Local church helps Lincolnview students

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A local church stepped up in a big way to help students in need.

During Wednesday night’s Lincolnview Board of Education meeting, board members learned that Lifehouse Church in Van Wert raised about $40,000, which was used to help 25 students at Lincolnview, 25 at Crestview and 50 at Van Wert.

Pastor Matt Braun addressed the board and explained how the program worked. Each student in need was given a $175 allowance for things like shoes, socks and coats and they were paired up with a mentor from the church, then went shopping for the items and afterward, enjoyed a meal. In addition, each of the three schools was given a donation of more than $6,600.

“It was just phenomenal,” Superintendent Jeff Snyder said.

After hearing from Treasurer Troy Bowersock, the board approved the latest five-year financial forecast, which shows the district will be in the black for two years.

“The forecast is a valuable tool in guiding our school district to assist in making decisions, but we have to use caution that each year beyond the current year in the forecast becomes less predictable due to the unknowns,” Bowersock said. “The implementation of a new state funding formula (House Bill 110 / Fair School Funding Plan) presented a challenge with this year’s forecast. We are being asked to forecast on a unknown moving target and likely will not realize the full extent of the resulting funding implications for several months.”

“The approved forecast exhibits continued financial stability for our school district,” he added.

The board approved a four year administrative contract for Greg Leeth as Lincolnview High School/Junior High School Athletic Administrator and Dean of Students and board members gave approval to a four year contract for Eric Miglin as a computer network technician. The board also hired Eric Schwab to coach girls’ softball and Brynn Mollenkopf as a substitute aide.

The board praised the Drama Club for the recent fall play “The Imaginary Invalid” along with the NWC champion girls’ cross country team and the boys’ cross country team, which finished as the conference runner-up and district champions.

During his report to the board, Snyder said through the Earl Gerdeman Trust, the district will soon receive such things as drone kits, a vinyl printer and more laptop computers for the ag program. He also said basketball season tickets are selling well and he noted a Thanksgiving feast will be held on Monday for students and staff, courtesy of Cooper Farms.

Snyder called the recent Veterans Day program a success. It was different this year due to COVID-19 and veterans who reached out to the school received two gifts from Rager’s Original Sausage Sandwich in Van Wert.

During his report to the board, high school/junior high principal Brad Mendenhall said all eighth graders toured Vantage Career Center on November 9 and he said current ninth graders who didn’t get to visit last year will go in the spring. He also reported Seth Brant won the monthly junior high perfect attendance raffle and Andi Webb won the high school raffle. 114 students were eligible.

Elementary principal Nita Meyer shared some upcoming dates with the board, including the fifth and sixth grade music program at 7 p.m. December 2, and the third and fourth grade music program at 7 p.m. December 7. The book fair will be held December 6-10 and the spelling bee is scheduled for December 17.

Mendenhall and Meyer added that recent parent-teacher conferences went well.

The board graciously accepted a donation of $200 from the Women’s Fellowship at St. Paul’s Reformed Church to benefit the needy student fund.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 15 in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.