald Marsh, Jessica Messer, Christin Morris, Matthew Peters, Richard Phair, Rebecca Sanderson, Caleb Tong, Tiffany Vanzant and Sarah Wuellner.
— Orton Gillingham Training, $35/hour for 30 hours: Jennifer Howland and Laura Wolf.
— Supplementals: Sarah Albert (mentor, MS DC coordinator); Cindy Asmus (senior class adviser - split, HS National Honor Society - split); Marcy Boyd, Sage Buchanan, Jordan Clark, Matt Garman, Pam Harp, Carey McBride, Jordan Rhude, Matthew Sexton, Janey Silcott, Shannon Wright, Shannon Yochum (DLC); Melissa Boysel, Carissa Brandenburg, Kim Smith, Amy Vance (Local Professional Development Committee); Charles Colliver (choral accompanist); Amy Craig (Quick Recall, assistant marching band director); Kirstin Easterling (Language Club adviser); Kayla Gauche (MS National Honor Society, DLC); Donica Grow and Joe Jacky (assistant marching band directors); Kevin Grow (marching band director); Stephanie Haines (senior class adviser - split, HS National Honor Society - split, spirit store adviser); Tanya Hendrix (Art Club adviser, DLC); Mark Holmes (sound and light); Jenna Horick (fall play adviser, musical, vocal music adviser - split, International Thespian Society adviser); Laura Jacky (musical, vocal music adviser - split); Mandi Jones (junior class/prom adviser, yearbook adviser, DLC); Megan McIvor (freshman class adviser, HS Student Council adviser); Jessica Rhoades and Tina Young (graduation organizer - split, student recognition coordinator - split, DLC); Matt Schneider (sophomore class adviser); Tracey Staggs (HS Robotics class adviser, MS Robotics class adviser); and Karin Yakimow (MS Student Council).

• The board approved leaves of absence for bus driver Richard Burns (effective Aug. 7-Sept. 9); teachers Elaine Gilliland (on continuous leave for 30 days and intermittently after that) and Alyssa Walker (Oct. 3-Jan. 6, 2025); and custodian Jim Vaughn (Sept. 5-Dec. 31).

• The board approved changes of status for the following individuals for the 2024-25 school year: Samantha Crawford, from paraprofessional step 0 to paraprofessional step 2; Kathy Doss, from cook step 0 to cook step 4; Ashley Fisher, from BA 150 to MA; Jamie McRill, from paraprofessional step 0 to paraprofessional step 1; Matthew Sexton, from MA step 6 to MA + 15 step 7; Keely Smith, from BA step 0 to BA+150 step 0; and Katie Watson, from cook step 0 to cook step 3.

• The board accepted the following donations, all toward elementary school supplies: anonymous, $31; Beall’s store and Beall’s customers, $500; and Church of Christ of Hollowtown, $200.

• The board approved a diploma and transcript for Zachariah Beyer, per HB 64.

• The board approved an out-of-state field trip for the high school science classes to Newport, Ky. on Oct. 25.

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