(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Belpre City Schools Board of Education members Mollie Haught, Fred Meredith and Mike Miller were sworn in Thursday night by treasurer Lance Erlwein.

BELPRE — The Belpre City Schools Board of Education met Thursday night to swear in returning members Mollie Haught, Fred Meredith and Mike Miller.

The board also elected Meredith as the board president and Cathy O’Donnell as the vice president.

The board designated members for committee positions with appointments being as followed:

– Ohio School Boards Association Legislative Liaison – Cathy O’Donnel

– Ohio School Boards Association Student Achievement Liaison – Mollie Haught

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Belpre City Schools Board of Education members Mollie Haught and Fred Meredith hold up pictures that students colored for Board Appreciation Month.

– Athletic Committee – Mike Miller and Fred Meredith

– Negotiating Committee – Fred Meredith and Mollie Haught

– Personnel Evaluation Committee for the Superintendent – Mike Miller and Larry Lorentz

– Personnel Evaluation Committee for the Treasurer – Fred Meredith and Cathy O’Donnell

– District Policy Committee – Cathy O’Donnell and Mollie Haught

– Buildings and Grounds Committee – Fred Meredith and Mike Miller

– Finance Committee – Larry Lorentz and Mike Miller

“I know Cathy and Mollie do a great job on the policy,” Meredith said. “They do a great job with that. So that’s why we wanted you guys there. That’s why I wanted you guys there.”

Meredith also said there are five candidates for the open head football coach position and second interviews will begin soon.

“I’ve asked to try to have the coach in place by the first of February,” Meredith said. “So in our February meeting, we should be approving a new football coach.”

In other business, the board voted to join a class action lawsuit with law firm David Grossman & Associates PLLC and its partner firms. Treasurer Lance Erlwein said this lawsuit was brought to the attention of the district by the Sunday Creek Horizons consulting firm, which the district is a part of.

“It’s a domestic lawsuit against video game companies and maybe YouTube,” Erlwein said. “Where they have certain business practices. They get kids addicted to clicks and game time and face time in front of these TV screens. That’s about the extent of my knowledge on it, but it’s a class action suit. It does not cost (the district) anything.”

Meredith said there are currently 26 districts participating in the lawsuit with Belpre being the 27th.

“There will possibly be thousands,” Erlwein said. “And it won’t just be schools … this thing will get big, and the bigger it is, the more attention it gets and the more traction it gets.”

The meeting closed with board members sharing pictures students colored for Board Appreciation Month. January is designated as Board Appreciation Month across many states, including Ohio, Texas and Michagan, to recognize and thank school board members for their volunteer service.

The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. and will be held at the Stone Administration Building. The meeting is open to the public.