Hello all. It is time for another update. We had quite a few important things this last month and with the end of the school year fast approaching things have been busy.
Since this last week was teacher appreciation week I think it would be remiss of me to not recognize the outstanding our teachers do. Way to go teachers and keep being awesome! It was also great news to see the levy pass with so much support from the community.
The treasurer search has been mostly completed. We interviewed several candidates and in the end decided that the best option for us would be to promote our Assistant Treasure to the Head Treasurer position. We are working out the contract details and should have that ready to approve by the next board meeting.
We had an opportunity to recognize all of the amazing work our students have been doing in their extracurricular activities. We had a list of 20+ students ranging from athletic awards to victories and awards in the Arts. Xenia has some truly excellent students that represent us well.
We approved funds to have safety and security film installed on the windows and doors at our schools. This film is not necessarily bullet proof but it will keep the glass from shattering and significantly hamper someone trying to force entry into the schools. This is part of a larger security plan we are implementing to help keep our kids safe. We also received a presentation on our five year forecast. I encourage everyone to go check it out on the district’s website. The forecast is extremely positive with our revenue continuing to be higher than expenses for at least the next 3 years. Having a good five year forecast is extremely important because it allows us to focus less on funding and more on how to continue to improve the school experience. We will be working on our strategic plan with the community soon to ensure we are providing what is need and what is important to our community.
We adopted a couple of important resolutions during this meeting. The first resolution was in support of fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan. The Fair School Funding Plan is meant to make sure the State is providing its fair share of school funding to public schools. This does not interfere with anything like vouchers or any other type of programs that have been discussed in Columbus recently. This solely ensures that each district is properly funded from the State. The full funding of this plan will actually increase the State funding for Xenia and ease some of the burden on the community.
The second resolution was one that I asked to be added to the agenda. Within OHSAA’s rules and guidelines they allow for biological male to participate in female sports. It would be unfair to our students to withdraw from OHSAA as that would take away their opportunity to compete but it is within our rights to oppose any rules within the organization. I think it is unsafe and not fair for biological females to be forced to compete against biological males. The resolution also stated that we would support the creation of a third division within athletics for co-ed where all participants can compete knowing the competition they will be facing and also allowing for all students to be included. The resolution passed 5-0 and will be sent to OHSAA.
Some other general updates for you. Warner Middle School is moving along at a rapid pace! It is on schedule and on budget and looking great. The demolition of the stands at the Doug Adams football stadium will take place on Monday 5/15 at 0830 and they will start building the new stands! The benefits of the stadium project for our students and community are immeasurable and I am excited for what’s to come.
Please send me any comments, concerns, feedback, or questions you may have. I serve you and I am here to represent you to the best of my abilities.
-Joshua Day
Joshua Day for Xenia School Board 