ADENA — The Buckeye Local Board of Education meeting took leaders to Buckeye West Elementary on March 17, where they learned about the latest happenings within the building.

Principal Brian DiCola welcomed officials and attendants and highlighted activities at the Adena school.

“We’re introducing our autism unit next year,” he said. “It’s greatly needed and I’d like to thank (Superintendent) Coy Sudvary, (Assistant Superintendent) Julie Packer and the board for their support.”

The sensory room includes swings, tents and other equipment to help soothe students so they can focus on their education.

“We are very excited to be opening this unit at West. Packer and Sudvary identified a need within our school and acted on it, and it will do wonders to benefit our students,” he added. “We are looking forward to servicing our students and their unique needs as best we can next year and this unit will go a long way toward providing that for them.”

DiCola continued that a new program was in place to recognize students’ positive behaviors and pupils were being called to the office for their good deeds. As a result, good behaviors have increased and negative ones have decreased. Another addition was the Sunshine Club and students in grades 3-5 will have their names selected to help welcome their peers to school.

“We’ve also had three lending libraries put into the school as an Eagle Scout project by Brayden Russell, who is a former student at West,” he continued.

Russell, of Adena, is a senior at Buckeye Local High School and member of Boy Scout Troop No. 14 in Mount Pleasant who undertook the project this winter. Three boxes were constructed and Russell also added books for students to enjoy. The libraries can be found on each floor of the school.

Student Council President Brenna Hennebert and members Kadence King and Aiden Call also updated the board on projects their group were involved in throughout the year. Hennebert said the council was started at the end of November and incorporated real-world scenarios into their sessions. The group sought donations of Christmas decorations and placed trees and garland throughout the school to ring in the holiday. Several members also helped clean up the school by picking up bits of trash and doing other small tasks. King and Call noted that members delved into community service projects from decorating doors for Valentine’s Day and reading to younger students to making and taking shamrocks to the Tony Teramana Cancer Center to support patients. Possible plans are to hold a food or clothing drive in the spring and hold an Easter activity for the classrooms, as well as hold fundraisers and post positive posters around the building in the future. More ideas were also being sought for next year.

In other matters, officials heard from Buckeye Local Classroom Teachers Association President Gen Varkony, who asked the board to consider reposting a junior high social studies educator’s position. Varkony said the most recent posting was for grades 7-12 and no one with grades K-8 or 4-9 social studies licensure would be eligible to bid. She added that a number of retirements were anticipated and educators hoped to have opportunities to bid on the jobs. Sudvary later said officials followed the BLCTA Collective Bargaining Agreement and “made the best decision based on the educational needs of the students and district.”

In personnel matters, the board accepted the retirement of educational aide JoAnn Bartrug effective May 31 after 24 years of service. Sudvary commended Bartrug for her dedication and said she would be greatly missed.

Leaders approved the resignation of Charles Sempkowski as teacher, head cross country coach and adviser or co-adviser of National Honor Society and student council.

More action included approving continuing contracts to certified staff Rebecca Canestraro at North Elementary and Christine Ciardelli at South Elementary as well as classified staff, including cooks Brandy Becker and Angela Taylor and custodian Jodi Mackey while cook Nancy Carpenter received a one-year contract; removing Mike Kovalski and Trevor Zanes as volunteer baseball coaches and employing them as assistant high school baseball coaches for 2024-25. Albert Stock was named assistant girls’ track coach at BLHS and Ashley Smigle and Brooke Wallace were named as cooks/custodians/secretaries on the substitute list for 2024-25.

Board members approved an intent to contract with the Jefferson County Educational Service Center for continued services including CORAS membership and staffing; and approved supplemental duties for Bailey McGrath as student council co-adviser, Savana Granat as NHS adviser and Jeremy Drysdale as assistant boys’ track coach at BLHS.

Among other action, the board:

• Learned from Maintenance Supervisor Tony Panepucci that updates were needed at district buildings, including a heating unit replacement at the North Elementary preschool and near the BLHS Commons. He added that a tabletop safety exercise was also completed and each school’s emergency plans will be submitted to the state;

• Agreed to purchase two new buses from Hill International Trucks LLC, for an estimated $257,846;

• Recognized Cameron Best, Jim Berze, Erica Frye, Deputy Brian Driscoll and Sharon Rine as employees of the month for February;

• Heard from Sudvary that BLHS would present “Little Shop of Horrors.” He announced preschool and kindergarten registration will be held on March 25-26 at the central office in Dillonvale, the BLHS Queen of Queens Pageant will be held on March 26 at 7 p.m. and the high school band’s spring concert on March 28 at 7 p.m.;

• Applauded Robert Call, John Frank, Jacob Davis, Olivia Takach and Faith Shoaf, who were selected as delegates for Buckeye Boys and Girls State. Sudvary thanked the area American Legions for sponsoring the students;

• Touted North Elementary Title math teacher Robyn Hoover for assisting a student facing a medical emergency;

• Applauded Buckeye Local Junior High sixth-grader Brheanna Boyles for earning first runner-up in the Jefferson-Harrison Regional Spelling Bee;

• Set the next regular meeting for 5:30 p.m. April 14 at 5:30 p.m. in the administrative office in Dillonvale.