Jeremy Nicholas officially joined the New Albany-Plain Local Schools Board of Education on Aug. 10, filling the seat left vacant when John McClelland resigned to join New Albany City Council.
Nicholas was sworn in at the board's regular meeting at the NAPLS Annex, 55 N. High St. He was one of seven candidates who applied and interviewed for the vacancy before the board appointed him July 20. Under Ohio law, Nicholas must run for election in November 2027 to serve the remainder of the term, which expires Dec. 31, 2029.
McClelland had served on the school board since 2013 and was appointed to City Council effective June 30.
Nicholas joins board President Jennifer Fuller, Vice President Mark Wilson, Coleen Barber and Paul Naumoff. The board elected Fuller and Wilson to their leadership posts at a July 24 special meeting.
Five-Year Forecast gets first reading
The board also received the first reading of the district's Five-Year Forecast, a state-required projection of operational revenues and expenditures overseen by CFO/Treasurer Rebecca Jenkins. The Financial Review & Reporting Committee meets Aug. 18 at the Annex, one day before school opens, giving the panel a chance to dig into the numbers before the board's next regular meeting Aug. 24.
School starts in nine days.
The district's 2025-26 Continuous Improvement Plan, adopted Sept. 15, 2025, set a benchmark of cutting total expenditures by at least $824,202, a 1% reduction, to strengthen the forecast's outlook. Whether the new projection meets that target has not been publicly detailed.
Career Pathways Audit
The Educational Service Center presented a Career Pathways Audit to the board. NAPLS offers 16 career pathways for secondary students, spanning health sciences, engineering, information technology, arts and communication, business administration and more. The district's career readiness goal calls for at least 10% of the Class of 2026 to meet one of four benchmarks: earning an industry-recognized credential, completing a pre-apprenticeship, attaining technical assessment proficiency, or earning the OhioMeansJobs Seal with 250-plus hours of work-based learning.
Specific findings from the audit were not released in the district's meeting recap.
Other business
The board recognized the New Albany Eagles state champion baseball team and heard updates on the Campus Master Plan, which has been presented at multiple meetings this year, and a Student Services Update.
What's next
The district's 5,123 students return soon. The first day of school for grades 1-12 students with last names A-K is Aug. 19. Students with last names L-Z start Aug. 20, and all PK-12 students attend beginning Aug. 21. The next board meeting is Aug. 24, at the NAPLS Annex.
