Henning resigns as 6-12 Vocal Music Teacher

By Betsi Werling

The Ada School Board meeting met on Thursday, July 16 and was called to order by Jay Salyer. (Board membership and documents at the Ada Schools website.)

All action items were approved, including the waiver of student school fees for 2026-2027. This will be the third year that the school board has waived student fees. The approximate cost of fees waived has not yet been estimated.

Athletic ticket prices were reviewed. Adult and student tickets will increase by $1.00. Adults will pay $8.00 and students will pay $5.00. The adult all-season pass is $125.00. It was noted that Ada students are admitted into home games for free.

The district will share transportation with Hardin Northern Local Schools to provide transportation service for Hardin Northern students to the Allen County ESC. 

The program service agreement with Midwest Regional ESC will be renewed and the agency will provide services for the Youth Development Liaison and Document Management. 

RESIGNATION
Scott Henning has resigned as of July 10, 2026, as the 6-12 Vocal Music Teacher. Henning served in this role for 10 years and was commended for his service. 

SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
Julie Simmons made a presentation reviewing the Ada Exempted Village School District goals from the 2025-2026 academic year. 

The district looked to increase performance on the State Report Card, and the district received a four on the report card. The district sets goals on state achievement tests, and overall, students either met or exceeded them. The district also went from two to four on the State Report Card for College and Career Readiness. 

There were several days of professional development for teachers. As a result, the district created a district-wide assessment calendar, so teachers knew when the tests were being held. The teachers were able to plan accordingly, so students were prepared. 

Academic Excellence was pursued by purchasing a program called Aubrey, which allows districts to create dashboards that allow teachers to know how students are doing on attendance, behavior and grades. This allows the district to meet students where they are and work towards helping them be successful. Chronic absenteeism has continually gone down. 

The four-year graduation rate for 2025 and 2026 was 100%. One aspect of this goal was also making sure all students have written graduation plans. All students had the plan in place, and now there will be more work on continually updating systematically and also sharing with parents. 

A communication survey was given in October, and the feedback was very beneficial in helping with family communication and teacher communication. For parents, there was a review of Remind notifications, and for teachers, the principals created weekly newsletters. The website also improved. 

There were several events focused on family and Community Engagement. There was a Title Reading Program held, a parent training evening on Behavioral Leadership, the Patriotic Pops Concert and the Senior Citizen breakfast. 

The district also created a ticket system for work orders on facilities, grounds and equipment. Now there is a better way to track completion of projects and response time. 

There are several facility projects being completed this summer. A new metal roof, the science rooms are receiving stained concrete for the floors, gym floors are being resurfaced, and the teacher parking lot has been resurfaced. 

TREASURER REPORT

Tessa McVey presented the Treasurer’s report. June was the final month of the budget. Expenditures were in line with projections. There were some additional tech purchases for equipment to be installed this summer. 

Cash summary showed two negative funds, due to grants for which the district must spend the money and then be reimbursed. A board member requested that the district look at the AEP rates because costs have continued to increase even during months where school is not in session. 

McVey said that the agreement with K-12 Business Consulting, Inc was due for renewal. She reported that districts are now expected to provide financial projections in August and February. 

Some classes had funds left in their account. The recommendation is to roll this money into the new Junior Class accounts to help pay for Prom. The board approved the treasurer’s report.

CONSENT AGENDA 

The list of certified and classified employees for 2026-2027 was presented. Trish Shockney will be the Midday Preschool Driver for the 2026-2027 academic year. Deborah Ward from Alger, Ohio will be the 2026-2027 volunteer for the Partners in Education Program. Nathan Freed’s contract will have an amendment to item 7 for retirement.

The next meeting will be Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.