Tracy Hovest and Norm Geer were elected board president and vice president
The Bowling Green City Schools Board of Education will start the new year with a new meeting time and new meeting locations.
The board held its organizational meeting this afternoon and elected Tracy Hovest as president and Norm Geer as vice president. Both votes were unanimous.
“I’ve waited for this for a little bit,” Hovest said as she added “President” to her name plate.
“I just feel that I have a lot to offer as a leader and I’m glad for the opportunity,” she said about the leadership role after the meeting.
Peggy Thompson, who was elected to the board in November, suggested moving the meeting time to 6 p.m. to allow those who work until 5 to attend.
Ardy Gonyer agreed.
“I think 6 o’clock is a reasonable middle ground,” he said.
Meetings used to be held at 5 p.m. and was moved back to 5:30 several years ago.
Board meetings will continue to be held on the third Tuesdays of each month in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center.
However, meetings outside the city are being considered.
Gonyer, who also was elected in November, said he often heard on the campaign trail interest in holding board meetings in the district’s rural communities.
“I’m definitely open to it,” said board member Ryan Myers.
As long as it doesn’t incur extra expenses, Hovest said she would be open to holding meetings in the townships served by the school district.
She said she welcomed emails and phone calls for suggestions of places to meet. The locations needs to have Wi-Fi so the meetings can be live streamed.
Gonyer suggested two meetings in the townships this year to determine the response.
He said making the board meetings more accessible to residents in the rural areas is important.
“I’m excited to get to work in advancing Bowling Green City Schools and helping insure that our kids, teachers and families have a great school system,” Gonyer said.
Thompson said it feels good to finally sit at the board table.
“I’ve been working so hard for so many years to get to do this,” she said.
In November, Thompson was the fourth top vote-getter with three to be elected. A recount bumped her into second place.
She was unsuccessful in her campaign for a board seat in 2019 and was not picked after applying to fill Bill Clifford’s seat after he resigned in 2020.
Ardy Gonyer, from left, Tracy Hovest and Peggy Thompson were sworn in before the meeting started.
Hovest appointed liaisons, both primary (listed first) and alternates, including Ardy Gonyer and Peggy Thompson for the Ohio School Board Association and legislative; Hovest and Myers for audit and finance; Geer and Gonyer for athletics and fine arts; and Myers and Geer for facilities.
Thompson was appointed as board representative for the Penta Career Center, with a term that will expire Dec. 31, 2026. She has also been appointed to Penta’s board of education, with her first meeting tonight.
Hovest, Gonyer and Thompson were sworn in before the start of the meeting.
