C’view moves forward on facilities project

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Board of Education finally committed to a facilities project that would add much-needed classroom space at the school, although it took an intense discussion by the board near the end of Thursday’s meeting to gain consensus on the issue.

The board unanimously voted to enter into an agreement with Garmann/Miller and Associates, the Minster-based architectural design company, for design and construction administration services of the capital improvements program developed and prepared by the company to provide a classroom addition that would be constructed where the courtyard area is currently, as well as an optional renovation of the existing library into a new classroom, and an expansion of the north parking lot.

While some board members expressed disagreement with some of the details of the plan, after discussion of the plan that came near the end of the meeting, all five board members noted the need for more classroom space, and decided to move forward with the project, even with some details of the plan still undecided.

Prior to the decision, board members and administrative staff toured the building, with Superintendent Mike Estes pointing out some of the changes in Garmann Miller’s current plan. The project, when completed, will provide additional classroom space for special needs classes, which often have to search for classroom space in the crowded school on a regular basis, as well as a larger testing area for special needs students and more middle school classrooms.

With the board wavering on whether to go ahead with the project at this time, statements by administrators — including the fact that special needs classes have had to test students in school hallways because of the lack of dedicated classroom space — appeared to provide the board with enough impetus to move forward.

The decision culminated months of work and discussion of the project, as well as several tweaks to the school’s Master Site Plan by Garmann Miller.

Also Thursday, the board approved fiscal year 2018 appropriations as presented, and also took a number of personnel actions, including accepting the resignation of Eliza Lichtensteiger as a middle school paraprofessional, effective retroactively to August 16, and hiring her replacement, Jessica Gamble, effective September 15.

In other action, the board:

• Approved compensation plans for PRIDE Building and District-level teams, as well as the Professional Learning Task Force and Local Professional Development Committee.
• Accepted, with thanks, a donation of $2,875 from the Klein Trust administered by The Van Wert County Foundation, to be used for needy district students, and an anonymous donation of $50 to pay for the lunches of needy students who are not participating in the free and reduced price federal lunch program.
• Approved supplemental contracts for Allison Reindel and Connor Massillo as middle school track coaches.
• Authorized the following overnight trips and those in excess of 100 miles: Crestview FFA class to the FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a tour to an ag implement operation in Moline, Illinois, on October 18-21; a government class trip to Chicago, Illinois, March 13-14, 2018; the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C., from May 6-11, 2018; and a seventh grade trip to Columbus on May 9.
• Approved the revised 2018 Comprehensive Consolidated Application for Federal Funds totaling $307,232.52.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel, with no action taken following the session.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, October 19, in the district boardroom.