Hillsboro school board updated on new school year, 'Career Connections' YouTube channel

Members of the Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education heard updates about the newly begun 2026-27 school year, including a new career initiative at the high school, during their Monday, Aug. 17 meeting.

At the start of the meeting, board members enjoyed a presentation by Hillsboro High School guidance counselor Jessica Rhoades and senior Riley Gallimore about the new HHS Career Connections YouTube channel. The page features Gallimore and fellow senior Josie Rhoades as hosts, as they interview local business representatives around the Hillsboro area.

Jessica Rhoades said that the YouTube show came as a result of state and local efforts to emphasize career readiness.

“We have really taken an initiative at Hillsboro to make sure our career initiatives are above and beyond, but we're going to have to really put it in overdrive even more,” Rhoades said. “We needed to bring more career stuff into the schools, which is what the [Ohio] Senate Bill [328] is hoping to achieve. 

“Our goal here is to bring in as much career information into the school as possible.”

Rhoades said that the Career Connections interviews will played in high school homerooms. She added that the goal is to have a new video at least once a month and that they hope to continue the project with another pair of seniors next year.

“We're hoping to have a library of information that can be shown to our homerooms, so that they can kind of see the area jobs in this community,” Rhoades said. “We have a lot of great jobs that are here that a lot of students don't realize, so we're hoping to kind of bring that information in.”

In response to a question from board member Larry Lyons, Rhoades said that the students are currently focused on Hillsboro businesses but “are definitely open to exploring other options.”

The first two episodes have debuted, featuring an interview by Gallimore at ERA Donald Fender Classic Realty and an interview conducted by Josie Rhoades at the Highland County Sheriff’s Office. 

“I asked her questions about her job, the education she had to get to go there, and the career steps she took to become a Realtor,” Gallimore said of his interview. “We went on a in-person tour. She took us to an empty house, which she had on the market, and she just gave us like a brief interview and like description of like her daily life in that role.

“The main thing of Hillsboro Career Connections is we're trying to make sure our students know what the job is in the first place, the steps to become that, and how it is, day-to-day life. Most students at Hillsboro just don't have the connections to reach out and find these careers that we do need filled in our community, and it's important that we get that information to the students.”

Gallimore added that in addition to being shown in homerooms, the YouTube channel is public and can be accessed by students at Hillsboro — or anywhere else — at any time.

Another benefit, as mentioned by superintendent Tim Davis, is that students “can tour [the businesses] without being there” in person so that it is more beneficial for students who are interested in a particular career path.

“With our new assessment for their careers, we can really narrow down where kids want to go,” Davis said. “Keeping young talent in Hillsboro for that next generation is what we're focusing on as well.”

Gallimore agreed, saying they hope to reduce the “brain drain” of “losing our talent to bigger areas.

“We're trying to keep people coming back to Highland County,” Gallimore said. “We’re trying to retain that and hold it here, just to help our community build for the future.”

Also during Monday’s meeting, Davis discussed the start of the school year, which kicked off Aug. 13 — a day later than anticipated, after severe storms caused power outages and property damages Aug. 11.

“I can say that this year has definitely started off different than any other year,” Davis said. “I think this is the first time I can remember in my entire life that we've had to cancel the first day of school due to weather. With the power outages and a couple of our buildings that were out of power and phone services through most of the evening and storm damage, we did cancel Wednesday for the first day of school. It was a pretty easy decision considering the amount of storms that went through the night before.”

Despite the weather and delays, Davis said that their annual “District Day” was a success.

“Special thanks to our marching band and cheerleaders for putting on a great pep rally to start the school year,” Davis said. “It’s one of my favorite days, and we had a lot of new staff, so it went well. 

“We had to change some things up here this year for new staff orientation as well, due to the way the calendar fell. We only had one day, so that will probably be something that we may keep, just because we were able to get some things in, and it was good for our new staff.”

Board member Tom Milbery expressed similar thanks and compliments to Davis in his report as he said he enjoyed the annual District Day.

“You celebrate the good things have happened in the district,” Milbery said. “I just looked around at the people, the employees, and you could see a sense of excitement.

“I can remember years ago the words of the superintendent setting the tone for the school year, and I like how we're doing this now with celebrating past success and encouraging improving yourself as an educator.”

Davis also announced that the district’s annual summer food program wrapped up for the season with a record year (not including 2020 when additional meals were provided during the pandemic).

“We passed out 71,703 meals this summer,” Davis said. “That is up 11 percent from last year, and since we have started this summer meals program, we have distributed 554,766 meals. 

“This was our largest year without COVID, where we gave out weekend meals and things like that, so it has been a great success. A lot of work goes into that for our food service.” 

Davis’s report also included “a lot of thank-yous for our staff and community” for recent events, including the Hillsboro High School/Middle School PTO for starting their chapter and hosting a “Casino Night” fundraiser; Shafer Heating and Cooling, for their backpack donation drive; Hillsboro Elks Lodge #361, for their backpack and school supply drive for students; the HHS football team (hosts), volunteers and participants at the Alumni Golf Outing; and the “tons of community partners” who attended the elementary school open house.

In other reports:

• Lyons gave a legislative committee update in his report to the board.

“This past month, property taxes have still been an issue that have been in discussion,” Lyons said. “They did come out in our committee and say they do not believe there's going to be enough signatures to put the property tax repeal on the ballot. That gives us a little bit of breathing room because that would have been a big hit to public education had that occurred and if it would have been voted down.”

• In lieu of a report, board member Jerry Walker asked Davis about student enrollment trends. 

“We've held pretty consistent the last couple years,” Davis said. “We have lost students. We were probably around 2,200, 2,250 a couple years ago. We're around 2,100 now, and the last couple years.

“That kind of plays to a couple different things — the amount of online school, the amount of homeschool kids, the non-public that's in town has grown.”

• Board president Bill Myers expressed well wishes on behalf of the board to longtime board member and vice president Beverly Rhoads, who underwent surgery after breaking her hip. 

In other action, the board made the following approvals, each by a 4-0 vote unless otherwise noted:

• The board approved the five-year forecast as presented by district treasurer Ben Teeters. He said that the current forecast shows the district “in the black” through the 2029 fiscal year while maintaining current levels.

Teeters also explained that the five-year forecast has changed since his last presentation due to the passage of House Bill 186, which took effect at the end of March. 

“The state passed House Bill 186, which they said that was an inflation credit cap that was placed on everybody's tax bill in the county,” Teeters said. “Everybody that got a tax bill in the second half on real estate had an inflation cap credit on their tax bill. Our school district was held harmless for many losses because the state reimbursed us $1,300,000, which the people in Highland County got credit for, and so I had to reduce the property tax that we received last year.

“We received $9 million last year in income. I dropped it down to $8 million in the forecast, but I also put the million dollars that the state reimburses back into the rollback part, so the state showed us that got that credit back, so that's the way they're supposed to hold us harmless for one more year to do the same thing.”

Teeters said that although the later years in the forecast are always a guess, he is unsure of how that law will impact figures after fiscal year 2029. 

“Going into FY ’29, FY ’30, the only thing I know is that they're not going to reimburse us, but yet the valuations will probably go back to what they originally were last year,” Teeters said. “We should be held back to the same status in FY ’29, but right now, that we're showing that we're in the black up through FY ’29, and that's with me leaving the revenue at a stagnant level of what it is right now. 

“Going into FY ’30, I'm assuming that the revenue will increase when they finally get the legislation through the state settled, so right now on our forecast, we're good until FY ’29 in the black.”

• The board approved the financial reports as presented. Teeters reported a general fund cash balance of $10,698,829 for July 2026, up from $10,574,128 in July 2025; expenses of $2,832,336, up from $2,669,670 last year; and revenues of $2,992,833, also up from $2,970,279 a year ago.

• The board approved the following individuals for the contracts and positions indicated:
—Classified, all retroactive to Aug. 4: school resource officer (SRO) Makala Bunner, paraprofessionals Hannah Oyer and Daniela Arenas Zevallos and paraprofessional with an associate’s degree Adrianne Williams.
—Certificated: counselor Kim Beam (part-time, BA step 10, effective Sept. 1); and one-year teacher contracts (retro Aug. 4) for Emma Fouch and Samantha Mlodecki.
—Sub Classified: cook Michelle Bohl; aides Haley Boysel, Debbie Couch and Lili Hunt; van drivers Makala Bunner, Mike Nartker and Jessica Rhoades; aide/cook/secretary Regina Dodrill; and aide/secretary Kendal Fawley.
—Volunteers: HES, Jennifer Alsip, Paige Anderson, Katie Aurigema, Kaley Ballein, Adam “Leo” Bible, Sarah Leasure, Mary Thompson, Erin Tumbleson and Terri Zimmerman-Smith; all buildings, Megan Apgar, Regan Crum, Aleah Darbyshire, Janet Fair, Kelsey Fox, Latrell Haithcock, Alyssa Reynolds and Tim Simbro; HMS, Kia Armstrong; MS volleyball coach, Nichole Dickey; football coaches, Michael Page and Jason Young; and unlisted, Jennifer Ramp and Carie Sharp.
—DLC: Jenna Allen, Kayla Gauche, Tiffany Gobin, Joe Gobin, Donica Grow, Emily Holbrook, Jenna Horick, Kim Ison, Carey McBride, Ashley Purtee, Mercedes Reese, Verona Roush, Jordan Rhude, Matt Sexton, Janey Silcott, Tobi Stevens, Maria Snyder, Marissa Stone, Jackie Thoroman, Kristin Walker and Shannon Wright.
—Sub certificated: Mackenzie Bennett (retro Aug. 4), Rylee Oglesby (retro Aug. 4), Douglas Saunders, Debbie Smith (retro Aug. 14), Caleb Tong and Katrina “Kat” Williams.
—Mentors for 2026-27 school year: Bernadette Attinger, Abby Baker, Angela Crowder, Trista Dean, Michael Domitor and Tobi Stevens.
—Supplementals: HS assistant girls tennis coach Abby Baker; Student Council advisers Jennifer Chaney and Mark Koller; MS Honor Society adviser Kayla Gauche; HS assistant girls cross-country coach Fawn Girard; HS assistant boys cross-country coach Edward Letts; Language Club adviser Rob Snavely; MS Student Council adviser Karin Yakimow; MS boys cross-country coach Ben Young; and HS assistant football coach Jamar Young. In a separate motion, Bruce Miles was also approved for the DLC by a 3-0 vote, with Lyons abstaining.

• The board approved changes of status for the following staff members, all effective with the 2026-27 school year unless otherwise noted: Katessa Coats, from sub driver to full-time bus driver; Hannah Conley, from BA step 0 to BA step 1; John Moore, from bus driver to school resource officer (SRO), effective Aug. 5; Emely Pinkerton, from BA step 2 to BA150 step 2; and Susan Rhoads, from sub classified to intermediate counselor, part-time, BA step 10.

• The board approved a resolution to authorize the execution of employment contracts for security officers, retroactive to Aug. 4.

• The board approved the following corrections to the supplemental contracts for the 2026-27 school year as approved at their July 20 meeting: Cindy Asmus is receiving full supplemental for senior class adviser; Stephanie Haines is receiving full supplemental for HS National Honor Society; and Tanya Hendrix and Samantha Charek are receiving split supplemental for Art Club adviser. 

• The board accepted the resignations of sub certified James Burton (effective Aug. 2) and Katie Purdin (effective July 23) and paraprofessionals Melanie Detillion (Hill) and Bobbi Springer, both effective at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

• The board approved a leave of absence for teacher Randy Phipps, effective Aug. 3-Dec. 31.

• The board approved the 2026-27 bus routes as recommended by the superintendent. 

“It's very similar to what we did last year, only changing a couple bus numbers,” Davis said.

• The board approved teacher Joyce Ford and Title I tutor Michael Kidd ($45/hour) for Hillsboro Christian Academy, per the request of the HCA Head of School. 

• The board accepted the following donations: for the food truck, anonymous ($20) and Sarah Stapleton ($100); and for supplies for students, two anonymous donations (one $25 and one $700) and one from National Cooperative Bank ($400).

• The board approved the following adult meal prices for the 2026-27 school year: breakfast, from $2.95 to $3.05; and lunch, from $5.05 to $5.20.

• The board approved two transportation services agreements, in separate motions, with FRS Transportation. One is for providing transportation services for a student to and from the Connections School, and one is for providing transportation for a student to and from the Cincinnati Center for Autism, both for the 2026-27 school year.

• In separate motions, the board approved two client services agreements with Soliant Health, LLC. One is for paraprofessional services, for a paraprofessional who accompanies students to and from the Clermont County Educational Service Center-North, from Aug. 11, 2026-May 19, 2027 and one is for psychologist telehealth services from Aug. 12, 2026-May 19, 2027. 

• The board appointed Beverly Rhoads as delegate and Lyons as alternate for the annual business meeting at the Ohio School Boards Association Capital Conference on Nov. 16.

• The board approved the awarding of a diploma and transcript for graduate Amber Holden per HB 64.

• The board approved an out-of-state field trip for the eighth grade class to Washington, D.C., May 11-14.