SHELBY, Ohio – Shelby’s Board of Education meeting on Dec. 14 marked the end of an era for one board member.
Vice President Bill Roush officially retired from the Shelby Board of Education on Monday after 16 years of service. Roush’s fellow board members as well as Superintendent Tim Tarvin presented him with a commendation recognizing his outstanding leadership and service to Shelby City Schools.
“We don’t often get a chance to publicly say it, but we do thank you for the service and the time well spent,” said Tarvin. “You’ve let the best interest of the kids drive your decision-making and that’s what makes you an outstanding board member.”
Roush’s retirement marks the end of his second stint on the Shelby Board of Education. He previously served for a 12-year term before returning for another four years, 16 years total spent on the board.
“In the 16 years I’ve been on this rascal there’s been a lot of changes,” said Roush. “I’m just getting too old for this. It has been a joy … and I want to thank everybody.”
One major change in Shelby City Schools was also discussed during Monday’s meeting. The board was introduced to a new online school started within the district, Shelby’s Online Academic Resource (SOAR).
Assistant Superintendent Paul Walker explained SOAR is an integrated program within Shelby City Schools, and not a separate entity.
“It truly is soaring, this whole program is really exciting,” he said.
Nichole Studd, director of SOAR, explained the program is an online alternative for students wishing to take advantage of an alternative style of learning. Currently 38 students are enrolled in SOAR, 24 percent of which have a learning disability such as ADD or ADHD.
“Getting them out of a classroom of 20 to 30 kids is really helpful to them,” explained Studd. “They say they can focus better when they work one-on-one with me or their parent or teacher.”
While Studd facilitates the SOAR program, the students are taught by Ohio-certified teachers online and follow the same curriculum of students in a traditional classroom. Many students also take advantage of blended learning, which allows them to participate in building activities such as field trips or interactive classes such as art, gym and music.
Studd noted a unique advantage of SOAR is the close relationship the program has with Shelby City Schools, where herself and administrators are local and available to offer assistance.
“If a kid goes to a larger online school there isn’t someone local they can call,” said Studd. “Having that local availability and being able to knock on their doors or meet them at the library, we can help them out in better ways than the larger schools.
“Sometimes students leave school for the wrong reasons because they’re missing something at home or personally, and those are things we want to help them with too, like goal setting and organization and working on focus,” she added. “It’s easier to do that in our district face-to-face, online and in those blended models.”
Tarvin added that Shelby’s SOAR students also have the ability to graduate with a Shelby diploma. He praised Studd for reaching students who may have withdrawn from school if SOAR had not been an option.
“Whether it’s because they were bullied at school or they’re bored or there’s drama or they need to work to support their family, there’s lots of different reasons,” said Tarvin. “Public education in the United States has changed, and how we approach kids as far as their learning and education has changed in a multitude of ways.
“I really believe this will be a program that will continue to grow, and I’m proud we offer this to our kids.”
“In the 16 years I’ve been on this rascal there’s been a lot of changes,” said Vice President Bill Roush. “I’m just getting too old for this. It has been a joy … and I want to thank everybody.”
