VW accepts retiring teachers’ resignations

DAVE MOSIER/for the independent

The Van Wert City Board of Education accepted the resignations of three retiring school employees, promoted Kyle Clum to high school-middle school custodial maintenance supervisor to replace retired supervisor Rick Allen, and learned more about the district’s enhanced PBIS student rewards program during its November meeting Wednesday.

The retiring employees include fourth-grade teacher Dianna Hicks, Early Childhood Center literacy coach Jennifer Arend, and Elementary School literacy coach Kim Werling. Arend and Hicks will retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year, while Werling’s resignation is effective September 1, 2025.

Other personnel actions include the hiring of Julie Didion and Jayme Fox as middle school paraprofessionals, and Trent Huffine as a middle school-high school custodial-maintenance worker.

Assistant VWHS Principal Ryan Parrish gave a presentation on the district’s Reward A Student program during the meeting’s Educational Impact portion.

Parrish noted that the new program is an enhancement of what had been done to reward students and includes a schoolwide store where students can purchase items such as the ability to wear a hat in school, get Door Dash delivered food or a pizza, and get the opportunity to sit in Parrish’s or Principal Chuck Rollins’ chairs for a day.

Under the program, students earn points for attending school functions, being responsible, and for other positive behavior.

The new program is also now able to monitor teachers’ use of rewards and also allows teachers to reward other teachers for doing something positive.

The PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support) program was developed by the U.S. Department of Education to provide positive reinforcement for development of social, emotional, and behavioral skills in students.

Parrish said the new enhancements to the VWHS program have been popular among students.

“This is a little more expensive than what were doing, but, in our opinion, it’s well worth it,” he noted.

During his report, Assistant Superintendent Bob Priest talked about upgrade in school visitors security that will be implemented when students return from Thanksgiving break on December 2.

Under the new program, visitors to the school will need to enter their ID or, if they don’t have that, leave their name and date of birth with the office to enable a quick background check concentrating mostly on identifying sex offenders. 

Priest said the extra visitors’ security is only for those planning to enter a district school building, and doesn’t apply to those dropping off items for a student at school offices.

The board also accepted more than 40 donations to various school programs including some large donations to the Eggerss Stadium project. There were also a number of donations to the Eggerss Stadium paver tribute program, as well as the PBIS program, various athletic programs, and to help needy students.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the District Five-Year Forecast, as presented by Treasurer Troy Bowersock.
• Approved a “then and now” certificate for an invoice for $3,340 from Northwest Ohio Welch Trophy.
• Set a time for the board’s organizational meeting for 5 p.m. Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 18, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.