BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bowling Green City Schools returns to class in two weeks and the new superintendent is trying to get a jump start on meeting with the community before the new school year begins.
Superintendent Ted Haselman, who is on day five of holding the position, says he wants to be the leader who people are comfortable talking with and sharing their concerns.
The biggest and probably most important goal for the district's new leader is passing a levy for a new high school, which is why Haselman met with parents, teachers and community members Monday afternoon.
"The community has welcomed me," he said. "The district has welcomed me in many, many ways."
Haselman is excited about his new role but knows it comes with challenges.
"We just have had a lot of difficulties with levies," Kenwood Elementary teacher Ann Strobel said.
Since 2017, voters have denied levies four times, three for the elementary schools and once for high school.
In November, the district will try again.
"To stay competitive in northwest Ohio, we need to pass this one this time," longtime Bowling Green resident Milt Hakel said.
Hakel said part of the reason all those levies failed is because of the vast differences in the areas BGCS serves.
"We have a huge school district whose geography is close to half of wood county," Hakel said. "The school buses drive 2,000 miles a day, over that, just picking up kids that are part of our district."
To Hakel's point, kids in the district come from all over the county including the villages of Portage, Custar and Weston.
Haselman hopes his transparency will be more receptive to the people who previously voted no.
"Hopefully build trust within our community and in the schools," he said. "We're going to do what we say and say what we mean. Those are things we're going to try to build upon."
The district's board of education moved forward with putting the levy on the ballot back in June.
BGCS grades 1-9 return to school Aug. 22, and grades 10-12 return Aug. 23.