New employees introduced to board

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

With the new school year underway, the Lincolnview Local Schools Board of Education addressed a number of agenda items during Thursday’s monthly meeting.

15 new employees were hired for the 2026-2027 school year and some of them were in attendance and introduced themselves. The list of new employees includes:

• Bruce Thomas, fifth grade
• Reagan Boley, elementary intervention specialist – cross categorical
• Anne Myers, elementary intervention specialist – cross categorical
• Ellen Jones, elementary STEM teacher
• Jennifer McElroy, elementary computer sciences-media/library specialist teacher
• Kimberly Bates, bus transportation secretary
• Aaron Dunn, custodian
• Carrie Turnwald, junior high/high school secretary
• Jaime Hernandez, cook
• Melissa Nava, elementary secretary
• Ian Setili, full-time substitute bus driver
• Kathy Wortman, part time cook
• Jodie Vasquez, paraprofessional aide (Western Buckeye ESC)
• Suzanne Rahrig, paraprofessional aide (Western Buckeye ESC)
• Hailey Acheson, paraprofessional aide (Western Buckeye ESC)

There was one resignation on the agenda and it didn’t sit well with board member Eric Germann, who voted against it. Elementary intervention specialist Damaris Murphy’s resignation took place on Tuesday, August 18, one day before the start of school. Murphy left for an out-of-state opportunity.

“The July 10 deadline (for resignations for the upcoming school year) exists for a reason,” he said. “I know her situation changed but I’m little disappointed that it came this late in the summer and put us in a bind to find a new teacher.”

Agenda items that were unanimously approved included bus routes for the new school year, agreements with Van Wert City Schools for the high school CEO program and the Van Wert School at the Goedde, an agreement with the Van Wert County Health Department for school nurse services, plus an agreement with Midwest Regional Educational Service Center for vision impaired services.

During his report, Superintendent Jeff Snyder said despite social media rumors to the contrary, he has not received monetary numbers as they relate to the Mega Site/data center, which will be located in the Lincolnview Local Schools district.

“We have not received an official negotiation piece,” he stated. “I know people say they already know but I wish they would just call me and I could tell them nothing has happened. Right now we’ll just go about our business and it’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen but as of right now there’s been no official piece from the company itself.”

Snyder also said key fob renewal for the community center is underway.

A chunk of the meeting centered around student-athletes and the state’s new SAM Act (see story here).

The board will meet in special session at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, to approve the latest financial forecast as required by law. The next regular monthly meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 22. Both meetings will take place in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.