Dublin City Schools will begin 2026 with two new faces at the Board of Education table. In the November 2025 election, voters selected Tara Seward and Elizabeth McClain to serve four-year terms, and reelected Tiffany deSilva. Seward, McClain, and deSilva will serve alongside Chris Valentine and Amy Messick, whose terms expire in 2027.

Seward and McClain will fill the seats previously held by Lindsay Gillis and Diana Rigby, who joined the Board in 2021. During the Dec. 8 meeting, Superintendent Dr. John Marschhausen thanked Gillis and Rigby and noted that Board service isn’t always easy — especially because the role is often misunderstood.

In Ohio, school Board members serve as the district’s elected governing body. Their role is to set policy, adopt the district’s budget, approve contracts, and provide oversight of the school system on behalf of the community. Board members do not manage day-to-day operations in schools. Instead, they hire and evaluate the district’s two top leaders: the Superintendent and the Treasurer. Those leaders are responsible for implementing the Board’s priorities, managing staff, running district operations, and overseeing the district’s finances.

As the new Board settles in, two major topics will be front and center. The first is a full restart of the high school redistricting process, following the district’s decision to pause the previous effort in October. The restart will include new guiding criteria, new methods for community input, and a new firm developing the map. While district administration will lead the operational work, the Board will be pivotal in setting direction and providing oversight, ensuring the process is transparent, consistent, and aligned with the district’s priorities.

The second priority is continued review of the district’s five-year financial forecast, which is updated each year and used to guide long-term decisions about funding, staffing, and future needs. The latest forecast shows Dublin City Schools remains stable today, but projects annual spending will begin exceeding revenue in FY26, driven largely by rising costs and enrollment-related needs. While the district is expected to maintain a positive cash balance through FY29, the forecast indicates reserves could fall below the district’s target over time — a signal that proactive planning will be necessary to maintain the programs, staffing, and student services the community expects.

With new and returning members in place, the Board will move forward on these priorities while continuing to support a district known for academic excellence, diverse opportunities, and a deep commitment to student success.

Dublin City Schools’ Board of Education meetings are open to the public. Meetings are generally held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, with a few exceptions for breaks and holidays. Meetings take place at Emerald Campus, and agendas, meeting dates, and materials are posted online. Community members who would like to address the Board may do so through public participation. For more information, visit: www.dublinschools.net/boe