Waterloo Local board approves concession-stand agreement, appoints interim superintendent and is warned a provider will stop school visits

Ron Lewis, who introduced himself as representing Viking Youth Football, asked the board to allow the youth program to use the visitors’ concession stand and field for game days and equipment storage and offered donations and funding for repairs. “We are donating six five‑gallon things of paint,” Lewis said, and asked that the program be allowed to store equipment and use the visitors’ stand to reduce setup time and support continuity between youth and school teams.

During his superintendent’s report, the superintendent told the board that both concession stands had been unused since 2021 and provided revenue figures from that year: the visitor stand generated $3,984 and the home stand $10,890. The superintendent said boosters also expressed interest but that his recommendation would be to give the visitor stand to the football and cheer programs. The board then voted to enter agreements that included a concession‑stand/field‑use agreement with Viking football and cheer; the motion passed on a roll‑call vote.

The superintendent also notified the board that Youth Intensive Services, which had been providing in‑school behavioral and intensive services free of charge for more than a year, informed the district it will stop providing services effective April 18, citing delays in Medicaid payments at the state level. The district said other providers (Children’s Advantage and Hazel Health) may continue offering services, but acknowledged the departure will affect students and families who relied on the in‑district visits.

Separately, the board approved a package of personnel and contract actions related to district operations. Those votes included approving a three‑year contract and salary grid that create a combined operations manager role, approving a Destination Imagination supplemental funded in part by a $5,000 parent donation, and approving participation in several grants. The board also approved appointing Bob Wolf as interim superintendent for June 1–July 31 as part of the search arrangement; the motion passed by roll call. The board accepted multiple personnel items (retirements, certified and classified contracts, substitute lists and stipends) and approved revised board policies required by state law.

Teaching and curriculum updates were presented during the meeting: Kyle, a classroom teacher, described the district’s first year of the MMR course (now described as Advanced Quantitative Reasoning) as a project‑based Algebra II alternative with roughly 20 students and several applied projects. An elementary report described a Hands of Gratitude project in which sixth graders assembled ten 3D‑printed robotic hands for delivery overseas and the ongoing Birdie Bags food distribution program coordinated with the Benton Curtis Family Foundation.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the published agenda; entered agreements including the ESC search and service plan, Viking football/cheer concession‑stand and field use, and a sheriff’s office school‑resource‑officer agreement; approved the operations manager contract and salary grid; approved the Destination Imagination supplemental funded in part by a $5,000 donation; appointed Bob Wolf as interim superintendent for June–July; accepted staff retirements; approved many certified and classified contracts and substitute lists for 2025–26; approved minutes and March financials; and voted to enter executive session. Where the transcript lacked a full roll‑call tally, motions were described in the audio as passing by roll call or “motion passes.”

The superintendent noted a compliance task unrelated to local decisions: an affidavit due to the Ohio Department of Education certifying the district has no race‑based policies that would provide preferential treatment; the superintendent said he is reviewing board policy and will submit the required certification by the state deadline to avoid funding consequences.

Next steps: the district will proceed with the superintendent and treasurer search arranged through the ESC, expect an interim superintendent to begin June 1, and will continue to seek providers or coverage for the services affected by Youth Intensive Services’ exit. The board recessed into executive session later in the meeting to address permitted confidential matters.

The meeting included a mix of operational decisions, curricular presentations and community‑partner requests; the concession‑stand agreement and the loss of an in‑school behavioral services partner were the most immediate items flagged for follow up.