HOUSTON — High school students who attend Hardin-Houston schools will be able to purchase specialty coffee and other drinks before school and during lunch, next year. The measure was approved at Hardin-Houston’s Board of Education meeting, June 19.
The coffee bar was part of several new plans for school lunches, which also included bringing microwaves into the cafeteria. The coffee bar is modelled on Sidney High School’s, which averages around 85 drinks a day. Junior high students will not be allowed to purchase drinks.
The bar is designed to give students a taste of college and also raise some money for the school. It will be open from 7:30 to 8 a.m. on school mornings, during study halls and during lunch.
The board also approved 2017-2018 contracts during the meeting:
• Donna Long, Title I teacher, $38,561.
• Nicole Hartings, educational aide, $10,277.28.
• Sara Mowery, educational aide, $10,741.19.
• John Drapp, bus driver, $23.16 per hour.
• Craig Knouff, assistant principal and athletic director, renewal of contract.
• Sara Roseberry, elementary principal, renewal of contract.
• Matt Stephens, technology director, renewal of contract.
The board also approved prices for next year’s athletic season passes at $30 for students and $85 for adults,, student fees at $65 for K-6 and posted for 7-12, a contract with the Sidney-Shelby County Board of Health and a service agreement with the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center for special education supervision and gifted services.
School officials also gave updates on district business.
Amy Ayers presented the treasurer’s report. She told the board that some funds would be transferred into the athletics account so it could be closed for the year, and they were prepared to start the fiscal software upgrade. They will be running the new system beside the old system for a year to make sure there are no bugs.
High school Principal Ryan Maier discussed current renovations, including the new building. The roof is expected to be installed in three weeks, and the interior ceiling will be going in before then. On June 24 the high school gym floor will be refinished, and all of the demolition is done on the high school gym showers. The track will be resealed before the end of July, and the placement of the baseball field is still being discussed.
Maier also informed the board on the new division standings for basketball: girls will be Division IV, and boys will be Division III. This change is because of a new program by the Ohio High School Athletics Association, called competitive balance. It is still unknown if the new system will change division rankings every year or every other year.
Sara Roseberry updated the board on the elementary school, including the recent CATS reward, which was a field trip to Tawawa Park, and the summer enrollment numbers, which she called “disappointing.” Nineteen students have signed up so far, costing $4,000.
“It’s not cost effective,” Roseberry said. “I can’t say we’ll get $4,000 worth of instruction out of it, but it could make a difference for them.”
She also noted that 27 percent of the 2016-2017 second grade class was evaluated as gifted, which is more than Hardin-Houston has had before. This means there will be two gifted clusters for the 2017-2018 third grade class.
Superintendent Larry Claypool noted that new cameras for the surveillance upgrade are going in well and that open enrollment numbers are not final yet.
The next Hardin-Houston Board of Education meeting will be July 17 at 7 p.m. in the media center.
