Foust joins school board, taking over for Adams
By Jane Beathard
Staff Writer
Plain City-area resident Shannon R. Foust joined the Jonathan Alder Local Schools Board of Education on Monday.
Foust was appointed to fill the board seat formerly held by John Adams, D.O. Adams resigned in January, citing a conflict of interest involving the school’s athletic training program.
Current board members selected Foust from 11 candidates who applied for the vacant post.
“Lots of people were interested,” said Superintendent Gary Chapman. “Mr. Foust stood out.”
School board member Steve Votaw was impressed with the “caliber and quality” of the candidates.
Foust is an 18-year resident of the school district and served on the JA Advisory Board of local business leaders. His background is in restaurant management. Foust currently works as a business consultant.
Foust’s two children are Alder graduates.
“It was time to give back (to the schools),” Foust said.
In his application, Foust outlined three challenges facing the school district. Those challenges are fluctuating funding from the state; maintaining outstanding academic results in the face of unstable funding; and dealing with continued growth.
Foust’s term will expire in December.
Shannon Foust
• In other action, school board members:
• Approved a trip to Spain in the summer 2014 for third and fourth-year high school Spanish students
• Authorized Chapman to request proposals for installing wireless technology (wi-fi) at the high and junior high schools, as well as Monroe Elementary School
• Approved a revised high school course description handbook that includes new courses in environmental science, aquatic ecology and statistics
• Accepted a $500 grant from Target for a fourth-grade field trip to the Columbus Clippers baseball game on May 22 for students from Monroe Elementary School. The students will use game statistics to solve math problems.
• Approved a Summer Enrichment Camp for students in third through eighth grades. Chapman said students will pay a $50 fee to participate. Dates for the camp are June 10-24.
