L’view school board tackles busy agenda

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

The Lincolnview Board of Education heard several presentations and approved a number of routine items during Monday night’s monthly meeting.

During his report to the board, superintendent Jeffrey Snyder touched on recent school delays and closings caused by dense fog.

“There’s no easy method of how to cancel or delay school,” Snyder said. “There’s no exact science.”

Snyder thanked the board for the purchase of new digital bus radios, which have a 120 square mile coverage radius, and he said the district remains in need of substitute bus drivers.

Two Lincolnview High School students made brief presentations to board members. One of those was senior Alana Looser, who had high praise an ACT prep course offered by the school.

“It was really beneficial for me because it helped me gain confidence to answer the questions on the test,” Looser said. “I would recommend it to other students, because it did increase my scores.”

Lincolnview High School Brad Mendenhall said the school offers the course for $50, which is much less than outside sources.

“I’m really proud that we’ve taken this initiative to help kids and bump their ACT scores,” Mendenhall said. “Over the past couple years, we really have seen some incredible results.”

Junior Gabby Perkins told the board about a recent Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership conference she attended in Ada, with the focus being drugs and bullying.

“I have a program set up, including the steps to take, and I’m looking forward to starting it at the school sometime,” Perkins said.

Over a dozen Lincolnview F.F.A. students will be attending the National F.F.A. Convention in Indianapolis October 24-27, after the board approved the trip.

“We will be traveling with Crestview, Parkway and Wayne Trace,” F.F.A. Advisor Jordan Dues explained. “We have some tours scheduled a little further than Indianapolis, with the big ticket item being the John Deere factory in Moline, Illinois.”

The board hired Kaitlyn Brant as girls’ seventh grade basketball coach, Matt Evans as boys’ eighth grade basketball coach, Benji Byrne as boys’ freshmen basketball coach, and Stacie Korte as Drama Club advisor.

Treasurer Troy Bowersock informed the board that state foundation funding is up about $24,000, due to casino revenue, and he said gave an update on free and reduced lunches.

“The free count is down slightly and reduced is up a little, so I anticipate that some free lunches went to reduced status,” Bowersock said.

The next meeting of the Lincolnview Board of Education is scheduled for 6 p.m. October 25 in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.