Montpelier Board of Education Honors Maggie Oates with Spelling Bee Award: A Celebration of Academic Excellence!

Barbara Turner presents the Spelling Bee Award to Maggie Oates in Honor of Denver Bechtol.

By: India Kenner
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
india@thevillagereporter.com

The Montpelier Board of Education held a meeting on February 11th. The session started at 5:30 p.m. after the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence.

Board members present included Jennifer Schlosser, President Nate Rose, Troy Roth, Dunne Gambler, Patti Rockey, Treasurer Carla Rice, and Superintendent Travis Lichty. Elementary Principal Lance Thorp and Jr/High Principal Su Thorp were also there, along with government students and community members.

Barbara Turner honored student Maggie Oates with the Spelling Bee Award in memory of Denver Bechtol.

Lance Thorp shared updates on the English Language Arts curriculum from Benchmark Education Company. He also reminded everyone about parent-teacher conferences coming up on February 13th and professional development days for teachers on February 14th.

Su Thorp discussed the ongoing planning for PD meetings and new elective and math classes for students.

Superintendent Lichty praised the winter sports teams, congratulating the girls’ basketball team for winning the BBC championship. He noted that a recent lockdown drill went smoothly, and the new public address system is on its way. The bus fleet is in good shape, eliminating the need for a new bus this year; they will reassess the situation next year.

During the treasurer’s report, Carla Rice discussed real estate settlements and mentioned that over 75% of income tax has been collected.

There was a motion to approve the minutes from both the organizational and regular meetings held on January 14, 2025. Other items for approval included the financial reports for January 2025 and several donations totaling over $36,000 from various sources, including anonymous donors and local businesses.

Recommendations included approving changes to the budget, transferring funds for a music department trip, and various supplemental contracts for the 2024-2025 school year.

Brooke Lamberson was granted unpaid parental leave from October 20 to December 19, 2025. Jordan Birdsall, a K-6 PE teacher, will resign at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. Mary Weirich, an aide, will retire on May 22, 2025.

Policy changes were also addressed. New policies regarding weapons and the rescindment of outdated policies were recommended for approval. A motion to approve these policy changes was made and seconded.

The board discussed a revised agreement with the Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center to cover special education services. The overall cost for these services is projected to be around $734,414.27 for FY2025.

Approval was sought for an English Language Arts curriculum agreement with Benchmark Education for K-5 students, with a total cost of $134,481.47, split over two fiscal years. Additionally, the board considered joining the Ohio School Council, a group that offers cooperative purchasing programs.

A resolution was proposed to allow certain staff to possess firearms on school property. This would follow specific guidelines under the law.

The meeting ended with a motion to enter into executive session to discuss employment and compensation. The Board of Education will reconvene on March 11th at 5:30 p.m.

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