VWCS enrollment up in lower grades

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Board of Education met on Wednesday for its September board meeting and heard some positive news on student enrollment from Superintendent Ken Amstutz. The board also took action on a number of personnel items, including approval of the district and building leadership teams.

Amstutz noted that enrollment was “very high” enrollment in kindergarten through third grade, while he also expects approximately 160 children in the preschool program. Although the superintendent said preschool numbers were a little low at the present, enrollment would increase as more district children reach their third birthday.

Amstutz also talked about Governor John Kasich’s Straight A grant program, which would provide a total of $250 million in assistance over the next two years ($100 million in the first year and $150 million in the next year). The superintendent said the timeline for grant applications was tight, with some information due by October 4, and all information due by October 25.

Amstutz said the grants would be available for all public schools, but added that it appears that a partnership would likely be needed with a private business, or private entity, to qualify for a grant award.

The VWCS superintendent also noted that the board would have to look at what new state stipulations would mean for the make-up of the Vantage Board of Education. Currently, Vantage member school districts choose a board member to represent the district on the Vantage board, but Amstutz said new state guidelines seem to indicate that business people should be selected for vocational school boards.

“Once again, pretty much going with a business model, as opposed to more of an educational model with that,” he said, adding that the district would know more after Vantage Superintendent Staci Kaufman returns from an information meeting on the subject.

Also Wednesday, the board approved contracts for staff members on the district and building leadership teams. The district leadership team includes Amstutz; Nikki Adams, a preschool teacher at the Van Wert Early Childhood Center; Jen Arend, a Title I teacher at the VWECC; Lori Bittner, SPED coordinator at the Van Wert Elementary School and VWECC; John Butler, district technology director; Van Wert High School Principal Bill Clifton; VWHS language arts teacher Chris Covey; Brett Dorsten, VWES school psychologist; Van Wert Middle School Assistant Principal Darla Dunlap; LifeLinks teacher Kyle Hammons; VWES Principals Kevin Gehres and Beth Runnion; VWMS/VWHS school psychologist Doug Grooms; Marty Hohman, VWES third grade teacher; Erin Lee, sixth grade language arts teacher at the VWES; Ashley McElroy, VWES fifth grade teacher; Bob Priest, VWHS social studies teacher; Bot Spath, Project Lead the Way teacher for VWHS; Tiffany Werts, VWMS eighth grade math teacher; VWECC Principal Bill Wisher; and Anita Zuber, seventh grade teacher at VWMS.

The Van Wert Elementary School building leadership team includes Drew Bittner, intervention teacher; Tonia Gamble, music teacher; Michelle Hoffman, first grade teacher; Amy Honigford, fourth grade teacher; Nate Hoverman, fifth grade teacher; Ashley Sim, second grade teacher; and Jessica Small, kindergarten teacher, as well as VWES staff on the district leadership team.

The VWMS leadership team includes Principal Mark Bagley; Marie Markward, intervention specialist; Zane McElroy, GTT teacher; Brendon Moody, language arts teacher; Julia Reichert, music teacher; and Bonnie Thatcher, seventh grade math teacher, as well as VWMS district leadership team members.

The VWHS leadership team includes guidance counselor Connie Ainsworth; Katie Bowersock, intervention specialist; Assistant Principal Dave Froelich; Wendy Howell, science teacher; Jen Trittschuh, social studies teacher; Natoshia Wilhelm, English teacher; and Charlie Witten, math teacher, as well as VWHS district leadership team members.

The board also approved the following supplemental contracts: Laura Foster and Amy Smith, ECC multimedia advisors; Arend, ECC Aimsweb manager; Jessica Small, ECC RTI manager; Shelly Place, ECC student rewards coordinator; Kim Fleming and Kathy Mansfield, VWES Student Council advisors; Donna Clark, Traci McCoy, Katie Krieg, Ashley Holden and Nate Hoverman, elementary multimedia advisors; Sara Royer and Ashley McElroy, elementary student rewards coordinators; Amy Covey, Christine Heizman, July Mosier, Ruth Ann Dowler and Drew Bittner, elementary RTI managers; Donna Clark, Cindy Etzler, Kathy Long, Kim Werling, and Bittner, elementary Aimsweb managers; Anita Zuber, VWMS Scholastic Bowl advisor; Marie Markward and Cindy Klinger, VWMS Beta Club advisors; Karla Butler, Tami Suzuki, Pam Morris and Chris Gemmer, VWMS student rewards coordinators; Ed Clark, VWMS Cougar Council advisor; Susan Semer, VWMS yearbook advisor; Mike Myers, and Brendon Moody, sixth grade intramurals; George School and Kerry Koontz, VWHs Beta Club advisors; John Butler, VWHS web page advisor; Krista Baer, VWHS newspaper advisor; Bob Sloan and Melissa Bloomfield, high school musical/music directors; Chad Kraner and Bloomfield, high school musical and plays/play directors; Baer, Excalibur yearbook advisor; Myrna Hamrick, VWHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes advisor; Kelly Van Horn, VWHS French Club advisor; Eugene Aufderhaar, VWHS German Club advisor; Brenda Smith, Junior Class co-advisor; Jennifer Trittschuh, VWHS National Honor Society advisor; Wendy Howell and Jeff Hood, VWHS student rewards coordinators; Anita Zuber, VWHS Scholastic Bowl advisor; Amy Neal, VWHS Spanish Club advisor; Judy Krites and Katie Bowersock, VWHS Student Council advisors; Charles Witten, VWHS Varsity “V” Club advisor; and Jennifer Trittschuh, VWHS Scarlet Squad advisor.

In other news, the board:

• Learned that the following staff members were advanced on the district pay scale because of educational attainments: Amy Honigford, bachelor’s degree plus 150 hours, to master’s degree; and Trinda Keber, master’s degree to master’s degree plus 15 hours.
• Authorized Athletic Director Kent Smelser to assign all athletic tournament and game workers on an “as needed” basis.
• Accepted, with thanks, the following charitable donations: Van Wert County Foundation, $1,500 for the VWMS Renaissance program; General Youth Foundation, $500 for the elementary wellness program; and Van Wert Band Parents, $5,000 for the new VWHS drum line.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 16, in the First Federal Lecture Hall.