ASHLAND – Ashland City Schools board President Will Gravitt announced Monday next month will be his last on the board.
Gravitt and his family are moving out of the district to live in Oberlin, where Gravitt recently began a job in the development office. Prior to that, Gravitt worked in development at Ashland Theological Seminary.
Gravitt is leaving one year into his second, four-year term on the school board. His fellow board members will appoint a replacement to fill his seat following his resignation, which is effective Sept. 30. Board vice president Jim Wolfe will assume the role of president.
According to state law, the board’s appointee to replace Gravitt will serve through Jan. 1, 2020. If the appointee wishes to continue in the office, they must run in the November 2019 election.
Also during Monday’s meeting, Supt. Doug Marrah told the board the first day of school went relatively smoothly. Buses ran about a half hour late, Marrah said, but he expects those first-day issues will be worked out quickly.
Marrah reported that, thanks to funding from the Samaritan Hospital Foundation and University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center, the district is now equipped with Stop the Bleed kits as part of its school safety plan. The kits are designed to provide emergency responders and the public with the means to help stop traumatic hemorrhaging.
“It’s something we want to be prepared for,” Marrah said. “Hopefully we never have to use it.”
Students helped assemble the kits earlier this month, and the kits will be in schools county-wide.
In other news, Marrah said, renovations are complete at Taft and Edison schools, and the grandstand renovation of Community Stadium is nearly finished.
The district is planning a ground-breaking ceremony Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. Sept. 21 for the Keith Wygant Memorial Field House.
Marrah also said the former Ashland Middle School property on Cottage Street will be auctioned Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. The property will be auctioned in three parcels, Marrah said, and district officials will set minimum sale prices for each parcel as well as for the combination of the three.
Meanwhile, the district’s property where Osborn Elementary School used to sit remains vacant and has not been put up for auction. Acknowledging the district’s school buildings are near capacity, Marrah said the district intends to hang onto the property for the time being.
