Vantage board welcomes new member

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Vantage Career Center Board of Education held its organizational and regular meetings on Thursday, with Crestview representative Lonnie Nedderman re-elected as board president and Wayne Trace representative Pat Baumle board vice president.

The board also welcomed new board member Clint Vance, who replaces Greg Reinhart as Vantage’s board representative from Paulding Exempted Village Board of Education. Vantage Treasurer Laura Peters administered the oath of office to Vance prior to the start of the organizational meeting.

During the organizational meeting, the board also appointed Ron Bradford, who represents Continental Local Schools, as Vantage’s legislative liaison, while Kalida Local Schools representative Greg von der Embse was chosen as student achievement liaison.

The board also decided to hold regular board meetings on the first Thursday of the month, although there will be some months where that will change, while also approving the 2017 Tax Budget presented by Peters prior to the organizational meeting.

In personnel matters, Rhonda Davis was hired to replace Donna Myers as preschool head teacher. Myers’ resignation, effective January 4, was also accepted by the board. Tara Mill was also hired as a part-time cook, while Michael Eversole, Jerry Ruwoldt, and Lonnie Schlosser were hired as Adult Education instructors on an as-needed, as-scheduled basis.

During her report, Peters noted that the MUNIS financial software would be the subject of a meeting of participating school treasurers scheduled for February 3 in Lima, while also noting that the software would likely be installed at Vantage by April 30.

Superintendent Staci Kaufman talked about Vantage’s 40th Anniversary Open House on Monday, April 22, starting at 5 p.m.

In other action, the board:

• Appointed Kaufman to the Putnam County Tax Incentive Review Council.
• Accepted a bequest of $47,985 from the Rothacker-Lampe Trust, which is administered by the Van Wert County Foundation, for the purchase of electrical program equipment.
• Adopted a resolution to take funds needed to purchase a Weeke Vantech 480 CNC machine from the Rotary Carpentry House Fund.
• Approved Vantage’s five-year strategic plan.
• Approved new and revised policies as recommended by NEOLA.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 4, in the district conference room.