VWCS board hears updates on projects

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Board of Education heard an update on a district lighting/energy efficiency project and also took various actions related to the start of the new school year during its August meeting Wednesday evening.

Roy Robinson of H.E.A.T. Total Facility Solutions provided a report on a project that includes the replacement of lighting and other energy efficiency measures being done at the high school-middle school complex and in the S.F. Goedde Building in connection with House Bill 264. The legislation provides for a way to do energy efficiency projects with a payoff over 15 years from the energy savings related to such projects.

Robinson estimated overall wattage savings related to the project at 28.8 percent, with more than $35,000 in savings also coming from AEP rebates related to the installation of more efficient lighting units – a big increase over the $20,000 projected in rebates prior to the start of the work. The energy efficiency specialist told those at the meeting that, while thousands of watts of energy are being saved because of the new lighting, a side benefit is a brighter, whiter light in the affected buildings.

While work related to the project has been completed in the high school-middle school complex, the Goedde Building portion of the project won’t likely be done for a couple of months, although Robinson said workers would come in on later shifts so that classroom instruction would not be affected.

In personnel items, the board hired a new kindergarten teacher, Karen Balster, at Franklin Elementary School, and also approved Amie Rosendahl as an online program instructor at both LifeLinks Community School and Van Wert High School, and Krista Baer as a TV Production class instructor, both on a per-diem rate of $125, effective the coming school year.

Four paraprofessionals were also approved, including Toni Bartley, Lori Becker, Abby Clifton and Cindy Dawson.

Supplemental contracts were also issued to Tom Baer as seventh grade girls’ basketball coach and Cayla Wise as middle school football cheerleading coach.

A contract agreement was approved for classified employees of the district similar to the one approved earlier for teaching staff, while administrative and other personnel salaries were also approved.

On the recommendation of Superintendent Ken Amstutz, the board will look at adopting a policy for home-school students who want to participate in extracurricular activities at Van Wert; however, Amstutz recommendation included requirements that home-schooled students take at least five core subjects at the school. That issue will be taken up in depth at the next board meeting in September.

A problem with the roof of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center has resulted in a decision to replace the roof, although most of the $190,000 estimated cost of the replacement will be paid by the maker of the shingles, since it was determined that they were faulty. The local share of the project — about $25,000 — will be split between the school district and the Van Wert Area Fine Arts Foundation (VWAPAF), the non-profit entity that operates the NPAC.

Amstutz noted that the elementary school projects are moving forward, with a well-field mostly completed at Jefferson Elementary School and walls going up and floors being poured at the grades 1-5 elementary building on Ohio 118.

The superintendent also said the new entranceway to the high school-middle school complex should be completed prior to the start of school, while he and the board also discussed traffic concerns related to the street work on Shannon Street.

Amstutz also got the board’s attention when he announced that, while it isn’t official until August 24, it appears the district will receive a rating of “excellent with distinction” — the highest rating possible — on its State Report Card.

“Kudos to the Van Wert community,” Amstutz said of efforts by all involved in earning the designation.

The superintendent also said the tennis court project should be completed sometime in October and gave a brief update on the Race to the Top grant program.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted a resolution to approve the terms of a Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Haviland Company and RHL Partners Inc., and authorizing Mayor Louis Ehmer and Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming to sign CRA agreement.
• Authorized Amstutz and Treasurer Mike Ruen to enter into an agreement with Sheakley as the district’s Worker’s Compensation third party administrator, effective January 2012.
• Appointed Amstutz, Jefferson Principal Kevin Gehres and school board member Marylou Smith to represent the district on the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group (VWASIG).
• Approved Board member Ken Mengerink as the VWAPAF representative for the coming school year.
• Learned that Heidi Arney is being advanced on the payscale from master’s degree plus 15 hours to master’s degree plus 30 hours, while Wendy Howell is moving from the master’s degree pay step to master’s plus 15 hours.
• Added the following to the teaching substitute list: Kody Heppeard, Bryn Thatcher, Marlecia Smart, Jamie Thurston and Traci Tokerud.
• Added the following to the classified substitute list: Clint Mathew, Jolene Neiford and Rachel Roehm.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 21, in the lecture hall.