Liberty-Benton

As we approach the end of March and look forward to warmer spring weather, we have much to celebrate!    

Our Boys basketball team had another successful season as BVC Champs, and advanced to the district semi-finals.  Our Girls basketball team also clinched a BVC title, and advanced to the regional semi-finals. Our boys bowling team were sectional champions, and our girls bowlers were NOBL and sectional champions.  Our boys wrestling team also won a BVC championship.   

February 28-March 2, over 60 students participated in another wonderful high school musical, “All Shook Up”.  Set in the 1950’s, the show was a hit, and featured the music of Elvis Presley.   Audiences were treated to outstanding acting, singing, and choreography.  

March 7-8 our high school advanced choir qualified for state competition and our band scored a rating of Excellent at the District Adjudicated Contest.  

March 7-9, Liberty-Benton had two wrestlers qualify for the state wrestling tournament, Will Pask, and Evie Parmelee.  Will went one and two and had a strong showing.   Evie placed sixth.  Congratulations to both!

On March 18, parents were treated to an outstanding display of vocal music performances from our middle and high school students at our Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) concert.   This concert showcases the hard work of our students, while displaying the growth and development from students in grade 5-12.  

On March 22, 2010 LB graduate Aaron Craft was honored by the Ohio High School Athletic Association Circle of Champions award.  The award is given in recognition to athletes that not only had outstanding achievements at the high school level, but also in their collegiate careers as well as exhibiting outstanding character and serving as role models.  Both Aaron and his sister Caitlyn (class of 2012) were Ohio State Buckeye basketball greats, and will be honored on April 5 as inductees to the Hancock County Hall of Fame.  Congratulations Aaron and Caitlyn!

Also on March 22, we held a dedication ceremony for our newly renovated softball field. We are thankful and grateful for the support of the many individuals and businesses that donated time, resources, and money to make the renovations possible so that our field would be game ready this spring.  

Finally, on March 29 we are hosting an open house to view our new Transportation and Maintenance facility from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.   

After enduring the rigors of old man winter, warmer weather is on the horizon, and with that, is the promise of what can be achieved in our final quarter of school.

Fly Higher!

Bruce Otley

Superintendent

Based on current simulations from the Governor’s budget proposal, Liberty-Benton is projected to lose  $212,943 in state funding for the 2025-2026 school year and $237,680 for the 2026-2027 school year..   

Legislators representing our school district:

We sincerely appreciate our community’s continued support in maintaining a strong financial foundation for student success.

Sincerely,
Lisa Dobbins
Treasurer

• We know cannabis is a gateway drug, which leads to other things.  Medical research suggests 1 in 6 people who start using pot while under 18 will develop an addition according to the Journal of the Missouri Medical Association.
• Nothing positive for our children and their future can come from adding dispensaries to purchase pot for recreational use.  Increasing access to pot for adults will only make the drug more accessible to children, and expose them to the use of it in the home. We know from vaping-older siblings and parents are the main ways students gain access to vapes, cigarettes, and other drugs like marijuana. 
• The vape industry has targeted young people with their product with messaging like it isn't as addictive as cigarettes, and not as dangerous.  They create flavors and packaging that are marketed to children. Vape smells like cotton candy, raspberry, cherries, and bubble gum.  The same thing will occur at dispensaries.  Gummies, edibles, patches, and other less obvious forms of pot will certainly make their way into our schools, and these will not be detected by the vape sensors we have installed in our school. 
• One of the possible dispensary locations is right at the border of Liberty-Benton Local schools at the corner of St. Rt. 12 and Stanford Parkway.  Every day our buses travel past that location and students will be picked up and dropped off right across the street.  I do not want our students seeing a cannabis dispensary on their way to and from school every day, or being exposed to the culture surrounding it, while walking home from the bus. 
• One of the locations for a cannabis dispensary is within 500 feet of the Western Meadows subdivision, where I lived for 20 years, and where my children grew up playing outside with neighbors. Western Meadows is a great place for families to raise their children, but I am concerned for the safety of our kids, and for the property values of our homes with a dispensary that close. 
• Because of the proximity to I-75, I am concerned about the transiency of outsiders to our district and to the city of Findlay, and the clientele the dispensary will attract from outsiders to our community off of the I-75 corridor.
• 53% of voters in Hancock County (which includes Findlay City) rejected legalizing pot in Ohio.  Only 52% of Findlay City residents voted in favor-But this is hardly a mandate of the people on such a divisive issue for our community.  

• Aligns with common values of community, competitiveness, and sportsmanship
• Offers an appropriate level of competition
• Limits travel times to reasonable distances for league-level competition