C’view moves forward with facility project

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

CONVOY — After months of planning and discussion, the Crestview Local Board of Education agreed to move forward with plans to add classrooms to the current school building.

During Monday night’s monthly meeting, board members passed a resolution to advertise and receive bids for the project, which will lead to the addition of seven new classrooms along with the renovation of some existing classrooms.

“It will address some of the needs where teachers are sharing rooms and they’ll each have their own instruction spaces,” Superintendent Kathy Mollenkopf explained. “The bottom floor will have the additional classrooms and there’s some renovation on the second floor, but really no new construction up there.”

The addition/expansion project is expected to cost approximately $2.9 million and should be complete in time for the 2020-2021 school year.

The board also approved a memorandum of understanding regarding the gift of the former Vancrest of Convoy facility, pending the final terms of a gift agreement.

“We want to accept the property, they’ve said they’re willing to donate the property, so it allows us to finish up some things like look at the title, do a title search to make sure we have a good title, to make sure we can do a phase one environmental study just to make sure everything is being done in good faith,” Mollenkopf said. “There’s not a doubt that there is, but it’s just good business practice.”

Mollenkopf also said the board is mulling over several potential uses for the property. One possibility previously mentioned was an early childhood center.

In other business, Mollenkopf broached the subject selling up to two acres of school owned property for possible commercial use. Future discussions are expected to take place.

Board members heard a short presentation from elementary music teacher Lindsey Moore, who talked about different aspects and methods of music instruction with the district’s younger students, and elementary principal Jessica Schuette shared good news about results of Early Learning Assessments (ELAs) for third graders.

“We came back really strong again with our numbers,” Schuette said. “We had 91 percent last year and we’re at 90 percent (this year), so we only have six students who have not met that promotion yet.”

Schuette also told the board that those students will have two more chances to pass the assessment.

During his report, high school principal Dave Bowen told the board that Crestview and Lincolnview will again take part in the “Rivals United” competition with Crestview in February, and he noted that he’s working with school counselors to overhaul the school’s course description book.

“We have a lot of information that we are going to sift through to give our students a better communication device to look at,” Bowen noted.

The board accepted the resignations of paraprofessional Alyssa Fegley and student services secretary Sandy Etzler, and the board accepted donations of $100 and $200 from the Convoy United Methodist Women for the elementary emergency clothing fund and for outstanding needy elementary student fees and lunch accounts.

The Crestview Board of Education’s next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, January 14, 2019, in the board conference room. The organizational meeting will be held first, followed by a budget hearing and the regular monthly meeting.