VWCS board of ed. hires 8 new teachers

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Board of Education hired eight new teachers and accepted the resignations of three, including retiring Van Wert Early Childhood Center Principal Bill Wisher, and also heard a presentation on the high school work study program during its May meeting on Wednesday.

The board issued employment contracts to the following teachers for the 2015-16 school year: Zachary Bates, second grade; Elizabeth Davis, fourth grade math-science; Kelly Fritz, middle school STEM teacher; Katelyn Gamble, sixth grade math; Melissa Miller, first grade; Melinda Rauch, fifth grade science; Danielle Sudhoff, fourth grade language arts/social studies; and Caitlin Walker, high school language arts.

In addition to the resignation of Wisher, who is retiring after 25 years in education, seven of those at Van Wert, Christine Heizman resigned as elementary intervention specialist, effective the end of the current school year, and Cynthia Klinger resigned her position as a middle school paraprofessional after seven years in that position.

Summer school teaching staff members were also approved by the board. Summer school staff include the following: Van Wert Early Childhood Center – Drew Bittner, Kim Dowdy, Laura Foster, Jaime Gardner, Brittany Hayden, Shelly Place, Kaitlin Roberts, Jessica Small, Judi Smith and Janine Warnecke; Van Wert Middle School – Jay Royer; Van Wert High School – Bob Priest, government; Wendy Howell, Ohio Graduation Test science; Nancy Brown and Natoshia Wilhelm, OGT language arts; Charlie Witten, OGT mathematics; Jennifer Trittschuh and Jeff Kallas, OGT social studies; and Ryan Parrish, OGT; LifeLinks Community School – Doug Adams, Kyle Hammons, Della Harting, Angela Myers and Ashley Wharton.

The board also scheduled a public hearing on the retire-rehire petitions of Mark Collins, Dave Froelich and Kent Smelser for 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

Also Wednesday, the board heard five Van Wert High School students talk about the high school work study program. All five said they benefited from the program through work experience, confidence gained on the job and good references they hope will allow them to obtain future jobs.

VWCS Treasurer Mike Ruen had some positive news for the board, noting that the district had received more than $86,000 in Medicaid reimbursement payments, which helps to offset the cost of providing services to students.

Superintendent Ken Amstutz talked about the upcoming Great Science Adventure, a summer camp developed to provide STEM education to incoming students in grades 3-6. The event, which is run by certified science instructors, with assistance from volunteers and high school students, will take place from 8:30-11:30 a.m. June 22-25, at the S.F. Goedde Building on West Crawford Street.

“I think this will be a tremendous week for them,” Amstutz said of students who participate in the camp.

Later in the meeting, the board and administration was questioned by three students and an adult about the decision to cut French classes from the high school curriculum. Both Amstutz and VWHS Principal Bill Clifton said the decision was made after French teacher Kelly Van Horn tendered her resignation. As is typical, a review was made of whether student participation was enough to justify the cost of hiring a new teacher, with the decision being made that, with enrollment only providing enough students for approximately a half-day’s worth of classes, keeping French was not very cost-effective.

The decision mirrors what many other Western Buckeye League schools have done, since many of those schools only offer two foreign language classes, as does VWHS (German and Spanish).

Two WBL schools, however (St. Marys Memorial and Wapakoneta), do still offer three foreign language options, a woman opposed to dropping French said during the meeting.

The board also approved a contract to provide services for the Ohio Family and Children Council’s Help Me Grow program. The contract is between VWCS, as fiscal agent, and Van Wert County Family and Children First Council and the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

In other action, the board:

• Hired the following summer substitute custodial/maintenance workers: Eli Alvarez and Connor Shaffer.
• Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2015-16 school year: Cole Harting, freshman football coach; Ashley Breese, freshman volleyball coach; Kim Doidge, high school golf coach; Abbey Craft, seventh grade volleyball coach; Mark Bagley, varsity head boys’ basketball coach; Chris Covey, varsity assistant boys’ basketball coach; Ben Laudick, boys’ junior varsity basketball coach; Jeff Hood, freshman boy’s basketball coach; Lance Moonshower, varsity girls’ basketball coach; Rob Adams, varsity assistant girls’ basketball coach; Todd Dunlap and Brad Doidge, junior varsity girls’ basketball coaches; Ben Collins, varsity wrestling head coach; Mark Collins and Ed Jacobs, varsity assistant wrestling coaches; Kristi Bell, varsity basketball cheerleading coach; Nate Hoverman, seventh grade boys’ basketball coach; Kerry Koontz, eighth grade boys’ basketball coach; Scott Jordan, seventh grade girls’ basketball coach; Tom Baer, eighth grade girls’ basketball coach; Austin McIntosh and Cory Hirschy, middle school wrestling coaches (50 percent); Brad Allmandinger, middle school wrestling coach; and Cayla Wise, middle school basketball cheerleading coach.
• Approved the following volunteer coaches: Kirby Doidge, high school golf; Judy Krites, high school volleyball; Brandon Miller, high school boys’ basketball; and Jerry Ramsay, high school wrestling.
• Approved the following mentors for resident educators for the upcoming school year: First year mentors – Ruth Ann Dowler, Nikki Adams, Sara Alvarez, Nate Hoverman, Mike Myers, Sara Royer, Michelle Hoffman, Kim Werling and Betty Holliday; second-year mentors – Ruth Ann Dowler, Nikki Adams, Sara Royer, Anita Zuber, Mike Myers, Sara Alvarez, Brendon Moody, Karen Emerine, Tiffany Werts, Jen Trittschuh and Nate Hoverman.
• Approved the following third- and fourth-year facilitator: Kelly Van Horn.
• Approved a memorandum of agreement with the Van Wert Federation of Teachers for middle school supplemental positions, as presented.
• Approved the following middle school supplemental positions: Ben Laudick, Sarah White and Darla Dunlap, middle school Cougar leaders.
• Approved for graduation the VWHS Class of 2015, providing all requirements are met. Graduation is at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 31, in the high school gymnasium.
• Approved fall and winter sports ticket prices for the 2015-16 school year.
• Approved the WBL vs. MAC/NWC Football All-Star Game on Friday, June 12 (rain date, Saturday, June 13).
• Approved a waiver to opt out of the career-technical education requirements for the 2015-16 school year. Amstutz said all of the schools in the Vantage Career Center district are opting out, since none of the schools, including Vantage, are prepared to meet the short timeframe for fulfilling the program requirements.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with district classified employees for the retirement insurance opt out payment, as presented.
• Authorized the following waiver days for the upcoming school year: October 12, November 23, February 16, 2016, and March 29, 2016.
• Approved certified and classified contracts for the 2015-16 school year.
• Accepted the following donations: Van Wert Youth Football, mowing of the former Washington Elementary School lot; Van Wert Rotary Foundation ($250), Citizens National Bank ($750), David and Laura Roach ($500) and Van Wert County Hospital ($1,500) for the elementary wellness program; Baldea Enterprises LLC, $120 for the elementary school; Leland Smith Insurance Services Inc., $500 for Blessings in a Backpack; Chuck Thompson, $2,000 for his athletic scholarship; and Beta Delta Chapter, Psi Iota Xi sorority, $100 for the Masque and Gavel.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.