Chuck Rollins named new VWHS principal

DAVE MOSIER/for the VW independent

The Van Wert City Board of Education approved a three-year administrative contract for longtime science teacher Chuck Rollins as the new high school principal during its April meeting on Wednesday.

Rollins, whose resignation from his teaching position was accepted earlier by the board, replaces Bob Priest, who is himself a replacement for Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton. Clifton announced his retirement earlier this year.

“I’m very humbled, honored, excited to join the team,” Rollins told the board. “We’ve got a lot of really good team members to help me do this job, and I promise to work my tail off… .”

Also Wednesday, Van Wert County Foundation Executive Secretary Seth Baker and Nate Green, a partner in The Montrose Group LLC, made a presentation to the board in connection with a series of Downtown Redevelopment District agreements being sought in connection with the multi-phase Van Wert Forward downtown development project.

Baker and Green are asking the school board to approve six DRDs for a total of 70 percent of new property taxes generated by the Van Wert Forward project over a period of 30 years.

The agreements, only one of which would be activated immediately for Phase I of the project, deal only with new property taxes generated by the downtown project, with Green estimating that $5.4 million of new property taxes would be generated over the DRDs time period, of which the schools would get an estimated $1.5 million in new taxes, while the remaining $3.5 million could be used for public infrastructure, such as sidewalks, curbs, water and sewer lines, landscaping, park improvements and other infrastructure work.

Green likened DRDs to Tax Increment Finance agreements, noting the DRDs are just one of many tools being used to provide investment for the project, but also noted the community is lucky to have a Van Wert County Foundation willing to put a significant amount of investment into the downtown project.

“It’s a unique situation, I would say you have in Van Wert, than anywhere across the state of Ohio, because you have an entity in town that really wants to invest its funds, and invest them back in the community,” he noted.

Baker said Van Wert Forward would like to see the board vote on the DRD request at its May meeting, so the request can take that approval can then be taken to Van Wert City Council for its final approval. The city, he noted, cannot act on the request until the school board has given its approval.

In addition to the Van Wert Forward DRD presentation, students and a teacher from the Van Wert School at the Goedde gave a presentation that included a video highlighting the various educational facets of the school, which includes teaching life skills, vocational skills, as well as more traditional learning in a non-traditional way.

During his report, Clifton said restoration work is being done on Eggerss Stadium, including patching concrete and power washing areas of the stadium. Some painting should be seen in the near future, while ground level concrete restoration is being given priority so that turf work can begin May 2. Fencing will also be removed from around the field to facilitate turf installation.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted the following resignations: Andrea Mead as high school health and physical education teacher; Alison Springer as second grade teacher, and Debbie Rager as elementary paraprofessional.
• Hired the following: Jalen McCracken as a high school math teacher, Noah Carter as assistant to the director of technology and middle school pre-engineering and Gateway to Technology teacher, and Amanda Atkinson and Audrey Coil as elementary school paraprofessionals.
• Approved employee contracts/salary notices for the 2023-24 contract year as presented.
• Approved the following summer custodial workers: Mark Taylor, Layten Collins, Nancy Riley, Alexa Gearhart, David Byrne, Malissa Mohr, Tonya Sroufe, Rachel Davis, Lisa Bracken, Eliza Leiendecker and Matthew Dunno.
• Approved the following supplemental coaching contracts: Winter — Ben Laudick, head boys’ basketball; Hannah Phlipot, head girls’ basketball; Megan Hurless, head boys’ and girls’ swimming; Kevin Decker, head boys’ and girls’ bowling; Jacque Welch, head cheerleading; Fall – Steve Recker, Josiah Poletta, Bryce Crea, Nick Pauff, and Josh Poulson, football varsity assistants; Charlie Witten, Brandon Lintermoot, Seth Baer, and Chris Heath, middle school football; Mike Hernandez, golf volunteer; Gage Chiles, cross country varsity assistant; Toshia Wilhelm and Bob Spath, middle school cross country; Noah Carter and Deb Merritt, cross country volunteers; Eli Alvarez, girls’ tennis volunteer; Issa Ickes, varsity volleyball; Morgan Hicks, freshman volleyball; Alexa Dunlap, middle school volleyball; and Betsy Hamman, middle school cheerleading.
• Approved for graduation the Class of 2023 as submitted and presented (providing all requirements are met).
• Approved a contract with the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities for Fiscal Year 2024 (Family and Children First Council).
• Approved a resolution accepting the architect’s recommendation to award a construction contract to Alexander & Bebout for the Eggerss Stadium phase 1 general work and to County Electric LLC for phase 1 electrical work.
• Authorized a depository agreement with Van Wert Federal Savings Bank fore the period March 15, 2023, to May 26, 2024.
• Approved enrollment in the Sedgwick Workers’ Compensation group rating program for calendar year 2024.
• Approved a then-and-now certificate for $7,100 to The Marsh Foundation.
• Accepted the following donations: Van wert Federal Savings Bank, $125 to the Van Wert City Schools Educators Fund; Strategic Capital LLC, $125 to the Van Wert City Schools Educators Fund; First Federal of Van Wert, $125 to girls’ basketball; Brewed Expressions ::C, $125 to girls’ basketball; Wayne Kilton, $125 to the Van Wert City Schools Educators Fund; United Way of Van Wert County, $802.40 to the Goedde Principal’s Fund (Cupcake Wars); Danfoss Power Solutions/Eaton Corporation, $222 to the Middle School Activity Fund (Cookie Dough), and $250 to Masque & Gavel; United Way of Van Wert County, $1,625 to Goedde Principal’s Fund; Van Wert Vision Ltd., $125 to girls’ basketball; and 3 Graces Boutique LLC, $125 to girls’ basketball.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education is at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.