Trending
LISBON -- The search for new Lisbon varsity head coaches not only includes football and volleyball, but also girls basketball, with girls basketball head coach Nikki Meek recently submitting her resignation.
Her husband, Bill Meek, had already gone public with his resignation as head football coach and Dana Blackburn resigned as head volleyball coach.
The Lisbon school board accepted all three resignations Thursday night.
"We're appreciative of their time," Superintendent Joe Siefke said, noting they worked hard with the students.
He said all three had personal reasons for leaving.
The board entered into executive session at the end of the meeting for personnel matters and said no action was being taken at this time. When asked, Siefke said the board could call a special meeting if necessary to name a new varsity girls basketball coach. The season kicks off this month.
Board members saw and heard a presentation by Technology Coordinator Adam Fill on the life cycles of technology in the district, including computers, the network, security, displays and communication and peripherals.
Fill reviewed the current inventory of computing devices, which included 202 G7s and G8s, 448 G9s and 45 unused G9s and when updates will likely need to occur. New computers were purchased for McKinley Elementary last year and new computers are coming soon for David Anderson Jr./Sr. High School. He noted that all computers are running Windows 11.
A lot of the information was technical, regarding access points, switches, servers, how much better their Internet is through ACCESS with no downtime, the addition of a dozen security cameras at each school, bringing the number of security cameras districtwide to 78, fairly new sound systems, interactive TVs purchased with COVID money in 2021, new digital signs installed in 2026 at McKinley and at DAHS in 2023. He also talked about the PA systems and copiers.
Siefke said Fill was good at "finding money for us to meet our technological needs."
To take care of a drainage problem from water coming down the hill and damaging the outside lane of the track installed in 2022 at the stadium, the board approved Rhodes Excavating Company for work on the stadium track for $10,000.
"This will take care of that," Siefke said.
Maintenance Supervisor Roger Tullis said the project should take two or three days to complete, with the work possibly being done the week of Thanksgiving.
The board also entered into a contract with S.A. Comunale Co., Inc. of Warren for the annual inspection of the high school and elementary school for the period Jan. 1, 2027 through Dec. 31, 2027 for the McKinley sprinkler system, including the back flow prevention devices, dry fire sprinkler system and wet system at a cost of $600 and for the David Anderson Jr./Sr. High School wet sprinkler system and fire pump test and inspections at a cost of $1,350.
During his report, Tullis said the disinfectant donated to the district three years ago by Lysol finally ran out, so new disinfectant was purchased, with a case delivered to every classroom. He also said he's looking at using a new product, a disinfectant sprayer that puts out a fine mist that's food safe and quick drying to use in the rooms after they've been cleaned by the maintenance staff in the evenings. He also plans to provide one for each bus, too.
Both McKinley Elementary Principal Dan Kemats and David Anderson Jr./Sr. High School Principal Keith Edenfield talked about the success of their Veterans Day programs. Kemats said a lot of veterans came for the breakfast and fifth-grade program and he heard a lot of good comments. Edenfield said it was good to see the students taking ownership of the Veterans Day program, which is student-led. Both discussed the importance of hosting those Veterans Day programs to honor veterans.
They also talked about plans for next week, with McKinley holding a canned food drive to deliver to local churches and pantries and the high school holding the Blue Devil challenge before Thanksgiving.
Athletic Director Kyle Bing, who also serves as David Anderson Jr./Sr. High School Assistant Principal, talked about the latest attendance records, noting a drop in the absenteeism rates, with the overall rate for the district down to 18.8 %. Kemats said part of the reason is kids want to come to school and the school culture has a lot to do with that.
For sports, Bing announced the Meet the Team event for the winter sports will be held Nov. 23.
In other business, the board approved the renewal of the bond for Terry Woyan as fiscal assistant for $20,000 for the term beginning Nov, 24, 2026 through Nov. 24, 2027 by Auto-Owners Mutual Insurance Company, Lansing, Mich., approved Mindy Crooms as the permanent substitute position for the cafeteria at a rate of $15 per hour, approved a Title I contract for services with the Columbiana County Educational Service Center for East Liverpool Christian students, adopted the special education model policies and procedures, approved the district nutrition compliance report as adopted by the state of Ohio for both nutrition and food safety, approved second and final readings of multiple revised NEOLA policies and first and final readings of the NEOLA policy for advanced mathematics placement and promotion.
The next board meeting will be 5 p.m. Dec. 10 at the administration building.