MOUNT VERNON — School facilities construction was one of the topics discussed during Wednesday’s meeting of the Governing Board of the Knox County Educational Service Center. As numerous school districts take advantage of building funds available through the Ohio School Facilities Commission, taxpayers in some of those districts are not getting the deal they may have expected.
Nancy Holtrey, board president, said there have been reports statewide of contractors having to tear down and redo new construction, and school boards often have to review and approve change orders and repair orders. Holtrey said the school district usually has to pay for those repairs and changes, even if that wasn’t in the original construction agreement. Meeting construction deadlines has also been a concern in some cases.
She said state legislators and OSFC administrators have been made aware of the problems, and said school board members and administrators need to remain aware of the issue and continue to let people know that shoddy workmanship and unmet deadlines are not acceptable.
Completing staffing requirements for the 2008-09 school year, the board renewed the contract with Julie Conkel as a reading teacher at the Alternative Center, to be paid through the Alternative Challenge Grant. Shelly Watson was hired as a special education teacher, Krystle Frye as a teacher assistant and Meghan Brindley was hired as a speech therapist.
Mary Elliott was advanced on the salary schedule due to completion of requirements, and the board employed a number of teachers in various school districts to supervise Virtual Learning Academy classes. Superintendent Dave Southward said Virtual Academy has several new and expanded course offerings this year, and programs that are more interactive. The board also granted supplemental contracts to a handful of ESC employees to teach Virtual Academy classes.
In addition to approving lists of substitute teachers and teacher aides, the board approved bus drivers for all of the local districts. It also accepted resignations from Shawna Benson, assistive technology specialist, and intervention specialist Lisa Muncie.
As part of the ESC’s collaboration with local districts and organizations, the board renewed a contract with Moundbuilders Guidance Center to share the expenses of a full-time counselor to work at the Alternative Center to assist in the implementation of 21st Century Grant activities. The board also approved an agreement with Mount Vernon City Schools to provide the services of parent mentor Carol Laufersweiler.
Also at the request of Mount Vernon schools, the board increased Lynda Weston’s salary effective Aug. 1. The cost will be billed back to the school district. The board ratified service contracts with Clear Fork schools for temporary as-needed classroom aides and for eight hours of speech therapy services, and ratified a service agreement with New Hope School to provide one day per week of early intervention speech therapy services.
In other action, the board approved Alternative Center, preschool and para-pro staff handbooks for the 2008-09 school year, renewed membership in the Ohio Educational Service Center Association and the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy, and appointed Holtrey to serve as its delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association annual conference in November. Richard McLarnan was named alternate.
Prior to adjournment, the board changed the date of its next meeting to Sept. 11. Location and time remain the same: at noon in the board offices.
