Crestview BOE preps for new school year

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — With the start of the 2024-2025 school year just days away, the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education tended to some last minute details during Monday night’s meeting.

After hearing brief reports on the upcoming school year by Crestview High School Principal Mimi Myers, Crestview Middle School Principal Trent Kreischer, Crestview Elementary Principal Lindsay Breese, and Early Childhood Center Principal Casey Dowler, the board approved several agenda items connected to the new school year, which begins on Monday, August 19.

Among the items approved: bus routes for the upcoming school year; an agreement with Van Wert City Schools for Crestview students attending the Van Wert School at the Goedde, along with an agreement with Van Wert for the Career Education Opportunity (CEO) program; a one-year contract for Emma Pohlman as a speech language pathologist; a one-year contract for Audrey Lichtensteiger as a paraprofessional, and approval of the use of district facilities by the Crestview Driving School for instruction in driver’s education. The board also accepted the resignation of Chelsea Tenwalde, paraprofessional, effective immediately.

“All of our hiring is complete,” Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf said. “We were able to fill all of our open positions.”

She also praised Geoff Waddles, the head of the maintenance and custodial departments and the summer maintenance crew for preparing the district’s facilities for the new school year.

“They did a great job – they did a lot of cleaning and some small incidental repairs so we look good in that arena,” Mollenkopf said. “Our bus fleet passed on the first go-around so I give credit to Gary Tinnel for getting the fleet through that, so we’re ready to pick up students on Monday the 19^th.”

The district’s new student cell phone policy, which is required by a new state law, is now complete and Mollenkopf said a flyer will be shared with parents and students prior to the first day of school.

The board accepted with thanks a handful of donations:

• $3,885.08 from the Klein Trust of the Van Wert County Foundation for needy children.
• $500 from St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church for needy children.
• $875 from the Van Wert Area Boychoir for Crestview Elementary and Middle School music programs.
• $900 from the Van Wert Rotary Foundation for the Crestview Local Schools Kindness Kart.

The board ended the meeting with an executive session to discuss employment and/or compensation of public employees, but outside of adjournment, no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Monday, September 16, in the multipurpose room. In addition, a board work session will be held on Wednesday, September 4, in the multipurpose room

“(The meeting) will include Garmann Miller architects and we’re going to look at a couple of proposals for potential facilities information,” Mollenkopf stated. “Nothing’s been voted on by the board, we’re still in the fact finding stage.”

The regular meeting and the work session will be open to the public.