Lincolnview steel drum band to perform in Columbus

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Lincolnview’s steel drum band has only been in existence for just two years but the unique band has already been selected for a high honor.

During Wednesday night’s monthly meeting, band director Mike Archinal told the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education the band will travel to Columbus in January to perform at the Ohio Music Education Association’s (OMEA) state convention, the third largest such convention in the country. Each year, the best of the best are chosen to perform for high school and college music educators from around Ohio. Between 200-300 applications, including audio recordings, are submitted each year and of those, 30 are picked for the honor.

According to Archinal, of the 30 bands selected, 16 are comprised of college students, 11 public schools and two are percussion only. Of the 11 public school bands chosen, the steel drum band was the smallest school picked to perform at the convention.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think we could be selected,” Archinal told the board.

Approximately 3,700 music educators are expected to attend the convention at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and the steel drum band will play for about 45 minutes.

“For something I didn’t know very much about, to see what our students have done with Mr. Archinal’s leadership – it’s just been incredible,” Superintendent Jeff Snyder said. “We now have the advanced steel drum group, a varsity and JV group, and a junior high and sixth grade group. So many kids want to be part of it. It’s been incredible for our students to have another appreciation of music a iittle bit different than a typical concert, pep or marching band.”

“I’m growing with them, I’m growing with the excitement and I’m growing with the community who wants to hear our kids play,” Archinal said.

The retirement-resignation of elementary STEM teacher Christie Wendel was accepted, effective at the end of the school year. The board accepted the resignation to retire/rehire as the junior high/high school library media specialist at the end of the school year, and the resignation to retire/rehire of junior high English teacher Sandra Dowdy, also at the end of the current school year. The resignation of Ashley Linser, cook, was accepted as well.

A personal service contract was approved for Catlyn Profit, seventh grade softball coach and Drew Bitner was approved a a volunteer seventh grade softball coach. Hunter Blankemeyer was approved a a volunteer high school track coach.

During his report, Snyder said the new bleachers are in use in the elementary/junior high gym and he said a divider curtain will be installed next week. A district acquired a new sound system for the soccer/track complex and he thanked Cooper Farms and the cafeteria staff for hosting a Thanksgiving meal for approximately 600 students and staff. He also said the BusRight app, which allows parents to track the district’s buses is up and working well.

In other business, the board approved:

• The district’s student cell phone policy.
• An overnight class trip for the Class of 2026, plus advisors Rhonda Dannenfelser and Hollie Ford to Indianapolis March 22-24.
• 2026 renewal of membership at Willow Bend for $275.
• 2026 membership in the Ohio School Boards Association for $5,510.
• 2026 renewed membership in OSBA’s legal assistance fund, $250.
• The Lincolnview indoor track club for the current school year at no cost to the district, along with unpaid volunteer coaches Matt Langdon, Jeff Jacomet, Marla Kemler and Kendra Heffelfinger.
• The reappointment of Michelle Gorman as the district’s representative to the Vantage Career Center Board of Education.

The board will hold its annual organizational meeting, tax budget hearing and regular meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, January 14, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall. Gorman will serve as president pro-tem at the organizational meeting.