VWCS board OKs teacher retirements

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Board of Education accepted the resignations of several long-serving teachers who are retiring at the end of the school year, and also hearing an update on the high school’s project-based learning educational program during its November meeting held Wednesday.

Five teachers with a total of 166 years of experience tendered their resignations to the board for the purpose of retirement. They include elementary physical education teacher Dave Branfield, with 37 years in education (36 of those in VWCS); high school art teacher Tom Emerine, with 23 years of experience; fourth grade teacher Patti Keipper, with 33 years in education (27 of those in VWCS); fifth grade teacher Deb Nedderman, with 36 years experience; and seventh grade math teacher Bonnie Thatcher, with 37 years of teaching experience.

Treasurer Mike Ruen noted in his report that this is likely to be the last year the district will see large numbers of teachers retiring, since most of the veteran teachers reaching that plateau have now retired. The district has reaped financial benefits from those retirements, since the teachers retiring were all at the top of the district pay scale, while most of those hired are closer to the bottom of the pay scale.

Also resigning was Tim Wertenberger, LifeLinks digital learning instructor, effective October 21.

The board also approved supplemental contracts for Robotics Club advisors Bob Spath and Zane McElroy.

A group of teachers were also on hand during Wednesday’s board meeting to provide an update on the New Tech High School project-based learning program implemented at Van Wert High School three years ago.

Chris Covey, who is the lead teacher for the New Tech program, talked about the “community connection” meetings the district has been having with parents who were concerned about the effect of the project-based learning program on their children’s grades and education.

“As educators, we were definitely listening (to what parents said),” Covey said, adding that he feels the meetings have been “very honest and very productive”.

The meetings came after a group of parents brought their concerns about New Tech to a board meeting several months ago. Following a nearly two-hour discussion on the program that night, Superintendent Ken Amstutz decided to hold a series of meetings to provide parents with more information on the program, as well as receive input and comments from parents, some of which have led to changes in how the program operates.

Covey also noted that he feels freshmen students, after struggling the past two years, are getting a handle on project-based learning quicker, stating that this year’s freshmen “had a handle” on the program in the second quarter, while the previous year it took until the third quarter for students to be comfortable with the project-based learning curriculum.

Covey and other teachers who spoke said the meetings have been valuable, noting that most parents attending saw the value of project-based learning after it was explained to them. Covey did note, though, that the district does not do a good job of promoting its “wins” — its positives.

“We need to do a better job of promoting that,” Covey added — something Amstutz agreed was going to improve.

The next community connection meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 11, in the S.F. Goedde Building conference room.

Also during his report, Ruen talked about the five-year forecast, noting that one area the district has seen some increase in revenues is related to agriculture revaluations, adding that farmland values have nearly doubled with the latest triennial valuation update. Although, because of House Bill 920, a large increase in property values would normally not result in increased tax revenues, Ruen added, that was not the case this time, due to the fact the district was under its effective 20-mill funding base.

During his report, Amstutz also talked about the change from days to hours, when its effect on the district’s calamity day situation. The superintendent said districts now have to provide at least 1,001 hours of instruction each school year, and noted that Van Wert has 1,157 hours scheduled this year.

Although that leaves 156 hours in excess of what is required by the state, Amstutz also explained that two-hour delays now count against that total, stating that 25 hours have already been used for cancellations and delays.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, several donations from community businesses and organizations. They include: Young & Yarger Law Firm, $50 to the VWMS Renaissance program; $5,000 from the Cooper Family Foundation, within the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund, for the Blessings in a Backpack senior project; Van Wert County Hospital ($500), Road Runners Club of America ($1,000), and VOYA Community Fund Inc. ($1,750), for the Elementary School wellness program; Van Wert County Foundation ($2,000), Citizens National Bank ($500), Central Mutual Insurance Company ($2,500), Plante Moran PLLC ($500), Joel Penton Painting ($100) and Allan Able ($50) for the Vann Wert High School Robotics Club.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel items, with no action taken afterwards.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 17, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.