Vantage prepares to wrap up school year

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

It’s now official — Delphos City Schools will join Vantage Career Center as a member school, effective July 1.

During Thursday night’s Vantage Board of Education meeting, which was held via Zoom and streamed live on Facebook, Superintendent Rick Turner said no objections to the plan were filed, clearing the way for Delphos to join in time for the 2020-2021 school year. He also said the Ohio Board of Education will formalize the agreement in July, then Delphos will add a member to the Vantage Board of Education.

The superintendent told the board that staff members are working to close out the current school year.

“One of our top priorities will be to offer lab training to our students, even if we need to alternate days when students are here to keep small class sizes,” Turner said. “We’ll be working closely with the Department of Health on a plan that’s safe for staff and students, one that meets all of their health and safety guidelines.”

We’re also working with the Department of Health in similar fashion to re-open adult education,” Turner added. “Kit (Tyler) and her team have put together a very comprehensive plan that we submitted today to ODH to get approval.

“In conversation with them, they were very positive and the dialog went so far to say that we could work out the bugs in June with adult ed for a possible running of our labs in the fall,” he also noted.

High School Director Mike Knott said he’s working on a plan to use a drive-through system to get students in to check out and return any necessary items to school, as well as pick up items that were left in labs.

Knott also reminded the board that the May 22 Senior Awards ceremony will be a virtual ceremony and will be broadcast on Vantage’s YouTube channel, Facebook, and on the school’s website.

He also commended several students for outstanding accomplishments, including senior Wyatt Richardson of Crestview, who was named a finalist for the R.K. Thompson Self-Reliance Award, and he noted Vantage has received 365 applications for the next school year.

The board took the first step toward placing a .7-mill permanent improvement levy renewal on the November ballot, and Turner said it would result in no new taxes.

“The levy was first passed in 1996 and it provides essential funding to keep equipment in our labs current,” Turner explained.

The board approved an updated five-year financial forecast, which includes the addition of new dollars from Delphos, and Treasurer Laura Peters told board members it appears Vantage has been spared from a round of state budget cuts caused by COVID-19, at least for now.

“We’re looking to see what’s going to happen next year,” Peters said.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of Tony Unverferth, director of staff leadership and student engagement, and rehired him as a social studies teacher. Board members also accepted the resignation of PNP Administrator Kelli Bergstrom and hired her as a part-time practical nursing instructor, and accepted the retirement resignation of Donald Mosier.

A four-year contract was approved for social studies teacher Ray Gibson.

In other business, the board approved a College Credit Plus memorandum of understanding with the University of Northwestern Ohio, along with a similar agreement with the Drug Free Clubs of America.

A July 15-17 trip to Wichita, Kansas, was approved for Adult Education Director Kit Tyler, and board members approved an agreement with Northwest Ohio Computer Services Cooperative.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 4.