The Delaware City Schools Board of Education met Tuesday and approved staffing changes, a new replacement generator for Hayes High School, and bid farewell to student board member Meg Wolf.

The meeting was held in the board room at Willis Education Center and began with a presentation from Sue Devine, president of the Marysville Exempted Village Schools Board of Education, who came to the meeting to honor Board President Jayna McDaniel-Browning on behalf of the Ohio School Board Association.

“I’m glad to be here tonight to publicly extend the thanks of a grateful association,” Devine said. “OSBA is proud to share its feelings about the contributions you make in your district and community. In today’s highly competitive world, communities large and small are faced with ever increasing educational challenges. The ways schools respond affects not only the life of every student but also the growth and future of each and every community as well. This responsibility is placed squarely on the shoulders of the men and women who serve on our school boards throughout Ohio. This responsibility is exemplified by the leaders in this room tonight.”

Devine presented a certificate to McDaniel-Browning for 10 years of service to the school board.

“We appreciate your passion for education, and we thank you so much for your dedication and commitment to the community,” Devine said.

The board then heard a presentation from Jason Sherman, the district’s director of facilities and transportation, who went over a $75,000 action item on the agenda to replace the backup generator at Hayes High School.

Sherman said the generator dated back to the 1996 addition to the school and powers lights, exit signs, and the kitchen in the event of a power loss. He said the district looked into replacing the generator earlier this year and discovered that similar replacements have a 48-week timetable, but he was able to locate and reserve a generator out of state that can be installed ahead of the 2023-2024 school year. Sherman said the new generator will be an upgrade and have more power capacity than the current generator.

Sherman added that other minor construction projects are progressing throughout the district. He added the district is nearly completed with paving improvements throughout the district and said the Woodward Elementary School gym floor was on schedule to be completed before the start of the new school year.

The board then recognized student board member Meg Wolf since it was her last meeting in the role.

“We want to thank you so much for your service,” Kegley said tearfully. “What an outstanding student board member you were this year… Not only representing yourself and your fellow classmates (but) making Hayes known across the country.”

Kegley went on to thank Wolf for “all of the ways, the little things you were doing each and every day to make Hayes a wonderful place for our students.”

“I will be forever grateful,” Kegley said before presenting her a certificate from the board.

McDaniel-Browning thanked Wolf and said she would be missed on the board.

Wolf said she plans to attend Villanova University in the fall to study mechanical engineering and mechatronics, and she felt prepared because of her time at Hayes.

“I was really grateful for everything I got to be a part of at Delaware City Schools,” Wolf said. “I’m excited to start that next step, and I definitely couldn’t have done it if I wasn’t a Delaware City kid and got to do everything I did in this district.”

The board also approved the resignation of several individuals, including Charles Bleakmore, an intervention specialist at Woodward; Adrianne Gleason, a language arts teacher at Dempsey Middle School; Keegan Lammers, the orchestra teacher at Hayes; Megan Longbrake, an intervention specialist at Schultz Elementary School; Laura Westhoven, a school nurse at Hayes; Shanon Cain, a custodian at Dempsey; Barbara Jackson, an educational assistant at Hayes; Brooke James, an educational assistant at Conger Elementary School; Tala Kanami, an educational assistant at Conger and Jack Thomas, a bus driver.

The board then approved a number of employments, including Chelsea Blaine, an intervention specialist at Hayes; Jacob Christ, a science/social studies teacher at Dempsey; Marissa Giamportone, a kindergarten teacher at Conger; Christine Griffin, the new supervisor of special education; Madeline Hickey, an intervention specialist at Schultz; Noah Jackson, a ELA teacher at Schultz; Alexandra Morris, an ELA teacher at Dempsey; Danielle Osentoski, an intervention specialist at Dempsey; Erin Waitkus, an intervention specialist at Dempsey and Alexis Wood, a school counselor.

The board will meet next on July 10 at 6 p.m.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.