Board honors student artists, championship athletes and departing member John Weber

The Richmond Community Schools board opened its final 2025 meeting with a series of recognitions: winners of the district Christmas-card contest, student athletes who won a North Central Conference championship, and coaches named coach of the year.

Director Rich Hazelbaker introduced first-place winner Zoe Holt, second-place Penny Gaggi and third-place Alexa and explained that the winning artwork will be used across district communications. Coaches and student representatives described the season, noting the team's resilience after losing a player midgame and emphasizing both athletic performance and academic achievement.

The board also presented coach awards: Neil Bienvenuto was mentioned as girls soccer coach of the year; Kyle Ingram was recognized as a coach of the year for golf and described the interplay of athletics and academics in the district.

Later in the meeting the board held an extended tribute to departing board member John Weber, who was recognized for roughly nine to ten years of service. Multiple members praised his institutional knowledge, attention to detail and integrity; gifts and group photographs were part of the farewell.

The meeting closed with a condolence recognizing the recent passing of longtime educator and leader Mike Walton.