Crestview board honors retiring treasurer

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Board of Education honored retiring District Treasurer Laura Metzger with a reception prior to the meeting, and also heard a presentation on new requirements of the State Report Card program given by Trent Kreischer during its March meeting on Monday.

During the regular meeting, Metzger, who is retiring after 27 years of service as a school treasurer, 21 of those in the Crestview district, was also given a gift by the board for her service to Crestview over the past two decades. Monday was also the first meeting for new Treasurer Ashley Whetsel.

Kreischer put together a presentation on the changes to the State Report Card for the 2013-2014 school year. While much of the program will remain the same as last year, when the new system was first used, Kreischer noted that an additional component, K-3 literacy, will be graded this year, while the “Prepared for Success” component will be included on the report, but not graded this year. The “Prepared for Success” component includes a number of items, such as Advanced Placement participation and scores and the number of honors diplomas a district awards. There will also be a college and career ready assessment report this year.

High School Principal Mike Biro also reported on changes to the state’s policy on post-secondary education, noting that it could be difficult to determine how much the program, which allows students to take college classes while in high school, would cost the district, which must pay the related tuition charges.

Superintendent Mike Estes said that, with the number of calamity days used this year, school would now run through June 5, with an additional 30 minutes added to each school day for 33 days in a row, beginning Monday, March 24. Estes did note that, because boys’ basketball team’s appearance in the final four of the Division IV basketball tournament will be at 8:30 p.m. this Thursday, classes on Friday would include a two-hour delay.

Also Monday, the board:

• Learned that Natasha Breese will take a family leave as allowed by law, as part of her maternity leave, beginning this month.
• Learned that Karen O’Hagan will be reassigned as a paraprofessional in the high school, effective March 24.
• Approved a resolution to participate in the State Cooperative Purchasing Program.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel issues, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Monday, April 21, in the district boardroom.