Highland Local School District - Regular Meeting

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the minutes for the July 9, 2025 Regular Board of Education Meeting as presented.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the July 2025 Financial Statements as presented.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Messmer:

Short:

Belcher:

Castle:

Thacker:

In order for the Board to fulfill its obligation to complete the planned agenda in an effective and efficient manner, a maximum of 30 minutes of public participation may be permitted at each meeting.
Each person addressing the Board shall give his/her name. If several people wish to speak, each person is allotted three minutes until the total time of 30 minutes has elapsed. During that period, no person may speak twice until all who desire to speak have had the opportunity. Persons desiring more time should follow procedure of the Board to be placed on the regular agenda. The period of public participation may be extended by a vote of the majority of the Board present and voting.

WHEREAS, as a public board of education may hold an executive session only after a majority of a quorum of this board determines by a roll call vote to hold such a session and only at a regular or special meeting for the sole purpose of the consideration of any of the following matters:

A. Consideration of the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official.

B. Investigation of charges or complaints against a public employee, official, licensee, or student unless such employee, official, licensee, or student requests a public meeting; except that consideration of the discipline of a Board member for conduct related to the performance of their duties or their removal from office shall not be held in executive session.

C. Consideration of the purchase of property for public purposes, or sale or other disposition of unneeded, obsolete, unfit-for-use property at competitive bidding, if premature disclosure of information would give an unfair competitive or bargaining advantage to a person whose personal, private interest is adverse to the general public interest.

D. Discussion with the Board's legal counsel of disputes involving the Board that are the subject of pending or imminent court action.

E. Preparing for, conducting, or reviewing negotiations or bargaining sessions with public employees concerning their compensation or other terms and conditions of employment.

F. Matters required to be confidential by Federal law or regulations or State statutes.

G. Specialized details of security arrangements and emergency response protocols where disclosure might reveal information that could jeopardize the District's security.

H. Consideration of confidential information related to the marketing plans, specific business strategy, production techniques, trade secrets, or personal financial statements of an applicant for economic development assistance, or to negotiations with other political subdivisions respecting requests for economic development assistance, provided that both of the following conditions apply:
    1. The information is directly related to a request for economic development assistance that is to be provided or administered under one of the statutes referenced in R.C. 121.22(G)(8)(1), or that involves public infrastructure improvements or the extension of utility services that are directly related to an economic development project, and

    2. An unanimous quorum of the Board or its subcommittee determines, by a roll call vote, that the executive session is necessary to protect the interests of the applicant or the possible investment or expenditure of public funds to be made in connection with the economic development project.
Therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Highland Local Board of Education, by a majority of the quorum present at this meeting, does hereby declare its intention to hold an executive session on item(s) as listed above.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve resignations of the following personnel. 

Amanda Waggoner        ES Teacher

Kyle Lauer                      MS Intervention Specialist

Brittany Matthews           Pre School Paraprofessional

Cait Nelson                     Fall Facilities Coordinator

Russ Balsinger               Head HVAC        (effective October 15, 2025)

Amy Ciballi                     HS Paraprofessional 

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following parental leave requests.

Paige Walters        (September 29 - December 8)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following certified personnel by one year contract.

Morgan Sott        ES Teacher        (Step 3)

Katie Smiddy       Long Term Sub       (Step 2)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the step placement of the following personnel retroactive to and applicable as of and for the dates listed:

Wes Newland        MA+ Step 4 (9/1/2020 through 8/31/2025)

Wes Newland        MA+ Step 4 (9/1/2025 through 8/31/2026)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following changes to supplemental contracts

Chris Rupe    Fall facilitator    (1/2 contract to 2/3 contract)

Shawn Wilhelm    Fall facilitator    (1/2 contract to 2/3 contract)

Abby Steele    Fall facilitator    (1/2 contract to 2/3 contract)

Drew Mitchell    MS Football Coach    (0 Years to 2 Years)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following supplemental contracts

Brooke Ratliff    JV Coach/Assistant Girls Soccer    (0 Years)

James Lyons    Band Percussion Tech    (0 Years)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve additional pay for elementary testing coordinator work at their hourly rate to be spread out evenly through each pay of the contract.

Caleb Duncan            (105 hours)

Jessica Litzenberg      (105 hours)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following classified subs for the 2025-2026 school year.

Brittany Matthews        Paraprofessional

Jennifer Alexander        Paraprofessional

Christina Harrison        Paraprofessional

Dana Kemmer              Paraprofessional

Courtney Clinedinst      Paraprofessional

Corrine Ballard              Paraprofessional

Jessica Meadows          Paraprofessional

Mary Cochran                Paraprofessional

Bryee Guisinger            Paraprofessional

Hannah Heck                ES Lunch Aide

Mardissa Thorpe           Transportation

Enoch Adkins                 Transportation

John King                       Transportation

Alec Pounds                   Custodial

Mary Justice                   Custodial

Dante Bando                   Custodial

Linda Meade                   Administrative Assistant

Courtney Clinedinst        Administrative Assistant

Amy Eckstein                  Administrative Assistant

Mary Cochran                 Administrative Assistant

Amy Eckstein                 Cafe

Courtney Clinedinst            Cafe

Kelly Evans                        Cafe

Mindy Marquez                  Cafe

Shelly Adkins                     Bus Driver

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve pay, at their hourly rate, for staff members asked to perform duties outside their regular work day.  Example: preparation for learning sessions presented during professional development days.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the payment of student registration fees associated with BPA membership required to take the district's business course offering.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the Mid Ohio ESC substitute teacher list.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve a $600 cell phone stipend for the following personnel for the 25-26 school year for using their own personal cell phones for school business (considered 100% earned and payable in January of 2026; will be prorated based on days worked vs days in contract if service is terminated prior to January of 2026).

Nathan Huffman                        Chadwick Carpenter

Shawn Winkelfoos                     Ty Stover

Matthew Bradley                        Caleb Duncan

Jessica Litzenberg                     Paige Walters

Gar Keen                                    Dana Lehman

Christine Scaffidi                        Derek Bower

Kenneth Disbennett                   Russ Balsinger

Carl Hardwick                             Marty Zeger         

Chad Russell

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the following policies:

5136 - Personal Communication Devices

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the individual service agreements between Specialized Education of Ohio, Inc. who owns High Road School of Bucyrus and Highland Local Schools (two students).

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the agreement with Mid-Ohio ESC for BCBA services as needed during school year 25-26.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the agreement with Mid-Ohio ESC for Title IX services as needed during school year 25-26.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve pay at their hourly rate for vision services assigned by the Superintendent during their planning period only.

Amber Billings

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve payment to Mt. Gilead Exempted Village School District for the costs of transporting Highland students to the Knox County Learning Center and High Road School of Bucyrus during school year 25-26, which will be supported by an itemized invoice.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve joining the HPS purchasing consortium for the purchase of food service items during school year 25-26.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve Payment In-Lieu of Transportation for the following students who live in the Highland District and attend a community or chartered nonpublic school elsewhere within 30 minutes.  Transportation has been deemed impractical.

Seth Ernsberger                    (Gilead Christian)

Adam Ernsberger                  (Gilead Christian)

Silas Snashall                        (Gilead Christian)

Kimberlie Snashall                 (Gilead Christian)

Elijah Stuttler                          (Gilead Christian)

Catherine Bailey                    (Gilead Christian)

Brooklyn Bateman                  (Gilead Christian)

Landon Bateman                    (Gilead Christian)

Natalie Hurst                           (Gilead Christian)

Teagan Drake                          (Gilead Christian)

Madysen Eubanks                   (Gilead Christian)

Ethan Dill                                (Genoa Christian)

Norah Dill                               (Genoa Christian)

Layla Hart                               (Genoa Christian)

Lydia Hart                               (Genoa Christian)

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve Bill Short as the District's OSBA Delegate and Eric Thacker as the District's Alternate Delegate for the OSBA Capital Conference.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve the commercial paper activity report for FY2025.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to approve opening negotiations with Chester Township for the sale of the North School Property.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker      

Resolution to adjourn this meeting and schedule the next meeting of the Highland Local School District Board of Education to be held Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the middle school robotics room.

Roll Call: Kathy Belcher       Burgess Castle       John Messmer       William Short       Eric Thacker