FRHS posts high scores

FORT RECOVERY — Just days after watching this year’s graduates walk across the stage at commencement, Fort Recovery’s school board got good news about the class of 2016.
Fort Recovery High School principal Jeff Hobbs reported Tuesday that the school’s sophomores passage rates on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) were the highest in his five-year tenure as principal.
The school board also heard comments from parents concerned about Common Core, and selected a bid for retrofitting lights.
Hobbs told the school board at its regular meeting that 50 out of 57 (88 percent) FRHS sophomores passed the writing, reading, math, social studies and science portions of the OGT. Of the seven students who did not pass all five parts, none have more than two sections to retake.
Fort Recovery saw its best numbers in math and social studies, with 98 percent of students passing those tests. Ninety-seven percent of students passed the writing and reading sections, and 94 percent passed the science test.
“Our numbers were really good,” said Hobbs, adding that the biggest gains were made in social studies. “It’s a tribute to our teachers. … It’s something to be proud of.”
He also noted that two juniors passed their remaining portions of the test, giving the class of 2015 a 100-percent passage rate.
For the second straight meeting, residents were in attendance to express their concerns about Common Core State Standards, which detail what students should know in math and English at the end of each school year.
Those who spoke cited similar concerns to those raised at the April meeting, including issues with data mining, extensive testing, lack of local control and age appropriateness.
“One of the biggest problems I have with it is it is unproven, untested,” Mitch Ervin, one of more than 20 in attendance, told the board. “We are the guinea pigs. We’re going down a path that no one has traveled before. And from what I see so far, I don’t like one bit of it.”
Referencing comments from the previous school board meeting that had more than 50 residents in attendance, Josh Gaerke asked the board to consider eliminating the data mining and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test.
The concerns will be taken into consideration, said board president Jose Faller.
The board also selected a bid of $44,073 from Mesco Electrical Supply, New Bremen, Ohio, for retrofitting and replacement of lights.
Most of the changes will be for more energy efficient outdoor lighting at the high school and elementary/middle school. The school district expects to receive a rebate of more than $9,000 from Dayton Power & Light and see significant cost savings over time.
In other business, the board:
•Heard a presentation from FRHS students Emilie Sheridan and Katie Homan, who earned scholarships from Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and Kikkoman to spend six weeks in Japan this summer. They were two of just 16 American students selected.
•Accepted resignations from teacher Tessa Moeller, Brian Patch as FRHS boys basketball coach, Jeff Vaughn as FRHS assistant boys basketball coach, Brenda Kaup as fourth grade chair and Sam Piehl as show choir director.
•Appropriated $92,296.39 in funds to cover costs through the end of the fiscal year (June 30). More than half of that money is for the project to retrofit lights.
•Approved the master contract with Fort Recovery Education Association, administrative salary index, supervisor salary index schedule, classified salary index schedule, and a personal service contract for Nancy Abels for May 20 through July 31.
•Approved a three-year contract for superintendent Shelly Vaughn, three-year contracts for middle school principal Matt Triplett, high school principal Jeff Hobbs and transportation/building maintenance supervisor Kurt Wendel, and a two-year contract for athletics director Kurt Rammel. Also approved the following coaches for the 2014-15 school year: Brian Patch (girls basketball), Lori Pottkotter (junior varsity girls basketball), Miranda Muhlenkamp (middle school girls basketball assistant), Amber Fennig (middle school basketball cheerleading), Lana Kahlig (middle school football cheerleading), Tammy Post (junior varsity volleyball), Emily May (freshman volleyball), Diana Rammel (middle school volleyball), Travis Guggenbiller (middle school assistant volleyball), Nickolas Kallas (cross country), Melinda Heitkamp (assistant cross country), Craig Garman (middle school football assistant), Cody Fiely (middle school football assistant). And hired Maura Hanlon as show choir director and Miranda Muhlenkamp, Kylee Harmann and Michelle Stammen for the RTI Core Team.
•Hired Brent Niekamp, Zach Sudhoff, Marge Dilworth, Chelsea Rogers, Kathy Schwieterman, Kelsey Gudorf and Chad Miller as summer school teachers, and Crystal Fullenkamp and Travis Guggenbiller as STEM Summer Camp teachers; and John Bihn, Jerry Byram, Christopher DuHamel, Lisa Fullenkamp, Michael Gower, Phillip Harris II, Joseph Hawk, Sandra Kaiser, William Link, Nancy Reinhard, Barbara Sautbine, Michael Thien, Ryan Thien, Randall Wendel, Kurt Wendel, Roger Wenning and Herbert Westgerdes as substitute bus drivers for the 2014-15 school year on an as-needed basis.
•Learned from Vaughn that the employee health fair is scheduled for Friday morning, to be followed by the employee banquet in the afternoon.
•Scheduled a facilities committee meeting for 10 a.m. May 29.
•Accepted donations totaling nearly $7,000, including the $4,000 Raymond James Cooper Grant to the activity account.
•Heard an update to the five-year financial forecast from treasurer Lori Koch.[[In-content Ad]]