Van Wert Bd. updated on Eggerss Stadium

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent writer

Van Wert Board of Education members received a brief update on progress at Eggerss Stadium Wednesday night.

During his Athletic Council report, board member Anthony Adams said the stadium committee has been working with the Toledo based structural engineering firm of Rossi and Associates to finalize plans a prospective stadium renovation project, along with a possible baseball and softball complex at the high school.

“Once all of those things are in place, hopefully sooner rather than later, we’ll enter into an agreement with Benson and Associates and we’ll be conducting a feasibility study to see what sort of appetite there will be for both of those projects,” Adams said. “Hopefully in fairly short order, maybe even before the fall kicks off we’ll have some more information.”

In other business, Assistant Superintendent Bill Clifton noted that the Van Wert Police Department will do training today at the elementary building.

“We’ve given them permission to go in and become familiar with the facility in the event that they would be called upon to come in and assist us in a time of crisis,” Clifton explained. “There will be a police presence and police cars there and we don’t need the public to be panicked.”

Treasurer Mike Ruen briefly talked about school funding via the state budget, which must be approved by Sunday, June 30, and he said he doesn’t expect much in the way of new money.

“Any additional money that we may get through the state is always a blessing, but it’s not the kind of money that’s going to get us rich or allow us to do extraordinary things,” Ruen said. “We’ll continue to be good stewards of the dollars and we’ll continue to monitor our expenditures closely.”

The board approved several hirings, including Brooke Boznango as a sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher; Ava Burkheimer, high school counselor; Harry Florence, fifth grade intervention specialist; Ashley Hockenberry, preschool teacher; Rachel John, kindergarten teacher; Andrew Peel, first grade teacher and Amanda Temple, seventh grade science teacher.

The board accepted the resignations of kindergarten teacher Karen Vagedes and eighth grade volleyball coach McKenzie Collins.

Board members also accepted a long list of donations from charitable groups, entities and individuals and approved an agreement with the city to set up and display fireworks on the high school campus. In addition, the board approved a CEO program agreement with Crestview, along with cafeteria prices and student handbooks for the upcoming school year.

The next meeting of the Van Wert City Schools Board of Education will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, in the First Federal Lecture Hall at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.