Garaway Board of Education approves bus cameras, cheer trip and contracts

The Garaway Board of Education accepted a $7,600 Ohio Department of Education and Workforce school bus grant to purchase stop-arm cameras for district bus routes during the Feb. 9 board meeting.

The board agreed to purchase the cameras through Surveillance-247. These will replace the bus signals when the bus stops. The total cost is $8,355. The district will pay the difference.

Trisha Cash, cheer adviser, spoke on behalf of the cheerleaders to gain approval for a trip. Later in the meeting, the board approved an overnight out-of-state trip for the Garaway cheerleaders to participate in a national cheerleading competition March 13-16 in Orlando, Florida.

The board also approved the following administrative contract renewals: Five-year contracts were issued to Tom Haas, seventh grade through 12th grade principal; Michael Maurer, buildings and grounds coordinator; Scott Sauernheimer, director of nutrition; and Chuck Zobel, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. A one-year contract was issued to Melissa Ripple, health care professional.

The board also did the following:

—Accepted $500 from an Aldo Leopold Foundation grant for the outdoor club.

—Approved the retirement of Mary O’Farrell, high school secretary, effective July 1.

—Agreed to waive the district van fee for the Appalachian Trail hike.

—Approved the purchase of a 2027 Bluebird Vision 71-passenger school bus through Cardinal Bus Sales. Pricing is through META Solutions for $141,477. The bus will not arrive for a year.

—Approved the disposal of bus No. 5 via trade-in sale to another school district or auction.

—Entered into a contract with Belden Brick Company for 2026 for the rental of the athletic fields at a fee of $350 annually.

—Approved a contract with Mowing Solutions LLC to mow the athletic fields for $353 per mow.

—Approved the disposal of nonfunctioning and unrepairable equipment and furniture that has been flagged as unsafe by the county health department.

—Passed a resolution for 2026-27 membership into the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

—Approved the eighth grade trip May 11-13, 2027, to Washington, D.C.

—Issued one-year supplemental coaching contracts to Jason Wallick and Steve Sparks; Mason Elliott and Adam Stilgenbaurer, assistant varsity track, each half stipend; Susie Schlabach and Kyle Dunn, middle school track; Darren Yosick, varsity assistant baseball; Cole Ferguson and Trevor Donaldson, junior varsity baseball, each half stipend; Cody Jerles, freshman baseball; and Joyce Grimm, varsity assistant softball.

—Approved athletic volunteers for 2025-26: Chad Wallick, Hunter Bradley and Jessica Schwartz, all track; Nicholas Schwartz, baseball; and Hannah Ziegler, Lindzee Hoffman and Maria Kosmider, all softball.

—Recognized January Student of the Month recipients: Austin Swartzentruber, high school; Abygail Haynes, middle school; Erik Schlabach, fine artist; and Jaxon Garber and Lucy Numbers, athletes. Each received a plaque.

The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. March 16 in the high school library at 146 Dover Road NW, Sugarcreek.