L’view supt.: masks, vaccinations optional

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education honored the Lancer state runner-up baseball team and four staff retirees, and also addressed what students and staff will see when the new school year begins next month.

Coach Eric Fishbaugh and a number of his Lancer baseball team members attended the meeting to talk about the state runner-up season and pose for a photo afterwards. Superintendent Jeff Snyder also honored four recent staff retirees, including Ed Brazen, Kim Evans, Brad Doidge, and Valori Dunn. Brazen and Evans couldn’t attend the meeting, but Doidge and Dunn spoke fondly of their time at Lincolnview.

During his report, Snyder noted that he been inundated with information on what schools should do to keep students and staff safe in the coming school year.

“This is a constant informational overload every day on how should schools start the new year,” he said, noting that, while staff will continue to clean and sanitize buildings, there will be no mask or vaccination mandate.

“There’s no problem if people want to wear them,” the superintendent noted, but added that he feels the choice to wear a mask or be vaccinated are personal choices at this point. He did add, though, that the situation may change as the year progresses.

Snyder also said the district is in the “final countdown” for the start of the new school year, with teachers coming in Monday and Tuesday, August 16 and 17, for a faculty workday and an in-service, while students’ first day will be Wednesday, August 18. He said class lists for the elementary should be posted on Monday, with schedule pick-up in the Junior High and High School starting Monday, August 9, with an open house from 6-7:30 p.m. August 16.

Both the superintendent and Treasurer Troy Bowersock spoke about the new Fair Funding state school funding model, with Snyder noting that the need to deal with student transfer numbers is largely negated by the new model. The new model will base funding on student population numbers, and not break down the number of those who are transfers through open enrollment.

Bowersock said that, on the surface, the new model should provide more funding for the district; however, he said that, because school funding is done on a two-year basis, he will be watching to see what happens in the second year as well.

Bowersock also talked about the last school year, noting that “nothing was normal about 2020.” While expenses were higher last year, the treasurer noted that revenues were also greater than expected, while the school received significantly more federal funding than the previous year — $900,000 versus $600,000. While the year had its challenges, Bowersock said it turned out pretty good.

“All in all, it was a good year,” he noted.

The treasurer also provided a 10-year comparison that showed expenses and revenues increasing, while state funding has largely remained flat.

Board members also addressed questions from a district resident concerning gender and sex education issues, but decided that changes sought by the resident were either unnecessary, in board members’ opinion, or would violate related state and federal regulations and court rulings.

In personnel matters, the district approved employment of Amanda Moreo as a first grade teacher, Kelsi Rode as a kindergarten teacher, and Kevin Longstreth as a physical education and intervention specialist at the Marsh School. The board also provided additional professional compensation to the superintendent and the treasurer, while Board President Lori Snyder and Board member Michelle Gorman thanked them for the extra hours they put in while serving the district.

The board also approved supplemental contracts to Deb Stetler as girls’ seventh grade basketball coach and Kevin Longstreth as assistant golf coach, and personal service contracts to Kailey Denman as junior high cheerleader advisor and Preston Browning as junior high wrestling coach.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: $12,131.78 from the United Way of Van Wert County to the district Latchkey program; and $4,497.49 from the Van Wert County Foundation’s Klein Memorial Trust Fund.
• Approved a school year settlement with the Marsh Foundation, with a balance of $15,186.57 payable to the Marsh.
• Authorized a contract with Julian & Grube Inc. to perform Medicaid services to the district for the next two school years.
• Approved vision impaired services with the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center.
• Renewed membership in the Northwestern Ohio Educational Research Council at a cost of $250.
• Approved a contract with Van Wert Health to provide on-sire athletic training services for the upcoming school year.
• Approved a service agreement with the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center.
• Authorized a contract with Van Wert City Schools to participate in the Career Education Opportunity (CEO) program for the new school year.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action taken following the session.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 25, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.