INVOLVEMENT — Edison Junioe-Senior High School pupils, from left, Brenna Liggett, Leila Sudvary and Casher Dopp, presented their student representative reports to the Edison Local Board of Education meeting on Nov. 19. -- Contributed

RICHMOND — The issue of educational and other programming topped discussion during the regular meeting of the Edison Local Board of Education on Nov. 19.

Board members gathered at the Edison High School Fieldhouse in Richmond, where they heard from high school student representatives Brenna Liggett, Leila Sudvary and Casher Dopp about updates and ideas on possibilities for their school.

Liggett, a junior, touched on some student concerns including upperclassmen lunch periods, extra bathroom time, and use of bookbags, and noted a suggestion box was requested outside the cafeteria so students could provide meal choices. She instead inquired about providing a salad bar to increase options and reduce waste in pre-made salads. Liggett also broached the possibility of creating a club fair to expose students to extracurricular activities and also build recruitment in organizations and sports.

“I think it would be a good idea to host this at the beginning of the school year during school hours so all of our students could participate,” she continued. “I think this is a great opportunity for the students to get involved and for the clubs that put in a lot of effort to show themselves off and see if they can get people interested.”

She also hoped to work with school counselor Collette Honsowetz on a peer-mentoring program to build connections and social engagement. She was inspired by the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program and said it would be a great opportunity for students to make connections outside their grade levels and improve empathy.

Sudvary, a sophomore, said she completed a project book for 4-H for mental health and drug and suicide prevention and wanted to implement it at school.

“Sometimes the student struggling with these issues can connect with a peer or feel like they understand better. It’s good that students maintain a positive environment,” she added. She also offered ideas to create a ‘You Matter’ bulletin board with information and QR codes to link students to resources as well as a display where students could write cards of gratitude.

Dopp, a seventh-grader at Edison Junior High, shared issues about some needed improvements in the annex bathrooms and asked officials to consider the possibility of transporting EJHS students to games.

“We could bus students to away football games and basketball games to give them safe, fun things to do on Friday nights,” he commented.

Leaders praised their presentations and board President Aaron Richardson said the student representative program has truly grown.

“I think what’s interesting and what I appreciate about your presentation is the evolution of when we first implemented this program,” Richardson continued. “To me, it’s interesting to see…that you guys are trying to implement programs that are going to help the environment and you’re going to help each other.”

EHS Principal Matt Morrison also provided an overview of the Maymester courses being implemented this spring in the junior and senior high school buildings. Starting May 4, the school will offer courses during an 18-day period that will be incorporated into altered time blocks. Officials said planning got underway in August and teachers were encouraged to create a course based upon their own interests and are within their certification parameters. Examples include “Art Around the World,” “Greenhouse Management,” “Clean Energy and Watt Works,” Living Session-2 the Constitutional Convention,” “World Lit Iconic Films” and “Finance for the Future,” among others at the high school, while classes for junior high students will include “From Sea to Shining Sea,” Echoes of Equality: Civil Rights,” and more. The senior high will run on four 94-minute blocks while the junior high will have 12 classes with three 47-minute blocks and one 94-minute period.

“Our nine weeks end and we’ll start Maymester on May 4,” said Superintendent Bill Beattie. “It’s a modified calendar. It’s a creative way to meet the interests of teachers and engage students with a more hands-on approach.”

Morrison said the building was getting ready for the change and students will have several opportunities to take the classes they choose.

Meanwhile, Honsowetz presented a comprehensive program with a mission to provide research-based interventions and a data-informed curriculum, plus programs that address the whole student while emphasizing academic achievement, career, and personal and social development. It is currently in the second year of a four-year plan and is being done in conjunction with The Ohio State University, and she said its vision also meets the district’s goal of getting students prepared for tomorrow and to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed. Honsowetz explained that EHS had three school counselors and she worked with the social-emotional aspect while Leah Eft focused on careers and Karen Crawford oversaw academics.

“Part of what we’ve been doing here over the last few years is we’ve been focusing on a comprehensive school counseling program,” she said. “Some of the things is does is we identify the knowledge and skills students need. We really use data to direct [where we’re going].”

She added that like teachers, counselors also have standards and spend 80 percent of their time on direct and indirect services, including counseling, referrals, and instruction, while 20 percent focuses on data, identify gaps and plans to close them. Honsowetz also outlined the cycle of a year for a counselor, saying they meet with Principal Morrison, create data, work on interventions, and monitor the data each quarter. The end goals range from having a 3-percent increase in the graduation rate to a 3-percent decrease in chronic absenteeism.

“We were able to reach the goal this year,” Honsowetz continued, saying she hoped to provide an update on her findings in the spring.

Among other matters:

• Jefferson County Educational Service Center Intervention Specialist Patty Ferrell presented three $700 Best Practice Grants to district teachers for their innovative programs. Recipients were Nathanael Kline, Miguel Brun and Stephanie Kuca. Kline was on hand and said his project involved paper-based interventions for executive function and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports;

• Leaders heard from Assistant Superintendent Julie Kireta that she met with EHS career coach Leah Eft and EHS FFA Adviser Kelli Pridemore about career-tech opportunities, and one was an ag business plan where students are involved in a work-release program. She was also eyeing a public service pathway, developing capstones and utilizing pre-apprenticeship options, plus she was reviewing the idea of implementing a Sources of Strength organization for peer mentoring;

• The board accepted the resignations of Ethan Waggoner as junior high wrestling coach and Luke Spencer as varsity wrestling coach, as well as EHS school nurse Jenna Still and Stanton Elementary teacher Nancy Davis, the latter for the purpose of retirement in July. They also employed Olivia Shaw as a registered behavior technician and Melinda Weaver and Jeanette Mase as paraprofessional aides at John Gregg Elementary;

• Officials appointed Ron Smyth as the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School Board representative for a three-year term ending in December of 2028;

• The board set the next regular meeting for 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at the high school.