LISBON — With the new school year just days away, the Lisbon Exempted Village School District is ready to hit the ground running.

During the August school board meeting held Thursday, David Anderson principal Keith Edenfield, David Anderson assistant principal Kyle Bing, McKinley principal Dan Kemats and district maintenance supervisor Roger Tullis reported the stage has been set for a promising 2025-26.

Superintendent Joe Siefke said that is not accidental and gave credit to all four for work they put in and experience they bring to the table.

“We are the most tenured administrative team in Columbiana County. The gentlemen I have here with me have been here for double-digits years,” he said. “Why is that so important is because when you start planning and you start thinking about initiatives and what needs to get done and projects, the cohesiveness of working together and the communication is seamless and that makes for things to be very easily done. When you ask them to get something done, they get it done. It’s no surprise that there we are on Aug. 14, the new year is coming on the 18th and we are ready to go.”

Summer maintenance projects including the installation of new gymnasium doors and the painting of old ones have been completed, system updates like the new all-call system have been implemented and the buildings ready to welcome students.

So far, so good.

“I sent out the all-call yesterday and we were 90% effective in reaching everyone on our list,” Siefke reported. “Ninety percent for the first trial run on a new automated all-call system is pretty good. Of course we will take care of the other 10% percent because we want to be 100.”

Staff training for the new PBIS program is underway as well as retraining on active shooter protocols that Siefke said was a “refreshment” is planned with local law enforcement.

Thursday’s long-list of consent agenda items, including several personnel items, was part of the preparation for the new school year. The district approved five substitute bus drivers, 27 academic supplemental contracts, one-year limited contracts to two custodians (Christy Stacy and Jorden Holshue) and one bus driver (Bruce Leakes) and approved athletic supplemental contracts to assistant athletic director Jamie Wise, junior high football coach Quinn Puskar and weight room coordinator Bill Meek. The board also approved the retire/rehire of Carrie Smith as DAHS health teacher and career counselor.

In other matters, Siefke again congratulated Lisbon Schools Treasurer Jennifer Coldsnow who was recently named the Ohio Auditor of the State Award.

“We just published her award on our social media pages to let the community know what a great job our fiscal staff does here,” he said.

Coldsnow was presented the award by board President T.K. Hiscox at July’s board meeting and “comes as as a result of Mrs. Coldsnow and the BOE’s commitment to effective and responsible use of our district’s funds.”

In other business, the board:

— Agreed to make payments to parents of students living in the district but attending other schools to cover transportation costs, deciding it was impractical for the district to provide transportation and citing costs of equipment, maintenance, and personnel due to the small number of students (7) needing to be transported.

— Approved the facility-rental rates at $200 per usage with gymnasium practice rent at $50 per hour and custodial services at $15 and food service at $15.

— Approved maternity leave for one employee and accepted the resignation of custodian Daniel Helman and bus driver Glenna Rader.

— Approved hourly pay rates for bus drivers ($17.50), custodians ($13), secretaries ($13.50), cooks ($12.50) and aides ($12.50).

— Entered into agreements with the county ESC for services for Project Inspire not to exceed $17,632 and Kent State for the Kent State Rising Scholars.

– Approved bus Routes A (south and west), B (north and west), C (North and East), D (South and East) and E (special needs).

— Accepted an anonymous donation of $10,000.