By Martha Jacob

On May 22, the Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Local School District Board of Education approved the minutes of the April meeting.

The following information is taken from those minutes.

The board met in regular session and took the following actions with Superintendent James Wilkins recognizing recent retirees, Deanna McClain, high school math, with 26 years with RULH schools and Mary Gagnon, middle school teacher aide with 20 years of service.

Mr. Wilkins then introduced two new teachers in attendance, TK Sullivan and Whitney Lovejoy.

Wilkins reported that the District Leadership Team met and worked with Stephanie Wagoner with the Brown County Education Service Center on the professional development plans for the 2019-2020 school year.

He stated that the teacher/Staff Appreciation week went very well and on May 14 the first ‘Bus Driver Appreciation Breakfast was held, catered by Dairy Yum Yum of Aberdeen.

Board members Jeff Cluxton, Jeff White, Jeff Wilson and Superintendent Wilkins attended the All-County Board dinner held at Southern Hills Career and Technical Center on Tuesday, April 23 and Holly Hayden was recognized as the RULH Teacher of the Year and the ‘Lee’ nominee.

Hayden has been at RULH for four years and teaches Language Arts for 6th grade at the Middle School. The board thanked Hayden for her hard work and dedication.

In other actions:

• Interviews took place for middle school teaching vacancies

• Lt. Colonel Craig Palmer will be approved as RULH Senior Marine Corps JROTC officer

• A tentative rollout of an Adolescent Center with Child Focus

• School based health center proposal being submitted to HealthSource of Ohio

• Chris Young, high school principal updated the board on happenings at the high school discussing his first year as principal, the blood drive, prom, FCCLA State Competition, Convention, the musical, 8th grade orientation, banquets Alumni Dinner, scholarships and the senior dinner

• Middle School Principal Jerod Michael reported on attendance holding steady at 95%, the Real Money Real World event, semi-formal dance

• Elementary School report included awards presented at Hopewell, 4th grade art work, final Go Green, Ohio Valley Manor visit

During the administrative report, numbers from Kara Williams with Special Education were presented to the board and grant funds were discussed.

The board approved ne CD investments, the budgetary additions and modifications and transfers.

Also approved were:

• 2020 Workers’ Compensation group rating program

• Five-year forecast (May update)

• approve bus bid for 2019 purchase

• accepted bids on bus, approved purchase

• accepted resignations from Shelby Schelling, HS Ag teacher, April Baldwin, 6th grade math, Sarah Moore, ES Title I teacher, Justin Birchfield, 8th grade science, Jeffrey Wooldridge, Sr. MCJROTC instructor, Scott Thacker 8th grade math, Timothy Sullivan, 8th grade science. The board approve certified contracts, supplemental positions and classified contracts, (available upon request)

The board approved Tim Brown as high school musical director and the 2019-2020 academic/fine arts supplementals and positions.

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