VWCS plans to build new bus facility

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

If all goes as planned, Van Wert City Schools will have a bus barn by this time next year.

During Wednesday night’s monthly school board meeting, the board approved an architect/engineering agreement with Garmann Miller and Associates for a bus maintenance and storage building. The facility will be built just north of Van Wert Middle School.

Assistant Superintendent Bob Priest said unless they’re in the shop for repairs, district buses are currently exposed to the elements 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We’ve been very fortunate – none of our buses are protected from  weather and vandalism,” he said. “This will put them inside in a secure environment so we’re a lot safer and it certainly will help with the wear and tear on our buses. We currently rent a garage off-campus on Sibley St. so (the new facility) will all be at one location.”

“It makes sense to have everything out here in a secure environment,” he added.

Priest said he expect ground to be broken in the winter with a target completion time of August 1 of next year. More information about new facility is expected at future meetings.

Priest also said the district is using the BusRight app, which allows parents and staff to see detailed route information and track buses in real time. He said the bugs are being worked out locally and added it’s expected to be rolled out to parents next month.

The controversial SAM (Student Athlete Mobility) Act was brought up briefly by Superintendent Mark Bagley, but it doesn’t seem as though the school district will be partaking in it.

The law, which was enacted last month, allows public high school students to play a team sport at a neighboring public school if their own school doesn’t offer it and if the neighboring school approves it.

“We’re studying this very seriously but I think our county is in full agreement that when you have kids going back and fourth, there are cultural issues involved,” Bagley stated. “There’s already a provision for that in place – it’s open enrollment. It was voted down by (OHSAA) member school three times and then legislators parachute in in July and vote yes – that put schools in really difficult positions and the last thing we want to do is have superintendents and school boards fighting on athletes going back and forth.”

“A thing that’s not considered by smaller schools is if they lose so many athletes, eventually they may not be eligible for OHSAA,” he added while noting schools must offer at least six sports for OHSAA membership.

As required by law, the board approved the district’s latest financial forecast. Before approval, Treasurer Troy Bowersock provided some key information, mainly the uncertainty of state funding and more uncertainty about the future of property taxes. A statewide issue to abolish property taxes could be on the ballot in November, 2027. He also noted that enrollment is down.

“It’s not a significant amount but we are in a downward trend so obviously that impacts our funding when it’s on a per pupil basis,” he explained.

Bowersock said in the later years of the forecast there is a deficit projected but he added there is a cash reserve in place to support the district. 

In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of bus driver Ben Price and approved a pair of hirings – Elizabeth Price as an elementary school paraprofessional and Ashley Elston as an early childhood center social worker/counselor. Several dozen supplemental contracts were given approval.

Along with bus routes, shuttle schedules and , the athletic department handbook and student fees for the current school year, the board approved several other agenda items:

• A substitute staff list for the school year.
• Athletic event/school event workers on an as-needed basis for the current school year.
• Career Education Opportunity (CEO) program agreements with Crestview and Lincolnview.
• Agreements to allow students from Crestview, Lincolnview and Parkway attend the Van Wert School at the Goedde.
• Service agreements for vision impaired services with Midwest Regional Educational Service Center and for hearing/audiology services with Montgomery County Educational Service Center.

The board accepted, with thanks, 30 donations from various individuals, organizations and businesses.

Prior to adjourning, the board went into executive session to discuss the employment of personnel, but no action was taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Schools Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, in the First Federal Lecture Hall at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.