The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Lincolnview Bd. hears COVID-19 update

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

Lincolnview teachers and support staff will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, February 5, and the follow-up vaccinations on Friday, March 5.

New Lincolnview Local Board of Education President Lori Snyder presides over Wednesday’s meeting. Scott Truxell/Van Wert independent

That was the word from Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder during Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting. He also said paperwork has been distributed to employees and he added it’s up to each individual to decide if they want the vaccine.

Teachers and staff members will learn more during a meeting scheduled for this Friday afternoon. Classes will dismiss two hours early that day.

In related news, Snyder praised the passage of House Bill 409, which allows the district to hire substitute teachers without a college degree for the remainder of the current school year, if necessary, due to COVID-19. Those with a high school diploma or GED will be able to sub, along with current student-teachers. Those interested will need to pass a background check and obtain licensing.

Snyder also talked about a new COVID-19 rule that says students no longer have to quarantine at home if they were exposed to the virus in the classroom, as long as masks and social distancing measures are in place.

“The only ones that will be staying home are the students who actually have been diagnosed as having COVID, or if the doctor says they have COVID,” Snyder explained. “The contact tracing in the classroom is no longer needed at this point and time.”

The superintendent also said eight students are currently under quarantine.

Snyder told the board that because of COVID-19 restrictions, school officials and the United Way of Van Wert Country are trying to come up with unique ways to raise money for the annual Rivals United campaign against Crestview, but he said more is being done online. High school principal Brad Mendenhall added a coloring book of senior basketball players and cheerleaders is being made and he said there will be a Tik Tok Challenge.

Snyder presented each board member a certificate of appreciation for Ohio School Board Recognition Month.

During his report to the board, Mendenhall said Vantage Career Center representatives recently visited with sophomores.

“I’m excited to see how many of those students take that next step,” Mendenhall said. “They’re doing their lab meetings virtually with parents and then hopefully we’ll get a chance to do a face-to-face visit somewhere down the road.”

Mendenhall also said winter homecoming will be held on held on Saturday, January 30, against Delphos St. John’s.

Lincolnview Elementary Principal Nita Meyer told the board that two days of remote learning, December 21 and 22, went well.

“Our students and our teachers were so well prepared this time versus our March time,” Meyer said. “It was a complete success for those two days…those teachers were completely happy with how it turned out and parents felt a lot better about how things went.”

Meyer also announced that Zavier Kemler was the fifth grade spelling bee winner and Jake Gerdemen was the runner-up, while Josie Miller was the sixth grade winner and Elijah Ryder was the runner up. Gabby Thomas and Lindsey Hatcher were the seventh and eighth grade winners.

The winners will compete in the County Spelling Bee at 3 p.m. Sunday, January 30, at Lincolnview High School.

Meyer told the more discussion will be held on a fifth- and sixth-grade trip to Washington, D.C.

Treasurer Troy Bowersock informed board members that 2020 W-2 and 1099 forms have been processed and he said he’s requested a $900,000 advance from the Van Wert County Auditor’s Office. Bowersock also said revenues and expenditures for the current fiscal year are within one percent of estimates, and he said a discussion is necessary about lunch prices for the next school year.

The board accepted the retirement resignation of high school math teacher Francis Brazen and the resignation of assistant boys track coach Ben Cowan. Cowan is expected to be rehired as a co-coach next month.

Board members accepted donations of $100, Middle Point United Methodist Church; $150 from Henry Germann; and $160 from St. Paul’s Reformed Church in America’s Women’s Fellowship. Those donations will go to the Needy Student Fund.

The board agreed to renew memberships with the Ohio Education Policy Institute ($500) and Willow Bend ($250), plus an agreement with Westwood Behavioral Health Center.

“It’s a really good opportunity for our students and our school,” Mendenhall explained of the agreement with Westwood. “We’ve so had so many things come into our office that are beyond our scope of helping out. It’s an important part of keeping our kids in school, because a lot students who are dealing with some personal things like that, they are the biggest offenders of poor attendance.”

During the organizational meeting, Lori Snyder was elected as board president while Mark Zielke was elected vice president. Eric Germann will continue as the board’s legislative liaison, while Snyder will continue as student achievement liaison. The board intends to meet at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, and board members will be paid $125 per meeting.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, February 25, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.

POSTED: 01/14/21 at 12:47 am. FILED UNDER: News