August Barnesville BOE Meeting: Coach Rebuttal and Robotics Donation
The Board of Education met on August 13 in the middle school cafetorium.
During public participation portion of the meeting, Ted Hanlon shared his rebuttal to the comments made about his wife, Kelley Hanlon, at the previous board meeting. Ted Hanlon served as assistant softball coach for six years under Head Coach Kelley Hanlon.
Hanlon said that the “public” reason for Kelley not getting rehired is a social media post that received inappropriate comments. Hanlon also said there was no ill intended in making the cited video, it was a team-building activity.
Hanlon continued, “I really think that the Board and the administration are being manipulated by a parent that has a personal issue with Kelley.”
Hanlon refuted the examples of inappropriate behavior as not true. Hanlon also talked about players’ playing time and Kelley’s record.
“She has run a clean program, an organized program, with the intent of making the school proud and the town proud and increasing the attendance at the games,” Hanlon concluded. “I think that she has accomplished a lot of good for this community.”
Next, Adelina Thompson, a member of the Robotics Parent Group, addressed the Board. Thompson thanked the Board for its previous support for the robotics program and for allowing the qualifying teams to compete at the VEX World Championship, which was in St. Louis, Missouri, last spring. Only 10% of the total robotics teams qualify to attend.
Barnesville’s team qualified with a 5-5 record. Thompson explained that our robotics teams are competing against other schools that have more experience and funding than ours. “As a parent, as an immigrant who speaks a different language and witnessed what happens at the world competition, I think it is something that we cannot generate in our classrooms,” Thompson said relating to the language and cultural experiences Barnesville students gain at the competition.
On behalf of the Robotics Parent Group, Thompson presented a check for $8,500 to the competitive robotics teams to continue building the program at Barnesville Schools.
The Board of Education went into executive session to consider employment matters at 6:28 p.m. and returned to the the public regular meeting after approximately 45 minutes.
Administrator Reports
High School Principal Ron Clark reported that he attended the Belmont County Juvenile Court meeting. At the meeting, Clark learned some basic statistics of the court’s work, as well as changes to the attendance law. A law taking effect in October will allow school districts to file truancy charges later into the school year and the court to find parents guilty of misdemeanor charges.
Clark will attend the OASSA Student Discipline Conference in Columbus. The conference sessions will cover case law and legislation that affects the student code of conduct.
Middle School Principal Casey Mayo went to the Columbus Crew Stadium to learn more about the Stay in the Game program. Barnesville is one of 38 schools participating in the program that partners with the Columbus Crew soccer team to help increase school attendance. Mayo said that the meeting allowed him to hear what other schools are experiencing and their ideas to improve attendance.
Mayo emphasized during the annual Open House there is a shift this year to a later student lunch time. The dismissal time will be 2:40 pm for the middle school this year. This earlier time should allow for buses to be ready to load at dismissal instead of students having waiting for them to arrive.
Elementary Principal Zack Powell recognized the elementary teachers and staff who have been coming into the school for several weeks on their own time to prepare for the school year. “It just shows the dedication and the hard work that they put into our students.”
Director of Special Education and Student Services Clint Abbott added, “We have a very dedicated staff. They want what’s best for our kids, and when they are here, they are really working hard to give students what they need. So I am very proud of them.”
Abbott shared the flyers for the Shamrock Spotlight and the Student Ambassador programs. These programs are new for this school year. Both build student agency and focus on building the skills defined by Barnesville’s Portrait of a Graduate mission and goals.
Food & Nutrition Director Brian Saner discussed the new menu software that integrates with the existing recipe software. Nutrition information is now more specific and will provide more accurate information for families.
Saner also shared the cooks attended a professional development day in Cambridge. They learned about the new programs and tasted some of the new foods that the Nutrition Group will offer this year.
Athletic Director Brad Hannahs shared that he attended an OVAC Buckeye 8 meeting. To address varying rates of pay for officials, especially in volleyball and soccer, the organization is setting uniform rates and penalizing schools that do not follow them.
Buildings & Grounds Director John Blattler presented updates about various projects and their estimated completion dates. Due to delays, the high school chiller will be replaced sometime in October when the weather is cooler.
Bus drivers attended a 4-hour in-service presented by High School Safety Center with training focused on guns on buses, Blattler said.
Donations
Accepted donations totaled $1,000 for July. The donations were for the Back to School event and from the following:
- Barnesville Veterinary Services
- Hissom’s Service Center
- Lakeland Foods
- American Legion Post 168
- J-Mo Meats
- B.P.O.E. No 1699
- Barnesville Community Foundation
Contracts/Agreements
The Board approved Local Government Services, a division of the Ohio Auditor of State Office, to perform the district’s GAAP Audit for fiscal year 2026 for approximately $23,100.
The Board accepted the agreement between the Barnesville Exempted Village School District and the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center for the fiscal year 2027 to provide audiology services. This agreement is an addendum to the main contract.
The Board accepted the proposal from Ohio School Plan through Hylant Administrative Services for total property, liability, violence, and automobile coverage for a total premium of $87,976. The Building & Grounds Committee will continue to monitor policy costs between companies to ensure the best price for coverages.
The Board accepted an addendum to the CAC of Belmont County Head Start Program and Barnesville Exempted Village School District Lease Agreement effective September 8, 2026, through May 20, 2027. Treasurer Quirk explained that this action is necessary due to a slight increase in pricing each year.
Purchases
The Board agreed to pay $96,471.86 to the School Employees Retirement System for fiscal year 2026.
The Board approved a purchase order in the amount of $87, 976 to purchase the proposed insurance coverage from Hylant Administrative Services.
Personnel
The Board accepted the retirement of Denise Adkins-Leach effective August 13, 2026. Ms. Adkins-Leach taught for 32 years and was currently serving as 7th grade social studies teacher.
The Board granted one-year classified probationary contracts effective with the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year for the following personnel:
- Educational Aide (3.75 hours at the elementary school) — Brittney Young and Erin Meade
- Educational Aide (Full-time at the high school) — Rachel Leek
The Board approved the following classified substitutes for the 2026-27 school year:
- Tacy Keiger — Secretary
- Shawna Mann — Aide, Cook, Secretary
- Erin Meade — Aide, Cook, Secretary
The Board approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2026-2027 school year:
- Jr. High Assistant Wrestling Coach — Griffin Stephen
- Jr. High Assistant Track Coach — Wesley Lewis
- Art Club Advisor — Luke Johnson
- Co-Assistant Girls Track Coach — Dalton Turner
The Board approved increasing the substitute teacher daily rate to $125 for certified/licensed and Barnesville EVSD retiree substitutes. The rate for noncertified/nonlicensed substitutes was raised to $100.
Superintendent Micah Fuchs shared a thank-you note from Beth Rogers for the bell that she received in honor of her retirement.
Policies
The Board accepted updates to the following policies:
- Withdrawal from School
- Asthma Medication and Epinephrine Auto-Injectors
- Prohibition from Extra-Curricular Activities
- Diabetes Care
- Electronic Communication Devices
- Extra-Curricular Activities
- Disposal of Property
- Records Retention and Disposal Schedule
- Youth Organization Access to Students During School Hours
Other Business
The Board approved the fiscal year 2027 initial permanent appropriations and estimated revenues. Treasurer Quirk explained that the general fund appropriations and revenues were both increased.
The Board accepted the August 2026 Financial Forecast as presented. Since there were only 13 days of data for August, Quirk relied heavily on May’s update. The forecast does not display the typical rate of growth in the district’s tax areas. He added that Ohio House Bill 186 will definitely impact these areas. The forecast projects a slight revenue increase at the end of this fiscal year, with continued deficit spending in years two, three and four.
Superintendent Fuchs asked that the Board review the Student Wellness and Success Plan for the 2026-27 school year.
Due to the Thursday night Varsity football game at home against Monroe Central, the next regular Barnesville School Board meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m., Monday, September 14, in the middle school cafetorium. The meeting is open to the public.
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.