On Monday, the Delaware City Schools Board of Education approved a $74,840.66 contract with Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc for a roof restoration at Carlisle Elementary School. Director of Facilities and Transportation Jason Sherman said one of the areas that will be restored in the project is the shingles above the stairs at the front of the school (seen on the right side of this photo from 2023.)
Glenn Battishill | The Gazette
The Hayes High School boys basketball team huddles together during the OHSAA Final Four at the University of Dayton last month. The board retroactively approved the overnight trip and members of the board expressed their pride in the team’s performance.
Jennifer Ruhe | Delaware City Schools
The Delaware City Schools Board of Education on Monday approved a roof restoration project at Carlisle Elementary, formally promoted Rex Reeder to the principal at Hayes High School, and congratulated the boys basketball team on reaching the state Final Four.
The regular meeting was held in the board room at Willis Education Center and began with the approval of a new contract with one of the unions in the district — the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE). Superintendent Heidi Kegley read a letter from OAPSE leadership that thanked the board for a “smooth a productive” contract negotiation.
“It was truly a pleasure to work alongside each of you throughout the process,” the letter read. “Your dedication to open communication and commitment to finding mutually beneficial outcomes greatly contributed to the success of our negotiations. We value the collaborative spirit that was evident at every step and are grateful for the opportunity to forge stronger ties with such a distinguished board. Looking ahead, we are excited about the prospects of our continued partnership and the potential for further collaboration.”
The district’s Director of Facilities and Transportation Jason Sherman then briefed the board on one of the action items on the agenda: a $74,840.66 contract with Weatherproofing Technologies, Inc., for a roof restoration at Carlisle Elementary. Sherman said the project is a restoration of some small roof areas at the school that are older and were put in place when the school was expanded 40 years ago. One area in specific was replacing the shingles on the roof over the stairway at the front of the school.
The board later approved the project.
Executive Director of Human and Material Resources Jerry Stewart gave the board an overview of the employment changes on the agenda and said the district would be making Rex Reeder the principal at Hayes, which he has been interim principal of since Jan. 1.
Stewart said the staff at the school supported the decision and wanted to keep the school’s momentum moving forward with Reeder in charge.
The board also discussed the Hayes varsity boys basketball team and retroactively approved its trip to the University of Dayton for the OHSAA Final Four.
Board Vice President Melissa Harris said she enjoyed watching the game and is excited to see the team play again next season.
Board member Janelle Gasaway said the team’s season and journey to the Final Four was a “phenomenal thing.”
“(The team) gave our city a really great reason … to come together and be one and cheer for our school,” Gasaway said. “I’ve lived here for most of 40 years. I don’t know that I’ve experienced that too much. What they accomplished was more than just in the gym. It was very phenomenal for our entire community.”
Kegley agreed and thanked the community for their “incredible support” as the team headed to the state tournament.
“The boys felt that,” Kegley said. “They knew they had brought a community together. They set the bar high, and they continue to achieve.”
Student board member Eric Gitson said he also traveled to Dayton.
“All of us at Hayes feel grateful to have witnessed, to have experienced, and to have cheered on a series of historic games for Delaware athletics and our community,” Gitson said.
The board also approved a number of resignations, including Sarah DeLong, the school counselor at Schultz Elementary; Dara Wang, the occupational therapist at Smith Elementary; Katrina Butler, an educational assistant at Woodward Elementary; Toni Cochenour, an educational assistant at Hayes; and Ethan Crosbie, a School-Aged-Child-Care (SACC) program assistant.
The board then approved several employments, including Kristen Kelley, an intervention specialist at Woodward Elementary School; Calli Studebaker, an occupational therapist at Smith; Katherine Cramer, an educational assistant at Carlisle; George Hellinger, a bus driver; Sandra Kincaid, an administrative assistant at Conger Elementary; Michael Kusche, a bus driver; Kathy Patterson, a cook/cashier at Conger; Laura Stieb, an educational assistant at Conger; Sarah Taynor, an assistant SACC manager; and Tabitha Van Sickle, a cook/cashier at Dempsey.
The board will meet next on May 6.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
