New Philadelphia City board approves retirements, hires, 2025-26 calendar and CCP agreements; OKs band trip and OHSAA membership

The New Philadelphia City Board of Education on an unanimous voice and roll-call vote approved personnel changes, district policy updates, college-credit partnerships, the 2025–26 calendar and authorization for the high school and middle school to remain OHSAA members. The board also approved a nonroutine marching-band trip to Walt Disney World scheduled for March 2026.

Board members moved through a packet of items the board listed as personnel, appointments and superintendent support during the meeting. The personnel package included three retirements, several resignations, new hires for the 2025–26 school year, corrections to pay classifications, spring supplemental coaching assignments and approvals for substitutes, volunteers, Kent State student teachers and CBI students working and being paid during the school day.

The retirements approved were Lois Watson, identified in board remarks as a longtime East Elementary school secretary; Erica Andrews, who was noted as retiring at the end of next October; and Karen Merkel, a family and consumer sciences teacher at New Philadelphia High School, whose retirement was set for Jan. 16, 2026. The board approved the hiring of Tim Fortney as a sixth-grade math teacher at Weldy Middle School and approved Carla Prey as head volleyball coach for the 2025–26 school year, among other classroom and extracurricular appointments.

Several board members offered personal remarks about Watson’s tenure. "She was just absolutely wonderful to me and my family," said a board member during public recognition of the retirements; another board member said Watson served as the school secretary during their elementary years. The board did not change personnel details beyond those listed in the packet.

Under superintendent support, the board approved the district’s final 2025–26 calendar, adoption of the special education model policies and procedures required by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and memoranda of understanding for College Credit Plus (CCP) courses with the University of Akron and Stark State for the next school year. Board members also approved the 2025–26 New Philadelphia High School student handbook and a resolution authorizing membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) for New Philadelphia High School and Weldy Middle School.

The nonroutine trip request for the New Philadelphia High School marching band — a trip to Walt Disney World in March 2026 — was included in the superintendent-support items and approved after the board confirmed the information had been available in meeting materials. The district also confirmed procedures to accept Kent State nursing student teachers and to pay CBI students assigned to work in district buildings during the school day.

Votes at a glance - Personnel approvals (retirements, resignations, hires, pay classification correction, supplementals, substitutes, volunteers, student teacher and CBI student work/pay): approved; roll-call recorded as: McMath — yes; Rickwick — yes; Galentine — yes; Trapp — yes; Fontana — yes. Outcome: approved. - Appointments by the president (committee and liaison assignments as listed in the meeting packet): approved; roll-call recorded as: Fontana — yes; Schrock — yes; McNath — yes; Galentine — yes; Rickwick — yes. Outcome: approved. - Acceptance of QDA and QPA financial reports (assistant superintendent report): approved; roll-call recorded as: McMath — yes; Schrock — yes; Galentine — yes; Rickwick — yes; Fontana — yes. Outcome: approved. - Superintendent support bundle (nonroutine band trip to Walt Disney World, adoption of Ohio Department of Education and Workforce special education model policies and procedures, final approval of the 2025–26 district calendar, MOU with University of Akron for CCP, 2025–26 New Philadelphia High School student handbook, MOU with Stark State for CCP, resolution authorizing 2025–26 OHSAA membership for New Philadelphia High School and Weldy Middle School): approved; roll-call recorded as: McMath — yes; Rickwick — yes; Galentine — yes; Trapp — yes; Fontana — yes. Outcome: approved.

What the board approved is reflected in written packets and the motions recorded in the meeting minutes. No formal amendments, votes against, abstentions or recorded conditions on approvals were noted in the transcript.

Context and next steps The adoption of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce's special education model policies brings the district into compliance with a state requirement that all districts adopt a model policy; the district reported its procedures already align with the model. The College Credit Plus MOUs with the University of Akron and Stark State permit students to enroll in college-level coursework next school year under the district’s CCP offerings. Approval of OHSAA membership maintains the schools’ eligibility to compete in interscholastic athletics under OHSAA governance for the 2025–26 school year. The board will reconvene immediately following this meeting for scheduled work-session business, according to the agenda.

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