Vantage Board hears positive news

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

Vantage Career Center officials are pleased with attendance so far this school year, along with a new incentive system geared toward students.

“We are at 96 percent attendance through 10 a.m. this morning,” High School Director Tony Unverferth told the Vantage Board of Education during Thursday night’s monthly meeting. “Mr. Darrell Miller, Alaina Ellis, and our whole staff continue to make sure the kids understand how important it is to attend school.”

Unverferth also explained that a new “points participation” system for students has shown promise.

“We have 296 of our students that did not lose a single point in the first nine weeks, and that’s exactly two-thirds of our kids,” Unverferth said. “They haven’t been tardy, don’t have any unexcused absences, no discipline incidents, or ‘Fs’ on report cards.”

Those students will be rewarded with refreshments.

Unverferth also said flags are being sold for the annual Veterans Day program.

“Today was the first day and we sold about 40 flags,” Unverferth said. “Last year, we raised $185 for the Ottoville VFW and this year everything is going to the Payne American Legion, then next year we’ll pick another veterans organization in the area to donate that money to.”

During his report to the board, Superintendent Rick Turner said he’s received compliments about the criminal justice program’s color guard performance during the recent Ohio School Boards Association’s northwest regional conference held at Vantage.

“Their performance was so impressive that I received phone calls from a couple of superintendents who said their board members came back talking about it,” Turner said. “They were very impressed and we’re so proud of our students.”

Adult Education Director Missy McClurg told board members that the school has submitted its fire charter.

“We have an agreement with the Van Wert Fire Department for use of equipment, and all the fire departments in the area have been great in working with us and offering their facilities for off-site locations,” McClurg said. “That includes Delphos, Paulding, Convoy, Ohio City, Scott, Grover Hill, and Wilshire.”

“We also have 12 instructors who are ready to start teaching with us, so that’s really nice and we’re really excited about that.”

McClurg also informed the board that high school students will begin taking CDL classes on November 12.

“We’ve worked on a schedule where we believe we’ll be done around mid-April, and we believe we have the potential for 16 high school students,” McClurg said.

Board members learned the solar panels on the north end of the Vantage Career Center campus are paying dividends. GEM Energy Program Manager Toby Slocum told the Vantage Board of Education that the panels have resulted in electricity savings of over $15,000 in 2017-2018, with projected savings of more than $17,000 in 2018-2019.

In other business, the board accepted the resignation of OTC enrollment coordinator Kristie Jones and hired a number of people on an as-needed basis, including Thomas Zuber and Gary Cearns as welding instructors; Kevin Van Oss as a substitute welding instructor; Ronald Joseph, Austin McIntosh, and Tyler Dunham as police academy instructors; Larry Ray as manufacturing customized training coordinator; Maria Diltz as heath programs customized training coordinator and enrollment coordinator; Brian Ankney as fire training program coordinator; Zach Miller as CPR instructor; and Michael Miller as trade and industry instructor.

The board also approved Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) agreements with CMS Holdings and Rentals for the revitalization of a two-story building at 115 S. Market St. in Van Wert, and a three-story building at 132 E. Main St. in Van Wert.
Board members approved an electricity supply agreement with Constellation NewEnergy, and the board accepted a $1,500 grant from the Paulding Putnam Round Up Grant, to be used for the Vantage school garden.

The next meeting of the Vantage Career Center Board of Education will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 6, in the board conference room.