Ontario Local Schools

Board of Education

Ontario Board of Education Members

Seated (left to right):  Board President Heidi Zimmerman and Board Member Amy Hiner
Standing (left to right): Board Vice-President Todd Friend, and Board Members Brett Baxter, and Jerod Them

Next Board Meeting

The Ontario Local School Board of Education will hold its next regular meeting in the OHS library on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in person; however, due to COVID-19 guidelines, we will be practicing social distancing protocols and all visitors must wear a mask. 
About Board Meetings
 
The Role of the Board
The primary responsibility of the board is to establish programs and procedures that will facilitate maximum learning for every student. The board must accomplish this while also being responsible for wise management of resources available to the district. The board must fulfill these responsibilities by functioning primarily as a legislative body to formulate and adopt policy, by selecting an executive officer to implement policy and by evaluating the results; further, it must carry out its functions openly, while seeking the involvement and contributions of the public, students and staff in its decision-making process. 

The Organization of the Board of Education
The president and vice president of the board positions are determined by the election of fellow board members at the Organizational Meeting in January of each year. The president conducts the meetings, acts as spokesperson for the board and performs various legal functions such as signing contracts. The vice-president conducts the meeting and board business in the absence of the president.

Role of the Superintendent
The superintendent of schools is the chief administrative officer of the district and is responsible for the execution of the board's policies and the day-to-day operation of the school district. By delegation, the board provides the superintendent with the freedom to manage the schools within the board's policies, freeing the board to devote its time to policy-making and appraisal functions. The superintendent is not a member of the board, but reports directly to the board. 

Role of the Treasurer
The treasurer serves as the chief financial officer of the school district and is responsible for the receipt, investment, accounting and disbursement of all types of public funds as required by law and in accordance with board policies. The treasurer is not a member of the board, but serves as its secretary at board meetings. 

Paperless Technology for Board Meetings

BoardDocs LT is an internet-based site that will enable staff, board members, and most importantly, the general public access to meeting agendas as well as other board-related files. This site will allow interested parties the opportunity to review information prior to board meetings. All documents will be automatically archived and available for review by meeting date or by using the system's comprehensive search feature.

To use this feature, simply click on the link below or use the link provided on the right side of this page.

Go to the BoardDocs site.

ONTARIO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER RECOGNIZED FOR 20 YEARS SERVICE

 
At the December 10th evening's meeting, the Ontario Board of Education honored Sam VanCura for his twenty years of service as a member of the Board. Friends and family attended to honor and celebrate Sam's work for Ontario Schools. The meeting concluded his tenure, and his seat will be filled by new member, Amy Hiner.
Heidi Zimmerman - Board President
Phone - 419-512-7570
Current Occupation - Part-time Business Manager; Community Volunteer
Number of Years of Board Service - 4 years of service
Term Expires: December 31, 2021
 
Though originally from Greencastle, Indiana, Heidi and her family have been in the Mansfield area since 1999 and have made Ontario their home since 2004.  She and her husband, Brian, a 1989 Ontario graduate, have three children:  Ben and Shelby who attend Ontario Schools, and Sam, a junior at the College of Wooster. 
 
Heidi became a Board member because she wanted to bring a woman's point-of-view back to the organization.  As a parent to three children in the school system, she also wanted to witness more interaction and collaboration among Board members, district employees, and parents.  Lastly, Heidi wanted to do her part to enhance communication so parents are aware of all the opportunities and resources available.
 
Other Activities:  President of the Ontario Academic Boosters, Upward Basketball Site Volunteer, Sunday School Superintendent, CE Board Member, OCF Tag Sale Coordinator, Ontario Schools Technology Board Member, and a Lego Club Volunteer.  In her free time she enjoys reading, watching football, completing crosswords, playing trivia games, and traveling with her family.
 
Todd Friend photo Todd Friend - Vice-President
Phone - 419-612-2003
Current Occupation - Senior Neuroscience Sales Specialist with Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Number of Years of Board Service - 2 years of service
Term Expires: December 31, 2021
 
Todd is a 1988 graduate of Mansfield Senior High School and a 1992 graduate of Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He has lived in Ontario for 15 years and has three children: Conner, Cameron, and Alaina.
 
Todd became a board member to passionately serve the children in our schools; the teachers, staff and administrators who operate the schools; and the entire Ontario community who support and expect a well-run, fiscally responsible and progressive educational system. A school board must function under the highest levels of ethics, communication and transparency; ultimately, they must always consider what is in the best interest of the kids in our care. The goal is to prepare Ontario students for whatever comes next, whether that is the first grade, middle school, college, the military or the work force. He has been civically involved with the Ontario schools and community for over 15 years and is very proud, honored, and humbled to serve on the school board. 
 
Other Activities:  Todd coached various youth sports within the Upward Program, Ontario Youth Sports, and Ontario Local School systems. He is currently the Ontario Girl’s High School Varsity Tennis Coach. He also worked on former school levy committees and is a member of Mosaic Church in Mansfield.
Jerod Them
Phone - 419-545-5132
Current Occupation - Attorney & Partner at Weldon, Huston & Keyser, L.L.P.
Number of Years of Board Service - 5 years of service
Term Expires: December 31, 2021
 
Jerod and his wife, Lee Ann, are both Ontario graduates.  They have three children in Stingel Elementary and one in middle school.
 
Jerod chose to serve on the Board because he believes a school district is a community's greatest asset. He is extremely proud of and grateful for the education he received at Ontario, and it is his goal to continue to provide our students, parents, and community an outstanding school system.
 
Other Activities:  Past Board President of Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc.; Mansfield Kiwanis Club member, Past President and 2014 Lt. Governor Division 11-N Ohio District of Kiwanis; and a Coach for OYS teams.
Brett Baxter
Phone - 419-529-5598
Current Occupation - Sergeant First Class (SFC) and Senior Instructor for OHARNG Regional Training Institute (RTI)
Number of Years with Board Service - 4 years of service
Term Expires:  December 31, 2023
 
Brett and his wife are both graduates of Ontario High School and have lived in Ontario the majority of their lives. Their three children are currently all attending Ontario Schools.
 
The Ontario community helped his family in many ways during his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and in return, he wanted to give back to the community, which is why he chose to become a Board Member. After showing interest in the School Board during the 2013 election, many people suggested he should run again. The common theme for their requests was that it was time for a change.
 
Amy Hiner  
Phone - 740-974-9133
Current Occupation - Entrepreneur
Number of Years of Board Service - Newly elected
Term Expires: December 31, 2023
 
Amy and her family are transplants to Ontario, and absolutely love Richland County. She and her husband have a first grader who attends Stingel and a 2.5 year old who will eventually attend Stingel as well.
 
She chose to become a board member because she wants to bring an educator's perspective to the table. She has a Masters in Educational Leadership and a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education. As a board member, she plans to be an advocate for teachers and students. 
 
Amy serves on many boards in the Richland County area: Richland County Foundation Women's Fund, Mansfield Richland County Public Library, Parent Aide Program, Moms Club of Mansfield, and the Richland Carrousel Park. 
 
She and her family love skiing and snow-tubing at Snow Trails during the winter, and swimming in the summer. She has coached T-ball for OYS for two years and plans to continue with coaching in the future. 

Superintendent

Lisa Carmichael

Lisa Carmichael
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Treasurer

Randy Harvey

Randy Harvey
 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations Randy on receiving the prestigious honor of Auditor of State Award for excellent record keeping in 2018 and for being a careful steward of Ontario taxpayers dollars!

Administrative Staff

Superintendent - Lisa Carmichael
Phone - 419.747.4311
FAX - 419.747.6859
Director of Education - Mike Ream
Treasurer - Randy Harvey
Phone - 419.747.4311
Director of Transportation & Maintenance - Pat Duffner
Phone - 419.529.3814

Regular Meeting Dates

JANUARY 14, 2020
FEBRUARY 11, 2020
MARCH 10, 2020
APRIL 14, 2020
MAY 12, 2020
JUNE 9, 2020 
JULY 14, 2020
AUGUST 11, 2020
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
OCTOBER 13, 2020
NOVEMBER 10, 2020
DECEMBER 8, 2020 
All meetings are Tuesday evenings in the OHS Library at 7:00 p.m., 467 Shelby-Ontario Road, Mansfield, OH  44906

Board Communication

Bylaws & Policies

Forecast

Audit Report

Ohio Checkbook Link

Bullying Incident Report

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