L’view bd. tours lab, discusses ESC move

DAVE MOSIER/for the independent

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education toured the elementary school’s Lancer Learning Lab — a STEM learning environment — during its November meeting this week. The board also heard a discussion on possibly changing its affiliation status with the local Educational Service Center.

Christie Wendel, coordinator of the first-year Lancer Learning Lab program, hosted the tour, while Elementary School students Kyra Brooks, Brilee Smyth, Zachary Bashara, Skyler Adkins, Evelyn Lautzenheiser, Lydia Allison, Elliot Gearhart, and Milo Welch were presenters for the tour.

The lab is part of an Elementary School addition completed this past August. A new media center was also included in the addition.

Near the end of the board meeting, Superintendent Jeff Snyder spoke about the possibility of moving the district’s affiliation from the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center to the Mercer County Educational Service Center. 

“So where we’re at today, for conversation for this evening, is do we consider changing our affiliation from Western Buckeye to Mercer County ESC?” he said.

Snyder said his connection with the Mercer County ESC came about when Lincolnview was involved in trying to hire — and keep — a curriculum director a couple of years ago. The superintendent said he has been impressed with the ESC’s gifted programs and the larger number of personnel they employe in that area, as well as the high level of professional development and other services the agency provides. Snyder did note that approximately 80 percent of the services provided by Mercer County are also available through the WBESC.

The superintendent appeared to think the Mercer County ESC was a better fit for Lincolnview because of the services they provide that he thinks could take the school district “to the next level” of excellence.

“They have a robust gifted program that I think could really help us in that area,” Snyder said, noting that Mercer County’s speech therapy services would also be useful, since Lincolnview — and WBESC — have struggled to employ someone in that area.

Attending the meeting were several WBES administrators, including Superintendent Thomas Taylor, Treasurer Tricia Taylor and board members William Poe and Vicki Smith. 

The WBESC superintendent said he values the relationship his entity has with Lincolnview and hoped that could continue in the future, while Tricia Taylor noted that the WBESC, which serves Van Wert and Paulding counties, does provide most of the services Mercer County does.

Snyder said it was more about the level of services provided by each ESC; while the WBESC is “getting there” to the level Lincolnview would like to see, Mercer County “is already there,” he added.

The Lincolnview superintendent also noted the level of academic excellence of Mercer County schools is something he feels can also be partially attributed to the level of educational support Mercer County ESC provides to them.

Smith, who had also served as a board member for the Mercer County ESC when she lived in the Parkway district, acknowledged that Mercer County had excellent programs. She also added that the WBESC, being a smaller entity, doesn’t yet have the wherewithal to compete with the larger Mercer County agency, but, in her opinion, is moving in the right direction.

She also noted that Lincolnview currently shares WBESC personnel with a second district, which could have its costs increased if Lincolnview pulled out of that program.

Snyder said he wanted to sit down with the WBESC superintendent and treasurer to further discuss the situation, and, even if Lincolnview does go with Mercer County, decide what services the district might retain with Western Buckeye ESC. He also noted any people employed currently with Lincolnview would stay employed.

“I don’t want there to be any negatives” (associated with any proposed move), he added.

No final decision has been made at this time by the Lincolnview board.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, 18 financial donations for the district Veterans Day program, and also thanked Biggby Coffee of Van Wert, the local Lewis Family McDonald’s restaurants, and Van Wert Cinemas for their non-financial contributions to the program.
• Accepted, with thanks, a donation of $10,365.71 from LifeHouse Church to benefit the needy student fund, as well as the following donations: $4,056 from the Lincolnview Athletic Boosters for the baseball field slats; $13,889 from the Athletic Boosters for the scorers’ table; $1,655.36 from the Van Wert Moose Lodge to pay off all student lunchroom debt, as of October 8; $250 from Central Insurance in memory of Joan Poling for the Latchkey Program; $190 from the family of Dean Tomlinson to benefit the Lincolnview Athletic Department; and $150 from the Tomlinson family to benefit the Lincolnview FFA.
• Hired Addyson Long as a Latchkey Program assistant per the usual requirements.
• Accepted the resignation of Clay Erman as co-varsity assistant softball coach, effective July 31 of this year, and later approved a personal services contract for Erman as assistant softball coach.
• Authorized, retroactively, overnight stays for the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams and Coaches Matt Langdon, Jeff Jacomet, and Greg Byrum, in connection with their competing in the Division III State Cross Country Championships in Columbus the weekend of November 1-2.
• Honored the cross country teams for their state cross country meet appearances, as well as the newly-inducted members of the Lincolnview Chapter of the National Honor Society.
• Approved the 2023-24 School Year Food Service Program Nutrition Standards annual report.
• Held an executive session to discuss personnel matters with no action taken afterwards.