Lincolnview BOE approves contracts

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Teachers in the Lincolnview Local Schools district officially have a new contract.

Wednesday night, the Lincolnview school board unanimously approved a three-year contract with the Lincolnview Local Education Association. It begins July 1 and will run through June 30, 2028 and it includes raises of 4.0, 4.0 and 3.75 percent, along with no changes to health insurance.

Superintendent Jeff Snyder said negotiations between the two sides went well.

“It was amicable on both sides and we had good conversations, had good language changes and I thought when we got to the end both were happy with the results,” Snyder stated.

The state budget was a topic that was addressed during the meeting. Treasurer Kaitlyn Edelbrock noted there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the state budget process, as the Ohio Senate has passed its version of House Bill 96, the biennial budget.

“The Ohio House voted not to concur with the Senate’s changes,” Edelbrock said. “A conference committee will be convened to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of HB96. There are many things in the bill that will impact Lincolnview and all public school districts. The Senate has continue to phase in the Fair School Funding plan, which is vastly different from the House version which stopped the Fair School Funding phase-in.”

By law, the budget must be approved by June 30. Edelbrock and Snyder also discussed House Bill 335, which was introduced on June 4, and is referred to as the “Property Tax Relief NOW Act.”

“It represents one of the most sweeping overhauls of Ohio’s property tax system in decades,” Edelbrock said.

She also said House Bill 335 combines elements from several prior proposals and it’s believed the bill, or parts of it, could be come part of the state budget bill and Snyder said if that happens, it would be devastating to Lincolnview. It calls for the removal of inside millage and would result in a loss of $1.2 million for the district. He added it could force the district to seek its first new operating levy in more than 50 years.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen tomorrow…it might be three to five years before we get to point where you have to do something,” he said.

During his monthly report, Junior High/High School Principal Brad Mendenhall said the master schedule for the 2025-2026 school year is complete and he said students schedules will be ready for pickup beginning the week of August 4. Elementary Principal Nita Meyer said class lists are complete for the new school year and she said they’ll be posted on Final Forms in late July or early August.

Several personnel matters were handled during the meeting, including the resignation of fourth grade teacher Marla Kemler after nine years with the district. Kasey Knippen was hired as a fifth grade teacher, and Tiffany Laffin was approved as an elementary intervention specialist. Lucy Rice was approved a bus runner and Craig Staley was approved as an hourly bus maintanence employee. Approval was given to Megan Wollenhaupt as a junior high/high school guidance secretary trainee, and the board approved a three year administrative contract for Food Service Director Penny Baucom. 

State track qualifers Brynleigh Moody, Brooklyn Byrne, Kendall Hoffman, Annabel Horstman and Cody Ricker, along with track and field coaching staff members were honored with a resolution praising and honoring them for their accomplishments. Board members also approved similar resolutions for the Northwest Conference champion softball and baseball teams and their coaches.

As expected, the board approved a resolution establishing a capital projects fund, with an initial transfer of $8 million from the general fund.

Among the other agenda items approved during Wednesday’s meeting: a memorandum of understanding with the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office for the school resource officer program for the 2025-2026 school year, and athletic ticket prices and athletic workers and officials pay for the upcoming school year;

Scott Equity Exchange was approved as the district’s supplier of gas and diesel fuel for the upcoming school year and 4-K Tire was approve to supply tires for buses, school vans, the band truck and other equipment as needed during the 2025-2026 school year.

Along with handling routine financial matters, including a “then and now” invoice to pay Cardinal Bus Sales & Service $3,541.53  for paint work to one of the district’s buses, the board accepted four donations:

• $500 from the St. Marks Lutheran Church for the needy student fund.
• $1,200 from the Van Wert Service Club for the summer speech program.
• $1,000 from an anonymous donor to benefit Lincolnview Local Schools.
• $4,067.91 from the Richard L. and Nadie O. Klein Memorial Trust through the Van Wert County Foundation.

At the end of the meeting, the board went into executive session to discuss the employment and compensation of an employee but outside of adjournment, no action was taken.

The board will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 26, to close out fiscal year 2025. The next regular meeting of the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.