Crestview board hires new treasurer

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY – The Crestview Local Board of Education accepted the resignation its longtime district treasurer and also said “good-bye” to a 12-year school board veteran.

Crestview Treasurer Laura Metzger tendered her resignation after 27 years of service, 21 of those in the Crestview district. After accepting Metzger’s resignation, the board issued a three-year, five-month contract as treasurer to Ashley Whetsel, who is currently district administrative assistant.

Whetsel will begin her new duties on March 3, 2014, while a contract was approved for Metzger to be treasurer’s assistant from March 3 until July 31, 2014, to ensure a smooth transition.

The board also approved a resolution Monday honoring Board President Pam Motycka for her 12 years of service on the board. Superintendent Mike Estes also provided Motycka with a gift in recognition of her contributions as a board member.

Also during his report, Estes announced that Crestview was part of a local consortium that received one of 24 grants from the Straight A Fund. Other members of the consortium included Paulding Exempted Village, Lincolnview Local, Wayne Trace Local, Western Buckeye Educational Service Center, Northwest Ohio Educational Technology Foundation, Ohio Educational Technology Foundation, Vantage Career Center, Northwest State Community College, Paulding County Carnegie Library, Paulding County Economic Development Office, Van Wert County Economic Development Group, Paulding Kiwanis Club and the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce.

The grant project, entitled Beyond the Classroom, is designed to provide a continuum of online learning opportunities for students in grades 7-12. Goals are to increase student achievement and provide a greater share of resources directly in the classroom, provide professional development for teachers on flipped classroom/blending learning strategies and hold a business symposium to bridge the gap between local businesses and schools by providing a forum and website to establish internships and shadowing experiences in the various communities.

The superintendent said he was very excited about receiving a grant award through the program. “Going into the application process, we didn’t think we had a chance,” Estes said.

Crestview will receive more than $47,000 as its share of the more than $1.5 million received by the consortium, Estes said, noting that some of the money will be used to increase the district’s wireless bandwidth, as well as for staff development.

A total of $88.6 million was awarded to 24 grant recipients statewide, while 420 organizations submitted a total of 570 applications to be considered for funding.

Estes also noted that Crestview staff would conduct a school safety drill in conjunction with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. A hostage negotiator will demonstrate how to improve communication skills that can be used in emergency situations, while there will also be a “live” shooting activity using blank rounds so that school staff can learn what a school shooting situation might sound like.

Classes will be in session on January 29 following a two-hour delay.

All three principals talked about “penny wars” activities they are holding to raise money for needy families in the district. Elementary Principal Kathy Mollenkopf noted that her students raised more than $1,600 for Pennies for People during this holiday season.

Mollenkopf and High School Principal Mike Biro both reported good participation in this year’s parent-teacher conferences, with Biro saying more high school parents were involved this year because an online conference was added.

In other action, the Crestview board:

• Accepted, with thanks, a donation of $3,000 from Dan Miller to be used for needy students and academic organizations.
• Approved a final reading of the associate school board policy on appointing Vantage JVSD board members.
• Went into executive session to discuss the appointment, employment or compensation of public employees, with no action taken after the executive session.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will its organizational meeting to be held at 6 p.m. Monday, January 13, 2014.