Lexington school board recognizes fall student-athletes who made it to state
LEXINGTON — The Lexington Local Schools Board of Education continues to recognize the district's student-athletes.
At Wednesday's meeting, the school board honored all the fall athletes who qualified for state competition.
Longtime coach Denise Benson introduced her girls and boys cross country teams. The girls, who had won four state crowns in a row, finished eighth last month after graduating their top three runners from a year ago.
"I know it (getting to state) is kind of expected, but I couldn't say for sure we'd be top 15 in the state, let alone top 10," Benson told the school board.
She also pointed out that four of the girls were academic All-Ohio.
Clad in purple sweatshirts, the boys also surprised Benson by finishing 10th at state.
"I would not have put money on it, that they would make it to the state meet," the coach said. "Something happened at district. How we put it together was all our young talent."
The Lexington boys soccer team also is known for its strong tradition. Coach Peter Them introduced members of the squad, which made it to the state semifinals and finished with a record of 16-2-4.
"Not bad for a rebuilding year," Them said.
All that's left is for the Minutemen to take the next step and win a state title.
"We will get over that hump, I promise you," Them said.
More: Lexington's dream season comes to an end in state semifinal loss to Bay
Two individuals also made it to state in other sports. Girls tennis player Gracie Pfeiffer qualified for the fourth year in a row, prompting veteran coach Ron Schaub to call her "one of our all-time greats."
"She's an amazing talent. You could tell right from the beginning," he said. "She would have played varsity as a fifth grader.
"Our team didn't do that well, but Gracie was phenomenal. She has maybe the best backhand in the business."
Junior golfer Troy Chapman also made the state tournament after shooting a 75 at the district meet.
Athletic director Jeff Eichorn thanked the board members for honoring the student-athletes.
"That's not the norm for a lot of school boards across the state," he said.
Board president Bob Whitney responded, "Personally, I think it's the school board's job to recognize them."
Parents concerned about one-on-one aides leaving
During the public comment portion of the meeting, two parents raised concerns about retaining one-on-one school aides.
Mallory Westerheide has two sons who attend Western Elementary School. She said they were born with a genetic abnormality, leaving them nonverbal and with physical disabilities.
"They love school and enjoy being here," Westerheide said.
She said the one-on-one aide who worked with one of her sons recently resigned.
"She worked really hard with him. She was his person," Westerheide said, adding her son spent one hour a day with his teacher and the rest with his one-on-one aide.
Westerheide read from a prepared statement, which she gave to Whitney, along with her contact information.
Superintendent Jeremy Secrist said being a one-on-one aide is a difficult job. The district contracts with the Renhill Group for the positions.
Nikki Ruhl is another parent with a child with special needs. She shared Westerheide's concerns.
"They (one-on-one aides) can't afford to stay. They don't have health care," Ruhl said.
She also raised questions about training.
"All of our employees need more professional development because we weren't able to do that because of COVID," Secrist said. "We've had three interrupted school years."
Parent upset policy request was denied
For the second meeting in a row, a parent who claimed his daughter and another student saw a teacher peeking into a bathroom stall addressed the board.
The teacher reportedly was looking for her own daughter. The parent wanted a policy put in place to assure nothing like it happened again.
He admitted he was angry when he addressed the board last month and apologized to Secrist. Wednesday, he said he was "broken-hearted" there will be no change in policy.
"I pulled my daughter out because of what happened," the man said. "I think every child should have a right to privacy in a bathroom."
Secrist responded by phone Thursday for a request for comment from the News Journal.
"We feel very comfortable with the professionalism of our staff," he said. "We expect assistance in monitoring hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms to ensure the safety of our students."
The parent also asked for an apology from high school Principal Jamie Masi, who made a public address announcement saying the girl was mistaken about what she saw.
"You're not going to point fingers," Whitney said. "We're not going to have a policy where teachers or aides will not have the right to go in a restroom."
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
Twitter: @MNJCaudill
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington sent athletes to state in cross country, soccer, tennis, golf
