WBESC honors spellers, Walter winners

Van Wert independent/WBESC information

The Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Governing Board honored spelling bee and Franklin B. Walter Scholarship winners during its March meeting.

Spelling bee winners were Wade Healey in Van Wert County and Derek Reeb in Paulding County, both of who represented their respective county in The Journal-Gazette regional spelling bee in Fort Wayne, Ind., on March 10.

Winners of the Franklin B. Walter Scholarship were Shelby Minnich in Van Wert County and Mesa Pracht in Paulding County. The $250 scholarship, established in 1989 by Ohio’s county school superintendents, is given to the top student in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Minnich is a senior at Crestview High School and the daughter of Rose and Emmett Minnich of Convoy. She is a member of the National Honor Society and participates in a number of extracurricular school activities, including cheerleading, Knight Vision show choir, and Model United Nations. After graduation, she plans to attend Indiana Business College and pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

Pracht attends Paulding High School and is the daughter of David and Kelly Pracht of Paulding. She has been recognized as a scholar-athlete all four years of high school and is active in many community and church activities. She plans to major in mathematics, with a minor in missionary studies.

Both of the seniors, their parents and school representatives will be honored guests at the award program and luncheon at the Ohio Educational Service Center Association’s conference in the Lewis Center in Columbus on April 25.

Also during the meeting, the board approved a number of employment contracts, including three administrative contracts. Contracts approved are as follows:

Administrative — Jestine Curry, three-year contract; Sandra Freeman, five-year contract; and Karla Treece, five-year contract.

Certified — Paula Lugibihl, 3-year part-time limited; Michelle Hanneman, three-year limited; Karri Diehl, two-year limited; Travis Hammer, two-year limited; and Katie Perkins, two-year limited.

Non-certified — Heather Shepherd, continuing; Gary Frysinger, one-year limited; and Robert Miller, one-year limited.

The next meeting of the Western Buckeye ESC Governing Board will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11, at the Paulding County ESC office.