Facility plans reviewed

Updates to Fort Recovery Local Schools facilities are in the works over the next 10 years

Fort Recovery School Board approved a 10-year capital plan Monday.

Superintendent Tony Stahl explained the plan includes the culmination of capital efforts started in 2024. The plan serves as a living document, including information about work completed since the district began an initial facilities review with architectural firm Garmann Miller last year.

The plan runs through a quick overview of the district’s facilities, which include Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School, Fort Recovery High School, The LeFevre Family Athletic Complex, Jerome & Maurice Grieshop Athletic Training Facility, Barrenbrugge Athletic Park and the district’s bus barn and maintenance building.

It also lays out a timeline. School board approved a contract with Garmann Miller in February 2024. It also updated its culture and commitment guide in September 2024, adding a goal to “maintain 80% of capital outlay projects” in reserve for future repairs and needs. Other main items on the timeline include the board’s decision in January to establish two capital funds for athletics and high school expenses and the board approving a facility review of the football stadium in October.

Capital projects have already been in the works since Stahl started as superintendent in August 2023. Upgrades to the elementary and middle school’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system were completed over the summer.

The document lays out projects over the course of the next 10 years. Future projects could include updates to Barrenbrugge Park in partnership with Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters, as well as other updates to buildings, such as roofing and envelope maintenance to both the elementary and middle school and high school buildings. If the district were to complete each project on the list, it would come to an estimated $10.752 million. 

School board member Sean Kahlig confirmed Monday’s decision didn’t signal formal approval for each project on the list but rather approved the planning process. Stahl pointed out final approval for any project will need to be voted on by school board members in the future.

In other business, school board members Mitch Fullenkamp, Nick Wehrkamp, Don Wendel, Kahlig and LeFevre:

•Agreed to hold an organizational meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 12, with the regular monthly meeting to follow, and elected Don Wendel as president pro-tem for the meeting.

•Heard from Stahl school officials may look into whether to adjust school start and end times in future years. The 2026-27 school calendar year will not be impacted, with the discussion to begin sometime next year.

•Learned the district’s membership with Ohio School Boards Association has increased by $200, or a total $4,319 for next year. Stahl told the board it could decide whether to renew its membership at the next meeting.

•Approved the following: continuing to employ Kristy Wehrkamp as a classified substitute teacher next semester, with Nick Wehrkamp abstaining; a $500,000 transfer from the general fund to the permanent improvement fund; an overnight trip for the FFA Ag Technology and Mechanical Systems team to attend state finals at Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio, retroactive to Dec. 10 and 11.

•Reappointed Fort Recovery Public Library trustees.

•Accepted the following as volunteer coaches: Brandon Schoen as junior high basketball, Kylie Post as assistant softball coach (and accepted her resignation as high school reserve softball coach), Riggs Tobe as baseball assistant coach, Ben Will as baseball assistant coach, Isaac Osterfeld as junior high track assistant coach and Kylee Sutter and Mindy Bubp as swim coaches.

•Hired Gavin Faller as baseball reserve coach and Madalin Romer as a classified substitute.

•Rescinded approval for volunteer coach Lisa Huelsman and hired her as a softball reserve coach.

•Recognized Leah Weubker for making the Ohio Music Education Association All-State Choir.

•Accepted a $4,000 donation from Win on the Wabash to the high school principal account and a $6,430 donation from Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters to athletics.