PIQUA — Upper Valley Career Center’s Board of Education is joining other board of education’s throughout the state voicing their concerns about decisions made at the state level concerning education.
During its April meeting, Dr. Nancy Luce, superintendent, asked for feedback on a letter sent by a number of superintendents and boards of education to educational and legislative leaders in Ohio. The letter expresses concern for the lack of involvement of educators in decisions that impact Ohio’s schools, teachers and students.
As a result, she said, legislation and policies have been enacted that continue to negatively impact public education. The letter also requests that all educational stakeholders have the opportunity to engage in reasonable and thoughtful collaboration with governmental representatives as Ohio moves forward with the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The board directed Luce to notify the authors of the letter to add Upper Valley Board of Education to the list of boards in support of the concerns and goals expressed in the document.
Luce will also talk with the Ohio Association of Career Tech Superintendents’s Executive Committee to see if career-technical leaders are interested in drafting a similar letter from leaders of CTE.
Luce also told the board that the district has filed an appeal of its fiscal year 15 final funding amounts due to the lack of verifiable reports. As a result of problems with EMIS, many districts have similar concerns.
In other business, the board:
• Learned Dr. Peg Morelli was honored by the Ohio Association of Adult and continuing Education as Administrator of the Year.
• Learned a Straight A grant is being written that would support the Makerspace/Fab Lab concept.
• Learned the Upper Valley Career Center SkillsUSA Chapter has been selected as one of 24 National Chapters of Excellence.
• Received a Miami County Foundation grant to purchase Chromebook carts for satellite programs at Piqua High School, Troy High School and Troy Junior High School in the amount of $4,467.
• Approved a resolution certifying the project completion with the Ohio Facilities Commission for the district’s construction project.
• Accepted various donations.
• Approved out-of-state travel for Deb Luellen, pre-engineering and design technologies instructor, and 10 students to travel to the 2016 National Robotics League Competition in California, Pennsylvania, on May 20-21. Costs to the district for registration, lodging and transportation, miscellaneous expenses and instructor meals will not exceed $1,000.
• Approved textbooks for the 2016-17 school year.
• Approved revisions to the 2016-17 high school fee schedule
• Approved a request to advertise for bids for the installation of a new sanitary sewer at 8811 Career Drive. Project costs to include design and engineering fees, materials and labor and city tap fees.
• Approved a memorandum of understating with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office for the contracted service of a school resource officer for the 2016-17 school year.
• Approved a motion to hold a public meeting on June 27 at 6 p.m. concerning the retirement and re-employment of Carol Noffsinger, who is currently a science instructor.
• Awarded contracts to Nicholas Baumer, agriculture science education Bradford satellite, $41,336, and Kyle VanDyke, academic instruction, English, $28,812, for the 2016-17 school year.
