C’view honors retiring teachers

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Board of Education focused on personnel during its May meeting Monday night, starting with recognition of five retiring educators with more than 150 years of total teaching experience.

Superintendent Mike Estes and board members held a reception prior to the board meeting for the five retiring teachers: physical education/health teacher Mary Alvarez, who taught 28 of 30 years at Crestview; educational technologist Diana Kiehl, who taught 17 of her 30 years at Crestview; elementary teacher Jan Miller, who taught 28 of her 30 years at Crestview; middle school math teacher Owen Pugh, who taught 33 of his 35 years at Crestview; and K-8 special education teacher Becky Wells, who taught 23 of her 26 years at Crestview.

The teachers received plaques honoring them for their service to the Crestview Local School District. A public hearing was also held on Pugh’s retire-rehire request, with no one voicing opposition to his request.

The board also approved a number of reassignments, as well as the hiring of several teachers to replace some of those retiring. Those hired include Ben Kaufman as a high school special education teacher, Melissa Eickholt as a middle school-high school physical education teacher, Jacqueline Deitering as an elementary special education teacher, Ashley Marks as a kindergarten teacher, and Alicia Perrott as a first-grade teacher. All received one-year limited contracts.

In addition, the board unanimously approved a two-year limited contract to Trent Kreischer as the district’s new director of curriculum/instruction.

Several other teachers were reassigned to new duties. They include James Lautzenheiser, reassigned as a middle school social studies teacher; Melissa Roop, reassigned as a fourth grade teacher; Lori Waltz, reassigned as a third grade teacher; Melissa Basinger and Deb Gehres, reassigned as Title I teachers; and Sarah Brenneman, reassigned as a K-3 special education teacher.

The board also accepted the resignation of Christa Gasser as a Family and Consumer Science teacher after one year in that position.

The board also moved forward on a district technology project, approving a resolution that authorizes a four-year lease agreement with Lenovo Financial Services to purchase computer equipment to be used in the 1:1 technology project.

Also Monday, the board approved a resolution to award a construction contract to Alexander & Bebout Inc. to construct a storage building at a cost of $73,900, while also approving resolutions that would authorize a gradual increase from 10 percent to 14 percent the amount withheld from teachers’ and administrators’ salaries for the State Teacher Retirement System.

The board also approved a three-year non-bargaining unit employee salary schedule that includes raises of 2 percent each year, and a compensation schedule for the 2012-2013 Resident Educator Program.

In other news, the board:

• Approved the five-year forecast as presented by Treasurer Laura Metzger.
• Renewed membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) for the 2013-2014 school year.
• Approved the following supplemental contracts: Greg Rickard (half-time), athletic director and assistant athletic director; Joshua Thomas, band; Jeremy Best, head boys’ basketball coach; Mark Gregory, boys’ basketball varsity assistant; Dave Bowen, junior varsity boys’ basketball coach; Mike Myers, freshman boys’ basketball coach; Frank Minnig, eighth grade boys’ basketball coach; Dan Miller, seventh grade boys’ basketball coach; Best, Mini Knights basketball coach; Kristie McCormick, CK-TV director; Natasha Breese, cheer competition advisor; Christine Albright, varsity basketball cheerleading coach; Lindsay Ebbeskotte, varsity football cheerleading coach; Danille Hancock, chorus director; Jeff Bagley, cross country head coach; Dave Smart, middle school cross country coach; Jared Owens, football head coach; Jon Van Cleave (90 percent) and Travis Owens (10 percent), junior varsity football coaches; Steve Sealscott (65 percent) and Kaufman (35 percent), JV football coaches; Corbin Vance (65 percent), Kaufman (20 percent) and Owens (15 percent), JV football coaches; Lautzenheiser, freshman football coach; Matt Perkins (95 percent) and Kaufman (5 percent), freshman football coaches; Chris Roop (84 percent) and Travis Cunningham (16 percent), middle school football coaches; Tom Riggenbach (83 percent) and Cunningham (17 percent), middle school football coaches; Zach Rosenbeck (83 percent) and Cunningham (17 percent), middle school football coaches; Rickard, head girls’ basketball coach; Meghan Henry, girls’ basketball varsity assistant; Diane Wilson, junior varsity girls’ basketball coach; Eickholt, seventh grade girls’ basketball coach; Rickard, Mini Knights girls’ basketball advisor; Melissa Mefferd, girls’ soccer head coach; Joy Short, girls’ soccer varsity assistant; Best, golf head coach; Nehemiah Murphy, government class trip advisor; Hancock, musical director; Keith Rydell, musical assistant director; Rydell, public relations; Sandy Grooms, high school and middle school Scholastic Bowl coach/advisor; Judy Wortman, Student Council advisor; Tammy Gregory, volleyball head coach; Kristy Bagley, volleyball varsity assistant; Sara Pugh, junior varsity volleyball coach; Hannah Phlipot, eighth grade volleyball coach; Trista Semer, seventh grade volleyball coach; Lautzenheiser, Washington, D.C., eighth grade trip advisor; Becky Macki, eighth grade girls’ basketball coach; and McCormick, yearbook advisor.
• Also approved were the following volunteer coaches: Henry, girls’ soccer; and Ray Etzler, eighth grade boys’ basketball.
• Approved the following teachers to be used on an as-needed basis for summer high school and elementary intervention/education programs: Melissa Basinger, Brenda Dye, Deb Gehres, James Lautzenheiser, Amy Roan, Melissa Roop and Jim Wharton.
• Approved a proposed list of graduates for the Class of 2013, contingent on completion of graduation requirements.
• Approved a first reading of proposed bylaws and policies as presented by NEOLA Inc.
• Authorized the following overnight trips: boys’ basketball to Eastern Ohio Basketball Camp in Sherrodsville on June 23-25; girls’ basketball team to Westerville North High School near Columbus June 28-29; volleyball team to Maumee Bay Spiketacular July 18-20; girls’ soccer team to Camp Palmer in Fayette August 9-10; and cross country teams to Eaton on September 13-14.
• Approved a motion to congratulate FFA participants for the 2012-2013 school year and advisor Paul Pohlman for a successful trip to the State FFA Convention.
• Accepted, with thanks, a donation of $100 from Ric Grubaugh for the Crestview Educators Hall of Fame.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, June 17, in the district boardroom.