Hello Worthington! Here's your recap of what happened at the January 5 Worthington Board of Education meeting. The board kicked off 2026 with its organizational meeting, swearing in members and electing new leadership, followed by an in-depth look at the impressive array of academic and career pathways available to high school students. Below are brief summaries of the most significant discussions.
Board Elects New Leadership and Approves 2026 Meeting Calendar
The board unanimously elected Amber Epling-Skinner as president and Stephanie Harless as vice president for 2026. The board also approved its meeting calendar with one adjustment—moving the Feb. 4 work session from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.—and announced plans for a joint public meeting with Worthington City Council, tentatively scheduled for March.
Worthington Schools Showcases Expanding High School Pathways and Career Opportunities
Director of Secondary Education Emilie Greenwald presented a comprehensive overview of the diverse options available to high school students, from International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses to hands-on pre-apprenticeships in manufacturing, automotive and electrical trades. According to the presentation, the district is also working to launch a new healthcare pre-apprenticeship program that would allow students to earn Certified Nursing Assistant certification, potentially before the end of this school year.
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In Other News
New Kindergarten Age Requirement: Ohio House Bill 114 requires students to be five years old on or before the first day of school to enroll in kindergarten. For the 2026-2027 school year, the cutoff date will be Aug. 21, a change from the previous Sept. 30 deadline. The Welcome Center is reaching out to affected families.
Grants Approved: The board accepted a $5,000 STEM grant from Battelle for robotics equipment at Evening Street Elementary and a $47,000 School Safety Grant from the Attorney General's office to offset costs for rapid response safety systems.
Clean Audit and Financial Report: Treasurer TJ Cusick reported the district received another clean audit opinion and, according to his report, earned recognition from the Government Finance Officers Association for the 17th consecutive year. The Popular Annual Financial Report is now arriving in resident mailboxes and is available on the district website.
Coming Up
- Jan. 26, 2026: Next regular board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Worthington Education Center
- Feb. 4, 2026: Board work session, 2 p.m. at the Worthington Education Center (Updated Time). The Board will discuss district goals and a potential joint meeting with City Council (tentative date set for March 2026).
- March 5, 2026: State of the Schools address, 6:30 p.m. at Worthington Kilbourne High School (in the newly renovated auditorium)
Thanks for reading this summary of the Worthington Board of Education meeting. You can find board meeting schedules, contact information, and more on the Worthington Board of Education website or watch meeting recordings on their YouTube channel.