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LISBON - The Columbiana County Educational Service Center Board met last Tuesday. Members discussed several proposed education bills being considered by the Ohio state legislature.
The bills include the Reform Department of Education (Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 12) which passed the Ohio Senate, 26-7, and awaits approval in the Ohio House. If passed, House Bill 12 would rename the Ohio Department of Education, the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and the director would be a member of the governor's cabinet. Under the bill, the Department of Education would not answer to the Ohio State Board of Education. The Ohio State Board would maintain its power only over educator licensing, school district territory transfers and hiring of a state superintendent of public instruction.
"I just wanted the board to be aware of some of these," said Superintendent Anna Marie Vaughn. "Most of these have just been introduced. The Senate Bill 1 has been passed by the Senate and the House is having hearings on that right now, but between this and that, it could have significant concerns regarding funding."
The CCESC board also discussed the Ohio Senate Bill 11, the Parent Educational Freedom Act, meant to expand the EdChoice Scholarship program and would give eligibility to all students in Ohio and would increase the income tax credit for homeschooling expenses.
The board also approved several personnel matters, with the hirings of Sarah Agee as a vocational services/Star Store associate; Carissa Egan as an intervention specialist; Shoshanna Fineman as an academic leader for the Learning is Kool After School program; and, Michele Howard and Suzanna Coleman as paraeducators. The board also approved the resignation of NiKki Davis and the resignations of Matthew Beatty and Chanie Danks - both from the Learning is Kool After School program. The board approved Talia Diaz as a speech-language pathology student, Barbara Clarke as a job coach for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) program, Laura Rowe as OOD student, Darrin Houlette and Michelle Rhodes for the CBA work program, the supplemental contract for Traci Patterson, a salary increase for Gabriel Beadle and severance pay for Deborah Deafenbaugh for sick days remaining.
The board also passed the approval of bills to be paid ($1,651,210) and nine budget amendments.
In other CCESC news, the board congratulated the winners of the county spelling bee (Beaver Local's Shaylynn Dennis, Matthew Tracy and Colton Vaughn) and the Columbiana County Student Art Show as well as the Columbiana County qualifiers that advanced to the VEX Robotics World Championship set for April 30 through May 4 in Dallas.
"Our spelling bee had great participation and the Beaver Local students took all three top spots," assistant superintendent Marie Williams reported. "Our art show was very well-attended which was great because of COVID we have not been able to have the last two years, and we had some really, really great pieces of art work this year, and we had a 3D display this year, so kids were able to use the 3D printers and submit artwork and that was really interesting to see as well. Finally, we had our robotic competition and there are actually four teams, three districts, that are going to nationals in Dallas at the end of April."
Two teams from Beaver Local and a team from East Palestine and a team from Columbiana are headed to national competition.
The board also announced the success of the CCESC Business Advisory Council (BAC) Vision Forum that was held Feb. 24 at Kent State's Salem campus. Twenty-five BAC members attended the forum as did 40 area businesses. The event included a local mayors' panel discussion. New Waterford, Salem, Leetonia, East Liverpool, Columbiana,
"We had a great response from everyone," Vaughn said. "We had 65 registered for the event. The Mayor's Panel went very well and it was very helpful to hear what other communities were doing. We also had a number of people who were not on the Business Advisory Council attend and who would like to be on the BAC in the future."
The board also announced its next board meeting will be held April 25.