Fort schools see savings (11/17/04)

FORT RECOVERY — The school corporation here is saving money on electricity and gas bills this year.

Dave Crosley from Dayton Trane of Vandalia, Ohio reported Tuesday night on the progress of the monitoring of energy usage at Fort Recovery Middle and Elementary schools.

“The building has Dayton Trane equipment, and we are trying to fine tune the system ... to make it more efficient,” Fort Recovery schools treasurer Dennis Ontrop said this morning. “A lot of (the system) is computer operated.”

The school corporation entered into an agreement with the company in April to monitor the amount of kilowatt hours of electricity and one thousand cubic feet of gas used by the school each month.

Crosley reported that since April the middle school has used 768,480 KWH costing $81,763.28 and 1,232.8 MCF costing $10,934.94. These totals are down compared to this time period in 2003. From April to October in 2003, the school used 845,600 KWH costing $82,375.85 and 2538.20 MCF costing $12,411.80. There has been $2,089.43 in savings, Crosley reported.

He also said his company is focusing on reducing or increasing the humidity in the school instead of changing the temperature, which saves money.

Also Tuesday, Fort Recovery High School principal Ed Snyder reported that 48.5 percent of students made either the all A or all A or B honor roll during the first nine weeks of school.

He also reported that 15 students received detention, one student received Saturday school and two students were given in school suspension during the first nine weeks of school.

Snyder also explained the school’s “first rate” card program which allows students to apply for a card based on GPA, attendance, community service or improvement in classes.

Students with the cards receive special awards.

In other business, transportation director and Fort Recovery Middle School principal Ted Shuttleworth told board members he is working on a policy which outlines disciplinary action for bus drivers that have violation points on their driver’s licenses.

Shuttleworth said the school corporation’s bus fleet insurance provider Ohio Place, recently requested that a policy be created.

He added he plans to have a policy drafted to submit to the board at its December meeting.

Also Tuesday, the board heard a report from elementary school principal Nancy Knapke on Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Planning. Knapke, one of the school corporation’s four CCIP administrators, briefly reviewed each funding program the school applies for including, Target Assistance, Title I; Improving Teacher Quality, Title II-A; Technology, Title II-D; Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Title IV-A; Innovation Programs, Title V; Special Education, Part B and Early Childhood Special Education.

Knapke reported the corporation has applied for $293,438 in federal grants through these programs.

In other news Tuesday, the board:

•Heard students will not have school on Monday, Nov. 29 for a staff development day.

•Watched a recorded news broadcast from the Veterans Day program held Nov. 11 at the Fort Recovery Middle and Elementary schools that appeared on Channel 7 of Dayton, Ohio.

•Heard Fort Recovery superintendent David Riel report he will meet with area senior citizens on Friday, Dec. 3, at 8:30 a.m. in the FRHS commons. This event called, coffee with the superintendent, allow senior citizens to meet Riel, ask questions or give input on the corporation.

This is the first time this event will be held.s

•Approved a one-year $2,361 contract with the Mercer County Health Department for the services of a public health nurse. The department provides nurses for hearing tests for kindergarten students, lice and scoliosis tests for students and hearing tests for bus drivers.

•Voted to renew a contract with Knapke as the 2004-05 Ohio Reads coordinator. She will be paid $1,732.35.

•Approved the transfer of $2,000 to the Ohio Reads fund from the general fund.[[In-content Ad]]