VWCS hires teachers for upcoming year

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

With the start of school just five days away, the Van Wert City Board of Education hired several staff members, including four teachers, for the 2013-2014 school year.

Contracts were awarded to first grade teacher Kathryn Harner, second grade teacher Monica Donley, third grade teacher Stephanie Griesdorn and middle school physical education teacher Scott Jordan during the board’s August meeting Wednesday evening.

Also hired Wednesday were the following: Kristi Bell, elementary computer lab instructor; Traci Brake, Early Childhood Center part-time custodian/cleaner; Jackie Brandt, LifeLinks Community School director of student services; Rebecca Brenneman, Early Child Center paraprofessional; Cynthia Millay, elementary paraprofessional; and Tim Wertenberger, LifeLinks digital learning instructor.

Also Wednesday, the board, which included new member Deb Compton, rehired four veteran staff members, approving contracts for Ed Clark as Van Wert Middle School guidance counselor, Christine Heizman as a special education teacher in the elementary, Dave Kleman as high school math teacher and Mike Ragan as a bus driver.

Darla Dunlap was also reassigned as the new VWMS assistant principal, while the board accepted the resignation of Vicki Pollock as an ECC paraprofessional, due to her retirement after 28 years of service.

Other items approved in preparation for the start of school on Monday included handbooks for the coming year, school fees, cafeteria prices and bus routes.

Like his counterparts in the other two county school districts, Superintendent Ken Amstutz talked briefly about the new state report cards, which he said should be released today, at least in part.

Both Amstutz and Treasurer Mike Ruen also discussed several items that could prove positive financially to the district.

Amstutz said the next state biennium budget could mean more revenues to the district, noting that recent information released showed Van Wert in the 80th percentile when it comes to district wealth, meaning, he said, that 80 percent of state school districts are wealthier than Van Wert City Schools.

The superintendent noted the low ranking in district wealth could mean more state funding in the future.

Also important is the fact that kindergarten students at Van Wert would be rated at 100 percent value, in connection with state funding, rather than half value, as in the past. “We could see a large increase in the new way of counting kindergarten students,” Amstutz said, noting that the district should have approximately 170 students in its upcoming kindergarten class.

The superintendent also noted that the effects of House Bill 920, legislation passed in the 1970s to combat high property values, could finally be eliminated, at least for new millage passed by a district. Amstutz said that new voted millage would not be subject to rollbacks, but would be fully funded by taxpayers.

That’s important for school revenues, since rollbacks have largely negated increases in property valuation over the past 40 years.

The superintendent also talked about the state’s planned changeover from the 182-day school year model, to one that uses classroom hours instead. While the new system, which will begin in the 2014-2015 school year, presents some challenges, Amstutz also noted that it should be a more flexible system than the current 182-day one.

Instead of the 182-day requirement, students in grades 7-12 would be required to be in class for 1,001 hours, while K-6 students would be required to spend 910 hours in the classroom.

During his report, the superintendent also talked about LifeLinks Community School, noting that 58 students are currently enrolled in LifeLinks, with nearly half of those students (48 percent) coming from outside the Van Wert City School District. Amstutz said enrollment could increase to around 64 this year, with the possibility of rising into the mid-70s by the end of the year.

He also noted that LifeLinks students would also be able to take some electives this year, rather than focus solely on credit recovery for core classes.

“I’m really excited about that,” Amstutz said.

Ruen noted that increasing the deductible on the district’s property and liability insurance will save the district nearly $3,000 this year. The treasurer said he increased the deductible from $1,000 to $5,000, which lowered the annual premium from $66,079 to $63,273, a savings of $2,806.

In other action, the board:

Authorized Amstutz and Ruen to enter into a contract with Sheakley UniService Inc. as the district’s workers’ compensation third-party administrator, effective January 1, 2014.

Approved the following supplemental contracts: Mark Bagley as boys’ head basketball coach, Chris Covey as boys’ varsity assistant coach, Ben Laudick as boys’ junior varsity basketball coach, Jeff Hood as freshman boys’ basketball coach, Lance Moonshower as girls’ varsity head basketball coach, Rob Adams as girls’ assistant basketball coach, Todd Dunlap and Brad Doidge as girls’ junior varsity basketball coaches (50 percent), Ben Collins as head wrestling coach, Mark Collins and Ed Jacob as assistant varsity wrestling coaches, Kim Clifton as head swimming coach, Angie Stemen as a full-time swimming coach and Martha Martin and Brendon Moody as assistant swimming coaches (50 percent), Nate Hoverman as seventh grade boys’ basketball coach, Kerry Koontz as eighth grade boys’ basketball coach, Lori McVaigh as seventh grade girls’ basketball coach, Tom Baer as eighth grade girls’ basketball coach, Austin McIntosh and Brad Allmandinger as middle school wrestling coaches, and Kayla Wise as middle school cheerleading coach.

Approved the following volunteer coaches: Brandon Miller, high school boys’ basketball; Jerry Ramsay, high wrestling; Keith Rydell, high school swimming; and Pat Jackson, middle school girls’ basketball.

Approved a resolution allowing the district to participate in the state’s cooperative purchasing program.

Approved contracts for the Fiscal Year Family and Children First Council and an agreement with Wood County Juvenile Detention Center.

Authorized Amstutz to serve as fiscal oversight officer for LifeLinks Community Schools.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 18, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.