Vantage Bd. finishes FY, looks ahead

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Financial and personnel matters, along with a look ahead to the upcoming school year, made up the majority of Thursday night’s brief meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education.

The board approved final appropriations for fiscal year 2023, which ends June 30, then approved temporary appropriations for fiscal year 2024.

Before approving a long list of personnel items, the board heard from Superintendent Rick Turner, who said career tech report cards issued by the state will more closely resemble report cards used for school districts around Ohio.

“They will now have the five-star ratings in place along with letter grades and this change will better align us with our associate schools,” Turner explained.

Turner added the newest batch of state report cards are expected to be released in September. He also said renovation of Vantage’s reception area will begin next week and should take about two weeks.

High School Director Ben Winans said Student Services Director Tonya Temple is finalizing numbers for the 2023-2024 school year.

“At this time we have 245 students who will be returning so that puts our expected enrollment right at around 545, which is pretty close to where we were last year at this time,” he said.

He also noted staff members are creating a plan for PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support), and he said it won’t be a big change from the point system previously used by the school. In addition, Winans said an assembly will be held to gather feedback about the mental health of students.

The board officially accepted the resignation of treasurer Laura Peters, who’s leaving at the end of the year to become treasurer of the Delphos City Schools. The resignations of Leigh Carey (health technology) and Tom Kalkreuth (substitute teacher) were also accepted by the board.

The board approved one-year contracts for Eric Schwab and Pearce Dietrich, intervention specialists; supplemental contracts for mentors Chris Miles, Tony Unverferth, Larry Regedanz and Samantha Heckler; Katie Drerup, lead teacher, and Nicole Shepard, part-time cook.

Adult education employment contracts were approved for Addison King, EMT instructor; Erin Askins, practical nursing coordinator, LPN-RN instructor, practical nursing instructor, CPR instructor and practical nursing program tutor; Sara Beining, practical nursing program tutor, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor; Brook Crosby, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor; Kimberly Fowler, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor; Samantha Joseph, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor; Madeline Schroeder, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor, and Jessica Hoyng, practical nursing instructor, LPN-RN instructor, CPR instructor.

Adult education contracts were also approved for Jean Sullivin, LPN-RN transition coordinator/instructor; Hartsel Bryant, CDL coordinator/instructor; Brian Heitkamp and Phillip Saunders, CDL instructors; Rob Black, police academy instructor/coordinator; Brock Blackmore, Steven Boroff, Shawn Cook, Chad Cupples, Mark Enrst, Mark Vigert, Virginia Hammons, Ed Klausing, Austin McIntosh, Bruce Showalter, Ashley McDougall, Dillon Staas, Steven Stechschulte and Matthew McDougall, police academy instructors; David Cummings and Craig King, firefighter I instructors; Robert Herber, Jon Jones, Russell Moorman, Brian Sheets, Brian Ankney, Austin Miller, Zachary Mansfield, Addison King and Christopher Cline firefighting instructors. Ashley McDougall was also approved as a CPR and EMT instructor.

The lengthy list also included Virginia Crisp, Shirley Jarvis and Marsha Stechschulte, STNA instructors; Melissa Moreland, clinical instructor/STNA; Allison Singer, phlebotomy coordinator/instructor; Nicole Blackford, phlebotomy instructor; Terri Schmenk, customized training, robotics and engineering instructor; Marty Katterheinrich, diversified IT coordinator, customized training instructor; Kenneth Armstrong, Graeme Bockrather, customized training instructors; Ruth Bricknet, assessment proctor; Ron Schumm, FBPA coordinator/instructor; Kristie Jones, tutor; Zach Miller, Diane Laing, CPR instructors; Dan Joyce, drone instructor; Mike Miller, CDL, drone instructor; Gary Gasser, firefighting program coordinator/instructor, EMT instructor; Gary Cearns, customized training, welding instructor; Annette Klinger, adult education assessment proctor; Jaclyn Gunsett, substitute secretary, adult education assessment proctor; Kendra Sentelik, financial aid coordinator/accreditation liaison; Maria Diltz, adult enrollment/assessment/customized training coordinator; Shandonn Moore, adult education secretary, and Joy Miller, adult education evening secretary.

OSBA Business Honor Roll certificates were presented to Jazmine Smith with Central Insurance and Doug Wenninger with Alliance Automation.

The board met in executive session to discuss personnel matters, but no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 3, in the district conference room.