Riverview School Board reelects Ashbaugh as president, Schaaf as vice president

The Riverview Board of School Directors maintained the status quo when it reelected its president and vice president to the same roles Monday.

Lisa Ashbaugh, 53, of Verona will begin her second year as president of the nine-member board. Janine Hurt-Robinson, first appointed to the board in 2016, retained her seat as vice president. She will also begin her second year in that role.

The votes were unanimous. Tara Jean Schaaf was absent.

Ashbaugh, who has served on the board since 2008, said her priority as president is to work through the difficulties presented by the pandemic.

“I’m proud of how our school district has stepped up to provide a solid education through virtual and hybrid formats,” she said.

The school district launched the school year under a totally online learning experience. It switched to a hybrid learning model, where groups of students take turns going to school two days per week, in October.

Ashbaugh said the school district will face yet another challenge when the time comes to pass a budget. School districts must pass balanced budgets by June 30 of each year.

This year, the school district held the line on real estate taxes without furloughs or programs cuts. It pulled from its unassigned reserve fund to fill a $115,000 shortfall in its $24 million spending plan.

The board last raised taxes by 1.16% in 2019.

State funding is a concern for school districts across the commonwealth due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Riverview’s revenue from state sources was listed at about $6.72 million.