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LISBON -- A group of Lisbon high school students are bringing together a series of speakers to address topics chosen by their counterparts from other Columbiana County schools.
The students, who serve on the student council, attended last week's school board meeting to speak about the "All In for Student Advocacy" event they are helping put together.
The event to be held sometime this spring will feature various speakers based on topics from a survey sent to students in other school districts asking them to list personal issues that affect them the most. The survey revealed those issues to be depression, eating disorders, suicide and poverty.
"This is something we need in the county. The kids need to be heard about the problems they face everyday," said English teacher and student council adviser Carrie Smith.
Superintendent Joseph Siefke said the problems some students must deal with often interfere with a student's academic performance by making it difficult for them to keep with up with their studies. The can also serve as barriers between students.
"It's never been easy to be a kid" but schools have to do a better job of listening to students, he said, which is the point of the event.
Siefke said the county Educational Service Center asked Lisbon to serve as the pilot school in the county for "All In" because its emphasis on leadership training, and he agreed.
The students helping plan the event are Asha Achberger, Blayne Brownfield, Kaity Clark, McKenna Dailey, Anna Marshalek, Haley Melody and Jason Steves.
Junior/high school principal Keith Edenfield said schools in other counties also have their own "All In" teams working on similar projects and Lisbon met some of them during a recent trip to Youngstown State University.
"The whole concept is to create a project that address social justice in your school," he said.
In other business:
-- The board agreed to continue participation in the College Credit Plus Dual Enrollment Program with Kent State University, and added Eastern Gateway Community College. Under the program, the district pays the tuition of participating students who take classes at either school, with the cost being $120 per credit hour at Kent and $117 at Eastern. The district also purchases the required books.
Edenfield said six students chose to take advantage of the program this year, and the most they have ever had at one time was 13. Siefke said they set aside $10,000 for program every year.
"This a wonderful benefit at a significant cost to the district," said school board president Gene Gallo.
-- Siefke reported students may have to make up some days if they continue to miss time due to the snow. Classes have been canceled six days this winter, while school has been delayed two hours on four other occasions. The state now requires schools to be in session a minimum number of hours each year, and he said if the district exceeds the minimum they will have to add some days beyond May 23, which is currently when classes end.
-- The board granted treasurer Vickie Browning-Prowitt a five-year contract extension through July 31, 2018. Browning-Prowitt was hired by the district in 2012 as treasurer and was promoted to the top job in March 2015 when Cindy Shultz retired. Her salary will increase from $77,031 to $83,423 by year five according to the administrative salary scale.
"I love being part of this administrative team," she told the board.
--The board awarded the following supplemental contracts: Mary Jo Bruinooge, musical director; Scott Miller, assistant musical director; and Meredith Deichler, drama director.