Crestview Bd. approves personnel items

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — It was a fairly lengthy agenda but a rather short meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education on Monday. While there were other items, personnel matters made up the bulk of the agenda.

Among the contracts approved by the board: three-year administrative contracts for Middle School Principal Trent Kreischer, Food Service Supervisor Penny Clark, Program Services Director Amy Eikholt and Maintenance/Custodial Supervisor Geoff Waddles.

A number of one-year contracts were given approval, including Ragen Harting, middle school intervention; Jim Wharton, high school/middle school physical education; Ashley Eby, middle/high school art teacher; Rachel Garay, preschool teacher; Cole Harting, high school science teacher; Dylan Hicks, high school intervention specialist; Felicia Kowalski and Kate Kroeger, high school language arts; Olivia McGranahan, Spanish; Allison Morrow and Allison Springer, elementary teachers; Sarah Wells, middle school/high school vocal music teacher, and Michael Joseph, middle school math.

Three-year contracts were approved for Luke Gerardot, elementary intervention specialist; Heather Hitchcock, middle school language arts; Brett Latmann, instrumental music teacher; Kole Rolsten, middle school intervention specialist, and Hannah White, kindergarten teacher. In addition, a five-year contract was approved for high school science teacher Shelby Miller.

Continuing contracts were approved for Allison Lichtensteiger and Jenna Musser, elementary intervention specialists.

The board also hired a long list of paraprofessionals, along with cooks and bus drivers.

The board approved the proposed list of graduates for the Class of 2024, pending satisfactory completion of all graduation requirements, and the board approved the 2025-2026 school calendar. This year’s graducation will be held on May 25.

Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf shared dates for driver’s education course work (May 30-31, June 3-6), and said Crestview is working with Lincolnview and Sylvan Learning to offer an ACT prep course to juniors and seniors May 24, 28-31, and June 3-7.

“The cost is about $220 per student, up to 25 in a class, but just so the kids have a little bit of skin in the game, they pay $75 and then both districts split the remainder of the cost. We feel the program has been pretty successful in helping our kids when they take that test.”

The board honored the girls basketball team for advancing to the Division IV state semifinals last month. Players present were Cali Gregory, Ellie Kline, Lily Best and Peyton Hoffman, along with head coach Mark Gregory and assistant coach Jeremy Best.

The board also heard a presentation by grant team members Lindsay Breese, Casey Dowler and Mimi Myers on the Literacy Grant. Crestview was one of 25 schools to receive the grant ($200,000), and the three outlined how literacy needs are being addressed, including creating a road map to plan out the literacy needs of the district, a literacy boot camp (K-3) in June, and a visit by a literacy specialist to work with each building principal.

Donations accepted by the board included $1,500 from the Wren Community Chest for two senior scholarships; flooring and installation from Ohio Rubber and Floors for the weight room valued at $14,000, and a donation of weight room equipment from Kory and Mandi Lichtensteiger and Jan Lichtensteiger valued at $37,286.

At the end of the meeting the board met in executive session to discuss the employment and/or compensation of employees but outside of adjournment, no action was taken.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, May 20, in the multipurpose room.