L’view board hears report card summary

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Lincolnview Local Board of Education heard an overview of the district’s State Report Card results during a 50-minute meeting Monday in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.

Superintendent Jeff Snyder provided a summary of Lincolnview’s state report card results, noting that, while there was room for improvement, the district did have the best report card in Van Wert County, as well as placing 58th among Ohio’s 609 school districts.

“There are parts of the grade card that we are really happy with, and there’s parts that we are not,” he said, noting that Lincolnview staff will be working hard on 10 initiatives to improve future results.

The superintendent did note that it has been frustrating for Lincolnview teachers and staff’s efforts to improve scores without proper data being received in a timely manner. He also said he hoped that the tests would remain the same as last year, so schools are not always trying to hit a moving target.

“We’ve also felt that there are needs we can control in-house,” Snyder noted, “and we feel that, if we can control them and work hard at them, these results will continue to improve and help to maintain a high level (of academic achievement).”

Also Monday, the board approved overnight trips for Lancer golfer Joshah Rager and Golf Coach Daryl Dowdy to compete in the district (retroactively) and state golf tournaments, as well as a number of personnel contracts.

The board hired Linda Wilson as a substitute cook for the remainder of this school year.

Supplemental contracts were also approved, as follows: Christina Wendel, co-senior class advisor; Marcus Meyer, assistant baseball coach; and Stacie Korte, swing choir director.

Personal service contracts were approved for the following: Amber Davis, co-senior class advisor; Seth Wisener, assistant wrestling coach; Kylie Owens, assistant softball coach; and Denise Cramer, Ohio Reads volunteer coordinator.

Volunteer coaches were also approved, including: Ashley Miller, girls’ high school basketball volunteer; and Brian Renner, boys’ junior high baseball volunteer.

Snyder also noted that the district would be putting two new buses into service this year during his buildings and grounds report, while the board also approved a 20-percent health insurance and an 18-percent increase in dental insurance costs.

The superintendent said the insurance costs, through the Van Wert Area Schools Insurance Group, were in response to a decreasing carryover in the VWASIG insurance fund. Snyder said medical insurance costs have averaged approximately 4.1 percent the past 10 years, but a bigger increase was needed this year to ensure there was money in the fund to pay insurance claims.

Snyder also noted that the district was looking for a school nurse, and had posted the position on the school website.

In other action, the board:

• Approved a contract with Gattshall Excavating and Trucking to provide snow removal services for the district for the 2016-17 school year.
• Contracted with Jeff Krugh as the district’s Class I domestic water systems operator and wastewater systems operator, from November 1 through October 31, 2017.
• Accepted an annual gym floor advertising payment of $5,000 from Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, which benefits the athletic department and facility needs.
• Went into executive session to discuss personnel items, with no action taken after the session.

The Lincolnview Local Board of Education’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 22, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.