Vantage Board hears end-of-the-year info

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

A long-awaited career tech deregulation bill has been signed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and, according to Vantage Career Center Superintendent Rick Turner, will be helpful in several ways, including allowing individuals holding a substitute CTE license to teach outside of their career field for up to a semester.

The bill also allows those with an adult education permit to substitute teach in high school classrooms, and it allows adult education permits to be transferrable across school districts statewide.

“These changes are very timely for where we’re at in time and space, especially with the pandemic,” Turner said during Thursday night’s Vantage Career Center Board of Education meeting.

The bill, which had been discussed since 2018, will take effect in February 2021.

Turner noted an extension was granted until July 1, 2021, for Zoom and other types of videoconferencing meetings that are normally held in person, including board meetings, but he said a new school funding plan most likely won’t be approved by the end of the year.

Turner also told board members that Vantage is holding its own against COVID-19.

“Our staff and students are doing an excellent job following the prevention guidelines in labs and classrooms and during lunch time,” Turner said.

During his report to the board, High School Director Mike Knott thanked student ambassadors and Community Relations Coordinator Miriam Owens for their efforts with the recent flag sale.

“With their help we were able to raise $400 through the flag sale for Veterans Day and that $400 was donated to the Delphos VFW,” Knott said. “I’d also like to thank our construction technology equipment class and teacher Chris Miles and aide Deb Richardson, who organized a Veterans Day flag parade out in the parking lot. We had 60 students participate in that and they raised donations for the Van Wert VFW.”

Knott also thanked a number of people who decorated Vantage for the holidays and lauded two former students, Blake Miller of Wayne Trace (2018) and Casey Etter of Continental (2019), for becoming Vantage’s first two graduates to obtain their FFA American degrees.

Adult Education Director Kit Tyler told the board that the EMT program has been granted accreditation for five more years, and she said all 16 practical nursing students passed the first phase of testing. She also told the board that five firefighting students completed their state exams this week, and all five passed.

The board accepted nearly $100,000 worth of COVID-19 relief funds and authorized Treasurer Laura Peters to set up special funds for the money. She noted the funds come with a lot of restrictions.

“A lot of it will be used for technology for learning programs, computers, and things like that to help enhance that for our students that have to go remote,” Peters said.

The board accepted the resignation of EMT Coordinator Jackie Brandt, then hired her as an EMT instructor. Board members approved the school safety coordinator job description and also agreed to pay school safety coordinator Leigh Carey and Wendy Baumle $1,000 stipends as school safety coordinators.

Pat Baumle was elected president pro-tem for the January organizational meeting.

TIF (Tax Increment Financing) agreements were approved with Dennis Vennekotter of Continental, RMK Farming in Continental, and Triple D Enterprises in Kalida.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education is scheduled for Thursday, January 14. The annual tax budget hearing will begin at 6:45 p.m., followed by the organizational meeting and the regular January board meeting.