By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Three candidates are running for two seats on the Bowling Green Board of Education. Two are incumbents – Norm Geer and Ryan Myers – who are running on the positive momentum of the school district. The challenger – Steve Bateson – points out problems with the district and is positioning himself as a needed change on the board.
Geer and Myers talk about the new high school under construction, the improved state report card scores, the emphasis on transparency, and the higher teacher salaries which allow the district to retain quality faculty.
Bateson focuses on problems with the district that need to be addressed – enrollment that hasn’t rebounded since Covid-19, the lack of rural representation on the board, and the possibility of turning one elementary into a K-2 school that concentrates on early literacy.
Bateson, who is a strategic account sales manager for Rosens Inc., lives in Liberty Township.
“I offer a unique perspective to the district,” he said, noting that many rural residents of the school district “feel left out in the process.” Even the name of the district – Bowling Green City Schools – excludes the rural areas, he said.
“If I’m elected, I’ll be able to provide a different perspective,” Bateson said, adding that despite some perceptions he will be a positive change, “not a wrecking ball.”
One of his biggest concerns about the district was the hiring of Zach Gibson as a strength training coach, and the handling of the issue by the board. Gibson has since been found guilty of 19 charges, 15 of which were sex offenses involving minors.
Gibson had been hired through a third party contract with Fastrak Performance of Perrysburg. Bateson acknowledged that the school board didn’t know anything about Gibson until a parent meeting when the district administration reported the accusations against Gibson. But Bateson believes the board did not respond swiftly enough to prevent future issues.
“This board has not taken any ownership,” he said.
The board did change district policy to require background checks of people hired through third party contracts.
“I just feel so badly for the families who were impacted,” Bateson said. “It really was a preventable incident.”
Bateson also sees a need for the district to change its strategy toward early literacy, a challenge for many school districts. He suggested that one of the three elementaries be transformed into a K-2 building with a focus on reading.
“Early reading is critical. I think if we put all hands on deck” and gave teachers the opportunity to collaborate, that could make a difference, he said. “I think it’s worth exploring for Bowling Green City Schools.”
The district does not have the “financial wherewithal” to pursue major renovations or new elementaries – at least not until some of the district debt is retired, Bateson said.
“We’ve got to make the best with what we have to work with,” he said. “I will not support any long term bond issues until we pay off some existing bonds we have.”
He has been critical of the enrollment decline the district experienced after Covid-19, noting the district is just now inching up in numbers.
In the past, Bateson has criticized the district for not attracting new students by failing to tout its successes. That has changed drastically, with the hiring of a communications director, but he said the district still needs to do more to recognize great teachers.
He offered other suggestions, such as:
- Starting the school year after Labor Day and finishing before Memorial Day. It would require slightly longer school days, but it would save on transportation costs.
- Saving a portion of the old high school to be used as office space for the school administration. That could save money since the district would no longer need to rent the Clough Street office space.
- Work with area businesses and individuals to help pay for student admission to district sporting or extra curricular activities.
Geer, an attorney in Bowling Green, is in his eighth year on the board and is currently serving as president.
After years of suffering defeat at the polls, Bowling Green City Schools is seeing a transformation after passing a property tax in 2023 to build the new high school, and an income tax earlier this year for operating expenses.
“I want to continue these successes and build on them,” Geer said. “We have a wonderful team. We’re in such a good place.”
Geer talked about the new high school, the state report card, the efforts to balance property and income tax revenues for the district, and the open communication styles of Superintendent Ted Haselman and Treasurer Matt Feasel.
“We couldn’t be more transparent,” he said. “It’s all out there if people have questions.”
Geer is particularly pleased that the district now has one of the highest beginning pay scales for teachers. It wasn’t like that for years.
“To be the best, we have to hire the best,” he said. “The teachers are really fantastic. They meet the individual needs of each child.”
Geer acknowledged the district has seen a decline in student enrollment since Covid-19, but it’s on the upswing now, he added.
“We have lost some enrollment, but we’re in a positive direction now,” he said, referring to the new high school as a “destination.”
“The new school is a game changer.”
Both Geer and Myers serve as liaisons between the teams building the new high school and the board of education.
“The high school is moving along. We’re on the right track,” Geer said. “I think it’s a real privilege to be doing this. It’s a real honor and responsibility.”
“The kids and community deserve this,” he said. “At the same time, we’re cognizant of the needs at the elementaries.”
But the district has no plans to rush into any elementary building projects, Geer said, noting the board needs to look at several possible options in detail before proceeding.
As for criticism over the hiring of Zach Gibson, the strength training coach, Geer stressed the school board knew nothing of the issue until the public was made aware by the former superintendent.
“No board member knew anything about Gibson until the meeting with the community,” Geer said.
And since then, the board has taken action to prevent any similar situations from occurring.
“I do have empathy for anyone involved,” Geer said of the student athletes and their families. “We changed our policies to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Myers, who is in his fifth year on the school board, has spent his career in education, first as a teacher and the last 20 years as an administrator at Penta Career Center.
He is concerned about the future funding of education in Ohio.
“Right now there are five House bills that would directly affect funding for Bowling Green and other districts across the state,” Myers said. “There has to be a plan for how schools are funded.”
Bowling Green City Schools District is in a good place right now – with the new high school underway and an operating levy passed this past spring.
“The community entrusted us to do this correctly,” he said of the building project. The district did not rush the design of the new high school – knowing they have one chance to get it right for generations to come.
“It’s right on budget,” Myers said. “It’s exciting and it’s gratifying. It’s amazing to be part of this. I feel very confident we’re going to nail it with the high school.”
District leaders know that the aging elementary buildings are the next to be addressed through renovations or new construction. But now isn’t the time, he said.
“We have to be in the right financial place,” he said.
Planning might begin, but Myers said there will be nothing on the ballot in 2026. Ideally, the district could pay off the bonds for the Middle School first, he said.
Many decisions would have to be made after first engaging the community in the project, he said. Before any issue would be put on the ballot, the district would develop plans that could be reviewed by the community.
“People aren’t nearly as supportive when they are voting on just an idea,” he said. “We would go through what we did with the high school, so the community feels they are a part of it and they know exactly what they are voting on.”
Myers envisions the district continuing to build on its state report card successes, ranking BGCS at 4.5 stars, behind only Perrysburg schools in Wood County. He is certain BG can reach 5 stars.
“Those conversations are already happening,” he said.
Though enrollment dipped after Covid-19, Myers sees that trend turning around.
“We’re a very different school district in 2025 than we were in 2020,” he said.
In addition to the new high school, improved test scores and more engagement with the community, the district has boosted teacher salaries.
“We were losing the best teachers,” prior to that, Myers said. “We’re changing the trajectory of the district. We expect our enrollment to go up. We’re not resting on our laurels.”
“I love where BG is as a district right now. We have so much to look forward to,” he said. “I want to continue to help lead this.”
Myers also addressed the Zach Gibson issue, agreeing with others that the board was not made aware until the public was. “The board found out the same period the community did,” he said. “We tightened our policies regarding third party contracts.”
