L’view Board approves personnel items

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education took a number of personnel actions, approved the list of graduates for this year, received a district coronavirus update from Superintendent Jeff Snyder, and also heard from a district parent concerning policies he feels should be adopted by the board related to sexuality and gender identification during its April meeting on Wednesday.

In addition to approving a one-year contract for Kaitlyn Edelbrock as assistant to Treasurer Troy Bowersock, those hired by the board included elementary intervention specialists Emilee Grothouse and Taylor Hughes, high school math teacher Jason Bockey, elementary physical education teacher Alison Hammons, Latchkey program assistant Donna Coil, and bus driver Pam Rager.

The board also accepted the resignations of instrumental music instructor Austin Ahlborn, kindergarten aide Sarah Kill, cook Valerie Hamman, bus driver Debra Guinther, and high school coach Danielle Profit.

The board also authorized a severance payment to Jeannie Vulgamott.

Snyder said the district has been essentially coronavirus free since March 1.

“We’ve been at zero pretty much since March 1,” the superintendent said. “We did have one student there for a while, but now we’re back to zero.”

District parent Scott Eddy, who spoke at the March meeting about a club formed for gay students and cited the need to curtail discussions of sexuality outside sex education classes, this time had three policy changes he wanted the board to adopt.

Those included the following:

• Require parental permission for all non-core student activities.
• Prohibit instruction on sexuality outside of sex education classes.
• Require students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their biological gender, rather than transgender identification.

Eddy also briefly discussed a “parental rights” policy adopted for Arizona schools, and stated his opposition to a statement by the GSA Network, a LGBTQ+ organization, stating its intent to promote the use of facilities and participation in sports by transgender students based on their sexual identity.

“What this really means is that they want to allow boys in the girls’ locker room,” Eddy “I would assume that anyone who has girls in school would not be okay with that.”

Board members did not discuss or comment on the policy proposals.

During their reports, building principals Nita Meyer (elementary) and Brad Mendenhall (junior high-high school), talked about upcoming events, including the kindergarten recognition program on May 11, the band concert for grades 5-12 on May 11, junior-senior prom on May 1, and graduation on May 23.

In other news, the board:

• Accepted the list of graduating seniors for the Class of 2021.
• Adopted a resolution to modify curriculum requirements for the 2020-21 school, as deemed appropriate, due to COVID-19 challenges.
• Adopted a resolution recognizing Teacher and Classified Staff Appreciation Week as being the week of May 3-7.
• Approved a trip for the Lincolnview High School Band to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, from March 2-7, 2022.
• Approved membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2021-22 school year.
• Renewed student accident insurance for the 2021-22 school year.
• Employed Jeff Jacomet as a high school track volunteer coach and Eli Farmer as a junior high volunteer baseball coach, if all requirements are met.
• Went into executive session to discuss union negotiations and personnel matters, with no action taken.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Monday, May 24, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.