Vantage OKs 2 of 3 house project bids

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Vantage Board of Education approved two of three bids for houses either renovated or built by Vantage students and also toured a portion of the school’s construction project and heard an update on its progress.

Board members approved bids for the Carpentry Class house at 1275 Madison Blvd. and a Buildings and Grounds renovation project at 410 N. Race St., but rejected a bid for another renovation project at 408 N. Race Sdt.

The bids were submitted during auctions held August 9 by Straley Realty & Auctioneers. Both Bill and Chet Straley attended Thursday’s board meeting and participated in a lengthy executive session held prior to the board’s vote on whether to accept the bids.

Prior to the meeting, several board members went on a tour of work being done at the school conducted by Vantage Director Bob Vennekotter. Vennekotter led board members through several areas where renovations were being done, as well as new construction on the north side of the building.

Also on the tour was the new bus garage, which is serving as classroom space at the present time while classroom space is being renovated.

Vennekotter said work was progressing well in the current building and on new construction on the north side, but also noted that rebar problems has held up work on the southern portion of the project. He did note, though, that the south portion of the project would likely progress much faster when cement block is laid, adding that contractors say that portion of the project would likely get back on schedule fairly quickly when that happens.

Also Thursday, the board:

• Heard some concerns from Vantage Teachers Organization President Larry Mengerink about the proposed school Internet use policy. Mengerink said he feels the policy is too restrictive, noting that there are 11 pages to the policy when the Ohio Attorney General’s recommended policy is just two pages long. Kaufman said she felt the policy needed to be detailed to adequately protect the school.
• Learned that some instruction areas of the school are having problems during the recent hot weather.
• Approved the following supplemental contracts: Angie Shellabarger, Ashley Cline, Theresa Mengerink, Kelly Horstman, Laura Stocksdale, Katie Drerup and Tillman Karl, virtual learning graders.
• Employed Maureen Teman as the new Cosmetology instructor.
• Hired the following Adult Education instructors: Theresa Snyder, computers; Sonya Yenser-Hammon, Stephanie Calderon and Cynthia Krizan, Health Careers; Mark Figert, Police Academy; and Carlo Lee, Patricia Beams and Thomas Hunter, ABLE instructors.
• Approved a resolution to accept a $500,000 grant from The Van Wert County Foundation for Vantage’s Literacy Education Program GED testing.
• Accepted a donation, with thanks, of electronic components worth $2,500 from Schnipke Engraving for use by the career technical programs.
• Accepted a donation, with thanks, of a Grizzly table saw worth $1,700 from Myra Miller for use by the technical career programs.
• Approved Community Reinvestment Area agreement with Brown Contracting LLC (Family Dollar) and Westwood Senior Apartments.
• Appointed Vennekotter as compliance officer for the Healthy Choices for Healthy Children program.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel items, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 6, in the Cup and Saucer, with another optional construction tour held at 6:30 that evening.