SUNBURY — The Big Walnut Local Schools Board of Education’s meeting last week featured an update from board member Steve Fujii on the district’s search for a new superintendent.
“If you’ve paid any attention to my words over the last couple months, you know that my biggest focus has been on finding our next district leader. Certainly, I too am sad to see Ms. (Angela) Hamberg move on. I acknowledge the task ahead of filling those shoes is monumental. Dare I say it is the biggest and most important task that we as a board have.”
The board’s goal is to have a new superintendent in place when the new school year starts.
Fujii said that within 48 hours of approving the search process last month, the position was posted. He said the qualifications were based on the board’s current expectations of the superintendent. Other board members also met with members of the district administrative team and association leadership about the position in the past week.
Board President Doug Crowl has put up a survey on the district’s website seeking community “feedback on qualities you believe to be important in our next superintendent.” The five-question survey can be found at bwls.net.
Also at the meeting, Treasurer Jeremy Buskirk went over updates to the district’s policies for grant funds, cost principles spending federal funds and procurement federal grants funds.
Assistant Superintendent Mark Cooper said a lot of the policy changes are to update language, mentioning the college credit plus program, five separate policies regarding weapons (definition changes), early high school graduation, student hazing (which will go in the student handbooks), student records, school safety, transportation and nonroutine use of school buses.
These were first readings of the policies, Cooper said, and no action would need to be taken until next month’s meeting.
Finally, students and staff recognized at the meeting were:
• Ethan Shultz, Big Walnut Intermediate (BWI) Student of the Month
• Brody Correll, Big Walnut Elementary (BWE) Student of the Month
• Brynlee Buirley, BWI Art Student of the Month
• Yandel Frost, BWE Art Student of the Month
• Preston Smith — National Mathcon
• Robotics Team — State Lego League Competition
• Savannah Smith, Student Board Representative
• Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction to Buskirk and his staff.
Buskirk also said he has been in contact with the Ohio Treasurer’s Office to be part of its Ohio Checkbook website.
