Vantage OKs loose furnishings package

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Vantage Board of Education members approved construction documents for the loose furnishings portion of the Ohio School Facilities Commission renovation/construction project and also gave its okay to an offer to purchase a house renovated by the school’s Building Maintenance students during their March meeting Thursday.

Superintendent Staci Kaufman said the loose furnishings bid estimate had to be increased $50,000 because the architect on the project omitted some shop equipment from the original bid estimate. “Luckily, we caught it,” she said of the oversight.

Kaufman also noted that bids for siding on the facility were slightly over estimates — approximately $1,000-$2,000 — but said the overage shouldn’t be significant.

The superintendent did say that, hopefully, the board was meeting in the Cup and Saucer dining area for the last time, as the new additions are expected to be operational on April 9, three days before the next Vantage board meeting. That meeting will also be Vantage’s All Boards meeting, which brings board members from all of Vantage’s home schools together.

In her report to the board, Kaufman also noted that soil removal has begun, adding that the large hill of dirt north of the building should be removed in two to three weeks.

Also Thursday, the superintendent told board members of an architectural problem that had arisen in a portion of the building. Windows placed high in the addition to bring in more light were also impossible to clean and maintain, since there was no way to get to them. Kaufman said the problem was overlooked when architects were designing the addition on 3D CAD software.

Architects came up with a solution for the problem after it was discovered, she said.

During Thursday’s meeting, the board also approved job switching between Transitions Enrollment Coordinator Sara Ricker and ABLE Coordinator Dee Dee Meringleo-Dirksen. Each will be taking the other’s job.

Vantage Director Bob Vennekotter was also approved as Vantage’s homeless liaison, per school policy, and the board approved an agreement and waiver of claims with Tammy Deitsch.

Vennekotter also provided a list of Vantage students involved in skills competitions, noting that more students will be involved, since several more competitions will be held in the near future. The board was also a beneficiary of one of those competitions, since they were able to sample items prepared by Vantage’s Culinary Arts program as practice for regional competition.

The board also approved an offer to purchase a Vantage-owned property at 408 N. Race St. for $44,500. The house was one of two at least partially renovated by the school’s Building Maintenance classes.

In other action, the board:

• Hired Kay Wheeler as an instructor in the Adult Education Health Careers area, on an as-needed, as-scheduled basis.
• Amended administrative contracts related to electronic communications devices provided by the board to administrators, noting that the devices would not be a taxable fringe benefit since they were provided for “substantial business reasons” and are non-compensatory.
• Accepted donations of scrap steel from Crown Equipment Corporation in Celina (worth $1,375) and International Truck & Engine Corporation in Fort Wayne, Ind. (worth $550).
• Approved satellite agreements with Paulding Exempted Village School District and Van Wert City School District.
• Approved new job descriptions for the ABLE coordinator and Transitions coordinator.
• Authorized the purchase of Career Technical equipment.
• Approved board payment of student participation in Career Technical Student Organization events.
• Authorized overnight field trips as follows: BPA competition in Columbus March 15-16; State FCCLA Competition in Columbus on April 18-20; Skills USA State Competition in Columbus on April 27-28; State FFA Competition in Columbus on May 3-4. The board also approved a trip to Haiti by the Vantage Interact Club on April 1-8.
• Approved NEOLA policy changes and additions.

The next Vantage Board Meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 12, with the All Boards meeting to follow at 6 that evening.