ASHLAND — Ashland City Schools board members acted on several “housekeeping” items as part of two members’ first meeting Monday.
Gina Deppert, an incumbent, and Pamela Mowry and John Teevan took the oath in front of family and friends. Deppert began her time on the board in January 2021 after replacing Dustin Kruty.
Mowry and Teevan replace former board members Megan Steffen and Dr. Fred Gingrich.
The three board members earned the most votes in November among a crowded pool of candidates.
One of the first “housekeeping” items, as described by board president Zack Truax, was the board’s move to raise minimum wages for certain substitute positions and paraprofessionals.
The district raised the minimum wage to $9.30 an hour. The rate used to be $8.80, according to the district’s treasurer, Kyle Klingler.
The positions that received the rate increase include bus, ISD, teacher, clinic, library paraprofessionals and other positions within food service and bus service.
Substitute teachers earn $85 a day, Klingler said. Substitute bus drivers earn $12.25 an hour, he said.
The school board also set their meetings schedule for the next year. It will meet for a regular meeting on the fourth Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. If needed, the board will hold a non-voting meeting on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m.
Each meeting will be at the district’s administrative offices building at 1407 Claremont Ave.
The board also established a $5,000 Board Service Fund to be used to reimburse board members who receive training and must travel for it.
The board also approved of the adoption of the district’s 2023 tax budget, which Klingler described as a rough estimate of spending going into 2023.
The board elected member Zack Truax to serve as the board’s president for another year and Deppert will serve as its vice president.
Mowry was appointed to the Ashland County West Holmes Career Center’s board for a three-year term.
The next voting meeting will be Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
