West Holmes board approves purchasing co-ops, policy updates at April meeting

West Holmes Local Schools took a practical step toward lower costs and updated compliance as its board approved participation in three purchasing cooperatives and adopted policy changes that can affect classrooms, cafeterias and student safety.

The West Holmes Board of Education met April 20 at West Holmes Middle School, holding an executive session at 5 p.m. for personnel discussion before the regular session at 6 p.m. Superintendent Eric Jurkovic and Treasurer Jamie Mullet were listed on the agenda, along with board members Ezra Day, Hans Ramseyer, Patricia Sage, Joel Yoder and Tina Zickefoose.

Among the board’s actions was approval of membership in the MEC Purchasing Consortium, the State of Ohio Cooperative Purchasing Program and the Ohio Schools Council Purchasing Co-Op. For a district of West Holmes’ size, those agreements can influence what schools pay for everyday needs such as classroom supplies, technology, maintenance items and service contracts, while also simplifying the buying process.

The district serves 1,776 students in seven schools, according to Ballotpedia, which makes even routine procurement decisions important for taxpayers watching how far school dollars stretch across the district.

The board also approved policy updates tied to EBDE, Procurement and Administration of Overdose Reversal Drugs, EFD, Misbranded Foods and Cultivated-Protein Food Products, and JEB, Entrance Age. Those policies track recent state changes that school districts are being asked to fold into local rules.

The Ohio School Boards Association said House Bill 70, effective March 29, 2025, requires districts to adopt a policy on whether employees may administer over-the-counter drugs to students and whether parent permission is needed. It also said House Bill 206, effective April 8, 2025, requires schools to allow students with seizure disorders to possess seizure medications under certain conditions.

The food-policy update follows the same statewide trend. The Ohio School Boards Association has said House Bill 10 would require public school boards and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce to adopt policies prohibiting the purchase of cultivated-protein food products or foods misbranded as meat or egg products.

The entrance-age change points to the next school year. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce said that starting with the 2026-2027 school year, House Bill 114 changes kindergarten and first-grade admission rules so districts must admit children who meet the new age thresholds by the first day of instruction.

The board also approved minutes from its March 17 regular meeting and accepted a donation from St. John’s Evangelical Covenant Church Missions for student lunches, a small but direct boost to students in the district. In a school system spread across Holmes County and into parts of Ashland, Coshocton and Wayne counties, those quiet votes shape how the district operates day to day.