L’view welcomes new staff, enrollment up

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education welcomed six new staff members, heard enrollment figures for the current school year, approved a policy to add new school sports, and heard a presentation on a summer ACT prep course offered in the district during its August meeting on Tuesday.

Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder introduced the six new staff members who attended the meeting, and they then provided a little personal information about themselves. New staff members who attended include Deb Miller, food service supervisor; cook Teresa Dunlap; fourth-grade teacher Marla Kemler; third-grade teacher Matt Evans (a Lincolnview graduate); intervention specialist Lindsay Breese; and cook Tara Linton.

Of the new teachers, Kemler and Evans were formally hired during the July board meeting, while Breese is an employee of the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center, but will work in the Lincolnview district.

Snyder also noted that the district’s enrollment for the 2016-17 school year stands at 886 students, with a net addition of 153 students through open enrollment. Snyder said a total of 261 students open enrolled in the district, but 109 Lincolnview students will also attend other area school districts through open enrollment.

The superintendent added that the high number of open enrollment students is a positive for the district.

“I think that speaks volumes for our district and what we do on a daily basis, what we do on a yearly basis, and how welcoming our kids are to kids who come from a different district,” Snyder said.

Lincolnview junior Dylan Neate and High School Principal Brad Mendenhall talked about an ACT prep course conducted at Lincolnview this summer. The 11-day course cost participating students just $50, versus $650 if taken on their own, and was helpful, Neate said.

“It was time consuming, but, I feel, worth it in the end,” the junior noted.

Mendenhall said the average ACT score of the 18 students who took the course was a 24 after taking the course, with several students scoring above 30 on the test. Neate said his score improved five points after he took the prep course.

The board also approved a new policy that provides a template for those who would like to start a new sport at Lincolnview. The policy requires that varsity sport wannabes undergo a probation period and be financially independent after three years. Lincolnview currently has two bowling teams that are club sports, but could become varsity teams if they meet the policy requirements.

While Snyder jokingly noted that football is not, at this time, being considered for varsity status, he did add that the Lincolnview band would be traveling to Liberty Benton this year to perform a halftime show with that school’s band at a football game.

York Township Trustee Nick Williams also attended the meeting to give the board a heads-up on a possible TIF (Tax Increment Financing) request that could be made in connection with a hog/manure operation being proposed in York Township.

The board will have to decide whether to approve a TIF agreement with the township if the project goes through.

Also Tuesday, the board approved a number of workers for the district 21st Century grant program, including co-coordinators Marie Tow and Hilary Arn, and Alexa Zeff, Rachel Motycka, Danielle Okang, Breese, and Cheryl Mongold as grant program tutors and mentors, and Becky Matthews as a bus driver for the program.

In other personnel action, supplemental contracts for home tutoring were awarded to Kristy Ringwald, Michelle Knodell and Ashley Miller, while Benji Byrne and Nikki Staten were given personal service contracts as, respectively, freshman boys’ basketball coach and varsity softball coach.

Greg Byrum was approved as a volunteer high school cross country coach, while Ty Coil was approved as a volunteer junior high-high school cheerleading coach.

The board also approved the deposit of more than $200,000 in alternative energy funds. $50,226.13 will go to the General Fund, while the same amount will be deposited in the General Technology Fund, and $100,452.24 in the Permanent Improvement Fund.

In other action, the board:

Authorized two overnight trips by the high school choir: one to Kent State University on October 9-10 and one to the University of Toledo on March 31 and April 1.

Approved of a contract with Phelan Insurance Agency (EMC Property & Casualty Company) for fleet, liability, and property insurance.

Approved a corrective action program limited scope project agreement with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission to repair masonry flashing in the high school gymnasium.

Authorized a contract with Foster Family Chiropractic to provide athletic trainer services to the district.

Approved three salary schedule advancements: Karla Bowersock, Christine Doner, and Beth Schnipke, master’s plus 15 hours.

Accepted, with thanks, the following donations: $1,485 as the first half 2016 Klein Trust donation through the Van Wert County Foundation; $100 from St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Van Wert for the Needy Student Fund; and $2,000 from the Cooper Family Foundation as an education grant.

Appointed Lincolnview Local Education Association member Hollie Ford to the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group (VWASIG).

Went into executive session to discuss personnel items, with no action taken following the session.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 14, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.