By Amantha Garpiel
For Miami Valley Sunday News
TIPP CITY — The Tipp City Board of Education discussed the 2023-2024 student handbooks, approved additional 2023-2024 game workers, accepted donations and voted of board delegates for the OSBA, Ohio School Board Association, Capital Conference.
During the Aug. 1 meeting of the Tipp City Board of Education, the board held discussion of the proposed 2023-2024 school year student handbooks for the elementary schools, Tippecanoe Middle School and Tippecanoe High School. Ultimately, the decision to approve the handbooks was tabled by a unanimous vote to allow for additional review after board members raised issues such as changes made in previous years without approval of the board, missing contact information, spelling and grammar errors and potential additions.
One addition was made before the discussion was tabled. Member Anne Zakkour made a motion to add a 12th item to page 21 under the policy surrounding lockers in the high school handbook. Zakkour added, “BOOK BAGS, GYM BAGS, PURSES: For the safety of staff and students all book bags, backpacks, and gym bags are not permitted in the classroom and must be left in the locker. This would include any bag in which books can be carried. Teachers reserve the right to determine if bags are permitted in their classrooms.”
The board also unanimously approved four game workers to provide service during the various athletic games of the 2023-2024 school year. The four individuals approved are Jeff Pence, Amy Treon, Carly Linkous and Lisa Stover.
The members of the board then accepted a grant of $533.26 from the Tippecanoe STEM Education Inc. for staff at the Tippecanoe High School, Molly Horne and Mackenzie English, to purchase a water quality kit. The board also accepted a donation of a kitchen warmer and oven from the Tipp City Global Methodist Church for the Tippecanoe Middle School. According to board member Theresa Dunaway, the church often collaborates and assists the school district in many ways, this donation and running the summer Lunch On Us program included.
At the Aug. 1 meeting, in preparation for the annual OSBA Annual Business Meeting, part of the OSBA Capital Conference, the board nominated and approved member Amber Drum to be the Tipp City Board of Education’s delegate at the meeting with member Richard Mains as an alternate.
In other business:
• The board approved a new hire. Michelle Bell was approved as the new payroll manager.
• The board approved an additional staff member for the 2023 Summer Academy. Angie Anderson was approved to participate in the Summer Academy from Aug. 7-18 at a rate of $34.08 per hour.
• Members approved payment to staff member Kayleigh Rhoton at a rate of $34.08/hour for attending the Ohio Department of Education mandatory training. Rhoton attended a four-day mathematical modeling and reasoning training course over the summer.
The writer is a regular contributor to Miami Valley Today and Sunday News
