NEW PARIS — The National Trail School Board at its Sept. 24 meeting approved the district’s middle school trip to Cope Environment Center in Centerville, Ind., planned for Oct. 25.
The center is an outdoor classroom where students can learn through interactive, hands-on sustainability and nature-based programming for schools and other groups.
According to its website, the organization partners with businesses, universities and other non-profits to teach the principles of sustainability. The center is not far away, but schools need the board’s approval to take kids out of state.
On the meeting’s agenda was an invitation for the public to comment on Special Education Part B Funds. No one commented; however, members of the public are invited to speak on the subject at the next school board meeting on Oct. 20.
The board also approved, at Superintendent Jen Couch’s recommendation, moving the 2025 National Trail High School graduation ceremony from Friday, May 23, to Saturday, May 24. It will take place at 6:30 p.m.
Also approved was the superintendent’s recommendation to contract with the Montgomery County ESC for services of its Educational Assessment Team’s vision/hearing/audiology services, as well as independent educational evaluations and autism coaching for the 2024-25 school year at an estimated cost $10,000.
During reports from department heads, Athletic Director Troy Ferguson told the board the school has purchased a painting robot to paint the sports fields, at a cost of $9,000 to lease for three years. He said it can be leased to other schools at around $500 to $1,000.
Transportation Director John Toschlog reported that a bus crash on Sept. 20 involved the bus being rear-ended when a second car back from the bus pushed a car directly behind the bus under the bus. No students or the bus driver were injured, Toschlog said.
The school had had a bus evacuation drill earlier in the month and it paid off as the students got off the bus quickly, he said.
“Elementary students got home about their regular time,” Toschlog said.
Reporting for the elementary school, Principal Kristi Alldred said that 450 adults came to the school for Parents’ Week.
Alldred said school reports in from state were as follows: Four stars in the third grade for 93 percent proficiency in reading and 83.9 percent in math and one star in progress shown. Three and one-half stars were earned overall for the elementary school. Reading tests will be administered in October to identify at-risk students.
For the middle school, Principal Derek Lucas reported a great first month.
“Students and teachers are settled into their routines,” Lucas said.
Eighth-grade students participated in Preble County Career Day held on Sept. 5.
“Students got to pick out four or five careers they were interested in from about 17. I was impressed with the eighth-graders’ behavior,” Lucas said. “Last Friday, our careers class of seventh- and eighth-graders toured Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Richmond.”
High School Principal Michael Eyler reported a number of positive activities so far this school year.
“This past weekend was our Greenhand Fun Night with the FFA. The week before that was Applefest, where a number of our organizations volunteered their time to work the games and bounce houses,” Eyler said. “On Thursday, we are sending students to a Renaissance Leadership Conference and on Friday our staff will be planning some of the upcoming school culture activities we’ll do during intervention blocks each month.”
The next regular meeting of the National Trail Board of Education will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the K-12 Facility located at 6940 Oxford-Gettysburg Road, New Paris, in either the Media Center or the cafeteria.
