Germann honored; L’view finances good

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Lincolnview Local Board of Education President Eric Germann received a pat on the back from the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), while he and fellow board members received a fairly positive five-year forecast from Treasurer Troy Bowersock during their November meeting held Tuesday evening.

OSBA Chief Financial Officer Janice Smith presented Germann with a plaque thanking him for his contribution as a member of the OSBA Board of Trustees, the association’s governing body. Germann also serves on the OSBA’s Legislative Platform Committee, Delegate Assembly and Capital Conference Planning Task Force and is president-elect of the OSBA’s Northwest Region and serves on the region’s Executive Committee.

Bowersock also provided a positive financial message during his five-year financial forecast, largely due to increasing real estate values in the district, the addition of wind farm payments in 2014 and a recalculation of tuition revenues by the state that increased funding to the district.

Lincolnview’s treasurer said real estate values continue to be strong and expects that upward trend to continue for at least some time. He also said the district would receive a partial payment from wind turbines in the district in 2014, with a full payment of approximately $350,000 the next year. Bowersock also said casino money would also be coming to the district, but, while a positive, he added that such revenues will make up a small portion of the district’s overall revenues.

He also talked about a favorable recalculation of tuition revenues through the open enrollment process that helped the district, while adding that the district could see another tuition boost next year.

On the downside, personal property taxes are pretty much phased out, state funding is “flatlined” and interest rates continue to be significantly lower than before the recession.

“Interest rates are supposed to trend up sometime, but I don’t know when,” Bowersock told board members.

Operating costs are also up a bit in the district, largely because of the additional cost to air-condition the new school facilities, while the district could see some revenue losses in open enrollment due to the appeal of community schools, and supply costs are up, mostly because of the district’s textbook adoption program.

Fortunately, Bowersock said, operating expenditures continue to be less than revenues and should continue that way over the five-year forecast period. Another positive is that expenses at the Marsh Foundation School have been offset by a payment from the Marsh and state foundation money.

The treasurer reported that the district has $11 million in debt currently, and would likely look at debt refinancing because of the current low interest rates.

The board later approved advances totaling $59,500 to the Bond Retirement Fund from the General Fund for what Bowersock called a “timing” issue with bond retirement payments. The money will be repaid as related revenues are received.

During administrative reports, High School-Junior High Principal Kelly Dye spoke highly of the recent Veterans Day program at the school and thanked organizers for their efforts. Elementary Principal Gordon Stemen cited the success of a recently Family Lunch Day, which had approximately 100 guests attending. Stemen also said the district is seeing a larger-than-normal turnout for parent-teacher conferences, which are still underway.

Interim Superintendent Doug Karst reported on an intervention grant the district would likely seek, possibly as part of a consortium with Van Wert City and Crestview Local school districts. He also noted that did better than last year on the third grade achievement test. He also talked about the need for more wireless bandwidth — the district currently has download speeds of 10MB a second — but added that one positive there is that bandwidth costs are decreasing.

Germann, who is district legislative liaison, reported that the value-added portion of the State Report Card process could be changed through pending state legislation, which could be a negative for that portion of the program.

In personnel action, the board approved Scott Lloyd as a volunteer FFA basketball coach and Kyle Hayes as an unpaid volunteer coach for the junior high girls’ basketball team. Kevin Markward was also approved as an unpaid volunteer wrestling coach, while Kory Detwiler was employed as a substitute custodian for the remainder of the current school year.

The board also approved an overnight senior class trip to Chicago, Ill., on May 20-21, 2013, at the request of class advisor Rachel Rohrs, who attended the meeting with three of the senior class officers. Rohrs said approximately 40-50 seniors will be taking the trip.

The board also approved contracting with Home Health Solutions to provide nursing services to the district as needed.

Local media representatives also received a pat on the back as reporters for the Van Wert independent and Times-Bulletin were placed on the OSBA Media Honor Roll by the board.

The next Lincolnview Local Board of Education meeting is tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 19, in the district conference room.