VWCS bd. OKs New Tech pact, organizes

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Board of Education organized for the new year and also heard about elementary construction projects and continuing recognition received again this past year by Van Wert Middle School.

The board welcomed Ben Cowan and Jessica Weiss to their first official meeting as board members, approved the district’s New Tech training contract and also heard a presentation on the LifeLinks Community School by Director Shawn Deitemeyer.

The board chose new officers for the coming year, electing Ken Markward president and Linda Owens as vice president. Board members then approved the district tax budget, as well as other “housekeeping” items needed to continue district operations during 2012.

Deitemeyer presented an update on the LifeLinks Community School operation during the educational impact portion of the meeting, noting that the school is at its maximum capacity (57 students) for its current site at Trinity Friends Church. Both he and Superintendent Ken Amstutz noted that hopes are to continue expansion of the program after the new elementary school is built and LifeLinks operations move to the S.F. Goedde Building.

Deitemeyer said the move to the Goedde Building will be a positive, since there is currently more interest in the program than can be met at the current site. The LifeLinks director said that, while the Trinity Friends site has been a very good one, it’s one drawback is that there’s no room to expand the program — something that is necessary if LifeLinks is to reach its full potential.

Amstutz agreed, while also stating that the program is exactly where school officials thought it would be at this point.

“The true sustainability of this program is to bring students in from outside,” the superintendent said, noting that such growth is only possible when the program moves to the larger Goedde Building site.

Also Wednesday, the board approved an amended agreement related to the New Tech program being implemented in the high school this coming school year. Because the program is being implemented using Race to the Top grant money, Amstutz said, training schedules need to be moved up to meet a requirement that grant funds be spent by 2014.

The superintendent said that, while that means training for the new program will need to be completed in two years, instead of the more typical four, he said his administration is comfortable that they can get all teachers trained in the project-based education program in the necessary time.

Amstutz also updated the board on the grades 1-5 elementary school construction project, noting that the dry-in date (when the project will be entirely under roof) has been set for the end of January. He also told the board that documents are also being readied for the Jefferson Elementary Building renovation project and should be available for approval at the board’s February 15 meeting.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted the resignation of Washington Elementary fourth grade teacher Brenda DeLong, effective the end of this school year, after 34 years of service in the city school district.
• Added the following people to the certified substitute list: Cole Harting, Danielle Profit and Emily Richard.
• Made the following additions to the classified substitute list: Rebecca Brenneman and Kelly Houg, paraprofessionals, and Timothy Schoenle, custodian.
• Learned that instrumental music teacher Tina Decker was advanced on the district salary schedule from master’s degree plus 15 hours, to master’s degree plus 30 hours.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the board will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 15, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.