The end of this very strange school year for students is Thursday, May 21.  I would like to again thank our students, families, teachers, aides, secretaries, food service workers, custodians, drivers, and administrators for making the best of a terrible situation.  Also, I want to thank the voters of the community, who overwhelmingly supported the income tax renewal for another four years.  The district is humbled by the continued support of our students even during these hard economic times.

Seniors are to return their chromebooks and any other school materials to the school offices starting on May 15th from 8 AM - 4 PM and May 18 &19 from 8 AM - 8 PM. Students will use the designated door indicated (door #1 or #2 ) to drop off materials.  A visual check of the computer bag, charging cord, and chromebook will be completed by a staff member on duty.  A more thorough check of the operation of the chromebook will be done by tech staff in the day or two after returning equipment.  Additional materials need to be returned during these times too.

Underclassmen students are allowed to keep their chromebooks during the summer. The security system of the chromebook will revert back to the typical school use.  If you have a question or an issue with a chromebook during the summer break, contact the board office at 937-526-4773, ext. 6005, or email [email protected] to inform the school. You may be required to bring in the chromebook during the summer to fix an issue.  Before or at the start of school, depending on how the school is allowed to open, all student chromebooks will be checked by district tech staff to verify equipment is in proper working order. You may also return the chromebook to the Board of Education office during the summer too.

The school building will be closed to all activity until further notice. The Board of Education offices will be open during the summer. Please call ahead at 937-526-4773 to make sure the person you need is available to meet.

Versailles Food Service, in partnership with the state and federal government, will be able to provide weekly food support for students during the summer. If you are in need of food support during this time, please contact Mrs. Debra Didier at 937-526-4427, ext. 5000, or email [email protected].

The district is waiting for guidance from the state as we look forward to the opening of the 2020-2021 school year.  I believe we have been given some signals from Governor DeWine that a hybrid start is likely. What is a hybrid schedule?  From what I hear from the Governor, it is where part of a class is in session, while another part of the class is at home. The students could alternate days of attendance.  In addition, changes in transportation, food service, and custodial cleaning will have to undergo changes to meet expected guidelines.  I am seeking to have a couple of parents from the elementary, middle, and high school as representatives to a committee for input into a plan for a hybrid start to the school year.

Recently, the state reduced funding to the district by $235,974 for the last two months of the fiscal year, which ends June 30th.  Governor DeWine indicated the cuts were made now so future cuts are “not more dramatic”.  Given the state of the economy, the district is expecting cuts to continue into the next fiscal year.  As revenue from state and local sources become less, the district will need to reduce expenditures while maintaining student programs to provide the quality education our students deserve and the community expects. The district’s financial rainy day funds have been built up over the past eight years with the expectation to pay off the building debt early.  However, given the unprecedented times, some of the funds will be needed to keep the district strong now and for the future. Decisions will be made by the board of education as information becomes known.

In order to continue to communicate with the community, I will host Zoom meetings on:

May 19th @ 9 AM, 3 PM

May 20th @ 12 PM, 5 PM, 8 PM

Please email me at [email protected] to get the password for the meeting you would like to participate in.  You are also able to call me at 937-621-1810 to ask questions or provide thoughts.

Thank you again for your continued efforts to handle the crisis the country has been in for the past 8 weeks.