Vantage Bd. hears about new school year

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

The new school year is off to an excellent start at Vantage Career Center. That was the word from school officials during Thursday night’s Vantage Board of Education meeting.

“Our staff and students have done an amazing job even though we had a couple of fog cancelations, including the first day of school for our new students,” Superintendent Rick Turner said. “Our team adapted to the schedule change and everything went very smoothly to begin the year. I personally want to thank our staff and students for their flexibility and their commitment to get the year off to a great start.”

Turner also introduced eight new staff members to the school – electricity instructor Brent Hoersten, social studies instructor Cheyenne Oechsle, intervention specialists Eric Schwab and Pearce Dietrich, health technology instructor Audree Markward, substitute/educational aide Cindy Bowsher, superintendent secretary Nicole Ricker, and Nicole Shepard, cafeteria worker. They were at the meeting and each one thanked the board for the opportunity.

High School Director Ben Winans noted enrollment as of September 1 was 516 students, and he and Turner outlined several upcoming events this month, including student appreciation day and Vantage car show today; the annual “Build Your Future” event, aimed at freshman and sophomores from many of Vantage’s associate schools on Wednesday, September 20, and the Vantage Day of Caring September 29.

Adult Education Director Angie Fahy said 26 CDL students recently received certification and added she’s working on an application for the third round of the State of Ohio CDL Loan-Grant Program, which offers funding for students.

“Half of it’s a loan, half of it is a grant,” she explained. “If they work in the state for a year as a CDL driver the loan turns into a grant, so their debt is virtually wiped out.”

During her report to the board, Treasurer Laura Peters said Vantage investments are benefiting from higher interest rates and she said the school will be close to breaking even on the spec house that was constructed at 143 E. Raymond St. and was recently sold at auction.

“Even if we lose a little bit of money on that, it is such a cheap lab for our students…the experience and the knowledge that they gained building the house as well as what they do for the community is well worth it,” Peters said.

Several personnel items were approved, including Ashley Cline, Jaime Kipfer, Theresa Mengerink, Matt Miller, Angie Shellabarger and Mary Ann Falk as virtual learning graders; Jennifer Walter and Megan Burgei, LPN-RN program instructors; Christie Tebbe and Kerry Ruble, PNP instructors; Erin Askins, nursing coordinator, and Dillon Staas, police academy instructor.

The board accepted three resignations – Virginia Crisp, STNA instructor; Marcia Osenga, ECE instructor effective at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, and Camillia Kline, cashier.

In other business, the board approved a handful of agenda items, including:

• The appointment of High School Director Ben Winans as the district’s homeless liaison.
• Overnight and out-of-state travel to Atlanta, Georgia for Adult Education Director Angie Fahy and Financial Aid Coordinator/COE Liaison Kendra Sentelik to attend the annual COE meeting November 13-16.
• Provisional changes to board policies and administrative guidelines to comply with House Bill 33.

The board also met in executive session to discuss personnel matters but outside of adjournment, no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be held 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 5, in the district conference room. A Records Committee meeting will be held at 6:15 that night.