VWCS promotes STEM programming

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

It was another one of those good news, bad news scenarios, but Van Wert City Schools Treasurer Mike Ruen didn’t have all that much good news to report when looking at Ohio Governor John Kasich’s proposed biennial budget and its impact on the city school district.

Ruen noted that, while basic state aid would increase by nearly $1 million over the two-year state budget period, that increase would be more than offset by the loss of state fiscal stabilization funds – money the federal government provided to the state to offset the state’s decrease in basic aid the past two years. Ruen said that loss would total approximately $1.2 million over the biennium. The loss of tangible personal property taxes and the accelerated phase-out of money paid out to offset the loss of those tax revenues would cost the district another million dollars, the treasurer said, while the district would see a decrease of $400,000 coming from the capital improvement fund because the money advanced to that fund has been paid back.

Total revenue losses for the next two years could total as much as $1.8 million, Ruen said, but also noted that that total could be cut back to approximately $925,000 if the district receives an expected $422,000 in Education Job Fund money in Fiscal Year 2012 and House Bill 153 passes, upping the share school employees will pay into their retirement accounts and lower the share the district would have to pay out in retirement funding.

Also Wednesday, Superintendent Ken Amstutz talked about a process of increasing the district’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programming – something Amstutz said he feels is a necessary step if the district is to stay educationally relevant in the future.

One part of that process is the creation of a new high school biomedical sciences program that will complement the already-existing Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program. The superintendent also noted that two additional science-technology programs would be added next year at the middle school level to enhance the STEM classes being offered in the district. Amstutz said the additional STEM programming has an added bonus, in that it would allow the district to keep up with additional science-related requirements being formulated by the state.

The district received a STEM grant totaling $500,000 that will be used to implement much of the STEM programming planned in the next couple of years, he added.

In addition, the district is planning to seek grant funding to create a Tech School within the district that would enhance the district’s current science-math based curriculum.

Amstutz said staff would be trained this summer to teach the higher-level science-math curriculum, with the Tech School to begin in the fall of 2012.

The superintendent said he feels emphasizing science-math-technology based courses would give the district a competitive edge in the future.

“I would like to see Van Wert City Schools get in front of the curve, rather than behind the curve with what we have,” he told the board, adding that Ohio is behind Indiana and Michigan in increasing STEM programming.

Amstutz also updated the board on the Race to the Top grant, which will provide $145,000 to the district over four years, and also noted that it appears as if the latest bids for the general trades portion of the grades 1-5 elementary school project should meet Ohio School Facilities Commission requirements.

The educational impact portion of the board meeting included a presentation from Amy Covey, who talked about her work with the district’s Early Language Learners (ELL) program. The program deals with students coming into the district who do not speak English as their main language. Currently, there are five Chinese-speaking students in the district and three students who speak Spanish.

Local resident Wayne Kilton represented the Van Wert County Tennis Association in seeking support from the board for the group’s efforts to build six new tennis courts at the Athletic Complex at the high school-middle school site.

Noting that the loss of the four tennis courts at Jubilee Park, which were neglected and finally demolished in recent years, leaves just three public courts in the city, and those are in need of maintenance and repair.

While the board will not provide any funding for the project, Board President Mike Morrow did express the need for tennis courts in the city and the board will be sending a representative to the next meeting the tennis association to coordinate the project.

In other news, the board:

Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2011-2012 school year: Shad Foster, athletic trainer; Brendon Moody, girls’ and boys’ track head coach; Bob Priest, head varsity football coach; Trent Temple, Hate Hoverman, Craig Syphrit, R.J. Coleman (50 percent), Troy Treece (50 percent), Pat Jackson (50 percent), and Bob Spath (50 percent), assistant football coaches; Kent Smelser and Bill Clifton, freshman football coaches; Jeff Hood, head golf coach; Rick Nouza, head girls’ soccer coach; Larry Lamb, assistant girls’ soccer coach; Mitch Price, girls’ tennis coach; Cassie Reinemeyer, assistant high school volleyball coach; Ashley Holden, freshman volleyball coach; Tiffany Werts, high school football cheerleading coach; Betty Holiday, middle school boys’ cross country coach; Kylee Moody, middle school girls’ cross country coach; Mark Collins, Jay Royer, Charlie Witten and Seth Baer, middle school football coaches; Judy Krites, eighth grade volleyball coach; Kim Clifton, middle school fall site manager, and Darla Dunlap, middle school winter site manager.

Approved the following volunteer coaches for the 2010-2011 contract year: Kathryn Mansfield, boys’ tennis; and Connie Hoverman, high school track.

Approved the following volunteer coaches for the 2011-2012 school year: Kim Laudick, high school girls’ cross country; Brad Doidge, golf; Kathryn Mansfield, girls’ tennis; and Adam Tussing, middle school football.

Approved a three-year administrative contract for Darla Dunlap as middle school administrative assistant.

Approved contracts and salary notices for certified and classified staff as presented.

Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: $125 from Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, $725 from The Van Wert County Foundation, $125 from Van Wert County Hospital; $125 from Van Wert Service Club, all for the Van Wert City Endowment Fund for Educators; $500 from the Christopher N. and Beth A. Clemmensen Foundation; $1,000 for the John F. Maney Memorial Business Scholarship; and $1,000 for the Margaret Shaffer Maney Memorial Music Scholarship.