VWCS board recognizes cage coach

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Board of Education honored longtime boys’ basketball coach Dave Froelich for his contributions to the district and later chose his successor during its May meeting held Wednesday in the Van Wert Elementary School commons.

Board of Education President Ken Markward presented a plaque to Froelich honoring him for his more than three decades of coaching experience (see story above). The board also hired Van Wert Middle School Principal Mark Bagley, Froelich’s longtime varsity assistant, as the programs new mentor.

The vote wasn’t unanimous, though, with Markward casting a “no” vote on the motion, although he stressed that his vote wasn’t personal, but merely reflected his belief that district principals should not be head athletic coaches.

In other personnel items, the board accepted the resignation of Shawn Deitemeyer as director of the LifeLinks Community School and later approved a new contract for him as a high school special education teacher. The resignation of middle school science teacher Travis Guggenbiller was also accepted, while the board approved a one-year leave of absence for high school language arts teacher Michelle Stoller.

In addition to Deitemeyer, the following teachers were hired for the 2013-2014 school year: Ryan Parrish, high school special education teacher; Natoshia Wilhelm, high school language arts teacher; Mitchell Neal, high school social studies teacher; Ben Laudick, middle school math teacher; Drew Golden, middle school science teacher; Erin Lee, middle school language arts teacher; Thomas Sanford, fifth grade teacher; Jared Army, elementary school special education teacher; and Regina Brenneman, Early Childhood Center education of the handicapped preschool teacher.

The board also approved the following summer school staff: Wendy Howell, Ohio Graduation Test science; Krista Baer, OGT language arts; Cindy Thomas and Charlie Witten, OGT mathematics; Jennifer Trittschuh and Jeff Kallas, OGT social studies; and Ed Clark and Jay Royer, Van Wert Middle School summer school staff.

Also on Wednesday, the board approved the list of graduating seniors for the Class of 2013, providing all requirements are met. Graduation will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9, in the VWHS gymnasium.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: $1,020.12 from The Van Wert County Foundation for the VWMS/VWHS robotics program; $394.23 from Lee Kinstle GM Sales & Service for the Van Wert OJT Fund; $130 from Flagship Tax Center for the VWECC, VWES and LifeLinks principal funds; and $2,000 from Chuck Thompson for an athletic scholarship award.
• Approved Fiscal Year 2013 permanent appropriations. Appropriations include $20,745,500 in General Fund appropriations and $36,431,265.36 in total appropriations.
• Approved the following as summer substitute custodial/maintenance workers: AJ Foster, Corey Clifton, Kyle Scheidt and Nathan Sperry.
• Accepted, as is usual, the following supplemental contract resignations: Larry Lamb, high school girls’ assistant soccer coach; and Keith Utendorf, high school assistant football coach.
• Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2013-2014 school year: Lamb, girls’ head soccer coach; Tammy Miller, girls’ assistant soccer coach; Ryan Parrish, assistant varsity football coach.
• Approved the following volunteer coach: Utendorf, varsity football assistant.
• Authorized the 2013 WBL vs. MAC/NWC Football All-Star Football Game on Friday, June 14. Rain date is Saturday, June 15.
• Authorized continued membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
• Approved a policy allowing students who successfully complete Algebra I in the eighth grade with a minimum of a “B” average to earn one unit of high school math credit. The policy will be retroactive to the Class of 2014, when the state graduation requirements include four math units. Credit for the algebra class will be recorded as a “pass”, rather than be given a grade.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action to be taken.

The next scheduled meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.