Vantage OKs alternative energy pacts

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Vantage Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to enter into agreements with Third Sun Solar and Solar Vision to lease Vantage property for the design and installation of solar beds to generate solar power for the school.

The vote followed a presentation by Jason Salzgeber of Third Sun Solar, who noted the project would include a half-megawatt of power, with three acres of land needed for the solar beds.

The action was just one related to alternative energy taken at the board’s March meeting on Thursday. The board also approved wind farm agreements with Blue Creek Wind Farm LLC and Paulding Wind Farm LLC and heard Adult Education Director Pete Prichard report that work continues on the Alternative Energy Academy that will house HVAC and Electricity programs. Prichard noted that, at the present time, it appears as if the two areas of specialization – utility scale windmill repair and an energy audit specialist position – would involve Vantage’s college partners.

Also during his report, Prichard noted that Vantage is continuing with training related to the “Every Citizen Online” project developed by Connect Ohio, with plans to train more than 600 people in Van Wert and Paulding counties by the time the project is done.

One controversial issue that will have to wait for the next meeting was a resolution to designate Vantage as a “smoke-free campus.”

Staff members, including Vantage Teachers Organization President Larry Mengerink and longtime social studies instructor Peg Bollenbacher, spoke out against the measure, as proposed.

Bollenbacher, a smoker who has worked at Vantage for 33 years, said she had a problem with the fact that the policy bans smoking on the Vantage campus, but that staff are not allowed to leave for lunch – a time when employees of private-sector companies can light up.

Mengerink, a non-smoker who said he was in favor of a establishing a smoke-free campus such as the one in the Van Wert City Schools, nevertheless said he felt the policy as proposed was discriminatory, since it banned all daytime smoking for 7½ hours during the day, but allowed Adult Education students and staff to smoke after 3 hours.

Bollenbacher agreed that daytime staff were being discriminated against. “I resent that I am held to one standard and Adult Ed is held to another,” she noted. “If you eliminate smoking at Vantage Career Center, you must eliminate smoking for Adult Education.”

Superintendent Staci Kaufman said the reason for the watered-down policy for Adult Ed was to ensure adult students – a potent source of revenue for the school – did not transfer to another school where smoking was permitted.

Staff members, however, felt adult students would attend Vantage, based on its educational opportunities, rather than on smoking opportunities.

A possible compromise was discussed that would allow staff to smoke in their personal vehicles, but no final decision was made on the matter. That could come at the board’s April meeting

Also Thursday, Kaufman noted that groundbreaking ceremonies for the Ohio School Facilities Commission facilities project would be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 15, in conjunction with Vantage’s 35th anniversary celebration.

In other action, the Vantage board:

• Learned from Vantage Director Bob Vennekotter that the school has used nine calamity days, meaning that, if state legislation raising the number of allowable days from three to five isn’t passed, seniors would be in class until May 17, while juniors having school until May 19.
• Approved overnight trips to Sinclair Community College in Dayton for a SkillsUSA Precision Machining contest from April 8-9; to Columbus on March 17-18 for a Business Professionals Association contest; to Columbus on April 14-15 for a state FCCLA contest; and again to Columbus on April 29-30 for a SkillsUSA state contest.
• Approved satellite agreements with Van Wert City and Paulding Exempted Village school districts.
• Approved awarding of the Bob Brandt Scholarship, which is made possible through an endowment administered by the Paulding County Area Foundation.
• Accepted the resignation of Steve Peters, career technical supervisor, due to retirement, effective June 30.
• Voted to participate in a Retirement Incentive Plan, effective March 3. The plan will end December 31, 2012.
• Was presented the Crystal Image Award given to Vantage by the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce during that organization’s annual meeting in February.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel issues, with no action taken afterwards.