Legislators speak at ‘All Boards’ Dinner

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Vantage Career Center member school district officials received an update on Ohio General Assembly legislative issues from State Senator Cliff Hite and State Representative Tony Burkley during Vantage’s “All Boards” Dinner held Thursday evening in the school commons.

Representatives of Vantage’s 12 member school districts attended the meeting, as well as Mercer and Putnam County educational service centers (Western Buckeye ESC Superintendent Brian Gerber and his staff could not attend.

Both legislators talked about the state budget, and how it may affect Ohio school districts, as well as pending legislation dealing with state testing and other education-related issues.

Burkley stressed that budget information provided is preliminary, at best, until Governor John Kasich’s biennial budget is passed sometime between now and June.

Burkley criticized the state’s CAUV (Current Agricultural Use Value) calculations, which have resulted in significant increases in school taxes for farmland owners, and said that legislation is likely to undergo changes yet this year.

Hite, who is on the Ohio Testing Task Force, talked about efforts to cut back on mandatory testing — something teachers have complained is cutting down on student educational opportunities.

“This is long overdue, and we’re not done,” the state senator said, noting that he will be talking to House members in an effort to retain as much of the current state testing legislation as possible.

Hite also thanked local educators who testified before the task force on how excessive testing has affected teaching efforts.

“We’ve heard all the horror stories on technology administering (and) the thick booklet you have to read before you give the test,” he noted. “We get it, so we’re going to work on that.

“And I will say this,” Hite added. “We plan to give as much flexibility to the locals as possible.”

The state senator also noted that he doesn’t know yet whether the state would eliminate PARCC (Partnership for Assessment on Readiness for College and Careers) testing, an assessment initiative currently being used by 12 states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia.

Prior to the “All Boards” Dinner, Vantage board members approved a number of mostly-personnel items during their brief April meeting.

The board accepted the resignation of Michelle Knippen, intervention specialist, Carol Schaefer, Adult Education medical assistant instructor, both effective June 30, and John Ringwald, evening custodian-maintenance worker, effective March 24, and voted to non-renew the position of Building & Grounds educational aide, which is determined by program enrollment at the beginning of a school year.

Contracts were also approved for the following Vantage employees: Ashley Cline, special education coordinator, four-year contract; Jamie Kipfer, math teacher, four-year contract; Darrell Miller, attendance discipline officer, one-year contract; Mike Miller, Ag and Industrial Power Technology instructor, four-year contract; Matthew Miller, science teacher, four-year contract; Angie Shellabarger, special education coordinator, four-year contract; Sherrryl Proctor, math teacher, four-year contract; Nate Snyder, Paulding satellite ag teacher, one-year contract; Rachel Thomas, science teacher, continuing contract; Kevin Van Oss, Industrial Mechanics instructor, four-year contract; Sarah Wurth, American Studies teacher, four-year contract; Stephen Burrow, custodian-maintenance worker, 40-hour per week contract.

Three Adult Education instructors were also hired on an as-needed, as-scheduled basis. They include Chad Cupples, Kevin Hirschy and Nicholas Grote.

The Vantage board also authorized overnight trips to Wooster for the FFA State Ag Mechanics competition April 9-10 and to Anaheim, California, for the National BPA Leadership conference May 6-10.

In other action, the board:

Accepted the following donations: Black & Decker power tools valued at $1,610 from Tractor Supply Company in Van Wert for the Trade and Industry programs; a 1999 Honda CR-V, valued at $1,777, from Barbara Leighton of Van Wert, for the Auto Technology program; and chromoly tubing valued at $2,830.52 from Advanced Chassis in Antwerp, for the Welding program.

Approved an Enterprise Zone agreement for tax exemption (100 percent for 10 years for Elmco Engineering and waived the 45-day notification requirement, as well as a side agreement that would provide a payment to Vantage totaling 5 percent of abated taxes.

Approved College Credit Plus agreements with Northwest State Community College and Rhodes State College.

Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Vantage Teachers Organization regarding numerical ratings for teachers in relation to student growth numbers.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 7, in the district conference rom.