C’view finalizes items for new school year

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY – The Crestview Local Board of Education gave a good send-off to retiring Food Service Supervisor Linda Springer during its August meeting Monday evening and also received an update on two renewal levies on the ballot, as well as some final work to be done as part of the Ohio School Facilities Commission renovation/construction project.

Springer, who retired effective July 31 after 27 years of service, was given a plaque and a cake, as well as hugs and handshakes from staff and board members.

Treasurer Laura Metzger gave the board an update on the levy renewals on the November 8 ballot, and board members agreed to provide information at football and volleyball games prior to the election.

Later in the meeting, Elementary Principal Kathy Mollenkopf, who also heads the district PRIDE Committee, a group working on increasing the district’s report card scores, said preliminary indications are the district has done well this year on the state report cards. Official results will be out August 24.

Mollenkopf also noted that elementary school numbers are down this year, mostly because of a large sixth grade class that has now moved to the middle school. The elementary principal said this year’s kindergarten class is larger than last year’s, but not enough to offset the loss of the sixth graders.

Superintendent Mike Estes talked about the changeover of the school to a smoke-free campus, which was adopted by the board in February, but didn’t take effect until August 1. Estes also noted that was needed to approve construction documents and advertise for bids to refinish interior doors in the building — something the district held off on until other portions of the facilities project were finalized, just to make sure there was adequate money for the door project.

Estes said he also hoped to have information on most, if not all, of the planned overnight trips this coming school year so that the board could approve them all at once. He noted that the district did not receive a 21st Century grant this year, but noted that it was possible that the district would receive a Race to the Top grant, since notification has not yet been received on that program.

Also Monday, the board also approved bus routes prior to the start of the upcoming school year, as well as lunch prices, athletic ticket prices, student workbook fees and any revisions, and Latchkey fees as presented.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the following supplemental contracts: Jim Wharton, baseball head coach; Gregg Mosier, baseball junior varsity coach; Matt Perkins, junior high baseball coach; Owen Pugh, softball varsity head coach; James Lautzenheiser, track head coach; Mary Alvarez, track varsity assistant; and Natasha Breese and Shawn Schuette, junior high track coaches.
• Approved a list of substitute teachers, aides and school nurses from the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center and any revisions.
• Approved Estes’ recommendation to seek a waiver from Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.674 (A), which requires that each student enrolled in kindergarten and third, fifth and ninth grades be screened for body mass index and weight status category prior to May 1 of the 2011-2012 school year.
• Approved new, revised, deleted or replacement policies.
• Authorized a lease agreement with Dan Miller.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action taken afterwards.

The next regular meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, September 19, in the district boardroom.