Vantage Bd. handles various agenda items

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

With the new school year approaching Week No. 3, total enrollment at Vantage Career Center totals 517 students. That was the word from High School Director Ben Winans during Thursday night’s brief school board meeting.

Winans also said early placement numbers are up from last year, with more students spending half of the school day working in their chosen field. He added this year’s theme for high school students is “Handle Hard Stuff Better.”

Adult Education Director Angie Fahy told the board it was a busy August in the nursing program and she noted 30 students are signed up for the LPN-RN program, with three more on a waiting list. 15 students are currently enrolled in the practical nursing program.

During his report, Superintendent Rick Turner said this year’s “Build Your Future” event will be held for freshman and sophomores September 20 and 21 at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.

“They’ll get experiences in learning carpentry, construction equipment, electricity, welding and HVAC,” Turner explained.

Turner noted yard signs are available for Vantage’s upcoming renewal of an 0.8 operating levy.

“This operating levy, which is a renewal, will cost someone with a $100,000 home just under $19 annually and without this money we’d be in deficit spending in the first year,” Turner said. “It’s a renewal, not a tax increase for citizens.”

He also said he’ll attend an upcoming appeal hearing on an occupancy permit at the fire training facility. The problem was deemed minor and technical, and Turner said it shouldn’t be a problem.

The board also approved pricing for the public for the school’s Chargepoint charging station for electric and hybrid cars. In addition to the energy price of 20 cents per Kwh, there will be a plug-in fee of $3 per session and a station parking fee (when not charging) of $1 per minute after a five minute grace time of completed charging.

“We have the charger set so it’s only available from 5 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, so it’s only available to employees during the school day, to help keep people off of the property and from wandering the school grounds now that we have students back on campus,” Treasurer Laura Peters said. “On weekends it’s available 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays for the public to use.”

Board members approved a number of personnel items, including contracts for Ashley Cline, Katie Drerup, Jaime Kipfer, Theresa Mengerink, Theresa Ratliff-Dotterer and Angie Shellabarger, virtual learning graders; Graeme Bockrath, public safety/EMT; Jennifer Tuttobene, LPN-RN instructor; Melinda Moreland, STNA instructor, and Diane Schrader, part-time custodian.

The board also accepted a pair of resignations, Richard McKanna, part-time custodian, and Debbie Watson, cook.

In other business the board:

• Accepted a PPEC Operation Round Up grant for $1,000 for Toss-A-Toy.
• Approved a trip for Adult Education Director Angie to Orlando, Florida, to attend the annual COE meeting, November 7-10.
• A resolution to approve, in collaboration with ACE Digital Academy, an internet-based education delivery system to provide alternative educational options for credit deficiencies, alternative programs, students being schooled at home and summer school programs.

The board met in executive session to consider personnel matters, but no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 6, in the district conference room. The records committee will meet at 6:30 p.m., then the board will do a walk through of the renovated area of campus at 6:45 p.m.