Board hears about carpentry program

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Vantage Career Center’s carpentry program was at the forefront of Thursday night’s monthly meeting.

Board members heard from instructor Jerry Robinson and several students – Kylee Dienstberger and Makya Miller (Delphos Jefferson), Lochlen Purmort and Riona Workman (Van Wert), Elizabeth Germann (Crestview) and Herminie Williams (Parkway). The group talked about working on a spec house on Raymond St. in Van Wert.

Purmort talked about learning to work together as a team, while Williams mentioned learning about work ethic. Workman said students have been able to see the project come from paper to life.

“It was a lot easier to understand when you actually see it than to see this hand drawn thing that you can’t tell what’s the floor and what’s the ceiling,” she said. “It really has helped us understand better.”

The students also explained why they chose to attend Vantage and they outlined their plans after graduation.

As far as the spec house, Robinson said it’s nearing completion and Superintendent Rick Turner said it’s expected to be sold at auction next month.

During his report to the board, Turner said a $1.3 million grant application has been submitted to help expand the CDL and public safety programs.

“If we are successful, it will allow us to serve a considerable number of addition high school and adult ed students in both CDL and public safety,” Turner said.

Treasurer Laura Peters explained the numbers in the latest five year forecast and noted it’s difficult to predict the where the district will be financially because the state has yet to approve the newest two-year budget.

Later in the meeting, the board approved the forecast and approved a new three year contract for Peters, August 1, through July 31, 2026.

During his report, High School Director Ben Winans said the annual senior awards ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, at Van Wert High School, and Adult Education Director Angie Fahy said she’s working on marketing the various adult ed programs and she said nursing open houses were held Tuesday and earlier in the day.

The board approved a number of other personnel moves, including two-year contracts for Alaina Ellis, high school secretary; Emily Hanenkraff, Joan Hughes, Camilla Kline, Kristy Ross, cooks; Tabitha Kline, warehouse; Isaac McKanna, custodial; Miriam Owens, community relations; Tisha Parrish, assistant to the treasurer-accounts payable/receivable; Leslie Ringwald, in-school discipline, and Diane Schrader, custodian.

The board also approved one-year contracts for Brenda Wurst, TTW job coach; Brent Hoersten, electrical instructor, and Cheyenne Oechsle, social studies instructor.

A handful of adult education hirings were given approval, including Gary Gasser, firefighter program training coordinator; Christopher Cline, public safety coordinator; Dan Joyce and Mike Miller, drone instructors, and Austin Miller, EMT coordinator.

Three resignations were accepted – Brooke Webster, intervention specialist, and Alva Ray Gibson, social studies. Both resignations will take effect at the end of the current school year. The board also accepted the retirement resignation of Dianna Ashbaugh, assistant to the treasurer-payroll/benefits.
In other business, the board:

• Approved the substitute teaching rate of $100 per day for the 2023-2024 school year, the same as the current rate.
• Accepted an award agreement of $50,000 from the Ohio Department of Education under the commercial truck driver student aid program.
• Approved the adult education course brochure for the 2023-2024 school year.

Board members pproved an out-of-state and overnight trip for Theresa Mengerink to the National Endowment for the Humanities Workshop at Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Montana August 9-18. An out-of-country and overnight trip fwas approved for Sarah Koch to attend the Transatlantic Outreach Program through the Goethe Institute in Germany June 10-24. The only expense will transportation to and from Detroit Metropolitan Airport and parking expenses. The board okayed and out-of-state and overnight travel for Chris Miles, construction equipment instructor, Ted Verhoff, CTE instructor and Mason Ladd, student, to attend the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, June 18-24.

Board members 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 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 1, in the district conference room.