Vantage hears election results update

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Vantage Board of Education heard news on a new financial software package and a report on November’s passage of Vantage’s permanent improvement levy during its December meeting.

The brief meeting, held prior to Vantage’s annual Christmas dinner, included a report by Treasurer Laura Peters on new MUNIS accounting software being installed early next year at Vantage. Peters said Vantage is one of 28 school districts participating in a program to install the MUNIS software, noting that a contract has been signed to purchase the software, which will be installed sometime in 2016.

The treasurer also noted that Vantage’s 2015 financial audit has been filed with the Auditor of State’s Office.

Superintendent Staci Kaufman said she was pleased with the passage of Vantage’s permanent improvement levy, which passed by a higher margin this year than ever before.

“We increased in every county, once again,” Kaufman noted, adding that Paulding County had 7.47 percent more positive votes, while Putnam County’s “yes” vote increase was 10.06 percent, and Mercer County increased its positive vote count by 5.25 percent.

Even Van Wert County, which traditionally has carried Vantage levies in the past, increased its positive vote another 3.5 percent, to 74.24 percent.

“It (Van Wert County) has normally always carried us in the past, but to increase even further, I think, is phenomenal,” the superintendent said. “It’s amazing we’re seeing such unanimous support; we truly appreciate it…”

Kaufman also noted that Vantage should learn sometime in January or February whether it will receive a Straight A grant the school applied for with 15 other career centers in Ohio.

Vantage Adult Education Director Pete Prichard noted that Vantage recently concluded its accreditation process, noting that Vantage received high marks on a survey of Vantage students seeking their opinion on how well the school handles admission and student support services and whether the students would recommend the school to their friends.

In other news, the board approved the purchase of a Weeke Vantech 480 CNC machine for the Carpentry program at a cost of $88,653, while hiring Christal Ankney and Dillon Staas as Adult Education instructors.

Board President Lonnie Nedderman was chosen to be president pro tempore for Vantage’s organizational meeting in January.

The next meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 14, in the district conference room.