Vantage BOE holds first meeting of 2025

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Board leadership will remain the same at Vantage Career Center in 2025.

Tim Fitzpatrick (Fort Jennings), who was elected as board president in 2024, was chosen to continue in that role during the annual organizational meeting held Thursday night. Lonnie Nedderman (Crestview) will again serve as vice-president. Pat Baumle (Wayne Trace) will continue as the board’s legislative liaison and Greg von der Embse (Kalida) will again be the student achievement liaison. Other board members are Becca Suever (Delphos), Brian Egnor (Paulding), Debby Compton (Van Wert), Robin Etter (Continental), Michelle Gorman (Lincolnview), Kim Wannemacher (Ottoville), Deborah Call (Parkway), and Dennis Recker (Antwerp).

The board also set meeting dates and times for the year, generally 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, with the exception of April and July. Meetings are held in the district conference room. Board members will be paid $125 per meeting.

During the regular monthly meeting, which was held after the organizational meeting, High School Director Mike Winans told the board that work continues on the next school calendar and he said there are currently two options under consideration.

“Each calendar includes 183 staff days and 180 student days,” Winans explained. “The length of our school day has not changed at all for the proposed calendars as we will continue to begin school at 8:20 and end at 2:42. We plan to stay with juniors and seniors both starting on the same day – this was adjusted in the past and allows the seniors to get an additional day at the start of the school year in hopes that we do not have to make up at the end of the year.”

Winans added both calendars are similar to what the school has had over the past couple years.

He also noted sophomores from associate schools will visit Vantage Career Center on January 31.

During her report to the board, Adult Education Director Angie Fahy said the school is currently struggling with OhioHealth. She explained Van Wert Hospital is no longer doing drug tests and physicals for fire & CDL student drug tests and physicals, local fire department employee physicals, or EMT and phlebotomy clinicals. However, she emphasized it wasn’t a decision made at the local level.

“It’s not the people that we work with here,” Fahy said. “They want to help us but it’s just out of their hands.”

She also said Vantage is currently working with Paulding County Hospital and other local facilities.

Rick Busch was hired as public safety firefighting and EMT programs coordinator/instructor.

In other business, the board approved the transfer of $5.4 million from the general fund to the capital projects fund for the Vantage Academy of Medical Careers project. The board also accepted the state’s new minimum wage of $10.70 per hour, plus a $500 donation from Mercer Landmark for use in the ag and industrial power technology program. Board members approved out-of-state travel for Chris Miles, construction equipment instructor; Deb Richardson, construction equipment aide, and students to Ivy Community Coolege in Fort Wayne March 11 and 14 to attend the Buidling Contractors Association Construction Career Academy.

A pair of memorandums of understanding were given approval – one with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office with guidelines for a school resource officer, and the other with Four County Career Center for future collaborative efforts.

“We really appreciate Sheriff Riggenbach and the county commissioners’ time and support in working with Vantage to create the MOU that forms a partnership to seek and employ a school resource officer to serve Vantage in a full-time capacity,” Superintendent Rick Turner said. “We also thank the Vantage Board of Education for committing the time and resources needed to make this happen. The safety of our staff and students is paramount and this is a huge step forward in supporting our efforts.”

“The other MOU on the agenda also addresses public safety, but from a training/class offerings perspective,” he added. “Forming a partnership between Vantage and Four County Career Center’s Fire and EMS training departments will strengthen our program and significantly expand our ability to offer additional training and higher-level certifications in both firefighting and EMT/Paramedic.”

Before adjourning, the board went into executive session to consider personnel matters but outside of adjournment, no action was taken.

The meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 6, in the district conference room.