SIDNEY — A resolution to proceed with placing a permanent improvement levy on the Aug. 2 ballot was approved by the Sidney City Board of Education during its meeting Monday night.
All the paperwork, said Treasurer Mike Watkins, will now be submitted to the Shelby County Board of Education. With the action, the board will be asking district voters to approve a 3-mill levy for a period of five years. If approved, the levy would begin with tax year 2016 and collections would start in 2017.
The resignations of five employees of the district was approved by a 3-2 vote, with board members Mandi Croft and Chip Hix voting no. The resignations are for Sharon Davis, speech pathologist, effective May 23; Sonia Selanders, Sidney Alternative School (SAS) aide, effective May 20; Stevie Smith, SAS aide, effective May 20; Jamal Foster, SAS aide, effective May 20; and Andy Slaughter, head boys basketball coach, effective April 5.
“I think the evaluations for the employees needs to be revamped,” said Croft after the meeting. “I wasn’t satisfied with them (evaluations).”
Hix said he voted no because of a “lack of documentation.”
The board approved the hiring of Sharon Maurice as a Workforce Academy teacher on a one-year limited contract. She will be paid $54,709 per year. Maurice had been the director of the Workforce Academy and will continue to serve as the liaison between the Workforce partners and Workforce Academy/RCI.
“This is a win-win situation for us all,” said Mick Given, chairman of the Workforce Partnership Board.
Given said the board is just starting the process to hire a new director. They hope to hire the person within the next 90 days.
“Sharon will be working as the director until school starts,” said Given. “Sharon has a terrific vision and understands what we’re trying to accomplish. We want the students in Shelby county to be introduced to the industries located here.”
Given said the majority of the students in the Workforce Academy attend Sidney City Schools, which has a middle school and high school program. Fort Loramie Local Schools has a program also.
“We want the program to stay successful,” said Given. “Sharon helped getting us going and we’re going to keep the pieces of the puzzle in place.
“The Workforce Partnership Board is pleased that we have a strong person in Sidney City Schools. She (Maurice) will be overseeing the program as Academy department head and have oversight of the RCI program. She will be a liaison with the new director.”
The primary focus of the new director, said Given, will be to implement the program in each of the county schools. The person will be meeting with the county school principals and superintendents to start the programs.
The Workforce Partnership Board is a three-part program in the county: the city school program, the county schools program and the mobile career lab.
Given said Maurice has been talking with the county schools about starting the Workforce Academy in their schools.
Jason McLain was hired as food service/operations director for the district. He received a three-year, 260-day contract at $94,484 effective Aug. 1. He replaces Hugh Auckerman, who is retiring.
The majority of the salary, said Superintendent John Scheu, will come out of the food services budget. McLain was the only candidate with dual licensure from the district to apply for the job.
In other business, the board:
• Accepted the retirement resignation of Wanda Challen, bus driver, effective March 31. She has been with the district for 21 years.
• Approved a purchased service contract with Edmentum for Plato Courseware for a five-year period from July 1, 2016 to June 20, 2021 at a cost of $452,890 with the Midwest Region Educational Service Center paying 50 percent of the cost.
• Hired Larry Hoel for seasonal work at $13.79 per hour effective May 23.
• Hired Christine Thobe as a substitute teacher at $90 per day for the remainder of the school year.
• Hired Linda Wilson, substitute custodian, $12.72 per hour, and Kumkum Bahel, substitute aide at $10.61 per hour, for the remainder of the school year.
• Approved classified contracts for various personnel. Croft abstained as her mother was one of the employees receiving a contract.
Contracts were given to Tom Kohl, technology support, one-year contract, revised contract length from 185 days to 215 days; Jamie Whited, technology support, two-year contract; James Abbot, aide, one-year contract; Jamie Barnes, Amy Blust, Patti Boshears, Stephanie Cavinder, Terri Klosterman, Barbara Roddy, Andie Slaughter, Justin Smith, Ashley Thompson, Sarah Ullery, Terry Ward and Tracy Watkins, two-year contracts;
Also, Cynthia Biddle, Madge Connelley, Richard Engelken, Renee hamilton, Dave Havener, Rebecca Lenhart, Dianne Murray, Valerie Schroer and Michaela Topalov, aides, continuing contracts; Kenna Chavez, Shamara Foy and Fran Miller, secretaries, continuing contracts; Scott Cromes, Penny Raterman and Jeffrey Wheeler, bus drivers, two-year contracts; Linda Nuss, cook, one-year contract; Peggy Ahrens, Kammy Bontrager, Jennifer Burns, Laura Hughes, Nancy Kraus, Rachel Minniear and Betty Snider, cooks, two-year contracts; Linda Hicks, Elizabeth McGinnis and Robyn Smith, cooks, continuing contracts; Tim Elmore and Tara Henderson, custodians, two-year contracts; and Stacey DeLong, Brian Moses, Mark Shatto and Penny Stackonis, custodians, continuing contracts.
• Approved re-employment of substitute aides, substitute bus drivers, substitute cafeteria truck driver, substitute cooks, substitute custodians, substitute maintenance and substitute secretaries.
• Went into executive session at the beginning of the meeting for more than one hour and held a second executive session at the end of the meeting.
The board’s next meeting will be Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at the board of education building.
