VWCS board gives go-ahead for fireworks

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Board of Education approved a motion that could bring the Holiday at Home fireworks display to school property for this Fourth of July holiday, although not everyone was pleased with that decision.

The board voted 4-1 to authorize Superintendent Ken Amstutz and Treasurer Mike Ruen to negotiate with the city on an agreement to bring the fireworks display to school-owned acreage located west of the high school-middle school complex.

District resident Ava Good, who lives in the area where the fireworks display would be set up, attended Thursday evening’s meeting to state her opposition to having the display that close to her property.

While other board members also voiced some concerns over the request, Mike Morrow was the only board member to vote against the motion, noting he felt there were problems with holding such a public event on school property.

“The request does not seem consistent with the intended use of that public property,” Morrow said following the meeting.

Amstutz pledged to have the district’s attorneys draw up an agreement that would address any possible liability issues the school district might face in hosting the display.

Van Wert Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming and Parks and Recreation Director Sue Heppeard had attended the board’s March meeting to request the school site host the Holiday at Home fireworks display. Fleming said the city needed to find a new site for the fireworks display because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prohibited fireworks displays at the Van Wert County Regional Airport.

Fleming and Heppeard noted that safety would be maintained at the school site, which would be under the jurisdiction of Van Wert Fire Chief Jim Steele.

The school site would also provide more spectator parking then the airport site.

Also Thursday, the board heard a presentation on Van Wert Middle School activities given by Assistant Principal Darla Dunlap and Marie Markward, VWMS intervention specialist.

Personnel actions taken by the board include accepting the resignation of VWHS French teacher Kelly Van Horn after 12 years in the district, effective the end of the current school year, and the hiring of the following teachers for the 2015-16 school year: Melissa Bloomfield, high school-middle school music teacher; Macy Davis-Ferrall, VWHS physical education and health teacher; Cole Harting, VWHS math teacher; Khandiss Klinger, VWHS Spanish teacher; Alex Schmidt, elementary school physical education teacher; Steve Sealscott, VWMS intervention specialist; and Samuel Tindall, VWHS art teacher.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a Satellite Program Standards and Maintenance Agreement with Vantage Career Center for the 2015-16 contract year.
• Accepted the resignation of the following supplemental positions: Anson Moody, junior varsity soccer coach; and Angie Stemen, assistant varsity swim coach, and approved Cayla Wise as the VWMS football cheerleading coach.
• Amended Athletic Director Kent Smelser’s contract to reduce the number of days he works each year. Compensation will also be reduced accordingly.
• Acknowledged the following donations: Van Wert Booster Club, $1,000 for the soccer-track facility sound system; Eaton Corporation ($250) and James and Janet Moorman ($100) for the VWHS Robotics Club; Kevin and Dondra Maney, $1,500 for the John Fox Maney Memorial Business Scholarship; Van Wert Service Club, $125 for the Van Wert City Schools Endowment Fund for Educators; the Cooper Family Foundation, within the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund, $1,000 for the VWMS Renaissance program; and Action for Health Kids Inc., $410 for the VWES wellness program, and $320 for the Early Childhood Center’s Principal’s Student Activity Fund.
• Approved the 2015-16 school calendar that complies with the minimum hour requirements of the Ohio Revised Code.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.