Superintendent Nickoli reported as follows:
I would like to congratulate our new and re-appointed Board Members. Our newest Board Member is Mr. Chris Rothhaar who was appointed by the Willard City Schools where he is employed by Pepperidge Farms. I’d also like to welcome Mr. Douglas Theaker, Mr. Bill Hope, Mrs. Erin Stine, and Mr. Bill McFarland from the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center and Mr. Dennis Long from the Galion City Schools and Mrs. Robin Almanson from the Crestline Exempted Village Schools as they all return for new three-year terms. Congratulations and thank you for your service to the students and staff at Pioneer.
January is Board of Education Appreciation Month, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support of our students and staff. You are to be commended for the progress that Pioneer has made toward increasing student learning and improving student achievement. Also, in recognition of that service is a certificate presented by the Ohio School Boards Association signed by Sally Green, OSBA President and Dr. Kathy McFarland, OSBA Chief Executive Officer.
I am asking you to approve an agreement with Crestline Exempted Village Schools for Bus Driver Certification. In order to properly certify Bus Drivers, current drivers need a minimum of two (2) hours of driving with an On-Board Instructor (OBI) and new drivers need a minimum of twelve (12) hours of driving with the OBI. Crestline has a properly trained On-Board Instructor who will meet this requirement for our drivers.
I am asking you to approve the attached list of new and revised courses for the 2025-2026 school year. Currently, our students have a very limited selection of elective offerings available to them during their time at Pioneer. Mr. Frye and our high school instructors have worked to create elective offerings that are both attractive and advantageous to our students. They have selected History of American Sports, Entertainment History, World War 2, A Comprehensive Study, Forensic Science, and Workforce Readiness as new courses.
I am also asking that you approve the transition of our Homeland Security Career-Technical Program to the previously discussed First Responders Program and that you approve the revision of our elective course, The 60’s, to a semester course from its current yearlong status.
Finally, we would like to change the names of Life Skills and Own Your Own Business to Adulting 101 and Entrepreneurship, respectively. The curriculum will not change but it is our hope that these name changes will be more attractive to students.
To date, Pioneer has used four (4) full Calamity Days and five (5) Delays. Given our student day length of 5.75 hours (6.25 minus a thirty-minute lunch) we have used 33 hours meaning that we have one (1) Calamity Day and three (3) two-hour delays available to us. Should we exceed our Calamity Days, we will implement the three (3) Online Learning Days permitted by the July Board Resolution. We will be communicating those plans early next week to both teachers and students.
Important Calendar Dates upcoming are as follows:
January 28 & 29 - New Student Visitation
January 30 - Open House
February 5 - Ohio ACTE Legislative Conference
February 6 & 13 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
I am asking that you approve the Unpaid Leave Request for Mr. Matt Dotson, Ag Instructor at Lucas. As you can see in the letter he submitted, he will be using his two remaining Personnel Days to attend an out-of-state wedding but needs to be absent from school for three days. He previously used a Personal Day to attend the funeral of a former student.
All other personnel items are common for this time year.