Van Buren Family,
When the 2024-2025 school year ended, it was obviously a time of celebration for our students and staff as they had completed another successful year; however, in the back of many minds was concern for teacher, colleague, and friend Mrs. Cassie Ohlrich as she faced an extended healthcare battle after undergoing a medical procedure in the spring.
As we grieve the loss of Cassie together, we would like to reflect on the impact she had on our district and the role she played in our past, current, and future successes.
Cassie was an integral member of the Van Buren Local School District for 28 years. She made a lasting impact on so many people with her kind nature, compassion for children, and ability to challenge elementary, middle, and high school students to perform at their highest levels. Whether it was in her elementary classroom helping students learn how to program robots or meeting with high schoolers to choose appropriate classes to set them up for post-high school success, her focus was always taking care of our students.
In addition to supporting students, Cassie was also integral to the success of our staff and administration each and every day. Whether it was applying for grants through the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation to benefit the school, helping individual teachers apply for their own grants, or making sure everyone was on track to renew their educational licenses as the leader of our local professional development committee, she was a dedicated colleague who would be at work long before the day started and long after it ended.
While Cassie excelled in her support of both students and colleagues, what really energized her was when she could bring her support of others and grant writing skills together. This year, she decided to do a lesson with her sixth grade students on the mathematics and physics behind roller coasters, but she didn’t stop there. She wrote a grant so she could take the entire sixth grade class to Cedar Point in the spring to actually experience and apply what they had learned in the classroom. It is clear that taking students on field trips and making education engaging with a real-world focus was her passion.
In 2023, Cassie and Van Buren community member Jeff Winkle worked together to start the Van Buren Schools Education Foundation Fund. They worked closely with the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation to start this fund designed to provide grants to teachers for purchases beyond what the school district would typically fund. She also brought in students to create the logo, literature, marketing, and donor wall for the fund so they could gain experience from this real-world endeavor. Most schools don’t have opportunities like this for teachers and students, but Cassie and Jeff had a vision that resulted in the creation of a board composed of community members to oversee the fund and award grants. Thankfully, Cassie had the opportunity to see the success of her vision in action as grants have already been awarded to three teachers with the purpose of enhancing our students’ learning.
Whether it was helping the students and community, starting the yearly Knights Fest celebration, or creating the medieval garden between the elementary and high school, Cassie cared deeply for our students, staff, and community, and we loved her. She always had a smile on her face and an unmatched level of energy. Cassie truly had a zest for living an active life, and there was never a problem too big for her to solve. While we all wish we could have had many more years of Cassie’s ideas and positive influence in our district, we will cherish the time we shared with her.
Looking ahead to the 2025-2026 school year, Ann Jackson, who previously taught fifth grade, will fill the role of substitute Vantage teacher. We appreciate her willingness to step into this position to carry on Cassie’s legacy.
As we all deal with this loss, please know that my door is always open and our counselors are available to support students as they return to a school building that will be the same in many ways but very different without Cassie.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we are all excited to see our students again on Tuesday, September 2.
Sincerely,
Jason Inkrott, Superintendent