L’view gets award for renovation project

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

11 new employees were introduced during Wednesday night’s Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education meeting, and a recently retired employee was honored by the board. Cindy DuVall served as the district’s transportation secretary for 30 years. Superintendent Jeff Snyder praised DuVall for her years of service and presented her with a plaque.

In other personnel matters, the board accepted the resignations of two softball coaches – varsity assistant Karla Bowersock and junior varsity softball coach Lauren Calvert. Weston Thompson was approved as a volunteer soccer coach. The board also accepted the resignation of Judy Mack, cook, and approved the employment of Lena Osbourn, cook. Lainey Spear was approved as student latchkey assistant.

Snyder accepted a “Golden Shovel Award” on behalf of the district. The award was presented by Van Wert Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Mark Verville and is for the district’s elementary addition and renovation project, which is now complete.

“We’ve had a great response from students, the teachers and the community,” Snyder said.

“The students couldn’t wait to get in and enjoy classes,” Elementary Principal Nita Meyer said. “They can’t wait to go in there every day and they can’t wait to go through the different schedule that we have. They are just ‘over the moon’ with all of the changes that we’ve made.”

Meyer said enrollment currently stands at 432 students, while Jr. High/High School Principal Brad Mendenhall said 405 students are currently enrolled.

Mendenhall also said Build Your Future and College Night will be held on the same date, September 18.

In financial matters, the board agreed to transfer $10,000 from the general fund to the Latchkey program, due to decreased funding from the United Way of Van Wert County. For this school year, the district received $5,000, compared to $9,689 last year and $12,218 in 2022.

“This transfer is necessary in order to continue offering this program,” Treasurer Kaitlyn Edelbrock said. “This year we are going to monitor the Latchkey funds and make a decision later if we should increase the prices for families and (we) will compare our pricing to schools around us.”

During his report, Snyder told the board that the district must have a cell phone policy in place by July of next year.

“We haven’t really had an issue with our cell phones,” Snyder said. “Mr. Mendenhall and I have talked and we’re going to have something in place for next year.”

The board approved bus routes, elementary workbook bills and class fees, latchkey program fees,

The board also approved several standard agreements including:

• Van Wert City Schools for the Career Education Opportunity (CEO) program
• Van Wert City Schools for instructional services for Lincolnview students at the Van Wert School at the Goedde
• The education option program administered by the Wood County Educational Service Center for the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center, the Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio and the Wood County Academy.
• A school nurse service agreement with the Van Wert County Health Department.

In other business, Board President Eric Germann, who was absent from the meeting, was appointed as the board’s delegate to the annual Ohio School Boards Association’s Capital Conference in November, while Mark Zielke was appointed as the alternate.

Several donations were accepted $2,500 from an anonymous donor for Lincolnview athletics, the junior high/high school choir programs and for the Lincolnview band program. The board also accepted a donation of $3,562.97 from the Richard L. and Nadie O. Klein Memorial Trust to help pay for clothing and medical needs for needy students in grades K-8.

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

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, September 25, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.