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Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Amstutz attends final VWCS bd. meeting

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Ken Amstutz received a good-bye gift and compliments from Board President Debby Compton during his final Van Wert City Board of Education meeting on Wednesday.

VWCS Superintendent Ken Amstutz receives a good-bye gift from Van Wert City Board of Education President Debby Compton during his last meeting on Wednesday. Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent

“One thing I realized about Mr. Amstutz is that he put his heart and soul in Van Wert City Schools his whole 10 years,” said Compton, who commended Amstutz for his educational leadership on initiatives such as project-based learning, the Project Lead the Way engineering and biomedical programs, and the school robotics program, which has received national and international recognition. “You have led our district to new heights.”

Compton also commended the superintendent for his engagement with the students and the community. “Besides leading the way for big changes, Mr. Amstutz has been very visible in our district,” Compton said. “He spends a great amount of time in all of our buildings and knows all of our staff and students well.”

Amstutz said he has enjoyed the last 10 years.

“It’s been a very good 10 years,” he noted. “I felt very supported by this board, by past boards, by our administration, and especially the teachers.

“The greatest part about what has happened in this district is that you people were interested in moving forward and getting better, that’s not always the case in every school district,” Amstutz added. “I felt as though we were interested in doing what was best for kids.”

The superintendent said the community has undergone much change over the past decade, adding that he hoped he had provided the leadership necessary to help the district move forward and that it would continue to do so under a new superintendent.

He also offered to help out, if needed, during the interim period prior to the hiring of a new superintendent.

Amstutz also provided some explanation on Chris Covey’s hiring as district director of curriculum and instruction. The board approved a three-year administrative contract for Covey in that position on Wednesday.

“We have had a need in the district from a long time ago for a curriculum coordinator,” Amstutz said, noting that Covey has provided leadership in implementing project-based learning throughout the district. “Chris has earned the position, and he’s done a nice job.”

In addition to curriculum work, the superintendent said Covey and Assistant to the Superintendent Bill Clifton would take on some additional duties to help out Staci Kaufman during her tenure as interim superintendent over the next year.

Other personnel items included the hiring of Samantha Heppeard as a fourth grade teacher, Audrea Mancinotti as a middle school teacher, and Brianna Recker as an elementary school paraprofessional for the 2017-18 school year. Brent Hamrick was also hired as a middle school-high school custodian, effective August 1.

The board also accepted a number of staff resignations, including Michael Myers, sixth grade science teacher; LifeLinks Community School Director of Student Services Jackie Brandt; Kathleen Schmitz, assistant treasurer-payroll/benefits specialist; and Denise Bono, high school cafeteria worker.

The following supplemental contracts were also approved: Tom Losh, high school boys’ soccer assistant coach (80 percent); Solomon Okang, high school boys’ head soccer coach (15 percent) and assistant coach (20 percent); and Jordan Daniels, Colton Royer, and Josiah Poletta as freshman football coaches (33 percent).

During his report, Treasurer Mike Ruen noted that the district would receive approximately the amount of funding in the coming year under Governor John Kasich’s biennial budget as it did last year.

“It’s basically flat-lined,” Ruen said, adding, “Any revenue increase that we might see will have to come from other sources.”

Clifton provided an update on the stadium

A possible surprise was two donations from U.S. Education Secretary Betty DeVos. The board accepted $5,000 donations from the Dick and Betty DeVos Foundation to be used for the Blessings in a Backpack and robotics programs, respectively.

Other donations accepted include $12,705 from the Gaylord E. Leslie Endowment Fund Bequest, half of that amount going to each of the vocal and instrumental music programs, as well as a $1,065 donation from the Leslie Bequest for the district golf program; $1,000 from Federal-Mogul Corporation for the VWHS Robotics Team, $400 for the high school band from the Peony Festival Committee; $180 from the Donald E. Bachman Memorial Fund for the athletic department; and $500 from Vancrest Management Corporation to the boys’ basketball athletic account.

In other action, the board:

  • Approved extended time for the following employee contracts: Frankie Bowen (20 days), Stephanie Hanneman (20 days), Ruth Ann Dowler (from a continuing contract to a three-year administrative contract, beginning the 2017-18 school year).
  • Approved a contract amendment for fiscal year 2017 and a contract for FY 2018 between Van Wert City Schools and the Van Wert County Board of Developmental Disabilities for the Help Me Grow program.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 16, in the S.F. Goedde Building conference room.

POSTED: 07/20/17 at 8:07 am. FILED UNDER: News