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Toronto school board approves calendar, discusses lunch program

OATHS ADMINISTERED — Kayla Whitlatch, treasurer for Toronto City Schools, administered oaths of office to J.J. Liddick, left, and Randy Henry, who were elected the Toronto school board’s vice president and president, respectively, on Thursday. -- Warren Scott

TORONTO — the Toronto Board of Education re-organized for the new year, approved a calendar for the next school year and discussed the school district’s lunch program during Thursday’s meeting.

With its approval by the board, the 2025-2026 school year will be kicked off on Aug. 18 with a Back-to-School Bash including the distribution of school supplies and information and other activities.

The first day of school will be Aug. 22 for kindergarteners, Aug. 25 for pre-schoolers and Aug. 20 for all other grades.

The calendar includes three-day breaks for Thanksgiving and around Easter weekend and a two-week break for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

It’s slated to end on May 28, depending on make-up days needed for weather-related or other cancelations, with commencement for the high school’s senior class set for May 22.

Superintendent Maureen Taggart noted prospective calendars for the school year are developed by a committee of administrators and teachers and voted upon by members of the Toronto Education Association, a chapter of the Ohio Education Association.

The board also elected a new president, Randy Henry, and vice president, J.J. Liddick, and divided its membership among various committees.

The committee appointments were divided in this way: Liddick and Jay Foster to the joint recreation board comprised of board members and City Council representatives and the insurance committee; Foster and Andy Reeves to the athletic committee; Julie Ault and Reeves to the finance committee; Ault and Liddick to the buildings and grounds committee and curriculum committee; Henry and Reeves to the personnel committee and policy-procedure committee; and Ault and Liddick to the records committee.

Foster will represent the board on the Ohio School Boards Association, and Ault will serve as its liaison to the state Legislature and Student Achievement and on the Jefferson County Joint Vocational High School board.

In related business, the board approved the allocation of $3,500 for members’ training and related expenses through the year.

A short discussion of the school district’s lunch program arose in response to a complaint on social media about a student not being served a hamburger, which had been one of two posted hot entrees on that day.

The board was advised a truck delivering hamburgers for that day didn’t arrive, and another entree was substituted.

Noting there are three lunch periods, board members asked if it’s possible for the school’s food service to run out of a main entree by the last period.

It was noted older students have the opportunity to buy an additional main entree, while the third lunch period is reserved for younger ones.

Taggart said in addition to the two main entrees, the lunch selection includes a deli sandwich or salad as well as various side entrees.

She noted the school district’s lunches and breakfasts are provided free to all students through an income-based program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Taggart said it’s the first year the school district has been eligible, with free meals provided in recent years with the help of a grant secured by it.

Taggart said Tara Pickens, the district’s food services director, has been monitoring students’ consumption of various foods and plans to survey them on their likes and dislikes while speaking to them about good nutritional choices.

The superintendent said the school district teamed with the Helping Hands Food Pantry to provide bags of food for students in need to take home with them over Christmas break.

Efforts to assist such students are coordinated through the school nurses’ offices.

The board approved the following athletic personnel: Nathaniel Stewart, Trevor Host and Jayden Vandeborne as senior high school volunteer assistant baseball coaches; Darrick Phillips, Matt Ludewig, Harris Ong and Host as senior high assistant football coaches; Michael Conlon and Rick Daugherty as co-senior high assistant football coaches; Erle Heaton as equipment manager; Madison Zdinak as senior high assistant cheering coach; Morgan Bouscher as senior high assistant volleyball coach; Ted Kinsey and Mike Ludewig as senior high volunteer assistant football coaches; Joe Takacs as senior high volunteer assistant cheering coach; Samantha Fornsaglio as junior high assistant volleyball coach; and Emily Antill as junior high head girls track coach.

The board’s next meeting will be at 5 p.m. Feb. 20 in the library of Toronto Junior-Senior High School.

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