The Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center Governing Board met Oct. 27, 2026, and approved a set of service agreements and MOUs, according to a meeting summary. The summary lists agreements with multiple districts and entities; among them is one under which NwOESC will provide Roots Analysis Services to Defiance City Schools from Sept. 15, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
Chad Rex, director of technology and operations, reported that NwOESC placed first among assessed ESCs for foundational cybersecurity protections, second overall among ESCs and sixth among 42 participating organizations, in the 86th percentile. He said the overall compliance score was 73.7 percent versus a program median of 58.5 percent, with 14 of 23 improvement actions complete and a 7.2 percentage-point gain since May 2025. Rex also said all five required Ohio House Bill 96 controls are in place.
CFO/Treasurer Lorenzen announced that Superintendent Kerri Weir will receive the Carol E. Austin Lifetime Achievement Award, described as OESCA’s highest honor, at the OESCA Awards Breakfast on Nov. 16 during the OSBA Capital Conference. Lorenzen reviewed 2027 insurance rates: medical premiums rise 5.5 percent, dental 2 percent, and life and vision rates do not change.
The board accepted a playground fence for the Independence Education Center valued at $17,940 from the Bruce Fortier Charitable Trust and a few personal donors, according to the summary.