Fries resigns as L’view superintendent

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The June meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education was one where emotions dominated as the board accepted the resignation of longtime Superintendent Doug Fries. Fries announced he was resigning to take the superintendent’s position in the Greeneville City School District.

Fries’ resignation is effective August 3, but the board also approved a per-diem stipend for Fries to act as temporary interim superintendent until either a full-time superintendent or interim superintendent is hired.

Fries fought back his emotion as he read from a prepared statement thanking those in the district for their support of him during his tenure as superintendent.

“It’s been my pleasure to serve the Lincolnview Local School District for the past 10½ years,” he noted. “I’ll always hold the board of education, treasurer, administration, faculty and staff, students and community in the highest regards.

“Rest assured, that a part of me will always be a Lancer, with fond memories of the time my family and I spend with the district and the community,” Fries added. “My best regards to the entire school district, particularly to the wonderful board of education and outstanding Treasurer Troy Bowersock.”

Board members and Bowersock also reminisced about Fries’ decade as superintendent, with Board President Eric Germann said Fries had been “a great mentor” to him, stating that his first experience with the superintendent was when Fries was a coach for Germann’s daughter.

Noting that, when he was in school, the superintendent was usually “the last stop before you got kicked out of school,” Germann added, “Your kids didn’t know who the superintendent was (then), and it struck me that, even before I was on the board, my boys knew who you were, and they would come home and tell me that Mr. Fries said ‘hi’ to them today and genuinely cared.

“We appreciate all your effort and we’re going to miss you,” Germann said in conclusion.

“There were a lot of good memories,” said Board member Sally Snyder of Fries’ tenure at Lincolnview, a view shared by her fellow board members.

Fries said he felt good in leaving the district in the board’s and Bowersock’s hands, noting that the multi-talented district treasurer could probably be a superintendent himself.

Bowersock, who has enjoyed a close relationship with Fries over the past decade, returned the compliment by praising the superintendent for his contributions to Lincolnview.

“I’d like to close by saying, obviously, this is a bittersweet moment for, not only myself, but for the district as a whole,” Bowersock said. “Greenville City’s gain is Lincolnview Local School District’s loss.

“By saying that, I would like to commend Mr. Fries for the 10 years he’s given to the district … and most importantly to our students,” the school treasurer said. “He’s given us countless hours, he’s given us his life, in some instances, he’s given us his blood. The district has come a long ways from the basement of the 1919 building to where we are now … (and) I can confidently say that the district is in a better position today than it was 10 years prior.”

In taking the Greenville superintendent’s position, Fries is returning to a district in which he spent 13 years as a teacher, guidance counselor and coach. He left Greenville to become a junior high principal in the Piqua City School District for four years before coming to Lincolnview. He also taught for two years in the Ada Local School District early in his career.

During his report to the board, Bowersock touched on transportation costs, while the board approved the purchase of a 72-passenger and an 84-passenger school bus later in the meeting. The treasurer also talked about the state audit of the district recently completed, noting that he liked the 60-day audit format used this year.

Bowersock also noted that, after a number of repairs and other work done to complete the Ohio School Facilities Commission projects in the district, there is still approximately $54,000 left in the project fund.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a computer services agreement with the Northwest Ohio Area Computer Services Cooperative.
• Approved updated cafeteria prices for the 2012-2013 school year, and accepted bids for bakery products from Perfection Bakery and for dairy products from Dairymen’s.
• Entered into a transportation agreement with Christopher Shane Woods and Linda A. Homan for the upcoming school year.
• Accepted the recommendation of the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group to reflect an updated 2 percent monthly increase in health insurance premiums, effective October 1.
• Appointed Germann as the voting delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association’s annual business meeting at the 2012 Capital Conference and Kirk Berryman as the alternate.
• Approved participating in the First Call for Help Teen Line, a student hotline, at a cost of 75 cents per student in grades 6-12.
• Authorized entering into an insurance cash sweep agreement with Citizens National Bank in Bluffton.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel matters, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 23, in the district conference room.