[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6582303,"mediaKeyId","3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2","parentId",3139202,"title","Olentangy senior urges board to make class ranks private, citing student stress; board offers follow‑up","audioSeconds",239,"startMs",5075000,"endMs",5314000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2&start=5075&end=5314","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2/thumbnail_5075000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6582303/Ohio/Olentangy-senior-urges-board-to-make-class-ranks-private-citing-student-stress-board-offers-followup","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582303-142134020e573f133de60e2133b33be0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442658&Signature=SEb2vLmLmFOaGnM3hOFk7sUPK7PDjZWCvcET-yiZwfcSTigC9Qclk9zxj2pwP3ioqe-yzkbfK-jbDsOTJJF5XD1t1nGpxQuSIxETvcx6PiuFSNTdl-1ntNSENKFp-Bwd8zw9FJvyxQow9jQLStsF1-h0eRreQVXFokkVob2~b3Kpl5hvYgBBhkkmr6T7cx3Z5gKL~pbv5eJc2ypWGu1TxPGYpBKBdWiTkOpzgrEllEQ0naI6kaWhi-dLcy4qNRhITl9yHf6t2R9AF-OiXqNeGT0ArOqKv7w5EHGmOwc0cstbLO~UbBtz2mf3mBRWLw2smf~gX~rqfOU54yOpfWIsHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Olentangy Local","date","2025-04-28T19:44:22.583Z","article","Rohan Batcher, a senior at Olentangy High School, addressed the board during the April 24 public‑comment period and urged the district to stop releasing class rank publicly and instead use rank only for scholarship purposes.

Batcher said the student handbook’s statement that rank is internal “is not enough” and argued that public rank information damages student morale, increases stress and prompts students to choose weighted courses for GPA advantage rather than classes they find meaningful. He cited a University of Wisconsin–Madison study he said linked class ranking to stress and depression and related anecdotes from classmates and other districts that made rankings private.

Board response
Board President Brandon Lester and other board members thanked Batcher for speaking and described avenues for follow‑up. Lester suggested Batcher speak with the district’s mental‑health staff member (Doctor Berent) and said the district’s mental‑health and well‑being committee includes students from each high school; the board offered to place the topic on a future committee agenda for discussion.

Ending
Batcher said he appreciated the board’s response. Board members encouraged student participation in committee work and acknowledged the district’s interest in balancing high standards with student well‑being.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Olentangy Schools, Board of Education 4.24.25","oneSentenceSummary","Senior Rohan Batcher told the board that public class rankings harm student mental health and push students toward weighted courses for GPA advantage; board members thanked him, suggested follow-up with the district mental‑health committee and offered to connect him with staff.","taxTitle","Olentangy Local, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",14476,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6582308,"Olentangy honored with Auditor of State award; board recognizes dozens of student and staff achievements",272,2212000,2484000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2&start=2212&end=2484","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2/thumbnail_2212000.jpg","/articles/6582308/Ohio/Olentangy-honored-with-Auditor-of-State-award-board-recognizes-dozens-of-student-and-staff-achievements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582308-50986e6200720a7101c0b472cd8548f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442658&Signature=Nf57Lewsuc1bNBXcbgpl5QifbxofwWdaujOJrhlunCGPFHnptyjTpmrPpF36x~2awOgXHYaKdVf1mwT-pQ9f-VzIBZ85xBxjfa9jxtOsicMSnV8qDKl51C71UmUm4sNSj6KovWWv3xXQsn7TGluRXXeE5NZOm4tg1W1JOyuevRg1-t-Od9JSrUX321tpXg8SE-h0ni5jjtBfXHvUnG~l0LbUwWw7sVnFtp71uZOM0bKHoR3QRN6btMgdneIffLoy~1sazmdRvrpo0UNn1lqxCrQOjA6FNoJ7mB0-dPBrmvqJwOMBo1aNkY6JAgLTBPwqcagyUqnyaehcdGDkyASIKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Olentangy School District received the Auditor of State Award with Distinction at the board’s April 24 meeting. Scott Brown, central Ohio liaison for Auditor of State Keith Faber, presented the award and said the district is among a select group—about 4%—that meet the auditor’s clean‑audit criteria, including timely filings and an audit report without findings for recovery, material citations, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies.

Brown specifically recognized Treasurer Ryan Jenkins and the district finance team for “accounting excellence,” and the board publicly introduced multiple members of the treasury and accounting staff in attendance.

Student and staff recognitions
The board used the meeting to honor a long list of academic, athletic and arts achievements across the district’s high schools. Among those named were national merit semifinalists from each high school, state and district athletic placings (including multiple state championship qualifiers and top finishers in swimming, wrestling, golf and other sports), OMEA All‑State orchestra and choir honorees, Scholastic award recipients in visual art, and state champion titles in indoor performance for winter guard.

Superintendent Todd Meyer additionally highlighted a student, Ben Kurian, who won first prize in the national C‑SPAN StudentCam documentary competition and presented work at a national summit. The board also recognized business advisory council efforts, partnerships with OhioHealth career events, new administrators recommended for hire, and retirements noted at the meeting.

Ending
Board members praised staff and students for achievements and thanked finance and communications teams for supporting district operations and outreach; the auditor’s presentation underscored the district’s financial practices and personnel who maintain them.","The Auditor of State awarded Olentangy Local the Auditor of State Award with Distinction; the board also held a recognition ceremony naming numerous student academic, athletic and arts honors.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6582310,"Olentangy board approves $2.76 million three‑year literacy adoption, citing state requirement and a $990,000 state contribution",362,5699000,6061000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2&start=5699&end=6061","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2/thumbnail_5699000.jpg","/articles/6582310/Ohio/Olentangy-board-approves-276-million-threeyear-literacy-adoption-citing-state-requirement-and-a-990000-state-contribution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582310-9501069abc4e63323900235974a80112/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442658&Signature=EC8Gsp7s9HlouDmX0ppFS88fRxbbn4DijC-6eOA7NXNa6wRLQBP55NCeEFNgTnmc6hDWKK1jANZxP5I8Eez1vawbZH0jpranppviDpkoCMiKQeRnRIZndsRG6Zb0ZeC5aE7Ws2PBw8MM0QRvvpV~cn2gXaaK5zvzFRFTvHG4gByF8YrbnUNUh3wAtCh3gKDBYm5Yg1O6ENRvekswx1atMRBLRsqm0fTJ0D~EeS8ioTnOt1nICK9sR6NJCh1GqTaA0Ctn1Of0L70u5y8JPtAEJ6FL~KHf6mbO-KyGeI1oOnOYslV1~Y0G5EAuN9Xv~FuusvZJiF5kJ5~sEMWVeoT-FA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Olentangy Board of Education approved a three‑year purchase on April 24 to adopt Benchmark Advance as the district’s core literacy program for grades K–5 and the 95% phonics program for grades 4–5. Curriculum staff told the board the total three‑year contract price is $2,755,336.72; the district reported a $990,000 state contribution toward the adoption.

Why it matters: district staff said Ohio law requires elementary English language arts resources to align with the science of reading and to be chosen from the state’s approved list. The purchase will affect about 10,000 Olentangy students in K–5 and approximately 3,500 students in grades 4–5 for the phonics component across all 17 elementary buildings.

Contract details and budgeting
Michelle Blackley, the district’s chief academic officer, told the board the Benchmark Advance purchase is structured as a three‑year subscription of digital resources and student consumables. She said the three‑year contract price for Benchmark Advance is $2,190,425.42 and the three‑year contract price for the 95% phonics program is $564,911.30; together those figures total $2,755,336.72. Blackley said buying the program as a multi‑year contract both secured teacher training (25 days included) and produced a sizable savings compared with annual purchases and separate training costs. She told the board a single‑year purchase and renewal model would have cost about $3,220,000 over three years and would have required separate annual teacher‑training fees.

Cost-savings and existing resources
Blackley said the district will continue to use an existing phonics program called Foundations for grades K–3 because it is on the state‑approved list; the 95% program purchase is targeted for grades 4–5. She said the three‑year arrangement included a discount (15% on the phonics program) and fixed pricing for the term, reducing the district’s projected long‑term cost exposure.

Vote and next steps
The literacy adoption was included in the superintendent’s consent action items (a package of personnel, curriculum and other recommendations) and approved by the board in the consent vote. The board recorded approval on the April 24 consent calendar; the administration said part of the contract expense will be budgeted across fiscal years 2025 and 2026.

Ending
Administration reiterated that the district’s selection was made to comply with state law while trying to limit cost through a multi‑year contract and existing program alignments; the board approved the purchase as part of its consent items at the same meeting.","The board approved a three‑year purchase of Benchmark Advance and the 95% phonics program for elementary literacy instruction, a contract the district said is required to align to the state's science-of-reading materials on the approved list; the 3‑year cost is $2,755,336.72 with a $990,000 state contribution noted by staff.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6582316,"Olentangy officials warn proposed state \"clawback\" could strip millions from local levies",421,190000,611000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2&start=190&end=611","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139202-3c63673f21423215c52e27b8abf575c2/thumbnail_190000.jpg","/articles/6582316/Ohio/Olentangy-officials-warn-proposed-state-clawback-could-strip-millions-from-local-levies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582316-c4e9c7d5f0abfddc35bee7c30faed1ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442658&Signature=R1O6Me-Z0l2CPlLUsBezvJus0SnHIDS9yq9FqZL8ItkQO2Hs~x2p3JZqTW7FARIkGJA1YJHTJfqbJbykIUA6niUkA9r9nG5I3pnedTO0w8B1Ikq8Tl4cEdjASj-OHjXwmv13MCYZli9BNypNmOMwkjWBiTPppHQgtgrSZ~11fbVm4UhHiq693bBr5AIPM0gAa-7iaTLmh6STG5DzWeppiZIe0~5nNjp0-eQAJ9M5uHv8rcgp0q1NuuMiSglELPGpgMi0winnY~lPlEr6L4mNf-e2kEl9skvrZU11aQ5cnwgTez6XHZECj0wdPm2USef12WBKw7O6CVblF4TbEMotdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board President Brandon Lester and district officials spent substantial time at the Olentangy Board of Education’s April 24 meeting outlining concerns about a provision in the Ohio House’s biennium budget—contained in House Bill 96 and referenced in the bill text as Ohio Revised Code section 5705.316—that would limit school districts’ cash-balance carryover and require county auditors to reduce levy collections when carryover exceeds a set threshold.

The district’s treasurer, Ryan Jenkins, estimated the provision could cause “between $90 million and $100 million” in lost levy collections for Olentangy for the 2025–26 tax year if the clawback were enacted, and said that the district would likely need to run frequent, smaller operating levies moving forward. Jenkins recorded and played a short video for the board explaining the mechanics and urging residents to contact state lawmakers.

Why it matters: the board said limiting carryover would reduce reserves Olentangy uses to plan for growth, rising expenses and unexpected costs, and could push the district into a state-defined fiscal watch or emergency if operating deficits exceed thresholds in law. Superintendent Todd Meyer and Treasurer Jenkins described how the auditor-of-state’s financial-health indicators and the statutory definitions in Ohio Revised Code section 3316.03 (fiscal watch/emergency thresholds) intersect with the proposed clawback, arguing the provision could rapidly increase the district’s risk of state intervention.

Details and district response
District leaders said the House’s substitute budget increased overall funding relative to the governor’s initial proposal but added the clawback late in its amendment process. Jenkins and Meyer told the board they had briefed state legislators, including Representative Lorenz, and planned further outreach to the Ohio Senate and Senator Brenner. Meyer said the district had prepared template messages and phone scripts on the Olentangy website to make it easier for residents to contact lawmakers.

Board members pressed administration for timeline and context. Meyer described the House passage schedule: after the House acted, the bill moved to the Senate where public testimony and deliberations are scheduled; he listed dates the district was watching on the budget calendar, including expected Senate testimony and floor votes in May and June and the governor’s legal signature deadline on June 30.

What district officials warned could happen
Treasurer Jenkins and Superintendent Meyer said that, by reducing cash balances that were approved by local voters and that the district uses to plan multi-year operations, the clawback would either force near-annual levies or produce operating deficits that meet the statutory definitions for fiscal watch (an operating deficit above 8% of prior-year revenue plus an inability to pass levies) or fiscal emergency (15% threshold). Meyer described the possible role of a commission under statute to address fiscal emergency and said such a commission focuses on balancing budgets and could alter contracts or policies in ways that affect programming.

Board call to action
Board President Lester and the administration urged residents to review materials on the district website, use provided template letters and scripts, and contact state legislators to express how the clawback provision would affect local services and long-term planning.

Ending
No formal board action on state advocacy was taken at the meeting; district officials said they will continue outreach to lawmakers while the budget moves through the Senate.","At an April 24 Olentangy Board of Education meeting, district leaders described a proposed state budget provision they say would limit cash carryover and could force repeated local levies or trigger fiscal emergency, and urged residents to contact legislators.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Olentangy senior urges board to make class ranks private, citing student stress; board offers follow‑up

Olentangy honored with Auditor of State award; board recognizes dozens of student and staff achievements

Olentangy board approves $2.76 million three‑year literacy adoption, citing state requirement and a $990,000 state contribution

Olentangy officials warn proposed state "clawback" could strip millions from local levies