Crestview BOE: $40M price too much

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CONVOY — Proposed upgrades to Crestview’s athletic facilities and more came with sticker shock.

During a September 4 work session, the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education heard a presentation from architects from Garmann Miller about possible upgrades to the football field, baseball and softball fields, a training center and/or a community building, and a new access drive which would begin on Tully Street, east of Dollar General, and go towards the athletic facilities. It also included a bus maintenance facility. There were two proposals and each one had a price tag of approximately $40 million.

During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, board members briefly discussed the information and all were in agreement that $40 million is far more than what they expected. Now, Garmann Miller is working on revised plans that presumably will include a lower projected cost.

“I’m excited to get back some adjusted plans from Garmann Miller so (we can get) a more realistic picture of what we might be able to afford vs. a ‘pie in the sky,” Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf said.

Along with the higher than expected estimate, it was noted the two proposals were too similar. Board member Brad Perrott said he expected two vastly different proposals and said the feedback he’s heard has been disappointment, not only in the similar proposals, but the cost.

“The process is still important so we can have some kind of road map that we can get to site plan that’s effective,” he said. “I appreciate that we’re getting some updated information from them, a different approach.”

“We’re looking for a little bit greater diversity between the two plans that were presented and we didn’t feel like there was enough diversity in those plans,” Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf said.

Updated information may be available at the October board meeting.

Mollenkopf also spoke of improvements planned by ODOT for a portion of U.S. 30 within the Crestview school district, specifically U.S. 30/Ohio 49 restricted crossing U-turns and construction of a Convoy Rd. overpass over U.S. 30. Those projects are slated for 2027 and 2029 respectively.

“Their process is to enhance safety – that’s the primary goal,” she said. “Currently we have 11 crossing in our district with U.S. 30 and so we’re probably going to be impacted more than the other school districts. There’s the potential that our existing bus routes will be altered or changed…a bypass creates a different pathway, an R-turn creates a different pathway.”

Board members approved a 166-day contract with Lydia Will as a paraprofessional and approved Nathan Lichtle (middle school boys basketball) Jeremy Stepp (high school wrestling) and Teddy Tate (middle school wrestling) as volunteer coaches.

A pair of field trips were given approval – a senior government trip to Washignton D.C. April 28-30, 2025, and a sixth grade trip to Wright Patterson Air Force Base on May 21, 2025.

In other business, the board:

• Approved an agreement with Lincolnview Local Schools for speech services.
• Approved amended 2024-2025 athletic ticket prices.
• Approved the after-school tutoring program and compensation for elementary and middle school students.
• Accepted an $1,100 donation from the Calvary Evangelical Church of Van Wert Vacation Bible School for needy children at Crestview Elementary.

The board also heard a brief presentation from Casey Dowler, Lindsay Breese, Sara Pugh, Colby Kuhn and Allison Morrow on the Science of Reading and Orton Gillingham professional development. 

At the end of the meeting, board members went behind closed doors to discuss employment and/or compensation of public employees but no action was taken outside of adjournment.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Crestview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, October 21, in the multipurpose room.