VW office sale helps WBESC bottom line

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Proceeds of the sale of the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center’s facility in Van Wert will help offset state cuts received by the agency, members of its Governing Board learned on Wednesday.

Superintendent Brian Gerber updated the board on the sale of the Van Wert ESC office during its September meeting.

Gerber noted that the rationale for selling the building was financial – an attempt to offset a 32 percent cut in funding the agency has experienced over the last four years. The $113,000 realized from the sale, while not totally offsetting funding cuts will provide “a tourniquet to slow the bleeding,” Gerber said.

“At this point, we now have the building sold and it is necessary to take the next step,” the superintendent told Governing Board members, adding that the “next step” is to relocate the Van Wert ESC operation at Thomas Edison Center.

“We know the ‘where’ part, but the ‘when’ part has not been established,” Gerber said, noting that there remains a lot of work to do at the former Van Wert ESC office before the transition to Thomas Edison is fully functional.

The WBESC superintendent said that, among work yet to be completed is the installation of new phone lines, Internet service and the actual physical move to Thomas Edison. Gerber gave a tentative deadline of October to complete the transition, adding that he and his staff are coordinating with Thomas Edison to make the transition as smooth as possible.

“Change is difficult for everybody; the only constant thing in education is change,” Gerber said, and thanked WBESC employees for being “reasonable, flexible and cooperative during this time of change.”

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the superintendent reviewed physical and occupational therapy service information that is also included on the WBESC website.

Gerber said the Educational Service Center works with a number of vendors in Toledo, Celina, Lima and Fort Wayne, Ind., as well as Van Wert, to assist in completing necessary paperwork required by insurance companies and other third-party payers.

He also noted that parents are responsible to check with their insurers to verify that vendors used by WBESC are covered by their insurance plans.

Treasurer Gary Ginter also reviewed financial reports, investment information and monthly expenditures with board members.

Personnel action taken by the board include extending a one-year classified contracts to Tianne Pendergrast, Deanna Wann and Lacinda Crosby as part-time paraprofessionals.