EAST PALESTINE — The East Palestine Board of Education shined a spotlight on the district’s preschool and approved a number of policy changes and employment contracts during a regular school board meeting on Monday.

Preschool Administrator Carol Vollnogle told the board that the district preschool will implement a new curriculum next year — Ready to Advance. The curriculum will focus on language arts, math, social studies and social emotional components.

“This curriculum meets all of our needs,” she said. “It fits in with our scope and sequences. We discussed letting kids be kids and this curriculum focuses more on our centers and less on paper and pencil.”

Vollnogle also told the board that the preschool continues to expand as what began with four staff members and two classes has steadily grown. She commended the staff for its dedication for preparing preschool students emotionally, socially, and academically for their future educational experiences.

“It takes all of us to go where we need to go and to do everything that needs to be done,” she said.

The board heard about the preschool’s recent adventures that included a program called “Around the World.” Students were introduced to different cultures of four countries– the United States, China, Italy and Mexico — making crafts that represented the different cultures, trying foods of those countries and learning that, as Vollnogle put it, “we are all people but we are also different.”

Vollnogle also told the board that the preschool classrooms recently held a send-off for one of its students before they left for Disnleyland on a Make-A-Wish trip.

In policy matters, the board approved and adopted as an emergency changes to board policies 5610 (removal, suspension, expulsion and permanent exclusion of students), 5223 (released time for religious instruction during the school day), 5780.01 (parents’ bill of rights) and 7421 (restrooms, locker rooms, shower rooms and changing rooms). Those changes are to reflect mandates under the current federal administration and will go into effect today. The board also adopted Special Education model policies and procedures “with slight modifications” under the direction of Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).

“The Board directs that the language identified below shall be considered either modified as specified” the resolution stated. Those changes were made in regards to destruction of educational records, Independent Education Evaluation (IEE) at public expense and Individual Education Programs (IEP) by deleting some phrases entirely and changing others.

The board also approved board policies 8462 (student abuse and neglect), 8600.04 (bus driver certification), 8640 (transportation of non-routine trips), 8660 (incidental transportation of students) and 9160 (public attendance at school events), as well as a batch of first readings for 5111.01 (homeless students), 5111.03 (children and youth in foster care), 8390 (animals on district property), 8400 (school safety), 8650 (transportation by vehicles other than school bus), 8600 (transportation) and 8420 (emergency situations at school).

In personnel items, the board approved three-year administrator contracts for Rachele Karabin as school district psychologist and John Demster as community liaison, supplemental contracts for Ashley Murphy (head varsity tennis coach), Will Ginder (junior high basketball coach) Tristen Reynolds (high school assistant baseball coach), Aaron Walker (head varsity baseball coach) and Joseph Kenneally (as assistant high school tennis coach), volunteer basketball coach Addyson Glavan and Darlene Johnson as an elementary school substitute aide.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the school board approved:

— The non-renewal of winter supplemental contracts, permanent subs and part-time teachers are part of procedure and protocol.

— A contract for athletic and special events photography services with Lori Cascio for the 2024-25 school year.

— Field trips for Kindergarten class to Living Treasures Animal Park on May 23 and the 8th grade class went to Kennywood Park on May 27.

— A food service contract with the Nutrition Group Inc. for the 2025-2026 school year (renewable for four years).

— Service agreements with the Educational Service Center of Eastern Ohio and the Mahoning Valley Regional Council of Governments, both from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

— Five open enrollment students, days without pay for four employees, the treasurer’s financial report and a $1,000 donation from James Holl for the Scholarship Fund.

selverd@mojonews.com