Honored with Resolutions at Wednesday' St. Marys City Schools Board of Education Meeting were (from left) essay contest winners Max Elsass, Zach Ferrall, Kylie Wright and their teacher Ronda Shelby. Kari Burke also placed in the contest but was unable to attend the meeting.
February 16 News Story
School Board Okays Matching Funds
For Wireless Laptops at Noble School
ST. MARYS - The St. Marys City Schools Board of Education voted to provide matching funds for a wireless laptop computer lab at Noble Elementary School during its monthly meeting Wednesday night which was held at Noble School.
The proposal, presented by Noble Principal Greg O’Connor, includes $10,000 in funding from the Noble Elementary PTO, $22,695 from Noble Proficiency Improvement Award Fund and the School Board matched the PTO funds at $10,000 to cover the estimated total cost at $42,695.
The project includes 20 wireless laptop computers, which will be used for whole group instruction in Noble’s six classrooms. The computers will communicate through a wireless network with a transmitter installed at Noble School. The computers will go from class to class, enabling instruction for the entire class at once.
The wireless technology is the first of its kind for the school district.
“I think this is a good idea and it’s nice that the PTO supports it,” board member Rees McKee said. “This will be a nice way to test out this wireless technology. Hopefully there will be some results that we can evaluate for the future.”
O’Connor said the staff at Noble has been busy developing a curriculum for the traveling computer lab that will enhance the school’s regular curriculum.
“These computers will be able to move from class to class, providing a computer lab for each class,” O’Connor said. “We’re very excited about the possibilities this presents.”
“This project would not be possible without the hard work of the PTO,” Superintendent Paul Blaine said. “It’s not easy to raise $10,000, especially for a small school like this one.”
Special guests at Wednesday’s meeting included McBroom Junior High School Students, who read their award-winning essays in the state “Women Making History Essay Contest.
This year McBroom had an unprecedented four students place either first or second in the prestigious statewide writing contest.
Zach Ferrall, who wrote an inspirational essay about his mother, Nann Davis-Ferrall, took first place in the contest. Max Elsass, Kari Burke and Kylie Wright each received a second place honor.
McBroom Principal Newt Triplett praised the students, and their teacher, Ronda Shelby, who has inspired award-winning writers for several years. Each of the students received a Resolution of Recognition from the Board. Shelby also received a special Resolution. Triplett said 11 McBroom students have placed in the contest over the past nine year.
The board also heard from Presbyterian Church Pastor Keith Kivlin, who said he was breaking ranks with some members of the St. Marys Ministerial Association and coming out against a “dark night” policy that would prohibit school programs on Sunday evenings.
Kivlin said once of the biggest problems for the young people in the community is binge drinking, which usually occurs because there’s nothing for the youth to do.
“If there wasn’t an open gym or something like that, it would be one more excuse to go get another 12-pack,” Kivlin said. “When I was younger I used to preach on the other side of the isle of this issue, but I’ve buried too many 16 year-olds.”
Board President Grady Shaner said he was very appreciative of Kivlin’s comments and would pass them along to a committee that has been formed to look into the idea of a Sunday “dark night.”
In other action the board officially approved the fiscal year 2002 tax rates as determined by the Auglaize County Budget Commission.
Blaine said the trend of lowing millage continues, as funding for the district will be just 22 mills next year.
“We’ve gone from 32 to just 22 mills in the last nine years,” Blaine said. “The good news is we won’t go any lower than 20 mills, because that’s the minimum the state allows for.”
Blaine said the millage drop is a result of what he calls the “House Bill 920 Effect,” which is a state law that prohibits schools from increasing tax rates as property values increase. As the overall property value has increased in the district, property owners still pay tax on the value of their property when the last levy was assessed. This causes the millage to drop, and is one of the major problems of school funding, because schools must relay on the state top increase funding or continually pass new levies.
The board accepted some major donations for the district on Wednesday. A scholarship fund has been established with the donation of $57,904 from the estate of Marguerite Geiger and $11,823 from the estate of Edith Geiger. Blaine said the first scholarship awarded from the new fund will be later this year.
Other donations included a 16 x 18 foot flag from American Legion Post 323 in St. Marys; $3,167 by the Board’s Business Advisory Council and the St. marys Community Foundation for a new ceiling mounted video projection system in the MHS library; $60 to each of the district’s four elementary libraries from the Ohio Child Conservation Leagues; and a donation in the memory of Ronald E. Cook from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Huwer, Mr. and Mrs. John Wahrer, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Makley, and Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Vanderhorst.
In items related to personnel the board accepted the resignations of Sandi Rindler as Holy Rosary Auxiliary Services and Josh Leslie as Boys Elementary Basketball (Little Riders) instructor.
Certified appointments included: Richard Spencer, Tri Star Electronics; Cheryl Howard, Chapter I Reading; Al Carter, Substitute ABLE Teacher; Ned Dammeyer, Substitute Teacher; Roger Voisard, Substitute Teacher; Terry Wissman, Substitute Teacher. A maternity leave extension was granted to Jennifer Arend.
Classified appointments included: Kay Wurster, Substitute Bus Driver; Nicole Dicke, Substitute Aide; Melanie Stevens, Substitute Cook; Shelby Roller, Substitute Cook; Kathy Douglass, Substitute Educational Aide.
Supplemental appointments included: Brice Brenneman, Boys Elementary Basketball (Little Riders) Instructor; Kristy Gear, Eight Grade Softball; Richard Spencer, 15 days Extended Service; Mandy Goodwin, Junior Varsity Softball; Fred Hullinger, Junior Varsity Baseball.
Summer student workers (to be paid $6.57 and hour) appointed included: Jessica Dysert, Kristy Yahl, John Keighley, Tara Chivington, Brad Anderson, Jill Ahlers, Andy Zink, Elizabeth Lampert, Jill Zweibel, Angela Kleinhenz, John Meinerding, Christie Alge, Brian Axe, John Douglass, Doug Hale, and Michelle Taylor.
Volunteer coaches appointed included: Bill Dustman, Boys Tennis; Dennis Lauth, Jeff Dieringer and Shawn McGee, Baseball; Jill Collins, Bill Feth and Diane Gayer, Softball.
In other Business the board:
• Adopted the textbook “Marketing Essentials” for the 11th grade marketing class.
• Heard from West Elementary School Principal James Roeth, who presented the board with student-made thank you notes for the new windows at West.
• Heard from MHS Principal Mike Makley, who commended National Merit Finalist student Jim Coons, and the schools music teachers and students for their success in hosting a recent contest that attracted 1,500 students from 21 schools. Makley also reported to the board that the school is offering breakfast in the cafeteria, which is gaining in popularity, and that the school is working on a program that would allow phys-ed credit for participation in sports.
• Changed its meeting location for next month to Moulton School.
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