The fate of a joint committee of Valley View and Farmersville leaders that disbanded in 2025 provides background for recent statements in Board of Education and Village of Farmersville public meetings about the future of the school land.
See recent coverage, including:
The Valley View Junior High Committee, which had been meeting privately to discuss the future of the Farmersville school land, was disbanded in September 2025 when Mayor Nick Lamb sent an email on Sept. 29 calling the committee a “waste of time and effort.”
A previous story in the TWIN CREEK TIMES mentioned that the committee had been dissolved. See: UPDATE: School Sets Tone for Farmersville Land Sale
A Retraction and an Email
The sentence in the story referencing the committee’s dissolution prompted Valley View Superintendent Andrea Cook to send the TWIN CREEK TIMES an email requesting a “retraction” to clarify that Mayor Lamb made the decision to end the committee. The email cited sections of an email from Mayor Lamb as evidence of his decision.
A public records request for the entire email reveals a schism between the school and the Village, and accusations that the school made errors in a grant application and consultant selection.
Mayor Lamb also stated, “From the very beginning, this committee was presented to us as a place for partnership and collaboration between the school and the Village of Farmersville. Thursday’s [Sept. 25] meeting made it abundantly clear that this is no longer the case.”
From the very beginning, this committee was presented to us as a place for partnership and collaboration between the school and the Village of Farmersville. Thursday’s meeting made it abundantly clear that this is no longer the case.
Valley View Junior High Committee
Mayor Lamb addressed his email to disband the committee to Superintendent Cook, Director of Operations Erik Depew, Treasurer Valorie Hill and board members Tyson Dillon and Stephanie Smith. Jon Schade, retired Jackson Township Police Chief, was part of the committee, along with the Mayor.
In response to a public records request for notes and minutes of the committee meetings, Treasurer Valorie Hill said in an email, “Please note that the Valley View Junior High Committee was not a committee of the Board of Education and therefore was not subject to public notice requirements or the preparation of formal meeting minutes.”
Communication Issues
Mayor Lamb’s email to disband the committee focused on communication about the Farmersville land that the school distributed on September 25, 2025. Click to see the full post:
Lamb’s email said, “When asked directly, the school refused to provide any meaningful information about their intentions for the property. Then, almost immediately following the meeting, the community received an email with far more detail than you were willing to share with the committee itself. That is not partnership, it feels more like posturing. And it demonstrates that the school board had already made its decision before our meeting.”
That is not partnership, it feels more like posturing. And it demonstrates that the school board had already made its decision before our meeting.
Consultant Selection and Grant Application
In the January 2026 Village Council meeting, Mayor Nick Lamb stated that he and Village Administrator Derek Shell were the only members of the committee who attended a Montgomery County LandBank brownfield meeting, which provided them with insights into the grant process and in selecting a consultant for the abatement issues.
The September communication from the school district (see above) stated that the school had earned a $1,104,000 brownfield grant for demolition of the building that would cover 75% of the total demolition costs.
In his email to the committee, Lamb said, “Without the leadership of the Village of Farmersville, I do not believe the grant would have been awarded at all. It was Derek Shell and I who caught and corrected your [school district’s] mistake when the wrong grant was applied for.”
Without the leadership of the Village of Farmersville, I do not believe the grant would have been awarded at all. It was Derek Shell and I who caught and corrected your [school district’s] mistake when the wrong grant was applied for.
Mayor Lamb also noted in his email the insights the Village provided in selecting a consultant for the abatement issue. “It was Derek and I who pointed out that the school and its attorney aligned with a consultant that had a 0% success rate on demolition projects involving abatement. And it was again Derek and I who directed you toward partnering with a consultant who holds the highest success rate with abatement projects in the State of Ohio.”
“Those decisions mattered,” he continued. “Without them, this project would not be where it is today. That is what partnership looks like. What we see now is the opposite.”
Those decisions mattered. Without them, this project would not be where it is today. That is what partnership looks like. What we see now is the opposite.
School Responds
Treasurer Valorie Hill responded to the Mayor’s email on October 2, with a message also signed by the Superintendent and Director of Operations Erik Depew.
The school voiced its disappointment in Lamb’s request to dissolve the committee. “The district does not agree with the conclusions outlined in your message, nor do we believe that the committee has lost its value as a place for partnership and dialogue. While there may be differences in interpretation of recent communications, our intention has always been to maintain transparency and to act in the best interest of both the school district and the community.”
Lamb responded the same day with an email signed with Schade reiterating his intent to dissolve the committee, “Jon and I have served on multiple committees with the school, particularly under previous leadership, and unfortunately those also ended in what felt like a waste of time and effort. Unfortunately, the pattern seems clear.”
Use the link below to download Mayor Lamb’s emails and the district’s response.
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