By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Buckeye Central Board of Education held its first reading of revisions of the Public Participation Policy for Board of Education meetings on Thursday night.
Updates to the policy include allowing and encouraging the audience to ask questions during meetings to better gain understanding of procedures and measures. The policy also covers allotting a maximum of 30 minutes for a single speaker, with five-minute increments if multiple public speakers will be speaking. For longer participation a form must be filled out seven days in advance.
Other changes within the updated Public Participation Policy would include people intending to record board meetings either by means of video or photograph must contact the superintendent first, and must follow Public Participation guidelines.
Buckeye Central Superintendent Todd Martin explained.
”I think the intent of the board is to encourage people to leave the meeting feeling they have an understanding what they just heard. I think they want to make sure they have clear guidelines so you know it is not a free for all,” Martin said. “But it is an organized event where people can hear and we conduct a meeting and yet people can leave with an understanding of what they just heard.”
With the application process for a new superintendent open, the Buckeye Central Board of Education also announced that it will hold a public meeting prior to its regularly scheduled meeting on April 10. The public meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room to discuss the hiring of a permanent superintendent.
Prior to that meeting the board will also be meeting with staff. The board hopes to make a hire of a superintendent in May and have the individual begin work sometime in August.
The Buckeye Central Board approved the 2014-2015 school calendar. School will begin on August 20 and end in May. The spring break will be extended. Martin explained that there should be no issues with makeup days.
The Buckeye Central Board of Education approved all items on the consent agenda including hiring Jeff Niedermier as head coach for football, Ken Brubaker as head coach of volleyball, Phil Loy as head coach for boys’ golf, and Thad Metzger as head coach for cross country for the 2014 Spring/Fall seasons.
Treasurer Nancy Ackerman reported that Crawford County real estate taxes came in better than expected, and that with Seneca County still to report that things are close to accurate to projections.
Derek Shell, Abby VonStein, Megan Gwirtz, Austin McFarland, Tyler Pressley, Hunter Vaughn, Makala Cox, Matthew Hefneer, and Mara McDougal were commended for their achievements for the month of February.