Board hears Eggerss Stadium update

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The sanitary sewer project at Eggerss Stadium is all but done and now work will shift toward concrete restoration and turf installation at the downtown Van Wert stadium.

During Wednesday’s monthly meeting, the Van Wert City Schools Board of Education hired Trisco Systems Inc. of Lima for the concrete restoration portion of the overhaul.

“We’ll start with the Cougar Pride Wall at the north end of our field and the facing our stadium, which comes down to the ground level,” Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton said. “The reason that’s next phase of our restoration work is because we’re trying to link that with Maumee Bay coming in and installing the turf field. We need to get the wall done first along with the facing of the stadium and then they can move into more restoration work within the stadium.”

Clifton said restoration work is scheduled to begin April 3 or 10 and once it’s far enough along, turf installation will begin.

Superintendent Mark Bagley chimed in and said it’s an exciting time and he noted a lot of activity will take place at the stadium this spring and summer.

“We’re going to see a lot of movement and that first hammer test will determine a lot about how much renovation needs done at the stadium,” Bagley stated. “We have good ideas, we have engineers from everywhere in there but until you get there and starting hammering away…some of it is just taking a hammer and getting in there and chiseling and getting down into the concrete, there’s unknowns there. We knew that at the start.”

In a related move, the board approved a contract with Garmann Miller & Associates to serve as the district’s stadium architect.

The cost of the project is being covered by a bond issue that was approved by school district voters in May, 2022.

Along with the pending retirement of Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton and appointment of Van Wert High School Principal Bob Priest to that position, the board handled several other personnel moves. John Marquez was hired as food service director effective immediately, and Haley Michaud was hired as marking and public relations specialist. She’s replacing Kristi Fuerst, who’s resignation was approved Wednesday night.

The board also accepted the resignations of Mimmo Lytle, long-term substitute middle school physical education teacher; Kelly Foster, middle school teacher; Christa Davis, elementary school paraprofessional, and the retirement resignation of Lynette Westgerdes, elementary school secretary.

In other business, the board approved:

• The 2024-2025 school calendar.
• A full list of high school and middle school sports for the 2023-2024 school year.
• A lease agreement with the city of Van Wert for the July 4 fireworks show.
• The satellite program standards and maintenance agreemwith with Vantage Career Center.
• An enterprise zone agreement for a 15-year, 100 percent tax abatement for “Project Hulk” and a payment in lieu of taxes for the project.

Board members also heard a presentation on the Early Childhood Center’s Heggerty phonemic awareness curriculum and the board graciously accepted a long list of donations from various organizations, businesses and individuals.

The board also met in executive session to discuss the employment of public personnel, considering the purchase of property and security arrangements and emergency response protocols. No action was taken after the closed door meeting.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Schools Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in the First Federal Lecture Hall at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.