FR seniors eligible for state scholarship

FORT RECOVERY — Four local high school seniors are eligible for a state scholarship.

Fort Recovery School Board learned Monday about the district’s eligibility for the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, which launched Dec. 4.

Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio legislature started the $20 million scholarship program this year in an effort to “attract and retain a well-educated workforce,” according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Between 35% and 40% of Ohio’s high-achieving high school graduates attend universities out of state, the press release says, and about 66% of United States college students — or about 70% of Ohio college students — stay in the state from which they graduate.

The program is meant to reduce financial barriers, recognize scholastic achievements and incentivize students to attend an institution in Ohio. It provides up to $5,000 a year to high school seniors graduating in the top 5% of their class and planning to attend an Ohio university.

High school principal Ryan Steinbrunner explained the top four Fort Recovery seniors meet the criteria this year, but at least two of them have already committed to schools outside of Ohio. Steinbrunner added that in subsequent years, DeWine hopes to have the scholarship announced by Sept. 1, basing the rankings on students’ class standing at the end of their junior year.

Steinbrunner confirmed the scholarship program isn’t eligible to other seniors, even if one or more of the top four students aren’t able to accept it.

Steinbrunner also noted that unlike other schools in the surrounding area, Fort Recovery Local Schools bases its class rankings on several factors. (It includes cumulative GPA, the number of honors courses taken with a maximum of 10 applied, ACT scores and total credit earned with a maximum of 36.)

Also Monday, Steinbrunner pointed out plans to begin seeking quotes in January or February for new curricula. Hopes are to receive new materials in the spring so teachers can begin creating lesson plans.

In other business, board members Anne Guggenbiller, Don Wendel, Nick Wehrkamp, Sean Kahlig and Jake Knapke:

•Agreed to host an organizational meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 8 in the community room at Fort Recovery High School with the regular meeting to follow.

•Elected Don Wendel as president pro-tem for the organizational meeting.

•Recognized outgoing members Guggenbiller and Knapke for their time on the board as well as former superintendent Larry Brown, whose last official day working for the school district was Tuesday. (Effective July 31, he worked as the district’s director for several months to help with the transition to current superintendent Tony Stahl.)

•Accepted several donations, including $3,875 from various sources to the Adopt-a-Family program.

•Retroactively approved an overnight field trip for FFA members to attend the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio, from Dec. 6 to Dec. 7. The group placed fourth in its division.

•OK’d reappointing Fort Recovery Library trustees including Abby Schmitz, who will serve a seven-year term without compensation on the Fort Recovery Public Library Board.

•Changed Kate Timmerman’s work assignment to part-time cook at the high school, morning crossing guard and evening bus route driver retroactive to Dec. 14, Clint Kremer’s work assignment to full-time building maintenance engineer and morning bus driver retroactive to Dec. 14 and Susan Pugh’s work assignment to part-time cook effective Jan. 3.

•Approved hiring Lindsey Bruggeman as a non-teaching employee with a one-year contract.

•OK’d renewing a membership with Ohio School Boards Association for $3,977.