L’view Bd. hears student presentations

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education heard from Buckeye Boys’ and Girls’ State attendees and an attendee at a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership summer conference on their experiences, while also recognizing math teacher Rachel Rohrs for receiving a statewide honor, during its September meeting on Wednesday.

Grant Slusher talked about attending Buckeye Boys’ State this summer, while Adia Welch and Madeline Snyder gave presentations on their time at Buckeye Girls’ State. Boys’ State is sponsored by the American Legion and Girls’ State is sponsored by the Legion Auxiliary. Both provide students with an in-depth governmental experience. Students are assigned a political party and then run for political office and serve in some governmental office for the remainder of the weeklong experience.

Slusher said he learned a lot while at Buckeye Boys’ State, but mostly that “government is hard” while serving as a city council member, as well as the fact that a career in politics is something he prefers to steer away from.

Welch and Snyder also talked about their experiences, including one of them serving on a school board, at which point Board member Mark Zielke asked “are we doing it right?” to laughs from the students.

Also attending the meeting was Victoria Snyder, who attended a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) conference this past summer. Snyder said the conference was an “awesome experience” and added she learned a lot from it.

Lincolnview teacher Rachel Rohrs, who also attended the meeting, was honored later in the meeting with a board resolution recognizing her for being named the 2018 “Ohio Educator of the Year” by the Ohio Insurance Institute.

Rohrs also received a cash award as part of the recognition, while the school district also received a cash prize, which High School/Junior High School Principal Brad Mendenhall said has already been spent.

Mendenhall also talked about financial literacy programs during his report, noting that 86 Lincolnview seventh-graders recently took a financial literacy field trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, while the local Ohio State University Extension Office sponsors a “Real Money, Real World” financial literacy program in the high school.

Elementary Principal Nita Meyer talked about the sixth grade’s Washington, D.C., trip coming up next week, as well as a recent assembly that dealt with combating bullying and other experiences.

She also noted that the United Way food drive was nearing completion for this Friday’s Day of Caring event, and also talked briefly about the school Facebook page.

Superintendent Jeff Snyder spoke briefly about the district’s State Report Card results, noting that the district’s results were similar to other districts in the area. “There were not very many A’s given out,” he added.

He did take exception to the Prepared for Success component of the state program, noting that the component is too heavily weighted toward students who intent to go to college following graduation, rather than those who may seek other careers.

“I’m really not happy with that,” Snyder said, noting that the fact that all Lincolnview students take the ACT college entrance test, rather than just those headed for college, could also have adversely affected the district’s scoring on that component.

The superintendent also noted that the school has now used up two full calamity days because of cancellations and delays related to fog rolling into the area early in the school year. Districts that use more than five calamity days during the year must make up the additional days before the end of school.

Snyder also noted that the Lincolnview Community Center is now up and running, and also spoke briefly about renewal of the district’s permanent improvement levy, noting that the revenues from the levy are crucial to purchasing technology, replacing equipment, and purchasing items that enhance school security.

In other action, the board:

• Granted advancement to Kimberly Evans to the “Master’s Degree plus 30 hours” educational level on the district pay schedule.
• Approved junior and senior high school workbook bills and class fees.
• Authorized FFA students and advisor Jordan Dues to attend an overnight trip to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, October 23-27.
• Granted a 10-day extended service supplemental contract to Dues, to be paid with funding from a “Fifth Quarter” grant.
• Granted the following supplemental contracts: Deb Stetler and Melissa Stork as half-time school newspaper advisors.
• Approved the following personal service contracts: Tracy Keber, freshman volleyball coach; Josh Maxey, boys’ junior varsity soccer coach.
• Approved switching district bank checking account services to First Bank of Berne.
• Employed Judith Dotson as substitute superintendent’s secretary/EMIS coordinator.