Complete Story
04/29/2026
Defiance County Board of DD is updated about panel presentation
Wendy Bryant Scheurich
The Defiance County Board of Developmental Disabilities was updated on an agency community outreach presentation during its monthly meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent Heidi Hull shared that she was part of a panel with service recipients who presented at the Hicksville Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday.
Three individuals who also attended included a parent whose child was one of about 48 children ages 3 and younger who received Early Intervention services; a person who spoke about Adult Services, provided to about 250 individuals ages 4 through adulthood; and another individual who focused on the Special Olympians group, which serves about 100 individuals in the county and has “majorly expanded in the last few years,” said Hull.
Special Olympians began with basketball and bocce ball and now includes flag football, power lifting, cheerleading, track and field and more. Hull also spoke about funding and costs of programs, explaining that all 88 Ohio counties have a board of DD, but Ohio has only about 40 schools like Good Samaritan.
In other business, the board also was recipient of file and storage furniture, shelving, desks and more from Defiance County commissioners, said Hull. The furniture was from the new office building (formerly Premier Bank offices) on Elliott Road.
She said the board of DD was “extremely grateful for the generous donation,” noting the furniture was offered to all the county entities and “we took them up on it.”
In other business, the board:
- was informed that 49 individuals are enrolled in the Early Intervention program, with 15 in the intake process. Also eight referrals and two exits were reported.
- was reminded that May 27 is the last student day at Good Samaritan School, with a teacher work day on May 28. Three days were added due to missed hours.
- was informed that the SSA department is fully staffed with all caseloads covered.
- received an SSA report that stated 15 new referrals for eligibility were received since January, with 18 pending. Of the pending cases, four were found eligible, three were not eligible, and nine remain pending, awaiting information.
- reviewed upcoming events, including a Henry County track meet on May 14; Bocce ball, starting the last week of April; summer state games, May 29-31; Torch Run, May 27; and Lego night, May 14.
- approved other administrative and personnel matters.
- went into executive session to discuss collective bargaining, with no action taken.
The next board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on May 26.