Tri-Valley Board approves 2026-27 tax rates, staff contracts, facility projects and policy updates

At its March 12, 2026 regular meeting, the Tri-Valley Board of Education approved the district's 2026-27 tax amounts and rates, a slate of personnel contracts and retirements, facility agreements and policy updates.

The board approved the minutes from the Feb. 12, 2026 meeting (Res. #26-52) and the January 2026 financial report (Res. #26-53), then voted to adopt the district's tax amounts and rates for 2026-2027 as provided by the Muskingum County Budget Commission (Res. #26-54). Each motion passed by roll call vote with all five board members recorded as voting yes.

On personnel, the board accepted the retirement of Craig Strohacker, Director of Operations, effective June 30, 2027 (Res. #26-55), and accepted the retirement of Athletic Director Erin Nezbeth, effective June 30, 2026 (Res. #26-56). The board approved creation of a School Psychology Assistant position and issued a three-year limited contract to Katlyn Heath for that role beginning in the 2026-2027 school year pending license verification (Res. #26-57, #26-58). The board also approved a series of administrative contracts that run through the 2028-2029 school year for multiple administrators (Res. #26-66).

The board addressed classified and certified staffing changes, approving a one-year limited contract and vacation carryover for Jason Brock as Maintenance Supervisor and issuing a subsequent two-year contract to cover the 2026-2028 school years (Res. #26-60, #26-61, #26-63). A one-year limited classified contract was issued to Robert Rhett Butler as a bus driver to begin April 6, 2026 (Res. #26-77); that motion carried with one abstention recorded on the roll call. Several unpaid leave requests for certified and classified employees were also approved (Res. #26-72, #26-78, #26-94, #26-95, #26-98).

On district operations and purchases, the board approved a price correction for one special-needs equipped 65 Hdc Thomas Saf-T-Liner C2 conventional school bus, increasing its unit price from $154,027 to $160,939 and confirming a corrected total bus purchase of $728,699 (Res. #26-85). The board authorized an agreement with Jones-Schlater Flooring, LLC for the high school flooring project (Res. #26-86) and approved a contract with Schultz Industries, Inc. dba Sturdisteel Company for visitor-side bleacher expansion at the football stadium (Res. #26-87). All were approved by unanimous roll call votes.

The board approved policy updates presented by Pepple & Waggoner, Ltd., including policies on policy formulation and updates (1.03), board meetings (1.15), open enrollment guidelines (6.04), enrollment of resident and non-resident students (6.06), student absences (6.08), new NIL/personal branding rights (7.39) and others (Res. #26-89). The board also accepted donations to district programs and endowments totaling several thousand dollars and approved an overnight FFA trip to the state convention in Columbus April 30-May 1, 2026 (Res. #26-88, #26-90).

The board entered executive session to discuss appointment, employment and compensation of an employee from 6:28 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. (Res. #26-100) and adjourned at 8:12 p.m. (Res. #26-101). The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 9, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.

Votes at a glance: Res. #26-52 (approve minutes) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-53 (financial report) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-54 (tax amounts & rates) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-55 (accept retirement, Strohacker) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-56 (accept retirement, Nezbeth) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-58 (issue contract, Katlyn Heath) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-60/#26-63 (Jason Brock contracts/carryover) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-77 (issue contract, Robert Rhett Butler) ' approved 4-0-1 abstain; Res. #26-85 (bus price correction) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-86 (Jones-Schlater Flooring) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-87 (Schultz/Sturdisteel bleacher expansion) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-89 (policy updates) ' approved 5-0; Res. #26-100 (enter executive session) ' approved 5-0.

(All vote tallies and resolution references are drawn from the meeting minutes.)