CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Two residents challenged school board leadership during Monday’s public comment period over superintendent evaluations, academic performance, and financial management ahead of a May levy vote, according to a transcript of the March 24 board meeting.
One community member told the board it has never conducted a performance evaluation of Superintendent Deborah Swinehart despite requirements in both board policy and state law, yet approved a five-year contract last summer.
“The superintendent, as acting superintendent and a superintendent, has never received a performance evaluation by our board,” the resident said, according to the transcript. “They are in violation of not only their school policy, but the Ohio Revised Code.”
One individual said they raised the issue with the superintendent and board president last fall but received no response.
“Even though they’ve never evaluated our superintendent, they gave her a five-year contract this past summer without any performance evaluation,” she said.
Ohio Revised Code Section 3319.01 requires each school board to “adopt procedures for the evaluation of its superintendent and shall evaluate its superintendent in accordance with those procedures.” The law states an evaluation “shall be considered by the board in deciding whether to renew the superintendent’s contract.”
Board meeting minutes from April 28, 2025, show the board approved an amendment to Swinehart’s contract implementing a salary freeze through July 31, 2030.
Board members did not respond to the evaluation concerns during the meeting.
Academic performance concerns raised
Another resident who identified herself as an educator with more than 60 years of experience questioned the district’s academic results.
“I’m here as an advocate for 45 to 50% of our children who cannot read and write because I see them,” the resident told the board, according to the meeting transcript. “What we saw today that was wonderful but it’s a show for tonight. I want to know what is happening with the test scores of that 50% of our kids who are not operating.”
According to Niche.com, 38% of Chillicothe City Schools students are proficient in math compared to the Ohio average of 55%, while 51% are proficient in reading compared to the state average of 60%. The district ranks 576th out of 916 school districts in Ohio, according to PublicSchoolReview.com.
The resident noted that other Ross County school districts face similar poverty challenges but perform better academically.
“Every school district in this county is in poverty. But every school district except poverty city schools made their and met their standards,” she said, according to the transcript. “Something is wrong and we’re spending a lot of money.”
Board members did not respond to either attendee’s comments during public participation, according to the transcript.
Treasurer contract sparks heated board debate
The board also approved a three-year contract for new Treasurer Nick Rose in a 4-1 vote after emerging from executive session, with board member Bill Bonner casting the lone dissenting vote.
Bonner criticized both the hiring process and the compensation package, which he calculated at over $550,000 over three years when including benefits, vacation, sick leave, and personal days. He compared this to the district’s median household income of approximately $54,500 annually.
“I think the process was to say the least shaded, was not transparent enough,” Bonner said, according to the transcript. “I do not think that we gave full consideration to all the candidates like we should have. The cash value of this contract over the next three years is going to be over $550,000. That’s an exorbitant amount of money.”
Another board member disputed Bonner’s figures, calling his information “completely inaccurate” and stating he was “not aware of the numbers.” The board noted that during a previous treasurer search, the position was valued at $132,000 annually.
According to Salary.com data from February 2025, the average school district treasurer salary in Ohio is $251,475, with a typical range of $216,160 to $296,914. If Bonner’s $550,000 total is accurate, that equates to approximately $183,000 per year, below the state average.
Bonner prefaced his remarks by saying Rose is “nothing but a fine gentleman” who will “do a great job for our district,” emphasizing his opposition was about pay levels and process, not the individual.
Levy vote looms amid financial pressures
The district is preparing to ask voters for a levy in May after a failed attempt in November. Voters rejected the proposed tax increase 55.48% to 44.52%, according to reporting from November 2025.
A community member who contacted the Guardian raised concerns about the timing, noting the district has implemented cuts to teachers, programs, and support staff while questions remain about administrative spending.
The Guardian will continue to examine the Chillicothe City Schools board and administration as multiple residents come forward with concerns about transparency, performance, and financial decisions.