The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

VWCS bd. hears Eggerss Stadium update

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Interim Superintendent Staci Kaufman attended her first Van Wert City Board of Education meeting in that capacity on Wednesday, while the board learned that a survey that would help decide the fate of Eggerss Stadium is nearly ready to go.

Interim Superintendent Staci Kaufman gave her first report during Wednesday’s Van Wert City Board of Education meeting. Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent

Kaufman, who retired from Vantage Career Center at the end of the school year, but agreed to become interim superintendent at Van Wert, said she was pleased to be in her new position.

“It feels good to be in a district that is doing the right things and going in the right direction, and has an interest in doing the best for the kids,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman noted in her first report to the board that the S.F. Goedde Building will be the site of a new alternative school, Synergy, which replaces the former LifeLinks Community School.

Kaufman said keeping the new alternative school, which is being operated by the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center,

Bill Clifton, assistant to the superintendent, reported that a community survey being compiled to give district residents a chance to comment on Eggerss Stadium is nearly done. Clifton said a committee that is working on the project has the survey nearly completed, with media releases that would accompany the rollout of the survey also nearly done.

“We’re working on it,” he said, adding that efforts to decide what to do with the historic football stadium have been time-consuming. “I know people are starting to wonder where we are in the process.”

Clifton said that, while the committee is focusing solely on Eggerss Stadium, the district administration is also looking at an athletic complex that would include new softball and baseball fields. The athletic complex could be part of a stadium project at the new high school-middle school complex, if district residents support that option, or a stand-alone facility at the new school site if Eggerss Stadium is renovated.

“This committee felt it was important not to muddy that water, and this survey focuses on the stadium,” Clifton noted.

Meanwhile, district Treasurer Mike Ruen’s report included an insurance item that underlined the importance of doing something with the stadium. Ruen noted that the district’s property insurance renewal includes a 5-percent increase that is mostly due to the deteriorating condition of the visitors’ bleachers across from the stadium.

The treasurer said the bleachers were inspected five years ago and found to be not up to code. However, with the fate of Eggerss Stadium up in the air, it was decided to hold off on renovating or replacing the bleachers until a decision is made on the stadium.

But Phelan Insurance added the additional premium because of the increased hazard resulting from the deteriorating bleachers.

The total insurance premium was $68,327 and includes property, general liability, school leaders errors and omissions, data compromise, cyber-crime, business auto, and umbrella liability coverage.

Also Wednesday, the board accepted the resignations of cafeteria worker Diana Kallas and occupational therapist Kathleen Gray, both of which were effective the end of the 2016-17 school year, and also the following new hires: Patricia Bonifas, cafeteria worker; Kylie Cira, Early Childhood Center paraprofessional; Lori Gunderman, district payroll/benefits specialist; Avery Etzler and Nicole Minnig, auxiliary services tutors; Erin Stokes, Title I instructor for St. Mary’s School (part-time); and Mary Yackey, auxiliary services.

A number of supplemental contracts were also approved, including building and district leadership teams.

Athletic supplemental contracts include the following: Josiah Poletta and Colton Royer, freshman football coaches. Eli Alvarez was also approved as a volunteer girls’ assistant tennis coach.

Non-athletic supplemental contracts include the following:

Early Childhood Center — Jen Arend, Aimsweb manager; Jessica Small, RTI manager; and Laura Foster, multimedia manager.

Van Wert Elementary School — Danielle Sudhoff and Betsy Davis, Student Council advisors; Amy Covey and Alicia Welker, multimedia advisors; Sara Royer and Ashley McElroy, student rewards coordinators; Amy Covey, Ty Wannemacher, July Mosier, Colten Royer, and Jared Army, RTI managers; Donna Clark, Cindy Etzler, Kathy Long, Betsy Davis, and Drew Bittner, Aimsweb managers.

Van Wert Middle School — Anita Zuber, Scholastic Bowl advisor; Tami Suzuki, Pam Morris, and Chris Gemmer, student rewards co-chairs; Sarah White, Darla Dunlap, and Ben Laudick, Cougar Leaders advisors; Susan Semer, yearbook advisor; Zane McElroy, newspaper advisor; Steve Sealscott and Craig Syphrit, intramurals coordinators.

Van Wert High School — Melissa Bloomfield, Tricia Hughes, and Katie Adelblue, Beta Club advisors; Cole Harting, webpage advisor; Nancy Brown, newspaper advisor; Melissa Bloomfield, musical and play director and music director; Krista Baer, Excalibur advisor; Eugene Aufderhaar, German Club advisor; Brenda Smith, Junior Class advisor; Jennifer Trittschuh and Natoshia Wilhelm, National Honor Society advisors; Wendy Howell and Jeff Hood, student rewards coordinators; Anita Zuber, Scholastic Bowl advisor; Khandiss Klinger, Spanish Club advisor; Judy Krites and Katie Bowersock, Student Council advisors; Charles Witten, varsity “V” Club advisor; Jennifer Trittschuh, Scarlet Squad advisor; Nancy Brown, Pam Switzer, Natoshia Wilhelm, and Stephanie Hanneman, senior project teachers; and Bob Spath and Zane McElroy, Robotics Club advisors.

The board went into executive session to discuss contract negotiations to end the meeting, with no action taken following the session.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 20, in the district boardroom in the Goedde Building.

POSTED: 08/17/17 at 7:45 am. FILED UNDER: News