Barnesville Board of Education Swears in New Members
Thursday evening, the Barnesville Board of Education (BOE) held its annual organizational meeting and tax budget hearing at the middle school cafetorium. The first business item was swearing in the re-elected Board members, Leslie Schulz and Tammy Wells, to new four-year terms.
Next, Board member Denny Huntsman moved that Janice Milliken be appointed to the vacant Board position, and the motion passed. Milliken’s term had expired, and her paperwork to be placed on the ballot last November was not accepted because some signatures could not be validated by the Belmont County Board of Elections.
President Leslie Schulz explained that the BOE reached out to the Belmont County Board of Elections, the Ohio School Board Association (OSBA), and the district’s lawyers to determine the role of the Board in filling the vacant seat. The Board could either appoint someone to the position or accept applications and interview for the position. The third option could have been allowing the county commissioners to determine who is to fill the position. Schulz continued to state that the Board felt Janice Milliken had made an effort to complete the process and run for the position, but was denied the opportunity on a technicality. “If truly interested, others would have run two months ago,” expressed Schulz. So the Board chose to appoint Milliken to the vacancy. Milliken will serve for two years. During the 2027 general election, the person to complete the remaining two years of the term will be elected.
With the Board sworn into office, Ed Eberhart was elected president, and Leslie Schulz was elected vice-president. President Eberhart’s first action was to thank Schulz for serving as the Board president for the past three years.
The Board assigned members to the following committees:
- Buildings and Grounds — Tammy Wells and Janice Milliken
- Athletic Council — Denny Huntsman and Ed Eberhart
- Negotiations/Labor Relations — Ed Eberhart and Denny Huntsman
- Health/Safety — Leslie Schulz and Tammy Wells
- Curriculum — Leslie Schulz and Janice Milliken
Other Board assignments included:
- Ed Eberhart, OSBA’s Legislative Liaison
- Janice Milliken, OSBA’s Student Achievement Liaison
- Ed Eberhart, OSBA Delegate to the annual business meeting
- Janice Milliken, Barnesville Park Board
The typical annual resolutions for the new year were passed. The regular meetings of the BOE will be held on the third Thursday of each month at the middle school cafetorium at 5:30 pm. Other resolutions included authorizing advances on tax settlements, establishing the Service Fund for the calendar year, authorizing the payment of bills, authorizing the superintendent to make purchases, authorizing the superintendent to approve professional meetings and student field trips, and authorizing the treasurer to transfer funds.
Clint Abbott was designated as the Title IX Coordinator for the 2026 calendar year. Ted Hanlon was appointed to the Belmont-Harrison Vocational School Board. Hanlon’s term will be three years. Hanlon previously served on that board.
Finally, the Board adopted the tax budget for July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026. The organizational meeting and tax budget hearing adjourned at 5:36 pm.
Disclaimer: Author Lisa Gallagher for Barnesville Area News is an employee of the Barnesville Exempted Village School District.
Barnesville Area News Needs Your Support!
We're dedicated to providing coverage of the local happenings in Barnesville and the neighboring communities.
As a non-profit entity, we rely on the donations of readers like you.
Make a donation today and you'll be helping keep local news alive in the Barnesville area.