Vantage board discusses liability coverage

CINDY WOOD/Van Wert independent

Anything can happen on any given day.

Vantage Superintendent Staci Kaufman and Treasurer Lori Davis recommended to the board at Thursday night’s meeting that the school be prepared for that “anything” by looking to SORCA, an education insurance consortium that has insured Vantage for the last five years.

Although SORCA’s quote came in the highest of three the school had received, Davis pointed out significant differences in liability coverage among the three quoting companies and said it comes down to the risk factor. “When all is said and done, you kind of have to make a decision on what you feel comfortable with, as far as liability dollars,” Davis told the board.

She then pointed out several examples of schools that had been hit with multi-million dollar settlements after bus accidents or student injuries. “A private school in Ohio had two students burned in a chemistry experiment and it cost them $19 million,” Davis noted. “At another school, a student suffered brain damage when a television fell on him and that was $19 million. You kind of have to take a step back and look at what your exposure is.”

The school is currently insured for $12 million, with other companies offering a max of $7 million of coverage. An additional policy could be purchased to provide more coverage, Davis said, which would result in higher rates and increased premiums.

Additionally, there are no deductibles with the school’s current insurer. “We’ve had pretty good service coming from SORCA over and above what we might expect to find,” Kaufman said, adding, “there are just so many things that are extra that have paid off for us and saved us money.”

Fortunately, the school’s claim history has been limited, with a recent $3,700 claim to replace curriculum materials after a fire at the truck academy, and a $3,000 claim to replace scaffolding that had been stolen from the Habitat for Humanity house the only recent claims. Board members will review the information and discuss the issue at next month’s meeting.

Davis also reported an update on refunding bonds and told the board she had hoped to have the bonds on the market this week. But with interest rates going up, Davis said it wasn’t in the school’s favor to sell the bonds. “Right now, we’re taking it day by day to see how the market goes and we’re just going to hold firm right now.”

During her report, Kaufman provided a first reading of NEOLA new and revised policies concerning bylaws for regular and special meetings, administrator evaluations, employment of personnel for co-curricular activities, reduction in staff, religion in curriculum and use of restraint and seclusion. The new policies are set to be approved at the July board meeting.

The school is just a couple of months away from its projected date of August 1 for solar power generation, Kaufman reported, adding that solar panels should be up by the end of next week.

In other consent items, the board:

• Approved the following employees, as needed as scheduled: Sarah Wurth, social studies instructor; Mike Knott, student services supervisor; Karen McGilton, Penny Baucom, Jessica Farr and Kaleb Baucom, summer maintenance; Austin Meyer and Dustin Carter, summer technology; and John Ringwald and James Martin, custodial/maintenance.
• Approved the following employees as adult education instructors, as needed, as scheduled: Pete Weir, Kevin Taylor, Doug Weigle, Lynn Schweitzer, Glenn Schenk, Vicki Bidlack, Justin Cornewell, Kristie Jones, Shirley Jarvis, Cynthia Krizan, Diane Jones, Trent Sprow, Alex Rompilla, Brent Wright, Pat Vogel, Jeff Stittsworth, Ted Daniels, Kim Haas, Connie Drake, Bruce Showalter, Jackie Brandt, Ron Schumm, Annette Klinger, Stephanie Calderon, Michele Prichard, DeeDee Meringleo-Dirksen, Michael DeMoss, Robert Hogan, Brent Wright, Rylee Carlisle and Larry Longwell.
• Resolution to approve end of course exams for American government, given the absence of state common core assessments for this curricular area;
• Approved list of Ohio Teacher Evaluation System certified evaluators;
• Added the position of trade and industry programs manager to the list of adult ed instructional leaders and coordinators that receive an additional 50 cents per hour above the highest pay rate for instructors.
• Approved an overnight stay for the 2013 National FCCLA conference in Nashville for Paulding FCS satellite advisor Rose Krietemeyer and three students;
• Approved the memorandum of understanding between Apollo Career Center and Vantage Career Center for the ABLE/GED program;
• Approved new and revised job descriptions for adult ed instructional leader, trade and industry programs manager, ABLE coordinator, transitions coordinator and technology support specialist;
• Approved an overnight stay for Mike Miller, ag and industrial power tech instructor, for a Briggs and Stratton seminar in Menomonee Falls, Ws.
• Accepted the resignations of Adam Lee, attendance discipline officer and Eric Vennekotter, computer technician

With no further business to discuss, the board went into executive session for the purpose of considering employment of an employee of official of the district.