NEW PARIS — National Trail School Board members discussed a resolution for renewal of the annual school district income tax levy at its June 25 meeting.
The resolution was approved, proposing to tax for school district purposes the district’s income of individuals and of estates to renew the income tax, expiring at the end of 2025 and determined to proceed with said levy.
At its meeting of May 28, the board adopted a resolution to determine the necessity of raising an additional $1,208,399 per year for five years.
The Ohio tax commissioner estimated the necessary rate for this levy would have to be an additional amount of 7.64 mills.
Levy language will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot as follows: Shall an income tax of three-quarters of one
percent (0.75) on the school district income of individuals and of estates be imposed by the National Trail Local School District, to renew an income tax expiring at the end of 2025 or five years, beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
Administrative Assistant Sindi Hoke, who heads the Renaissance Program for Kindergarten through sixth grade, appeared before the board to announce a program called “Ignite Your Spark with Flat Boone.”
She handed out to board members a notice that tells students to take a cutout of a character named Flat Boone along on their summer adventures.
“Whether it’s on vacation, meeting with a friend for coffee, or just a relaxing evening, snap a photo of you and Flat Boone wherever your ‘spark’ ignites,” Hoke said.
Photos should be submitted by Aug. 9 to be featured in a welcome back display next year. Participating students will receive a link to a Google form for photo submissions.
This activity is based on Flat Stanley, a character in an American children’s book series, which recounts the adventures of Stanley Lambchop after he is squashed by a bulletin board while sleeping and his activities using his flatness for entering locked doors by slipping under the door and other feats.
Recognized for their years of service were board president Cindy Lee with 15 years (16 this coming August) and school boards members Mindy Ward with five years and David Harris with 15 years.
Athletics Director Troy Ferguson announced the hiring of new head high school softball coach, Natasha Richie, who has longtime coaching experience in Michigan. Richie, of New Paris, said she has been coaching for a long time. She said she has had her eye on National Trail since she moved to the area eight years ago, and when an opening came up, she went for it.
Superintendent Bob Fischer gave a first reading of the Ohio School Board Association Policy, which included the subjects of Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, use of cell phones and electronics communication and graduation requirements.
Of particular interest were Fischer’s comments on AI. He had attended a summit conference in May, where he learned there is a program that allows someone to suggest a subject and AI will create a PowerPoint version.
“We were playing around with it. It gave me a paper about winter about three pages long. It spat it out within seconds. It’s amazing what the technology will do,” Fischer said.
“I have said to administration, ‘How do we embrace it?’ It could be a very helpful tool if we allow it to be,” he said.
The next meeting of the National Trail Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, at the National Trail School K-12 facility located at 6940 Oxford Gettysburg Road, New Paris.
