CHAMPION — The board of education on Monday approved the hiring of teacher Emily Metheny as the first woman athletic director for the Champion Local School District.

The board voted 5-0 on the selection of Metheny, noting she has served as a soccer and track coach and was named an assistant coach for flag football starting this spring.

Metheny is employed as an intervention teacher at Champion High School.

Metheny replaces Tim Cope, who has been with the school district for 24 years, most recently as athletic director. He is retiring at the end of the school year. Cope started in the district as a physical education teacher and a track and baseball coach before becoming athletic director.

Also at the meeting, the board named Cope as head coach for flag football and Metheny as the assistant coach for the new sport.

The board also named Joseph Caruso Harris, an eighth-grade science teacher in the district, as a guidance counselor for the middle school for the 2026-27 year. Harris will replace Jackie Rasile, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Rasile has been with the district for many years and had worked in the McDonald and Weathersfield school districts before coming to Champion.

COMMUNITY FORUM

Also, a community forum on district finances will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the high school cafeteria. Treasurer Laurena Rouan will discuss the district’s finances, property taxes, state House bills and keeping a balanced budget.

She said the forum on school district finances takes place two times a year to provide updates to the public.

The board also approved the high school FIRST Robotics Champion Flashes team to travel to Pittsburgh this weekend and to Cincinnati April 1-4 for robotics competitions.

The team is led by coach Alex Hummel.

Recognition was also given to the high school bowling team for making its third appearance at the state bowling competition.