PIQUA — An enterprise zone agreement between Shelby County and SEMCORP manufacturing was approved Monday, April 4, by the Upper Valley Career Center Board of Education.
SEMCORP is considering a site in Sidney as a new location for its business. If built, 1,200 jobs would be created.
The agreement calls for s 75% tax exemption for increases in real property value related to new construction at the site. The agreement is for 15 years.
Barbara Dulworth, city of Sidney community development director, James Hill, Sidney-Shelby Economic Partnership executive director, and James Shih, SEMCOrp, presented the proposal to the board. The company manufactures separator film used with lithium batteries.
In other business, the board:
• Approved new textbooks for the 2021-22 school year.
• Approved the 2022-23 high school program/patronage fees.
• Approved the 2022-23 high school tool kits/supply list.
• Hired Deborah DeCurtains, Dorianne Harsbarger and Terry McMenamin as certificated substitutes.
• Hired Olivia Newman as the adult student, alumni and assessment coordinator effective May 1 too June 30. She will be paid a prorated amount base on a $47,104 annual contract. She also received a supplemental contract for 40 hours from April 1 to April 30.
• Hired Kevin Trick as an industrial inhouse teacher at $22 per hour and industrial offsite instructor at $30 per hour effective April 4 through June 30.
• Approved the retirement resignation of Kim Reid, student services secretary effective June 7.
• Approved the resignation of Derek McCracken, agriculture science instruction at Houston High School satellite, effective June 30.
• Approved a resignation correction for Terry McMenamin, adult student, alumni and assessment coordinator, effective June 30.
• Approved out-of-district learnin opportunities for:
— Tony Trapp, apprenticeship coordinator, to attend the ACTE Work-Based Learning Conference in Sandy, Utah, from April 27-30. Total cost will not exceed $1,900, which includes registration, meals, lodging, airfair, parking and transportation.
— Duane Caudill, adult division director, and Trapp to travel to German for the Next-Level Apprenticeships: Strategies for Building and Improving Your Program from June 18-26. The cost to the district for registration, travel, lodging, meals and miscellaneous expense will not exceed $8,000. Grants and scholarships will be applied for from the German American Chamber of Commerce as well as other locall companies/agencies.
— Joe Spangler, information technologies instructor/BPA adviser, Sidney High School satellite, and five students to participate in the BPA National Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas, from May 4-8. The cost to the district for registration, travel, lodging meals and miscellaneous expenses will not exceed $8,750.
• Accepted donations from:
— Thomas Boerger, $500, to be used by the UVCC FFA program.
— A & E Home Services, a 2002 Fort F150 to be used by the automotive technoolgies Skills USA program.
— Sidney Police Department, grow lights, potting soil, pots and other indoor growing items to be used by the UVCC ag sciencee satellite programs.
— Perrigo Nutritionals, large assortment of miscellanous gently used hand tools to be used by the Adult Division weldling, fabrication and allied processes programs.
• Approved the purchase of eight WeldStation welding books at a cost of $73,845 from Clean Air America.
• Approvd the Amplyifying Ohio’s Pathways to Graduation grant for $100,000. The funds will be used to support Sidney City School and the Midwest Regional ESC Opportunity School in develping or expanding programming related to Ohio’s alternative graduation requirements.
• Learned the staff retirement reception will be held April 28 from 2:45-4 p.m.
• Learned the achievers’ recognition will be held Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. at Piqua High School auditorium.
• Learned convocation will be held Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m. at Hobart Arena.
• Learned the last day luncheon will be held Friday, May 27, at 11 a.m.
Superintendent Jason Haak shared updates with the board. He:
• Congratulated Brylee Yohey, Abby Purtee, Makenna Homan and Sierra Henning who will be moving on to the State Science Fair. Congratulations also were extended to instructors Mitzi Clark and Megan Geise for working with the students to prepare for this event.
• Shared that the Upper Valley Career Center Early Childhood Education and Care Program in partnership with the Miami County Sheriff’s office and will be hosting a Safety Town event for children ages 4-6 on May 31-June 3, 2022.
• Presented commendations to Tony Trap, UVCC’s Work-Based Learning Program and Apprenticeship Coordinator, for recently being featured in the Association of Career
Technical Education Work-Based Learning Toolkit resource guide.
• Extended congratulkations to the Upper Valley Career Center Early Childhood Education Level 1 State FCCLA qualifiers: Ella Aufderhaar (Botkins) – Career Investigation; Alize Leugers ( Botkins) – Teach and Train; Ella Aufderhaar, Rebekah Holsapple (Anna), Alize Leugers – Focus on Children; Catie Stapleton (Troy) – Language and Literacy. Level 2 State FCCLA qualifiers were: Reiven Selhorst (Houston) – Language and Literacy; Allison Sharp (Houston) and Chloe Whalen (Sidney) – Focus on Children; Chloe Whalen – Professional Presentation.
• Congratulated the Jackson Center/UVCC FCCLA chapter who participated in regional career development events. All five teams earned a Gold Rating. Students participating were Kendall Hilbun, Audrey Byrd, Corinne York , Laynee Shield, Kathryn Prenger, Cortney Copeland, Brianna Fitzgerald, Vanessa Fitzgerald, Maleah Kipker and Avery Jackson.
• Congratulated the Fort Loramie/UVCC FCCLA who had four
groups participate in the regional competition. Three received gold and one received silver. All four groups qualified for state. Students participating were: Food Innovations – Rhese Voisard, Julia Thompson, and Abby Wrasman – Gold; National Programs in Action – Dani Barhorst – Gold; Entrepreneurship – Rhese Voisard – Gold; Repurpose and Redesign – Cami Benanzer and Ella Boerger – Silver.
• Recognized the Covington/UVCC FCCLA program Fall Personal Finance team who finished fifth in the nation for the Budget Challenge. Currently, the Spring Personal Finance team is currently ranked first in the nation.
• Congratulated the Fairlawn/UVCC FCCLA program who had four groups participate in the regional career development event. Three received gold ratings and three received silver. Student participating and qualifying were: Kurt Hobbs – Promote and Publicize FCCLA – Gold; Loralei Chambers and Liliana Phillips – Chapter in Review Portfolio – Gold; Liliana Phillips – Leadership – Gold; Amelie Phillips and Abigail Thornton – Chapter Service Project Portfolio – Silver; Madalyn Gillman and Eva Henderson – National Programs in Action – Silver; and Alli Orsborne – Public Policy Advocate – Silver.
• Shared the Upper Valley Career Center Foundation will be participating in a Community Night Fundraiser at Moeller Brew Barn in Troy on April 19 from 5-9. Potions of the proceeds will go to support the Upper Valley Career Center Foundation and student scholarships.
The board’s next meeting will be Monday, April 25, at 6 p.m. at Piqua High School.
