C’view board talks early childhood center

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

CONVOY — An early childhood center appears to be in the works in the Crestview Local School District.

If the plan comes to fruition, it would be located in the current Vancrest of Convoy building. The nursing home is closing and the 17,600-square-foot building and property will be gifted to the Crestview Local Schools.

During Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, architects Brad Garmann and Kasey Corbet of Garmann Miller and Associates of Minster provided the board with preliminary information about transforming the building, including sketches and a conservative cost estimate of $2.35 million.

“It could be substantially lower than that, but let’s not kid ourselves — it could be equal to or better than this as well,” Garmann said of the initial estimate.

Garmann also explained that some areas of the facility, including the front and the kitchen, would likely need only minor renovations, but the rest of the building would need major work.

“We’d be essentially gutting it, taking down all the walls for the most part,” Garmann explained. “You’re looking at the demolition, new walls, doors, restrooms, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, the roof, and of course technology upgrades.”

The board will discuss the potential project at future meetings, and board members scheduled a special session for 6 p.m. Thursday, November 8, to discuss possible changes to expansion plans at the existing school building.

In other business, the Crestview Local Board of Education approved the five-year financial forecast, which is required by law, and Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf said efforts continue to get the word out about the district’s renewal levy that’s on the November 6 ballot.

“That one percent income tax levy is critical to our fiscal health,” Mollenkopf said. “I really do believe we’ve done a good job getting the word out, and we’ve utilized different mediums to communicate.

“We have one final communication coming up at the musical this weekend (Friday and Sunday),” she added.

During his report to the board, High School Principal Dave Bowen said student health surveys will be done next month, and he said high school staff members are working to increase attendance at parent-teacher conferences.

“We really want to promote discussion of the triangle — the teacher, the student and the parents — and not just about the grades, but the generalities about where that student is at, where he or she has been and where he or she is going in the future,” Bowen said.

Board members hired Adrienne May and John Gabriel as middle school track coaches and the board approved a trip for the boys’ basketball team to participate in the “Flyin’ to the Hoop” tournament in Dayton on January 19 and 20, a field trip for sixth graders to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton in May, and gave retroactive approval for the FFA to hear President Donald Trump speak in Indianapolis, Indiana, over the weekend.

The board also went into executive session to discuss personnel, but no action was taken afterward.

The next regular meeting of the Crestview Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, November 26, in the board conference room.