The Bellefontaine Board of Education held its first meeting of 2026 Monday night.
Colin Yoder was re-elected board president, and Mark Fissel was re-elected board vice president.
Board members Bryn Daring-Stewart and Rick Reed were sworn in by Treasurer Josh Wasson.
Tough conversations were held after the annual organizational session.
Members held an in-depth discussion regarding a potential 2026 levy.
Treasurer Wasson spoke about how recent changes to Ohio tax law are creating financial challenges for public schools, including BCS.
“The Ohio General Assembly recently passed multiple property tax reform bills designed to slow the growth of property taxes. While these changes provide relief for homeowners, they also limit how quickly school funding can grow. At the same time, the state did not fully update or fund the Fair School Funding Plan in the most recent biennial budget, leaving districts responsible for covering a greater share of education costs locally. School districts continue to face rising expenses for staff, transportation, utilities, special education services, and safety requirements. However, the combination of limited property tax growth and incomplete state funding means school revenues are not keeping pace with these unavoidable costs. There is also ongoing discussion at the state level about eliminating property taxes entirely, without a clear or reliable plan to replace the funding schools currently depend on. This creates additional uncertainty for long-term financial planning. In this environment, stable and predictable funding is critical. The district must consider options that provide funding sources that grow with the local economy, are not tied to property values, and help protect students and programs from cuts caused by state-level funding decisions. The district’s focus remains on maintaining current programs, staffing, and services – not expansion. Our goal is stability for students, families, and the community during a time of significant uncertainty in school funding.”
Further financial discussion was tabled, with the request that the financial committee meet and put together some options to be presented at an upcoming board meeting.
The board could pursue a property tax or an income tax to give the district relief from financial pressure.
The group also explored facility planning, with two firms being considered to present detailed proposals this year.
This would be a strategic plan where the firm would take a look at the community and return with suggestions for the district.
Several personnel actions were approved, including adding Lauren Barhorst, Claire Grandstaff, Tyra-Lee Large, Madisyn Norris, and Jack Varner to the professional substitute list, hiring Lauren Henry and Teresa Vogel as substitute educational aides, and approving Emily Baldeh as an athletic worker.
The board accepted the resignation of Lisa Stewart, a food service worker.
Monthly financial reports were approved, along with a resolution to administer the 3rd Grade ELA Assessment in paper-pencil format for 2026–2027.
Kaileigh Vermillion was appointed to the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District Board, with her term running through 2027.
After the meeting, Reed had these comments:
The next board meeting is scheduled for February 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sloan Distance Learning Center at Bellefontaine High School.
