Lincolnview board hires art teacher

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Tuesday’s Lincolnview Local Board of Education started later than normal, but also ended sooner than is usually the case, as board members quickly completed the meeting’s brief agenda.

Personnel and other items related to the upcoming school year highlighted the meeting. Under personnel items, the board accepted the resignation of elementary art teacher Theresa Loughrie, effective August 31, after 14 years of service to the district, and then hired her replacement, granting a limited one-year contact to Kinsey Dobbelaere for the 2011-2012 school year. Dobbelaere’s employment is contingent on completion of all requirements, including a background check.

The board also approved updated cafeteria prices and accepted bids for dairy products from Dairymen’s and bakery products from Perfection Bakery, as recommended by Cafeteria Supervisor Carol Williams.

Also Tuesday, the board approved a two-year agreement with First Energy Solutions Corporation for the delivery of electricity through October 1, 2013, and approved health insurance coverage provisions for staff members, including a recommendation from the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group (VWASIG) to implement a four-tier premium rate structure, with monthly premium amounts effective October 1. All health plans include a high-deductible option.

Treasurer Troy Bowersock had most of the bad news for the evening, noting that the district would likely receive at least $400,000 less in the 2012 fiscal year than it did the past year. The treasurer noted that Average Daily Membership (ADM) figures — student population numbers used to determine state foundation funding — have declined the last two years, mostly because related to the student declines and, later, the closing of Starr Commonwealth, but should stabilize at this point.

Bowersock said state funding should be between $250,000 and $300,000 less in the 2012 fiscal year than last year.

“That number, at this point, is somewhat of a fluid number,” he said, noting that the final figure would depend on ADM numbers, which this coming year will be determined from current year numbers, rather than year-ago figures.

There will also be no reimbursement money from Starr this year, as well as no tuition payments since the former Langley School is now closed,” Bowersock said.

The treasurer also gave a report on school bus usage, noting that it cost the district $387,892 to operate bus routes in 2010-11, not including personal party transportation contracts and bus purchases. Of that amount, the state paid about 76 percent ($294,000). Lincolnview also had $19,000 in personal party transportation contracts, for which it will receive partial reimbursement, and paid out $164,852 to purchase two school buses this past year.

Bowersock said the buses were purchased using a combination of permanent improvement money, remaining stimulus dollars and what was left of school bus subsidy funds — which the district will no long receive from the state.

Superintendent Doug Fries had good news in connection with the district’s State Report Card, noting that it appears now that the district met 25 of 26 of report card criteria, but added that those figures are still unofficial.

Fries also said he doesn’t yet know how the district did in connection with the value-added portion of the report card, which is crucial in determining what Lincolnview’s School Report Card ranking will be.

“The most important thing that we await release on is Value Added,” he said. “Value Added can affect moving you in one direction or another.”

The board also accepted, with thanks, a donation of $659 from the Klein Trust administered by The Van Wert County Foundation.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 16, in the district conference room.