WESTON—Otsego Local Schools, which serves Weston-area students, has opened the school year with a districtwide evacuation drill, a new three-year contract for its classified staff and the return of its junior high principal, while Knights teams have posted a school record in girls soccer and a sixth straight conference title in girls golf.


District News


Evacuation drill

On Sept. 21, the district evacuated students and staff from all three of its buildings and bused them to its designated reunification site, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. The exercise moved about 1,400 students and 200 staff members on 13 buses, 4.8 miles to the Bowling Green Community Center, and took about two hours from start to finish. The district said the drill went smoothly enough that everyone returned to campus earlier than expected, credited months of planning, and thanked its Transportation Department and the community center.

Classified staff contract

The Board of Education on July 23 approved a three-year contract with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, the Sentinel-Tribune reported. The agreement gives about 90 employees, including secretaries, custodians, kitchen staff, paraprofessionals and bus drivers, a 2% increase to base pay in each year. Union members had ratified it the week before. Superintendent Kevin O’Shea said the employees accepted the modest raise with the community’s financial situation in mind.

Rife returns as junior high principal

At a special meeting in July, the board voted unanimously to rehire Jon Rife as junior high principal under a retire/rehire agreement, following a public hearing on July 8. According to the Sentinel-Tribune, Rife began work in early August at a salary of $81,754. O’Shea said Rife gave up immediate retirement payments, which he will begin drawing in October, so the district would not have to go 90 days without a principal, and that keeping him avoids the cost of recruiting and training a replacement.

A judge’s talk for freshman parents

Wood County Common Pleas Judge Joel M. Kuhlman was scheduled to speak to parents at the Otsego High School Freshman Welcome Meeting on Aug. 17, BG Independent News reported. His talk was to cover issues freshmen may face, including encounters with law enforcement and the legal and personal consequences of drug, alcohol and sex-related offenses.

Fair royalty

Otsego senior Sara Britton, the junior fair board reporter and president of the Leaders of Tomorrow 4-H Club, was named second runner-up for 2026 Wood County Jr. Fair Queen on Aug. 3, according to BG Independent News.


Athletics


  • Girls golf: Otsego won the Northern Buckeye Conference tournament on Sept. 17 at Green Hills in Clyde, its sixth straight league tournament title and ninth in 10 years, the Sentinel-Tribune reported. Kenzie Kellermeier won the individual title and teammate Ava Coe finished second; Coe was named NBC Golfer of the Year. The Knights then placed third at the Division II sectional at Riverby Hills to qualify for the Sept. 28 district tournament at Sycamore Springs.
  • Boys golf: The season ended at the sectional at Eagles Landing, where the Knights placed fourth with a 349, one spot short of advancing, the athletics department posted. Senior Landon Koch shot 83, a stroke from qualifying individually.
  • Girls soccer: A win on Sept. 21 lifted the Knights to 9-2 and set a school record for wins in a season, according to the team’s and the athletics department’s Facebook pages.
  • Football: Otsego is 4-1 and 2-0 in the NBC after a 60-0 win over Oak Harbor on Sept. 18, according to MaxPreps. The Knights were scheduled to play at Eastwood on Friday, Sept. 25.
  • Volleyball: Otsego rallied from early deficits to sweep Napoleon 25-22, 25-16, 25-22 on Sept. 21 and improve to 7-6, the Sentinel-Tribune reported, with Molly Kramer posting 24 digs and Ashlyn Rider serving five aces. The volleyball program reported a 3-1 win at Rossford the next night.

Sources: Otsego Local School District on Facebook · Sentinel-Tribune: OAPSE contract · Sentinel-Tribune: Rife rehired · Sentinel-Tribune: June board meeting · BG Independent News: Judge Kuhlman · BG Independent News: Jr. Fair royalty · Sentinel-Tribune: NBC girls golf · Otsego Athletics on Facebook · MaxPreps: Otsego football · Sentinel-Tribune: Otsego volleyball