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Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

VWCS board OKs bond refunding issue

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Board of Education approved a number of personnel items and a new district insurance contract, and also adopted a resolution authorizing an amended bond-refunding proposal during its August meeting on Wednesday.

Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Ken Amstutz talks about health insurance costs during Wednesday's school board meeting. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)
Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Ken Amstutz talks about health insurance costs during Wednesday’s school board meeting. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)

Board members on Wednesday accepted resignations from Doug Adams, LifeLinks Community School intervention specialist; Lynnet Braun, Early Childhood Center paraprofessional; Deb Miller, assistant food service director; and Ashley Wharton, LlifeLinks language arts teacher.

Those hired include the following: Karlin Dunlap and Zacharia Miller, LifeLinks online instructors; Kathleen Gray, district occupational therapist; Isaiah Jones, second shift custodian; Neomi Jones and Debra Rager, Van Wert Elementary School paraprofessionals; and Tasha Miller, Early Childhood Center paraprofessional.

A supplemental contract was also approved for Devyn Rodriguez as a middle school football cheerleading coach.

Also Wednesday, the board approved a new property/liability insurance contract with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, through Phelan Insurance Agency, at a cost of $65,002. The contract, which goes into effect September 1, includes property, general liability, school leaders errors and omissions, data compromise, crime, business auto, and umbrella liability coverage.

District Treasurer Mike Ruen noted that he had reviewed insurance coverage and had recommended increased coverage to compensate for an increase in the value of district property, while also upping the district’s umbrella liability coverage.

Superintendent Ken Amstutz also said that health insurance costs through the Van Wert Area School Insurance Group (VWASIG) has been fairly steady, only increasing 38 percent in the last nine years, an average of 4.2 percent per year, after larger increases earlier on.

“I think we’ve weathered the storm,” Amstutz said of the lower health insurance costs.

The board also approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of $17,310,000 in school improvement refunding bonds. Ruen said the resolution was needed to replace two resolutions previously approved by the board because he felt combining the two bond issues would increase flexibility.

Bill Clifton, assistant to the superintendent, talked about a number of drills students and staff must conduct in a school year, noting that the district must conduct six fire drills, three tornado drills, and three safety drills that include both staff and students.

“We used to do nine fire drills,” Clifton noted, adding that the number of drills were lowered to six, now that all buildings have sprinkler systems.

In other action, the board:

  • Approved Foster Family Chiropractic to provide athletic trainer services for the school year.
  • Accepted the following donations: Van Wert County Foundation/Klein Trust, $10,950 for needy students; Cooper Family Foundation/Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund, $2,000 for its annual education grant and $1,500 for the VWHS Renaissance program; Walmart, $1,500, and Eaton Corporation, $250, for the VWHS Robotics Club; an anonymous donation of $1,000 for the elementary school wellness program (Road Runners); and Jeffrey and Kristina Loughrie, $50 for the boys’ basketball activity account.
  • Approved services provided by Van Wert County Hospital at a rate of $25 per hour for athletic training services at district athletic events.
  • Approved handbooks for VWECC/VWES, VWMS, VWHS, and LifeLinks Community School.
  • Appointed Amstutz and VWES Principal Kevin Gehres as district representatives to VWASIG.
  • Authorized a contract with Wood County Juvenile Detention Center-Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio education program for the current school year.
  • Approved NEOLA-recommended bylaws and policies.
  • Learned that Karen Emerine will be advanced on the payscale from “master’s” to “masters plus 30 hours”.
  • Went into executive session to discuss personnel issues, with no action taken afterward.

The next scheduled meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 21, in the First Federal Lecture Hall of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.

POSTED: 08/18/16 at 7:32 am. FILED UNDER: News