Bath school board plans ahead

LIMA — The Bath School Board met to publicly discuss and make decisions on issues related to the school district and to ensure that the administration of the district is aligned with the needs and priorities of the community.

Bath Middle School Principal Cam Staley reported to the board some results of some new initiatives that are being used at the middle school this school year. An in-school suspension program is being used with positive results. Out-of-school suspension have dropped from 64 the previous year to only 13 so far this year.

Staley also explained to the board that a project called Lead The Way will be implemented which will enhance students’ STEM curriculum. Teacher Tia Sherrick is being trained to share STEM curriculum with students and teachers in the middle school.

The school board approved the purchase of Clevertouch Smartpanels for learning environments in the elementary, middle school and high school for a total of $331,114.00. A K-12 School Safety Grant will fund $284,725 with the remaining $48,389 to be paid out of ARP ESSER funds. The Clevertouch interactive display panels provide unique features including the ability to send mass communication emergency notifications and announcements throughout a school building from personal communication devices. Clevertouch remote management software allows for emergency broadcasts to each panel.

The school board also heard from Superintendent Richard Dackin about a master plan for the future of Bath Schools. When the elementary school was built, the replacement of the middle and high school became the center of attention. Being proactive, the master plan currently has some options that the board will be considering. The first option is to build a new 6-12 building across the street where the soccer fields are located. Another option would be to build the new school where the current baseball and softball fields are located. This plan will be developed with input from the community and help from architects so when funding does become available the board will be ready to act.

Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409

Dean Brown
Dean Brown joined The Lima News in 2022 as a reporter. Prior to The Lima News, Brown was an English teacher in Allen County for 38 years, with stops at Perry, Shawnee, Spencerville and Heir Force Community School. So they figured he could throw a few sentences together about education and business in the area. An award-winning photographer, Brown likes watching old black and white movies, his dog, his wife and kids, and the four grandkids - not necessarily in that order. Reach him at [email protected] or 567-242-0409.