TONTOGANY — Principals in the Otsego Local School District updated the board of education on their
buildings, staff and students at last week’s meeting.
Katrina Baughman said students participating in the Third Grade Reading Guarantee have dramatically
increased their passage rate. She said 30 percent of the class, this time last year, had passed. This
year, it’s at 60 percent.
Baughman said the second-grade teachers also deserve credit for their preparations.
Teaching for tests and standards is not the only focus in the elementary, she added.
The Ohio Writing Project has been an inspiration for teachers, she said.
“They absolutely love it,” Baughman said. “The whole thought process of teachers’ writing has completely
changed.”
There are publishing parties where kids are celebrating their writing process.
“We’re teaching them how to be creative and actually write.”
New middle school principal Kevin Olds said his focus has been on consistency and safety, with a
“children first” motto.
“We’re starting to see a culture change,” he said.
Olds hopes to implement a Knight Academy, which would be an accelerated program.
High school principal Kevin O’Shea said this is the first school year that had an end to the first
semester in December. He said 160 students have a 3.5 grade point average or higher.
The expected graduation rate is 97.8 percent, up from 84 percent a few years ago, he said.
The average ACT score is 23. The entire junior class will take the ACT on April 18.
Also at the Jan. 12 meeting, the board:
• Organized for the new year, reelecting Brad Anderson as president and Judy Snyder as vice president.
Meetings will be held the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. in the high school library. Elizabeth
Gorski will be the Penta Career Center representative. Mark Tolles will be legislative liaison. Anderson
will be the ex-officio member of the Otsego Endowment Foundation. Snyder and Jamie Harter will serve on
the Strategic Plan Committee.
• Approved College Credit Plus partnership agreements with Owens Community College and the University of
Toledo. The district also has an agreement with Bowling Green State University.
• Went into executive session to discuss employment and compensation of personnel and to discuss
negotiations. No action was taken.