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Board Leadership

Xenia Community Schools Board of Education

Meet Our Board! Click on each member to learn more about them, and see contact information.

  • George has lived in Xenia for over 16 years. He grew up in Cedarville where he graduated high school in 1998. In 2000, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until he was honorably discharged in 2004. One of George's biggest accomplishments in the Army was meeting his beautiful wife, Teneisha. George and Teneisha have three boys George Jr. (17), Thomas (8), and Benjamin (5), who all attend Xenia Community Schools.

    Upon getting out of the Army, George started working at Cedarville University as a custodian while going to school full time and raising George Jr. while Teneisha was deployed. In 2010, George graduated from Central State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd). He holds a K-12 license in special education mild to moderate from the State of Ohio. 

    George is active in DeMolay, Ralph H. McMillan chapter, where he serves as the chapter dad. In November of 2021, he received the Cross of Honor, the highest award for an advisor in DeMolay. He has also served in a number of roles in the Cedarville Masonic lodge, including worship master in 2019. In addition, he has served on the Cedarville Area Chamber of Commerce as both Vice President and President. 

    Contact Mr. Leightenheimer: 
    757-270-5833
    Email

  • Mary M. Grech is a Spring Valley Township resident, with her husband Steve.  As a military family, we chose Xenia in 1993, and have remained in this community for over 20 years. We own a small business that employs Xenia residents, since its opening in 2001. Our 3 adult daughters, Lauren, Racheal, and Aileen attended Xenia Community Schools.

    Mary is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist. She graduated from Washington University School of Medicine with a BSOT in 1991 and received a Behavioral certificate from Florida Institute of Technology in 2012. She has practiced as a licensed occupational therapist in the area public schools since 1997. Mary retired from school-based OT in 2021, and currently provides private OT services to local children. She also works in the family’s small business. 

    Contact Mrs. Grech:  

    Email

  • Jeremy Cox is a long-time resident of Greene County who first moved to Xenia in 2008 and is currently employed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in a civilian capacity. He is an honorably discharged Afghanistan Combat Veteran with a Bachelors of Political Science and a Masters of Public Policy in International Affairs, both from Liberty University; and is a graduate of the Institute on the Constitution. 

    Jeremy has experience as a former US Senate intern in Columbus Ohio, is a lifetime member of the NRA, and is a strong supporter of parent's rights to influence their children's education both in the classroom and at home.

    Jeremy fought for the rights of little girls to get an education in Afghanistan, a country where that right is denied to them. While back in Xenia, he has displayed a vote yes sign to renew/support Xenia Community Schools, donated children's clothing to the school district, and volunteered as a Judge of the science fair at Xenia High School. 

    Contact Mr. Cox: 
    937-301-1151
    Email

  • Joshua Day is a proud resident of Xenia. Joshua attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a BS in Aerospace engineering and a minor in Electrical Engineering, while also playing on the University’s Men’s soccer team. After graduation, he was hired by the United States Air Force to work at Edwards AFB in California. While working full time he received his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn. After 5 years in California, Joshua moved with his family to Xenia to work at the Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson AFB.

    As an Aerospace Engineer, Joshua has led multimillion-dollar projects such as F-35 flight testing and new, innovative hypersonic technology development. He currently serves as the vice-president of the Junior Force Council, advocating for all of the Junior Force members in AFRL at WPAFB.

    Joshua has been a coach, scout leader and church youth leader. He loves working with kids and providing the best tools possible so they can have success. As an engineer STEM education is very important to Joshua and he will be a strong advocate for it. Joshua lives in Xenia with his wife Mikka, their three kids and their dog (Poppy). 

    Contact Mr. Day:
    623-826-7370
    Email 

  • Bill Richey spent 37 years teaching students of all ages the joy of science at Xenia High School, where he was chosen 40 times by the valedictorians/salutatorians, as their most influential teacher.

    He is a firm believer in hands-on science education, and has presented courses and workshops for educators, while also founding the popular Science is Fun Camps that ran for 29 years.

    Richey received his B.S. in Biology and Chemistry in 1984, and a MEd in 1986 from Wright State University. Bill was selected as the 1998 Ohio Teacher of the Year and was a 1999 Milken National Educator. He was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Education and Human Services, and the College of Science and Mathematics by Wright State University in 2000. He was chosen to receive the 2007 Disney American Teacher Award.

    He is now a presenter of Science is Fun! assemblies for public schools, and loves getting kids excited about science and helping them see that science is all around. His wife, Barb, is also a retired teacher and spent her entire career in Xenia. They have three amazing kids (all Xenia graduates!) married to amazing people and has the best grandkids around. He is very excited to represent the teachers, students and community on the Xenia Schools Board of Education.

    Contact Mr. Richey:
    937-694-2972
    Email

Board FAQs

  • All records, policies, meeting agendas, and other documents are available to the public on the BoardDocs platform. Visitors can search for specific policy information, as well as see topics of discussion at previous and future meetings. 

    Agendas or information from prior to 2018, when BoardDocs was adopted, are available on request.

  • Visit the XCS BoardDocs dashboard. From there you can click on upcoming meeting dates to see the planned agenda, as well as view the documents presented at meetings. Visitors can also search for specific XCS policies.

  • To learn more about current members, click the photos above in the Meet the Board section of this page. 

    OVERVIEW OF BOARD MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES

    A school board sets educational goals and establishes policy for the school system based on state laws and community values. Perhaps the most important responsibility of a school board is to employ a superintendent and treasurer and hold them accountable for achieving those educational goals and managing the day-to-day affairs of the district in accordance with the school board’s policies.

    Board members make decisions on a wide range of issues, such as hiring and evaluating a superintendent and treasurer; setting district policy; planning student services; goal-setting and long-range planning; adopting curriculum; establishing budgets; engaging parents; and being good fiscal stewards. Decisions are only made by the board as a whole at a public meeting.

    The role and function of board members often are misinterpreted by the public. The board is a policymaking body and members are the chief advisors to the superintendent on community attitudes. Board members do not manage the day-to-day operations of a school district; they see to it that the system is managed well by professional administrators.

    Board members do not evaluate staff, other than the superintendent and treasurer, nor do they typically become involved in employment interviews, other than those of the superintendent, business manager, and treasurer. Board members may be consulted during the hiring process for other positions, such as assistant superintendent. 

    ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

    In order to run for the board, you must be:

    • a U.S. citizen,
    • at least 18 years old,
    • a resident of the state for at least 30 days preceding the election,
    • a resident of the school district for at least 30 days preceding the election,
    • registered to vote in the school district for at least 30 days preceding the election.

    Board members are elected on a nonpartisan ballot on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in odd-numbered years. The term of office is four years, although in certain instances, two-year terms must be filled to complete an unexpired term. Terms begin on the first day of January after the election and expire on Dec. 31. Two members are elected at one general election and three members are elected at a general election two years later.

    BOARD MEMBER HANDBOOK

    Xenia Community Schools Board Member Handbook includes information about the district including history, financial information, state laws, board member duties, open meeting laws and public records, and ethics laws.

    XCS Board Member Handbook (PDF, rev. June 2021)

  • XCS Regular Board Meetings are open to the public, and anyone is welcome to attend. For those who wish to address the Board, a brief form must be filled out and submitted to the Treasurer prior to the start of the meeting. This simple card includes the applicant's full name and address, establishing them as a resident of the district, and forms will be available on arrival.

    Note that all comments should be addressed directly to Board Members, and that comments should be limited to five (5) minutes. A maximum of 30 minutes (combined) may be allocated for all public comment. For more information and guidelines about speaking to the Board at a public meeting, view PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS (po0169.1) on the BoardDocs platform.

  • It is important for members of the public to know that: 

    • Public participation is limited to that time in the agenda. Participants will not be invited to speak at any other time, so they must be in attendance and ready when they are called. 
    • Participants should begin by stating their full name and address that establishes them as a district resident.
    • They will have a maximum of five (5) minutes to address the board. 
    • Comments should be addressed to the board as a whole, not to individual members or the audience. 
    • Addressing the board is their chance to express an opinion or concern about a school matter. It is not a back-and-forth dialogue; BOE members will generally not respond directly to concerns at the time of the meeting. 

    The fact that board members do not generally engage with speakers directly during public comment periods does not mean action will not be taken. Follow-up could entail referring the matter to staff because it is an operational concern that is not within the Board’s purview, discussing the concern after the public comment period has ended, or placing it on the agenda for a future meeting

Board Calendar

The Xenia Community Schools' Board of Education typically, although not always, meets the second Monday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Education Office, 819 Colorado Drive, Xenia, Ohio. 

Established Board meeting dates may be changed by a majority vote of the Board.

2025 Board of Education Meeting Dates*

  • January 13, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. (Note that there will be two (2) separate meetings on this date, with an early start time: Organizational Meeting at 6:00 p.m. and Regular Meeting at 6:30 p.m.)
  • February 10, 2025 at 6:15 p.m. (Note that the Public Records Commission meeting will begin at 6:15 p.m., to be followed by the regular meeting at the usual 6:30 p.m. start time.)
  • March 10, 2025
  • April 7, 2025
  • May 12, 2025
  • June 9, 2025
  • July 14, 2025
  • August 11, 2025
  • September 8, 2025
  • October 13, 2025
  • November 3, 2025
  • December 8, 2025

*Approved at the December 2, 2024 meeting of the Board of Education. 

Policy Committee 
Convened by the Superintendent

Appointee: Mary Grech & Jeremy Cox

2025 Meeting Dates & Times: 
Meetings are scheduled for January 24, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and March 12, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Xenia Board of Education.

An additional policy meeting has been scheduled for Monday, July 14, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.