Vantage has facilities project update

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

With a holiday dinner awaiting, the Vantage Board of Education took little time dispensing with a brief agenda during its December meeting Thursday.

Highlight of the agenda was Superintendent Staci Kaufman’s report on Vantage’s ongoing facilities project. Kaufman had good news on that front, noting that a date of December 10 as been set for moving loose furnishings into the areas of the school still being renovated. She added that, while permanent occupancy is the current plan, Vantage’s backup option would include temporary occupancy, hopefully on December 14. Work on landscaping is also continuing and is approximately 85 percent done, Kaufman reported.

There are some issues remaining, though, with one of those the discoloration of grouting in the kitchen area — something Kaufman said she wasn’t happy about. A possible solution to that problem, which the superintendent acknowledged could have been caused by using improper cleaning supplies early soon after the floor was completed, is to stain the grout all the same color — although she noted that would be a tedious and time-consuming job.

The project’s budget is also in good shape, according to Vantage Treasurer Lori Davis. Davis reported that approximately $33 million of the estimated $39 million project has been spent, with a significant amount of money remaining in project contingency funds.

Meanwhile, the school may not see a solar energy project, if an arrangement can’t be worked out with Solar Planet executives during a meeting scheduled with them and their attorney today.

Kaufman commended Vantage students and staff for their generosity in raising $1,000 and donating a large number of toys for needy local children.

Also during the meeting, the board:

• Approved the following administrative contracts and extensions: An addendum to the Adult Education director’s contract, effective December 7; a three-year contract for CTE Director Bob Vennekotter, effective July 1, 2013; and a five-year contract for Davis, effective August 1, 2013.
• Approved an agreement with Boston Reed College to offer adult education training courses.
• Accepted a check totaling $5,460 from the Drive One 4 UR School fundraiser conducted by StateWide Ford-Lincoln at Vantage. That money will be distributed as follows: $1,500 each to the VTO Scholarship Fund and Haiti interact Club, $2,000 to the Principal Fund, and $460 to the Adult Education Fund.
• Approved a Community Reinvestment Area tax exemption with Felt Development in Van Wert.
• Approved an Enterprise Zone agreement with Kalida Manufacturing in Kalida.
• Accepted two donations of steel, one from Fort Worth Towers of Hicksville worth approximately $4,500 for the welding classes and one from Eaton Corporation in Van Wert valued at $12,000 for the welding, precision machining and industrial mechanics classes.
• Employed the following Adult Education instructors, on an as-needed, as-scheduled basis: Matthew McDougall, Edward Klausing and Robert Black, Police Academy; Irvin Tumblin, Trade & Industry; Lisa Hatcher, Health and Business; Jeffrey Stittsworth, Welding; Trent Sprow, Electrical; and Jim Fast, ABLE instructor.
• Approved Jo Mohr as fruit sale coordinator.
• Authorized an expenditure of $37,618.80 to purchase various fitness equipment for use in Police Academy fitness training.

The next meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 3, 2013.