Vantage approves Adult Ed name change

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Vantage Career Center Board of Education approved a name change for the school’s Adult Education program, while also giving its approval to the five-year financial forecast and also taking action on a number of personnel requests.

The board, which met Thursday for its October meeting, approved changing the Adult Education program’s name to the Ohio Technical Center at Vantage Career Center. The name change came at the request of the Ohio Department of Higher Education to better reflect its emphasis on labor-market driven, post-secondary workforce education and training across the state, according to Adult Education Director Pete Prichard.

Prichard also noted that enrollment was up for the Police Academy and Medical Technology classes, which have now begun for the current school year. He noted that enrollment has nearly doubled in those two programs.

Vantage Treasurer Laura Peters also presented an update on the five-year forecast to the board prior to its approval later in the meeting. Peters noted that, because a levy renewal comes due during the five-year forecast period, that money couldn’t be used in compiling a financial forecast, since an assumption cannot be made that voters will approve the levy.

The treasurer, who noted that Vantage would remain in the black during the five-year period, stressed that the forecast is notably conservative, calling it a “worst-case scenario” financially.

Vantage Superintendent Staci Kaufman noted that the school’s campaign to renew its 0.7-mill permanent improvement levy was going well and she hoped for a successful renewal of the levy, which is needed to provide mandated maintenance dollars for Vantage’s recent facilities projects.

The Vantage board also approved three Community Reinvestment Area requests, including a five-year, 50-percent tax abatement for improvements to 265 Prairie Lane in Van Wert; a 100-percent, 10-year tax abatement for Tin Cap Investments LLC to renovate 145 E. Main St. in Van Wert; and a five-year, 50-percent tax abatement for improvements at 427 Boyd Ave. in Van Wert.

Two Tax Increment Financing (TIF) agreements were also approved by the Vantage board. The TIF agreements are both for 15 years and are between Bare Creek Farms LLC and Spitnale Pigs Ltd. and Perry Township in Putnam County for facilities located in the Cloverdale area.

Personnel items include the hiring of a number of part-time student and adult banquet workers, as well as a banquet supervisor and clinical supervisors for Vantage’s STNA health careers program.

Student banquet workers include Graeme Bockrath, Ashley Bowers, Sydnee Gamble, Paige Gibbs, Kayla Gramlin, Suzanne Manz, Dacota Nash, Audrey Pease, Kaetlyn Sawmiller, Nathan Smith, Hailey Taylor, Brittney Vibbert, Logan Boroff, Justice Canfield, Audrey Durham, Joseph Galuski Jr., Brady Grime, Audrey Merritte, Allie Mihm, Samantha Ortiz, Keli Ralston, Draya Rison, Sky Schooley, Marcy Shoppell, Cody Sill, and Austin Van Atta.

Adult banquet workers include Marcia Osenga, Penny Baucom, Cindy Harting, Diana Becker, Annette Klinger, Karen McGilton, Lori Allen, Nancy Keith, Gail Gillett, Beth Evans, and Mary Ann Hall, while Robin Burns was employed as banquet supervisor.

Amelia Miller and Patricia Rodman were also hired as Health Technology clinical supervisors.

In the Adult Education area, Cynthia Krizan was employed as a career coach, while Kip Wright, Shane Lee and James Bennett were hired as instructors.

In other news, the Vantage board:

• Approved an overnight stay for the Vantage Satellite/Van Wert FCCLA students to attend the FCCLA Fall Leadership Conference at the Heartland Retreat Center in Marengo on October 12-13.
• Approved an articulation agreement between Vantage and Rhodes State College for the Adult Workforce Education EMT program.
• Approved a memorandum of agreement with the Vantage Teachers Organization to approve new dates for SGM Committee deadlines for teacher evaluations.
• Accepted a donation of new electrical wire, supplies and fixtures valued at $682.74 from Flat Land Supply Company in Van Wert for the Electricity program.
• Approved a natural gas supply agreement with Dominion Retail Inc. for the purchase of natural gas.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel, with no action taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 5, in the district conference room.