VWCS board hears career readiness report

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Van Wert City Board of Education heard a report on local Straight A Grant activities, as well as career readiness in the middle school, while also hearing some positive financial news from Treasurer Mike Ruen during its November meeting on Wednesday.

Assistant to the Superintendent Bill Clifton noted that he has been working with curriculum coordinators in Van Wert and Paulding counties in seeking a Straight A Grant that would allow teachers to better collaborate with colleagues in other school systems.

“We believe our teachers our hungry for collaboration,” Clifton said, noting he feels the grant would significantly improve such collaboration efforts.

The assistant to the superintendent also briefly talked about the Ohio State Test, which replaces the Ohio Graduation Test as the primary test to determine a high school student’s academic achievement.

Superintendent Ken Amstutz talked about efforts to increase career readiness, noting that new programs promoting career readiness are being implemented in Van Wert Middle School. Amstutz noted the district waived a new state requirement last year related to implementation of middle school career readiness programs.

“Last summer we passed a resolution that we were going to take a waiver this school year because we weren’t quite ready for that,” Amstutz told the board on Wednesday.

The superintendent said that, through the efforts of Sarah White and other VWMS staff members, the district is now ready to implement middle school career readiness programs.

“We’re up to speed with that, so that’s a very good thing,” he said.

Amstutz also noted that Van Wert High School Principal Bob Priest and guidance counselor Kerry Koontz are also contacting local businesses in order to implement a career readiness plan in the high school as well.

“We’ll be seeing what our employers want, what they need, what their desires are, and what we as a school district can do for them,” he told the board.

Ruen also talked about some good news related to school income tax receipts. The treasurer noted that income tax revenues were up approximately $38,000, a 7 percent increase over last fiscal year at this time.

Less positive were the large number of audits the district was involved in, or would be soon, the treasurer said.

In personnel items, the board accepted the resignation, due to retirement, of Libby Shell, a paraprofessional at the Van Wert Early Childhood Center, after 16 years in the district. The resignation of Ashley Breese as Van Wert Elementary School multi-media advisor was also accepted by the board, who later hired Traci McCoy to replace Breese in that supplemental contract position.

Other supplemental contracts approved include the following: Martha Martin and Keith Rydell, varsity assistant swimming coaches; Charlie Witten, head baseball coach; Chris Covey, assistant baseball coach; Jim Werts, junior varsity baseball coach; Karlin Dunlap, freshman baseball coach; Mike McClure (90 percent) and Karen McClure (10 percent), varsity softball head coaches; Jay Royer and Leah Taylor (both 50 percent), junior varsity softball coaches; Mitch Price and Alex Schmidt, halft-time head boys’ tennis coaches; Mark Collins, head boys’ track coach; Nate Hoverman, head girls’ track coach; Bob Priest, assistant track coach; Bob Spath, Kerry Koontz, and Mike Myers, middle school track coaches.

The board also approved the following volunteer coaches for the current school year: Ryan Heil, boys’ head bowling coach; Nate Simson, head girls’ bowling coach; Chuck Rollins, assistant boys’ bowling coach; Terry Simson, assistant girls’ bowling coach; Jeremy Kitson and Alan Carr, assistant baseball coaches; and Chuck Collins, high school boys’ assistant tennis coach.

In other action, the board:

• Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: High School Robotics Club – Ohio Northern University, $2,000; Advanced Biological Marketing, $500; Indiana Institute of Technology, $1,000; Crown Equipment, $500; CBJ Forms, $100; Middle School Renaissance – Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, $100; Braun Industries, $300; AMA Material Supply Inc., $100; Keister & Baker LLC, $100; Roger J. Okuley, DDS, $100; Star Rental, $100; High School Principal’s Account – Pel Industries, $26.84; Elementary Principal’s Account – Elks Lodge 1197, $250.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding with the Van Wert Federation of Teachers regarding the supplemental salary percentage for the Robotics Club advisor, which runs from August 1, 2015, through July 31, 2017.
• Learned that a public hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 16, to receive comments on the proposed retire-rehire request of Bill Clifton.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, December 16, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.