[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6349062,"mediaKeyId","2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d","parentId",2239354,"title","Board reviews conduct and communication protocols, emphasizes routing questions through superintendent","audioSeconds",1428,"startMs",1211705,"endMs",2639940,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d&start=1211&end=2639","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d/thumbnail_1211705.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349062/Ohio/Board-reviews-conduct-and-communication-protocols-emphasizes-routing-questions-through-superintendent","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349062-6640e8272ea991b95c2aa825fd51b08d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777103820&Signature=nzRXtub7YTHBOBCvVujgITcvE9MQp2UHf0hiVvXS7~f0ZXiqwN0CcMpgDNJc5ewvN1MloGFE81yYM3VzhZs8VKeFLbz-F74mCKvpxopj1Km-Se9ycwahFfeEHsZeM~mSHqzp-M1TX~3ej1CG~tvR~hiH7uaD8DJKF6XEEpI0q-fxfhBQLtF3B2kGR0-kmS4fgwiFrYgpAH-EA09VgeUIebFfMeUWSGmqOaSW~nfvnO5HlaS8wrN-Nt17wzcHXJI1VBzSygrR~a1vWP-MnDRud89k1HGOw~9dDAV84Q~TRNS2sRLvD2Qs9v0i8ysW7i4k4dD3j~FVW7GiPrxXTEuQfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Albany-Plain Local SD","date","2025-02-05T16:54:11Z","article","The New Albany‑Plain Local Board of Education spent its Feb. 4 meeting reviewing boardmanship guidance from the Ohio School Boards Association and clarifying how members should communicate with administrators and the public.

Superintendent Michael Sawyers told the board that, for efficiency and to ensure consistent responses, members should route most operational questions through board leadership or the superintendent’s office rather than contacting building staff directly. “You can access Michael and Becky anytime you want,” Sawyers said, and he urged members to let administration consolidate information so answers can be shared with the full board.

Board members framed the conversation around three recurring themes: role boundaries, respectful questioning during presentations, and how to keep all members similarly informed without engaging in unlawful deliberations outside public meetings. Board member Mark described his experience putting presenters “on the hot seat” and said he now tries to preview tough questions with staff when possible so presenters are prepared. Board member Paul and others urged members to be mindful of tone and of when a follow‑up conversation outside a formal meeting would be more constructive than a line‑of‑questioning during a presentation.

Administrators said the current, default protocol routes board requests through the president for agenda and major items, but that individual members may contact the superintendent for information. Sawyers said when a question requires input from multiple administrators, his office will gather responses and distribute them so information is shared equitably with the full board. He also described a practical hierarchy for operational questions when he is unavailable: Laurie (teaching and learning), Ken (business and operations), Becky (finance).

Legal and procedural limits also shaped the discussion. Board members were reminded that FERPA prevents staff from sharing some student‑level details and that individual board members must avoid “direct dealing” with bargaining‑unit employees on terms and conditions of employment. Sawyers and board counsel flagged that these limits protect both student privacy and staff licensure.

The board discussed practical steps to reduce surprises in meetings: (1) getting slide decks and materials by Friday when possible; (2) encouraging members to preview substantive questions with administration before the public meeting; and (3) considering one‑way communication tools (recorded updates or broadcast voicemail) to keep members informed without risking impermissible deliberation. One board member described a tool that lets members record a message that is distributed to other members as a way to share situational updates without generating chain deliberations.

Next steps: the superintendent’s office will continue to standardize agenda‑preview timelines (administration said it will work to have final materials out by Friday whenever feasible), investigate tools to improve one‑way dissemination to board members, and reissue guidance about when members should route questions through the superintendent or the board president. The board also said it will revisit communications expectations at the upcoming retreat.

Ending: The exchange concluded with an emphasis on balancing public transparency with respect for staff roles and privacy protections; members agreed to try pre‑meeting questions in cases where advanced notice would help presenters provide fuller answers.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Special Meeting - Board Retreat Feb. 4, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The New Albany‑Plain Local Board of Education spent its Feb. 4 meeting reviewing boardmanship guidance from the Ohio School Boards Association and clarifying how members should communicate with administrators and the public.","taxTitle","New Albany-Plain Local, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",38567,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349048,"Votes at a glance: agenda approved; board moved to executive session",0,56010,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d&start=56&end=56","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d/thumbnail_56010.jpg","/articles/6349048/Ohio/Votes-at-a-glance-agenda-approved-board-moved-to-executive-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349048-6bb4f281b4b13c325e7059d1fa0e1ba4/orig.mp4?Expires=1777103820&Signature=kfTHP3Bp7cfitWoMQSM8oXrKyKelXrqOS2UZiWM~JOgJRl5WIlyFCQlWirCFeFYGmmfWrqaoNxsIOZA4i-MVEhBPA5HMIntupsvgri22a7IHAyi1tQolV1lj1hyupPS7eU0imfOJQO9Nw1~lW20M5YAWY5J2ohAM-XqqK3~64ReCqXI4-rjV62aDZajN06Dbs-n7fzlGmT8KIJZIDq-sRmPpFHA4hPV9BTzRlMpFqMR59A4DyIDcUL~vCDk3Twv4uBt32g5UT~5YzagxW2I0kbS8BbGnuOb5lD88K9FGXs2dJJVYsNiQa-iiDUU95dnMw-30px35G0NbVMFR0CjfWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two formal actions were recorded during the Feb. 4 meeting.

1) Agenda approval: The board called for a motion and second to approve the meeting agenda. The motion was seconded and the president declared the motion carried after the roll call procedure. (Transcript: motion/second recorded; “Yes. And the motion passes.”)

2) Executive session: At the end of the open meeting the board moved to convene an executive session under Ohio Revised Code section 121.22(G)(5) (“matters required to be kept confidential by federal law, federal rules, or state statutes”). The motion to enter executive session was made and the clerk called the roll; the board recorded affirmative responses and the chair noted that no action would be taken in executive session.

No other final votes on ordinances, resolutions or contracts were recorded on the public record during the meeting.

Ending: The meeting resumed briefly after executive session and then adjourned; the transcript records the board’s public actions as agenda approval and the roll call vote to go into executive session.","The board approved the Feb. 4 meeting agenda and later voted to enter executive session under ORC 121.22(G)(5) for matters required to be kept confidential by federal law. No further public action was taken during executive session.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349053,"Superintendent presents midyear enrollment, special‑education and ELL growth; board assigns outreach leads",1767,6840790,8608654,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d&start=6840&end=8608","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d/thumbnail_6840790.jpg","/articles/6349053/Ohio/Superintendent-presents-midyear-enrollment-specialeducation-and-ELL-growth-board-assigns-outreach-leads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349053-85d132780515a418dd54f55f1db7af7c/orig.mp4?Expires=1777103820&Signature=m6aIdhXOlITxgUpc6MF67R3HmJsvf1538i9HjJiP2NxzJdq-JTwbAs0ocDyzOq~HdKVfVkq3TbmTeZoiuRcqRgPQ2GFATcWUfbGJT9wS4sxFq42JtsV4uywmYXvhJbUeOLw-opEYj61eoWyZkeYFWnkSir77lEEvM2DSW5NJwIyH1ALz-HAsKvJeneTSnLSiyIaZvInbz1lSRJjpCh1pqZkfUMqlYDX4~VsG3lOgZ~vEthB0upcWxXuZJq2WwIpFltIWdbaJ1excwwVc3L9hrf6Q64IGXyoCs7~uDmZkIWTApcchvuhDog6EHGJFSNQRrAkuV1P5rWbUdb1unHuqYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Michael Sawyers presented the board with the district’s midyear Continuous Improvement Plan update on Feb. 4, including enrollment and subgroup trends that administrators said will affect staffing, services and budget forecasting.

Sawyers reported total midyear enrollment of 5,018 and said the district is seeing notable increases in two service populations: students with individualized education plans (special education) and English‑language learners (ELL). The district’s special‑education population was reported at about 15 percent of students; Sawyers said that at the start of the school year roughly 1 in 10 new enrollees required special‑education services and that midyear the ratio rose to about 1 in 5 of incoming students. He also said ELL enrollment has grown from 83 students in 2021 to 247 in 2025.

Those increases, Sawyers said, have implications for staff assignments and for the five‑year financial forecast because special‑education services can require additional staffing or contracted services. Treasurer Becky (surname not specified in the transcript) and administration noted that the district is on track to meet a forecasted efficiency target for the current year, largely because some projected new FTEs were not hired and because turnover often brings lower starting salaries.

On the Continuous Improvement Plan, the superintendent presented projected performance‑index figures and said midyear map and local assessment data show continued forward progress toward the district’s academic targets. He outlined CIP benchmarks that remain in focus this spring: academic achievement and growth, graduation and career readiness, student belonging and staff climate, and community engagement.

The board discussed the district’s objective to deepen community and business partnerships to expand student opportunities (items listed in the CIP included senior seminar, industry‑recognized credentials, entrepreneur day, career counseling and internships). Trustees assigned leads and volunteers to begin outreach: Paul and Mark were named to co‑lead business‑partnership outreach (partnering with the New Albany Chamber and local employers); Debbie and Jen will continue to coordinate New Albany For Kids and PTO engagement; Debbie and Mark will begin work on a quarterly community newsletter and distribution list. Administration said it will return to the board with proposed pilot events and a short menu of partnership options that local employers can choose from.

Ending: The board asked administration to return-year‑to‑date staffing and budget impact estimates tied to the rising special‑education and ELL caseloads and to present draft materials for business partnerships and the community newsletter in the coming weeks.","Michael Sawyers presented midyear data showing total enrollment of 5,018 and rising shares of students receiving special‑education services (about 15%) and English‑language learner services (247 students). The board reviewed Continuous Improvement Plan benchmarks and assigned members to lead community and business partnership outreach.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6349057,"Board briefed on Ohio Senate Bill 104; administration to recommend policy changes Feb. 24",986,4372665,5358815,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d&start=4372&end=5358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239354-ba4a88e5117155e7f8d5d8917d73408d/thumbnail_4372665.jpg","/articles/6349057/Ohio/Board-briefed-on-Ohio-Senate-Bill-104-administration-to-recommend-policy-changes-Feb-24","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349057-45b3867bd2dcc3e386de0ab1044e9436/orig.mp4?Expires=1777103820&Signature=OnKcV6eo-nVSU7G8JDDRdBAcKZWjLlWjefR-JCi3z~kW4KBDs556gRjyDpnByDuLfPeNl43hy5Ve3W86ZvCLtAK5IR-RX2G2-0Ymb7SgfEo~GxJCmuWXb9XOlKna2EET8ksF~4wzafi3d904bUKZRqdAshywyq-sOd0eJPNe8a5AV3l3KRKwQ3JWdlBL59AGaryY-Am~NY-wSkZ4u4R-qHGT~CDMA7PFRWLoUr9bfgap8l29wJEm5EXZX1LLRe4hQjZh~hr8KRDxAwvpm8g1txsSdntjM2JYftk3~shbzk1SVYuX~~y1vUbBL2sHmYB7k-ntdJcEntWb5tqhUtW9hA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legal counsel and the superintendent gave the board a detailed legal briefing Feb. 4 on recent state and federal developments affecting schools, focusing on Ohio Senate Bill 104 and related guidance.

Bill, the board’s legal counsel, told the board that Senate Bill 104 (signed by the governor and effective Feb. 25, 2025) requires multi‑occupancy restroom and changing facilities to be single‑sex based on a student’s biological sex as shown on a birth certificate, and also bars students of opposite biological sex from sharing overnight accommodations in school‑sponsored settings. Counsel said the statute contrasts with earlier federal guidance and recent rulemaking changes and that, because courts and federal administrative policy remain in flux, his office recommended following the Ohio law while litigation and federal rule challenges continue.

“Given the current legal mix, our safest place right now is to follow 104,” counsel said, noting the possible downstream consequences for teacher and administrator licensure and for district compliance obligations.

Superintendent Michael Sawyers told the board the administration will bring a policy recommendation to the board’s Feb. 24 meeting to align district policy with the new Ohio law. He said the change will affect operational practices the district previously used for overnight field trips and for certain restroom arrangements and that the district will notify families where the new law requires different practices. “This will come forth on your February 24 agenda,” Sawyers said.

Counsel and the superintendent also flagged House Bill 8 (the Parents’ Bill of Rights), which the administration said is scheduled to take effect July 1. That bill, the administration said, includes broad parental‑notification language; the district’s preliminary interpretation is that it may require notifying parents of “substantial changes” to a student’s mental, emotional or physical health supports — language that could encompass some matters involving gender identification. Counsel and administration said the statute’s definitions are not precise and that administrators should plan conservative practice until the law and guidance are clarified by courts or state regulation.

Administration said practical implications include: revising overnight‑trip room‑assignment procedures, updating any internal guidance that previously allowed parental waivers for shared rooms, and preparing parent communications about changes. Counsel added that districts across the state will make different governance choices; the superintendent stressed that the Board of Education must set local policy because administrators and teachers are licensed by the Ohio Department of Education and must follow board policy.

Ending: The board was briefed on legal options and the administration’s planned policy recommendation; the district said it will draft policy language and a family communication plan for the Feb. 24 board meeting and will continue to monitor litigation and federal guidance.","District legal counsel and the superintendent gave an extended legal briefing on Senate Bill 104 and related state and federal developments. Counsel advised the district to follow the new Ohio law on multi‑occupancy bathrooms and overnight accommodations and warned that the Parents' Bill of Rights (House Bill 8) may expand parental‑notification","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board reviews conduct and communication protocols, emphasizes routing questions through superintendent

Votes at a glance: agenda approved; board moved to executive session

Superintendent presents midyear enrollment, special‑education and ELL growth; board assigns outreach leads

Board briefed on Ohio Senate Bill 104; administration to recommend policy changes Feb. 24