L’view hires 2 teachers, seeks bus bids

DAVE MOSIER/Van Wert independent

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education hired two new elementary teachers, and authorized seeking bids for two new school buses during its June meeting Tuesday evening.

The board approved one-year limited contracts for Hannah Rockhold, who will teach fourth grade, and Tara Gustwiller, who will teach second grade. Rockhold is a graduate of Lima Bath High School and the University of Toledo, while Gustwiller is an Archbold High School graduate who earned her teaching degree at Kent State University.

In other personnel action, the board granted one-year limited contracts to Amy Dunlap and Krista Hill as part-time cooks and granted extended service contracts to the following: Tony Campbell (Career Tech Vocational Agriculture) 59 days for a total of $19,116; Anna Battle (instrumental music), 20 days for a total of $4,219.16; Jay Hoersten, (Industrial Tech), 5 days for a total of $1,304.47; Brenda Leeth (junior high-high school guidance counselor), 20 days for a total of $6,216.63; and Deb Stetler (high school librarian), 10 days for a total of $3,239.95. Battle was also moved to the master’s degree pay scale.

Supplemental contracts approved included the following: Kay Wilusz, freshman class advisor; Andy Breese, boys’ junior varsity basketball coach; Daryl Dowdy, boys’ freshman basketball coach; and Benjamin Byrne, boys’ seventh grade basketball coach.

The board also approved amending supplemental summer school contracts for Chad Kraner and Ellen Hemple from full-time to part-time because of low enrollment.

The board also unanimously voted to seek bids for one 84-passenger and one 72-passenger school bus. The board typically purchases two buses every other year to replace aging buses in the district bus fleet.

Also Tuesday, board members approved textbook purchases totaling $98,622.75. Textbooks purchased include K-5 language arts, eighth grade language arts, seventh grade language arts, high school foreign language (Spanish I, French III), high school accounting and high school special education.

During his report, Treasurer Troy Bowersock reported that revenues were up 5 percent over the previous year, while expenditures were as estimated, although he added that bus fuel costs have risen this year. He also said he was seeking reinvestment options for a certificate of deposit that is maturing soon, noting that the best CD interest rate he has found is 1 percent — significantly below those seen prior to the recession in 2008. Investment income is one of the areas where revenues have significantly decreased, Bowersock noted.

District Food Service Manager Carol Williams was also at the meeting to provide a required annual report to the board. She noted that federal health meal requirements have resulted in challenges for her department, with future sodium reduction requirements perhaps the biggest challenge in the future.

In other action, the board:

• Approved temporary appropriations for the first three months of Fiscal Year 2013 and amended appropriations for FY 2012.
• Approved the high school, junior high and elementary student handbooks, with noted changes.
• Changed the part-time cook hourly rate to $9.75 for the 2012-2013 school year and to $9.80 for the 2013-2014 school year.
• Authorized enrollment in the Ohio School Comp/Comp Management Inc. workers’ compensation program for the 2013 calendar year.
• Approved the following transfers: $4,000 from the General Fund to the Uniform School Supplies Fund; $209.78 from the Class of 2010 Fund and $170.21 from the Class of 2011 Fund to the Public School Support Fund.
• Advanced $200 to the Public School Support Fund from the General Fund.
• Renewed membership in the Equity and Adequacy Coalition for the 2012-2013 school year.
• Appointed Fries as the district’s representative to the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group (VWASIG) for the coming school year.
• Authorized Scott Equity Exchange to supply gasoline and diesel fuel to the district.
• Approved 4-K Tire of Delphos to supply tires for buses, school vans, the band truck and a trailer as needed.
• Authorized the following overnight trips: high school FFA to attend FFA Camp in Carrollton on July 9-13; and the high school choir to attend the University of Toledo High School Honors Choir Festival on November 2-3.
• Approved retroactively a boys’ basketball camp held June 4-7.
• Accepted the following donations: $2,110 from the Lincolnview Athletic Boosters for new weights in the weight room; $1,500 from the Van Wert County Foundation for the district music programs; $1,042.50 from the Klein Trust of the Van Wert County Foundation; and $5,000 from the Van Wert County Foundation to benefit reading resources in the district.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, in the district conference room.