With a few strokes of a pen, it became official Friday, Jan. 9: Yellow Springs Development Corporation purchased the downtown buildings at 252 and 254 Xenia Avenue.

In doing so, YSDC assumed ownership of two vacant storefronts — most recently Yellow Springs Hardware and the Yellow Springs Toy Company — as well as the six residential apartments on the second stories of the two properties.

YSDC, a quasi-governmental nonprofit and community improvement corporation, bought the adjoining properties from the trustees of the estate of the late Bob Baldwin for $630,000 — money loaned to YSDC from Yellow Springs Community Foundation.

As previously reported in the News, YSDC members sought to purchase the buildings in the interest of economic development in the downtown corridor, and to maintain local control over their fate — that is, beating out-of-town buyers to the purchase.

What’s next for the properties — specifically what will occupy the ground floors — remains to be seen, YSDC representatives told the News earlier this week. What is certain, though, is that the six tenants upstairs are not in imminent jeopardy of losing their apartments, despite the change in ownership.

“Nor are their rents going up,” YSDC Executive Director Lisa Abel said.

Overseeing the living situations for the tenants and collecting their rents on behalf of YSDC is a newly hired property manager, Kimberly Wattermann, who said she intends to disturb the ongoing rental agreements as little as possible.

“I think we all have the best interests of the tenants at heart,” she said.

Wattermann has been a property manager in the Dayton area for 35 years. Locally, she has managed rental agreements for dozens of homes in Yellow Springs over the years, and she also manages some student apartments near Wright State.

Wattermann added that, should YSDC renovate its properties so extensively in the future that the tenants would need to temporarily vacate their apartments, she would directly assist in rehoming those six individuals.

“Since I’ve been doing this so long, I’ve been through most scenarios you can imagine,” she said. “But this is still a unique situation. I think I can help, provided I have direction from YSDC.”

According to the findings of a number of site surveys and evaluations, the buildings will require considerable repairs and renovations.

Ahead of Friday’s purchase, YSDC sought the following consultations: a structural engineering survey, asbestos evaluation, architectural assessment, fire safety report from Miami Township Fire-Rescue, environmental impact study, as well as surveys on the buildings’ roofs and electrical and plumbing systems.

Taken together, these studies were what Abel and other YSDC members have, up to this point, referred to as their “due diligence” phase of the project.

While the two buildings are in a “prime location and have historical relevance to the community,” the architectural assessment notes, they have nevertheless “suffered the consequences of continuous deferred maintenance over a long period of time.”

According to county records, the three-story brick building at 252 Xenia Ave. was built around 1853, and is one of the oldest buildings in Yellow Springs. The adjoining structure at 254 was built sometime in the following decades; a Yellow Springs insurance map from July 1895 depicts both buildings in their current locations.

The architectural assessment — penned by Earl Reeder Associates — continues: “A successful restoration would require a measured approach, beginning with correcting the most serious liabilities.”

Those include rectifying:

• Structural issues with the buildings’ foundations — particularly in the corners, and as evidenced by cracks in walls, bowing bricks and warped floors in the upper levels due to overloading;

• Asbestos in the plaster and flooring;

• Old “knob-and-tube” electricity circuits, with exposed wires and outdated panels;

• Undersized water service lines;

• A deteriorating and leaky aluminum roof;

• Out-of-code egresses from the residential spaces;

• Standing water in the basement;

Additionally, the fire report found that the buildings were not in compliance with code on eight counts, including broken or outdated exit signs, an insufficient number of alarms and amount of lighting in hallways, as well as a fire escape that doesn’t fully reach the ground.

It’s a daunting list of to-dos, but Abel remains steadfast. 

“There’s nothing in these reports that we find insurmountable,” she said. “Sure, there are some nights when I lie awake at 3 in the morning wondering how this will all work. But then there are these moments when I get so excited about the opportunity we have here to bring something really cool to Yellow Springs — that we can make this work.”

YSDC Board President Michael Slaughter was inclined to agree with Abel — fixing up old buildings is just a part of living in Yellow Springs, he said.

“That’s just how it is here,” Slaughter said. “And you don’t see folks tearing down their old homes, do you?”

Slaughter said that, at an earlier stage in the buying process, YSDC had approached the Baldwins with an offer lower than the asking price, owing to the extensive anticipated repairs. The Baldwins declined the offer with the intention to sell the buildings “as is,” and YSDC’s purchasing agent — village resident Shelly Blackman — advised YSDC members against continuing to pursue a lower-cost sale. According to Slaughter, repeatedly asking for a lower cost could have spurred the Baldwins putting the buildings up for auction.

But that didn’t happen, and now, with the keys in YSDC’s hands, some of the needed improvements are underway.

Recently, YSDC members have installed more fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and brought in additional fire extinguishers. Soon, there will be more hall lights and better exit signs. Also brought into the mix is village electrician Paul Larkowski, who was recently tasked with replacing the old “knob-and-tube” wiring.

Meanwhile, YSDC is still actively searching for a project manager — a paid position that, according to the job listing, will “lead the predevelopment process, including due diligence, planning, financial analysis and stakeholder coordination.” The project manager’s work will ultimately “culminate in a development recommendation and construction readiness.”

Beyond making structural improvements and complying with codes, there’s still the tailor-made renovations needed for whatever eventually occupies the downstairs retail spaces. Past suggestions from inquiring villagers have included a local history museum, a visitor’s center, another hardware store, a gathering space, a unique retailer and more.

For now, nothing is determined and anything is possible, Abel said.

“We have quite a bit of flexibility,” Abel pointed out. “The two-year bridge loan from the Community Foundation also buys us a good amount of time to hear more from the community — What do you want?  What do you not want? We have two years to figure that out before the foundation collects their note.”

Slaughter added: “So, this means we have time to hold more town halls, have more conversations with folks. In a lot of ways, we’re trying to do this project differently than other recent ones that have happened in town. There have been recent happenings where someone comes in, says, “This is the plan,” and they go forward without any community input. We’re trying to do the right thing and involve the village in this process.”

To that end, a second town hall regarding the fate of 252 and 254 Xenia Ave. has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6-8 p.m., in the John Bryan Community Center. Like the previous town hall earlier this winter, this will be another chance for village residents to articulate their wants and visions for the downtown spaces, Abel said.

Mike Montgomery didn’t plan to be the kind of executive director who stays behind a desk.

“I’m involved in everything,” he said. “I don’t have that corporate structure of a lot of my peers.”

This week, after more than eight years leading the nonprofit Friends Care Community, Montgomery is stepping out from behind the desk one last time, officially retiring from the position Friday, Jan. 9. In speaking with the News last month, he said he had expected to stay in the position “maybe a couple more years,” but that illness within his family has pulled the timeline forward.

“The board has enabled me to retire earlier than I had planned,” he said.

Montgomery’s departure from Friends Care comes during a time when long-term care is getting more expensive to operate, harder to staff and, he said, more dominated by corporations that can centralize services and spread costs.

“Especially on the for-profit side [of long-term care], many of them own not just four or five buildings in Dayton, but maybe 45 buildings in eight or nine states,” he said. “That’s one reason I wanted to be here; I prefer the independence that we have here.”

In his time at the helm of Friends Care, Montgomery said he’s learned that independence can protect something hard to measure: a facility’s ability to respond to the people who live and work there, rather than directives from far away.

“In other places, you might have somebody who comes up with something simple, like menu plans, and they’re out in New York; that might be great food for New York, but, you know, we’re meat and potatoes people here,” he said. “Dictates from outside the community just don’t work.”

As it happens, during his first years as executive director at Friends Care — a position he came into in 2017 after 13 years at the nonprofit, faith-based Grace Brethren Village, in Dayton — food service for residents was one of a number of issues Montgomery tackled to help boost morale for both residents and staff members. In addition to bringing food service back in-house to improve meal quality, Montgomery also worked to stabilize staff levels and hired more permanent staff, as well as overseeing feasibility studies for future expansion and spearheading renovation of the facility’s front entrance to make it more welcoming to visitors.

He also promoted longtime Friends Care employee Hannah Moorman early in his tenure, and for much of his time at Friends Care, she has been one of his closest operational partners. Moorman has been at Friends Care for 13 years, beginning as a licensed practical nurse before moving to management positions. After she received her registered nurse licensure, Moorman said, Montgomery hired her as director of nursing within a few months of his becoming executive director.

“He did not know me from Adam,” Moorman said. “He just said, ‘I see something in you, and I think you could do great things, and you’ve got the heart for long-term care.’”

Moorman said that her position and Montgomery’s have been complementary, and as such, she’s learned a lot from his people-first style of administration — an approach she said she shares — and that both jobs require “a lot of patience.”

“And he has taught me that you don’t have to know everything, and it’s OK to ask questions,” she said. “When there were times I felt like I failed, he told me it’s part of the process and lessons will be learned every day. He allowed me to be able to grow and learn. Keeping residents at the center, which is what I have always done — he’s done that as well.”

Working to maintain a staff who keep residents at the center of their approach has been a consistent during his tenure, Montgomery said, even as wage increases haven’t been matched by comparable increases in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements from the state and federal governments. Though Friends Care has kept on board a number of long-term employees, like Moorman, the rising difficulty of retaining a full staff has been “the biggest change” during his time at the helm.

“In the past, I would always do wage studies against other facilities; now I have to do them against Walmart, against McDonald’s, because everybody’s competing for the same employees,” he said. “Ever since COVID, staffing has been hard.”

Montgomery cited the pandemic as the defining challenge of his career with Friends Care. Though he said protecting the organization’s resident-centered mission while keeping it financially stable in an industry that increasingly rewards scale and revenue has always been part of the job, the pandemic years brought that work into sharp relief, while also presenting a host of other hurdles. He credited Friends Care’s board, which by design draws representation both from Quakers and the broader village population, with helping the facility eventually clear that hurdle.

“We had no COVID cases [during lockdown] for our residents, but some of our staff members had COVID,” he said. “[The board] said, ‘We don’t have to fill a bed if we don’t have the staff’ — if we had been on the for-profit side, they would have wanted the revenue in here from a filled bed.”

Moorman said Friends Care’s goal during COVID was to keep residents safe, and that both she and Montgomery stood firm behind that goal.

“It made us one of the last 64 facilities in the country to get COVID,” she said. “We didn’t lose people to COVID.”

Though Montgomery said he looks back on the worst of the pandemic with a sense of pride at keeping residents safe, when he was in the thick of it, it was one of the most difficult times of his life.

“I’d always loved this work,” he said. “And then once COVID hit, I felt like I became a police officer: ‘You can’t come in the building. Are you wearing your mask? Do you have your vaccines? Did you wash your hands?’”

And though staffing and supply shortages were part and parcel of the pandemic experience, he said, the most painful task was telling families they couldn’t come visit their loved ones.

“One of my hardest days was the visitor ban,” he said. “That was my worst day, because I had to tell people, ‘You’re not allowed to see your mom.’ That’s not what I signed up to do.”

And yet, he said, those same months deepened his connection to the residents and staff. With families kept out and staff stretched thin, he said, the work became more personal — sometimes literally, as staff stepped into roles outside their usual duties.

“I really got close to our residents, because I was out passing out meals and helping on the floor,” he said. “We became their family.”

He pointed to a tradition he said reflects Friends Care’s culture: “When somebody passes away, here, they do what’s called the ‘walk of honor.’ All our staff line the halls. And especially during COVID, because I got so close to them, when they passed, it really hit home — not that it didn’t before, but by that point, I was their family; it was the same with all the staff, not just me.”

Montgomery’s respect and visibility are also what Friends Care board members say they’ve heard about, consistently, from residents, families and staff. Diane Chiddister, the longest-serving current board member, said Montgomery’s approach has been defined by “a lot of caring and attention and the Quaker value of respect for the individual.” She said residents have noticed that he has been present on the campus and willing to listen.

“That wasn’t always the case with previous directors,” she said. “Respect for residents and staff is just Mike’s style.”

Kristine Hofstra, who joined the Friends Care board in October 2024, said Montgomery has been “passionate about the care of the residents and really keeping morale up within the staff, making them feel supported.”

With Montgomery’s departure, Friends Care will move into an intentional transition period. An interim executive director is set to take over from Montgomery temporarily; Chiddister said the interim director was recommended by AQORD, a senior services network created through a merger between the former Mennonite MHS Association and the Quaker friends Services Alliance, and that the board will launch a search for a permanent replacement during the interim period. Hofstra added that the board hopes the interim director will “bring a fresh perspective” and help the board “hone a solid strategic plan.”

“When you’re used to how things have been run, and especially if they’ve been run well, it can be difficult to hear new ideas, but I think it will open up new energy,” she said. “It’s hard to see Mike go, but we’re optimistic about the future.”

Moorman agreed: “I think working with someone that I don’t have a relationship with yet and fresh eyes is going to be a really good thing for us — and good for me,” she said.

Moorman’s role during the transition is also shifting. Last year, she stepped down as director of nursing to complete the residency required for state licensure as an administrator, and she said she will work closely with the interim executive director during the final months of that program. At present, her title is assistant director of nursing, and the former assistant director has stepped into Moorman’s former role as director.

Ultimately, Moorman said she aims to apply for the executive director position once the board launches its search, though she pointed out that following in Montgomery’s footsteps is by no means a foregone conclusion.

“The board wants to do their due diligence,” she said. “I’ve never been an executive director before, which I respect. … But there isn’t really anything in this building that I’ve not done.”

Looking ahead at retirement, Montgomery said he and his wife plan to spend part of each coming year in Florida, where his wife’s father lives.

“He’s a snowbird, so we’ll come back up here and he’ll live with us during the warm months,” he said.

And though he doesn’t intend to return to a full-time position, because Montgomery maintains his administrative license, he said there’s the possibility that he might serve temporarily as an interim director at another long-term care facility in the future.

“But honestly, I feel I’m at a place where I’m OK with retirement — I think I’m ready,” he said. “I think I’ll spend some time being a kid again, playing golf and softball and running marathons.”

As he prepared for his final day at Friends Care, transferring login credentials and accounts out of his name, Montgomery described it as the kind of place he wants to see thriving — and still independent — a decade, two decades from now.

“If you value what Friends offers you here,” he said, “start supporting us now.”

And he said he knows what he’ll miss most: “I’ll miss the people. Without a doubt.”

The News will follow-up with board members on more of what’s ahead for Friends Care in a future issue of the News.

This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday, Jan. 19. The 2026 theme is “MLK: Man of Action.”

The annual march through downtown, which was scheduled to step off at about 9:45 a.m., has been cancelled due to chilly temperatures in the forecast. The indoor MLK Day programming will continue as planned at 11 a.m. in the Bryan Center gymnasium.

The program will include musical selections from the World House Choir; focusing remarks by Kevin Powell, journalist, activist and filmmaker; essays by Yellow Springs youth; the awarding of the 2026 YS Peacemaker Prize; and spoken word and dance performances. A soup lunch will follow at 12:30 p.m.

At 3 p.m., an open mic for words and/or music inspired by MLK, will be held at the Coretta Scott King Center, 781 Livermore St.

Contributions to support the day’s activities may be made at the365projectys.org. For more information, email the365projectys@gmail.com

(NOTE: Owing to the holiday, the News will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19, and as a result, next week’s paper will be delivered a day late.)

Yellow Springs Senior Center leaders are eyeing the former lumber yard at 108 Cliff St. as a potential site for the organization’s long-planned new building — a possible shift away from a Livermore Street parcel the Senior Center purchased two years ago.

As the News reported in December 2023, Yellow Springs Senior Citizens, Inc. bought a $300,000, half-acre lot from Antioch College at the corner of Livermore and East North College streets, with the aim of building a new facility to replace the current split-level center at 227 Xenia Ave.

The Cliff Street property — a 1940 industrial building that formerly housed a series of lumber companies — was purchased in 2021 by Massies Creek Ventures, whose owners, at the time, aimed to transform the building into a public market and eatery. Massies Creek Ventures cleared and renovated parts of the site, removed asbestos siding and commissioned architectural renderings; however, the property returned to the market in mid-2024 with an asking price of $1.27 million.

The possible change in course for the Senior Center was shared with the center’s 710 members in a late-December newsletter. Executive Director Caroline Mullin wrote in the newsletter that the Senior Center’s board of trustees had “been working to pivot and consider an alternative location for [the] new facility” as part of a “thoughtful process including bringing many experts into the dialogue.”

In speaking with the News this month, Mullin said the Cliff Street property came into focus during conversations about what residents want the new facility to be — and where they want it to be.

“The only detraction we were getting as feedback from people [on the Livermore site] was that we’d be leaving downtown,” Mullin said.

A member of the feasibility group for the planned new building pointed toward Cliff Street as an option, Mullin said, and Senior Center leadership moved quickly to give the site an initial assessment.

“Within 10 days, we had a crew of 12 people walk through [the Cliff Street] property, including our architect,” she said. “And we’re comfortable that it would fit our needs, and the perception is that it would still be downtown.”

She emphasized, however, that the Cliff Street option is still only a possibility.

“It’s still up in the air, and there’s no contract on it,” Mullin said.

Thus far, the Senior Center has worked with Dayton-based LWC Architecture to complete a feasibility study, assessing the nonprofit’s ability to raise capital for the project, and a space usage study, identifying the ideal space needed for current and future operations. According to Mullin, the Cliff Street property’s 11,000 square feet — about three times the current building’s 3,7000 square feet — would fit the bill.

“We’re pretty clear that we need 11,000 square feet,” Mullin said.

The current Senior Center building on Xenia Avenue, purchased to house the center in 1978, presents a number of logistical challenges daily, Mullin said. The Senior Center hosts a wealth of programming within its doors each week, including a number of classes, meeting and discussion groups, weekly meals, public performances and the monthly “Village Voices” speaker series. The majority of scheduled programs are held within two classrooms, Mullin said, which often means a quick turnaround between events, as well as a limit on how many programs can be held throughout the day.

And as a result of the building’s layout, she said, staff, volunteers and members sometimes must pass through other in-use rooms in order to get to the kitchen or storage, and parking close to the Senior Center remains a challenge for those attending programming, even with a few dedicated accessible spots nearby. Mullin also added that accessibility within the building is not ideal: Because the building is split-level, those who use mobility devices must use an outdoor ramp to move between the levels of the building

“It’s not unusual to have 80 people in and out of our building in a day,” Mullin said, adding that the center has had to turn down program ideas because there isn’t room to host them.

“And we also want to have more of a lounge area,” she said. “We don’t have enough space for people to just socialize.”

In addition to location and size, one of the Cliff Street site’s potential advantages is that it may allow the Senior Center to build in phases — a concept Mullin said emerged in the feasibility study as a way to keep moving even if the full project cost can’t be raised all at once; a firm cost for the project hasn’t yet been tallied, but Mullin said an early estimate is around $7 million.

“And the space on Cliff street would allow us to maybe just do the east end of the building, and then remodel the rest later,” she said. “If it’s a phased project, we would have the ability to maybe get started with $3 million, and then over time, get the momentum to finish.”

Mullin said the Senior Center has raised over $250,000 for the building project during its “silent phase” of fundraising, and expects assets from the sale of the current building to contribute to about 15% of the overall cost of the new building project.

Mullin added that both potential sites for the new Senior Center — the Cliff Street property and the Livermore Street land near Antioch College the nonprofit already owns — offer potential advantages for the center’s future: The Cliff Street site, positioned along the bike path, could open up new possibilities for how the center feels and functions, including outdoor space that invites passersby in. Livermore Street, for its part, would offer the freedom to design without the existing constraints of an older structure.

“We’ll be fine in either situation,” Mullin said, adding that a decision on which site to pursue will likely be made within the next two months.

“We don’t want to take so long to make a decision that everything stalls.”

No matter which location the board ultimately chooses, Mullin said the Senior Center’s mission remains the same, as does the invitation to the broader community to be part of it. Membership and programming are open to people of all ages, and the membership fee is $25 per year.

In the meantime, the Senior Center just finished up its annual appeal, raising more than $95,000 for operations after setting a $91,000 goal. Mullin noted that the goal for the appeal was originally set at $90,000 in honor of local resident Donna Denman, following the publication of “Living healthy at 90 and beyond,” a Scientific American profile on Denman penned by Neenah Ellis and featuring photos by Dennie Eagleson.

“And when I told [Donna] that our goal was $90,000, she said, ‘Well, I’m 91 now, so let’s make it $91,000,’” Mullin said. “So we want to thank the community, in as many ways as possible, for helping us exceed our goal.”

• In January, YS Schools joined a growing list of school districts that signed onto a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Ohio’s expanded EdChoice voucher system, which allows state tax dollars to follow students to private schools that face fewer regulations than public districts. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by Vouchers Hurt Ohio, a coalition representing about half of the state’s school districts; the lawsuit contends that public funds should not be used to subsidize private school tuition. The case advanced in June when Judge Jaiza Page issued a summary judgment declaring the EdChoice program unconstitutional, citing Ohio’s constitutional mandate to fund a “thorough and efficient system of common schools” and its historical rejection of directing public money to religious schools. Judge Page’s ruling was stayed, allowing the EdChoice program to continue operating as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appealed the ruling; the lawsuit is currently before the Ohio Court of Appeals and is expected to land before the Ohio Supreme Court.

• In January and February, the school board approved two censures against board member Amy Magnus related to explicit language directed at Superintendent Terri Holden and the sharing of confidential legal correspondence on social media. The initial censure followed a public apology from Magnus.

• In March, Superintendent Terri Holden announced her retirement effective May 2026, concluding seven years leading the district through pandemic disruptions, strategic planning and the launch of its facilities upgrade project. The school board unanimously accepted her notice, expressing gratitude, and approved a succession plan naming Megan Winston, then principal of Mills Lawn Elementary, as interim assistant superintendent and eventual superintendent.

• At an April meeting, the school board reviewed potential federal and state funding impacts, including a U.S. Department of Education Title VI compliance certification required to continue receiving federal aid. The mandate — which was tied to a letter asserting that diversity, equity and
inclusion efforts may violate civil rights law — placed the district in a difficult position; as Holden pointed out, signing the certification would maintain federal funding, but she held concerns that were “professional, moral and ethical about what message the certification sends.” Board members also discussed Ohio House Bill 96 — the state’s then-pending budget bill — which altered school funding formulas, expanded private school vouchers and proposed limits on district cash reserves, raising concerns about long-term fiscal stability and planning.

• In May, district leaders pushed back against HB 96, warning that the proposed state budget would deepen inequities in public school funding. As the Ohio Senate began hearings, district leaders urged Sen. Kyle Koehler, of Ohio District 10, serving Clark, Clinton and Greene counties, to oppose provisions underfunding schools and capping operating fund carryover at 30%. They argued that the bill would discourage responsible saving and likely force more frequent property tax levies.

• As the 2024–25 school year neared its end, the school board used its May 8 meeting to recognize a wave of retirements and introduce new district leaders. Retiring educators and staff included Nancy Bussey, Jody Chick, Julie Cosler, Linnea Denman, Dee Ann Holly, Jane Jako and Shawna Welch, with longtime teacher and School Forest adviser John Day also entering retirement but planning to return next year. The board also welcomed incoming Mills Lawn Principal Becca Huber and new special education supervisor Joseph Bachman.

• Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s two-year state budget June 30 and issued 67 line-item vetoes that shielded Yellow Springs Schools and other districts from sweeping funding changes. School leaders welcomed the vetoes, but noted that lawmakers could still attempt overrides. In July, school board members drafted a joint statement urging state lawmakers not to override DeWine’s vetoes of school-related budget provisions.

• The Mills Lawn PTO expanded its annual back-to-school supply drive this summer, continuing to provide free supplies for families in need and adding a bulk-order option for elementary families. For the first time, donated supplies also supported students at the middle school.

• Sean Herbert took on the role of athletic director for Yellow Springs Schools in August, bringing more than a decade of experience as an educator and coach. Herbert outlined plans to strengthen feeder programs, expand community engagement — including a new senior VIP pass — and build middle school athletics.

• In September, the school board discussed renaming McKinney Middle School and YS High School to YS Middle and High School, citing the unified 7–12 — soon 5–12 — East Enon Road campus and a single state identifier number with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The board ultimately voted in October to approve the name change, while preserving the legacy of Ed McKinney, for whom the middle school was named, by naming the school’s upcoming new grades 5–8 wing in his honor.

• John Gudgel was honored in October for 45 years of service to YS Schools, recognized by district leaders for a career spanning roles as teacher, counselor, principal and coach, as well as being a Class of 1975 alumnus. His colleagues lauded his legacy of warm mentorship and quiet advocacy, noting his influence on generations of students and families throughout the community.

• Live daily broadcasts returned to Mills Lawn Elementary in September with the revival of Bulldog News, airing each school morning for the first time since 2020. Led by STEM teacher Megan Bachman, who applied for grant funding to update the program’s equipment, rotating teams of sixth graders serve as anchors and technical crew, delivering important news to their fellow students.

• YS Schools reviewed its annual State of the Schools in the fall, reporting that the district earned a 4.5-star rating on the Ohio Schools Report Card, with strong marks in growth, graduation and gap closing. The district received weaker results in early literacy, as well as the state’s newly scored college, career and workforce readiness measure. District leaders criticized the new metric’s timing and criteria while outlining steps already underway to improve future scores.

• In a late October work session, district leaders warned that a slate of state bills advancing in Columbus could further strain local school funding. House Bills 186, 335, 129 and 309, they said, would restrict key property tax tools as state support continues to lag inflation, and the Fair School Funding Plan remains underfunded. Treasurer Jacob McGrath and Superintendent Holden urged residents to contact legislators, cautioning that schools could face more frequent levies or cuts to district services.

• In November, the school board moved to sharpen its focus on state and federal legislation, approving a second legislative liaison amid a surge of bills affecting schools. Superintendent Holden outlined dozens of Ohio proposals and potential impacts from the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

• In December, YS Schools announced the launch of a voluntary capital campaign to support locally funded elements of the district’s ongoing facilities upgrades at Mills Lawn and the middle and high school campus. Superintendent Holden said the campaign was prompted by construction-related aspects not covered by state or levy funding. The campaign focuses on enhancements such as auditorium seating and equipment, with optional naming opportunities.

• The YS school board closed the year by recognizing the retirement of longtime and beloved Mills Lawn music teacher JoFrannye Reichert, following a performance by the YS High School choir. Reichert retired after 21 years with the district, during which she was a champion of cross-curricular music education and community performances, including flash mobs and all-school musicals.

Antioch College

• In January, the News reported that the  Higher Learning Commission had assigned Antioch College a financial distress designation two months prior, citing a 2023 audit that raised concerns about declining net assets and the college’s ability to continue as a going concern. Antioch President Jane Fernandes said the designation was expected and reflected ongoing financial challenges the college had begun addressing through staff reductions and its Social Enterprise and Enrollment Plan. In May, the HLC lifted the designation, affirming Antioch’s accreditation while identifying enrollment, revenue diversification and long-term financial monitoring as areas requiring continued attention ahead of a 2026 reaccreditation review.

• In mid-February, Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom held a Global Racial and Social Justice Summit titled “Another World is Possible.” The four-day event brought together students, scholars, artists and activists for more than 30 workshops, panels, screenings and performances addressing anti-racism, nonviolence, education equity, community organizing and transgender rights. Center Director Queen Meccasia Zabriskie said the summit aimed to build collective strategies for social change through shared research, art and activism.

• In May, Antioch hosted alumnus Niko Kowell as part of its “Conversations with Social Entrepreneurs” series. Kowell discussed founding Narwhal Divers, which creates affirming, safer scuba diving spaces for trans and queer communities while educating the broader dive industry.

• After the U.S. Department of Labor moved in late May to suspend the national Job Corps program, Antioch College intervened locally, offering housing, jobs and academic pathways to 11 displaced students. The college enrolled the students in a summer bridge program, integrating them into campus life amid national uncertainty over the future of Job Corps.

• Antioch College marked multiple milestones at its June 21 commencement, graduating a class of 15 as the school celebrated 15 years since its reopening and its 175th anniversary. Civil rights leader William Barber II delivered the address, drawing historical resonance with Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at Antioch in 1965.

• Muse Machine’s Summer Institute for Educators was held in Yellow Springs for the first time in July, with the Foundry Theater at Antioch College hosting the four-day program focused on folk arts and storytelling. Dozens of regional educators explored music, movement and narrative as classroom tools through hands-on workshops led by local artists.

• Antioch College began the 2025–2026 academic year with 115 degree-seeking students, down slightly from last fall, though the incoming class nearly doubled to 42.

The Antioch School

In April, The Antioch School replaced its annual gala with a Spring Community Celebration, which marked the successful purchase of 5.3 acres to permanently house its Forest Kindergarten program. The land purchase was made possible by more than 70 donors; the celebration honored the late Peggy Erskine, whose early gift helped secure the property for outdoor education in perpetuity.

 

Antioch University

In August, Lori Varlotta began her tenure as president of Antioch University by meeting with local and regional leaders and outlining potential new directions for the Antioch Midwest campus. She discussed possible partnerships, including expanded health and wellness programming and shared use of campus space, and described the university’s role in the Coalition for the Common Good. Varlotta also signaled interest in exploring renewed academic pathways with Antioch College.

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