By: Lucinda Held-Faulhaber
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
Addressing annual routine matters and awarding personnel contracts for the next school year were just some of the agenda items taken up by Edon Northwest Local Board of Education during its regular session held Tuesday, June 23, 2015 in the Media Center. President Jamie Schaffter called the meeting to order with all members and five guests in attendance.
Approved that evening were Supplemental Contracts with Kyle Bostater (Athletic Director, Head Boys Basketball); Dawn Becker (8th Grade Volleyball); Jason Bloir (Assistant Football); Tony Booth (Assistant Football, Junior High Boys Basketball); Jordan Bower (Junior High Football); Emily Bockover (Assistant Girls Basketball/5th & 6th Grades); Crystal Bowers (Musical Production/fifty percent, Assistant Musical Production/fifty percent); Jessica Fee (Head Volleyball); Cathy Frastaci (Choir Duties, Musical Production/fifty percent, Assistant Musical Production/fifty percent); John Gallehue (Head Girls Basketball); Deb Gensler (District Mentor Coordinator); Katie Germann (Junior High Cheerleading Advisor); Nate Gisiege (JV Boys Basketball); Lisa Heslop (Spanish Club, Quiz Bowl Advisor); Kim Hickman (Summer Band Camp); Suzanne Hollabaugh (High School Boys Golf, Freshman Class Advisor); Carey Kiess (Yearbook); Jay Klingler (Assistant Football); Kayla Lapham (High School Cheerleading Advisor, Senior Class Advisor); Abby Mohre (JV Girls Basketball); Brien Moore (Junior High Football, Volunteer Assistant Junior High Girls Basketball); Madison Muehlfeld (JV Volleyball, Junior High Girls Basketball); Annette Peckham (Volunteer Assistant Cheerleading Advisor); Christa Perry (Marching Band Director, Majorette Advisor, Band Duties); Jennifer Radabaugh (7th Grade Volleyball, National Honor Society Advisor/fifty percent); Katherine Rummel (Junior Class Advisor/two-thirds Prom); Pam Rupp (National Honor Society Advisor/fifty percent); Hilary Staten (Sophomore Class Advisor, Junior Class Advisor/one-third Homecoming); Scott Staten (Head Football, Weight Training); Larry Thiel (Assistant Football); Don Walton (Assistant Athletic Director) and Terry Whitney (Cross Country, Junior High Girls Basketball).
The Board likewise approved 2015-2016 one-year New Teacher Contracts with Audra Gibson (Sixth Grade Teacher; Step 0/BA) and Tom Shininger (Half-time Middle School Math; Step 5/MA as a retired teacher from outside the District).
Additionally that evening, highlighted Reports were presented to the Board as well:
Superintendent John Granger:
•Noted a recent letter from State Senator Cliff Hite indicated the District is projected to receive a 12.5 percent increase in funding (from the last fiscal year) and a 3.5 percent increase the following year; further details will be available once the State’s Biennial Budget is passed.
•Offered Board members information on NEOLA, Inc., a School Board policies provider, to peruse before July’s meeting; although much easier to follow than current policies from OSBA (Ohio School Boards Association), switchover cost to the District is estimated at twenty-four thousand dollars.
Grades 7-12 Principal Anthony Stevens:
•Congratulated the Class of 2015 on their fine achievements; thanked faculty and staff, as well, for all the work done in making sure students were prepared to successfully reach this point in their high school career.
•Shared the planned June 20 Golf Outing fundraiser (to help defray costs for improvements to the high school gymnasium’s sound system) has tentatively been rescheduled for Saturday, July 18; community support for the event is greatly appreciated.
•Noted twelve students took part in last month’s High School Credit Recovery Intervention program, receiving the full amount of credit available to them; Summer OGT testing is completed and Spring OGT results were above (and many well above) the State average.
KK-Grade 6 Principal Michelle Molargik:
•Shared ninety-three percent of third graders passed the Spring Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA); the 2015-2016 CCIP (Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan) application will be submitted by the July 1 deadline and Family Literacy Night, held in conjunction with a very successful Right to Read Week, was well received.
•Noted Grades 1-4 Summer Intervention is going well; fifteen students are currently participating in the program (two weeks each in June and July; one week in August). Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s REAP (Rural Education Achievement Program) initiative.
Treasurer Bill Blakely:
•Submitted his standard SM2 Report indicating revenues were down thirty-six thousand dollars and expenses up two hundred thousand dollars for the same eleven-month period as last year. The District is tracking two hundred thirty-six thousand dollars worse than a year ago.
•Shared State Biennial Budget updates (currently back in negotiations); some form of the Budget, even if only temporary, is expected to be passed prior to its July 1 deadline.
•Noted eighty-two days of cash is available in the general fund to operate the District if no further cash is generated.
Buildings/Grounds/Transportation Committee:
•Learned the annual bus inspection went well; the District’s Bus Fleet passed on its initial attempt. Thanks were extended to Todd Muehlfeld and Steve Livensparger for their efforts in preparing all busses for the early spring assessment.
•Noted the District sign at West Indiana and Webster Streets would be taken down.
•Heard improvements to Leanne Field and bus garage parking areas had been completed together with Mark Trausch and M & M Asphalt; Turnpike asphalt grindings were crushed, spread, rolled and leveled into a six-inch base for less than seven thousand dollars.
In other business brought forward, the Board:
•Accepted, with thanks, Cash Donations during May from CM Closeout/Cheryl Burlew ($50/Band and Choir Washington DC Trip) and Ohiopyle Prints from sales at Kaiser’s Supermarket ($15.20 shared equally between Elementary and High School Funds).
•Accepted the $21,411 bid from Fritch Construction and Excavation LLC for the campus tiling project; drainage issues will be corrected before mid-August (new catch basins, improvements to existing basins and the usage of double-walled tile). Costs are covered by Permanent Improvement Fund monies.
•Renewed two separate Cafeteria Software Maintenance Agreements with Esber Cash Register for 2015-2016 at a cost of $936 and $1275.
•Approved the Lunch Account Balance Policy.
•Granted permission to participate in all federal programs for the 2015-2016 fiscal year (community and parental input is welcomed and appreciated!) as well as participation in the 2015-2016 Federal Lunch and Breakfast Programs, including the commodity program and free and reduced lunches and breakfasts.
•Approved the 2015-2016 Williams County Combined Health Department Nursing Services Contract at a cost of $18,195
•Approved establishing an account for the Class of 2019.
•Approved the contract agreement with Northwest Ohio Educational Service Center for the 2015-2016 Mentor Program.
•Approved the agreement with Northwest Ohio Juvenile Detention Training and Rehabilitation Center for 2015-2016 at a cost of $38 per day per student placed there.
•Approved the Technical Service Agreement with Northern Buckeye Education Council.
•Employed Kody McClure as Technology Coordinator on a two-year contract beginning August 1, 2015 through July 31, 2017.
•Approved a Substitute Pupil Transportation/Extra Curricular Events Driver Contract with Sharon Aeschliman for 2015-2016.
•Established Substitute Teacher’s pay at seventy-five dollars per day.
•Approved 2015-2016 Band, Coaches, High School Staff, Elementary Staff, LPDC and Athletic Handbooks as presented.
•Accepted the 2015-2016 School Calendar amendment to eliminate October 14, December 9, January 27 and March 2 as early release dates; Edon Northwest Teachers Association was in agreement with the proposed revision.
•Renewed property and liability insurance policy with Schools of Ohio Risk Sharing Authority (SORSA) effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 at a cost of $40,710 (four percent increase); Andres O’Neil & Lowe is the local agent.
•Heard the Athletic Council tabled further discussion regarding dual-sport athletic policies until next year.
•Approved minutes from last month’s special meeting on May 26 and regular session held Tuesday, May 12, 2015 as well as May’s Financial Reports, Amended Certificate of Estimated Resources, Permanent Appropriations for FY 2015 and Temporary Appropriations for FY 2016.
•Voted to enter into Executive Session prior to adjournment for the expressed purpose of discussing compensation of personnel; no action was taken.
The Edon Northwest Local Board of Education will next meet Tuesday, July 14, 2015 in the school’s Media Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Lucinda Held-Faulhaber
May be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com