PIQUA — The Upper Valley Career Center FFA was presented a check for $10,000 from the Monsanto Company Technology and Agronomy of Perrysburg Monday evening at the board of education meeting.
The check was presented by Jay Brooks, CCA, technology development representative of Monsanto. The education grant was awarded through Monsanto’s education outreach program, America’s Farmers: Grow Rural Education. The school with the top FFA program in the county receives the grant from the outreach program. The funds will be used to purchase Chromebooks for FFA students in the satellite program.
“It’s a good chance to watch the future grow,” Brooks said.
New officers of the Student Senate were honored during the evening. Those new officers include Julie May, president; Dylan Hensley, vice president; Shelby Bohman, secretary; Emily Phillips, treasurer; and Danielle Glick, historian.
May, a senior interactive media student, addressed the board about the plans for the Student Senate and expressed how attending the Career Center is one of the best decisions she’s made.
“Thank you for allowing us to gain knowledge in our career field,” May said. She plans to attend college to study visual communications.
Treasurer Paul Carpenter and Superintendent Dr. Nancy Luce traveled to Columbus to the Ohio Board of Education recently to address an error in the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) regarding student enrollment. Corrections to student head count is vital for adequate funding from the state.
“It has to do with coding software issues that were not thoroughly developed when (the figures) were put in place,” Luce said to the board. “Everyone (career centers) is having major concerns (with updating data).”
Carpenter said it is not unusual for the OBE to address issues with career centers after focusing on K-12 districts.
“We kind of come second in line when it comes to fixing kinks,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the new proposal of the Senate bill addressing the Tangible Personal Property Tax reimbursements to state schools will result in “career centers being left out.”
“At this point, (the bill is) not looking at including us,” Carpenter said. “Moving forward, that’s going to be the case that we will lose that funding in the next 4-5 years.”
“It’s one of those cases where we are not feeling at all optimistic,” Luce said.
Fiscal year 2016 will be the first year that Upper Valley CC will see a loss in this funding of $330,000, which will result in a loss of $1.379 million within 4-5 years. There is currently internal discussion of what to do with this loss in funding.
Other board happenings include:
• Luce reported that Randy Moore, Kelton Moore, and Ted Tinsel recently received the Volunteers of the Year Award from the OSBA Southwest Region. They were selected for the award based on their extensive and ongoing contributions to Upper Valley CC’s Project Search program.
• Luce announced that there will be an open house from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, at Piqua High School and Piqua Junior High School to spotlight the new STEM programs operated by Upper Valley CC.
• President Andy Hite updated members on the treasurer’s search. The board determined that second-round interviews will be held the evening of Nov. 2.
The board approved of the following:
• The purchase order in the amount of $15,000 to the Miami County ESC for purchased services of an attendance officer on an as-needed basis for the 2015-16 school year.
• Donations from: Circuits & Cables, miscellaneous electronic components and organizer drawers; French Oil Mill Co., miscellaneous metal material; and Becky Baker, Pentax camera and accessories.
• A land grant from Hartzell Norris Trust on Looney Road.
