July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
State offer drops (5/18/05)
Fort to get substantially less $$
By By Jennifer Tarter-
FORT RECOVERY — The possibility of state-funded renovations at the high school here are up in the air as the amount of offered funding decreased substantially.
Officials from the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission met with school board members several times in April and May to discuss funding for the district to renovate or rebuild the high school.
At an April meeting, the OSFC made a proposal of offering the district $1.7 million to add 10,000-square-feet onto the middle school and demolish the high school.
School board members told OSFC they could not accept that offer.
Fort Recovery schools treasurer Dennis Ontrop said this morning that the school board didn’t agree with OSFC’s estimate for district enrollment projections and square footage numbers for the two buildings.
On May 9, OSFC representatives came to the school board again and said they miscalculated because they thought the district had $4 million in estimated debt. The school actually has less than $2.3 million in debt, Ontrop said. The OSFC reduced its offer to $130,000 from $1.7 million.
The amount of money a school can get from OSFC depends on the district’s estimated debt. Ontrop did not know how OSFC officials arrived at the $130,000 amount.
“We have wonderful facilities and not much debt. Those are not bad things. But they have worked against us this time,” Fort Recovery superintendent David Riel said Tuesday.
Ontrop said he sent the correct numbers to the OSFC in April.
“Somebody messed up from day one,” board member Dan Jutte said Tuesday.
The OSFC helped fund construction of the middle/elementary school and offered to evaluate and help fund renovations or new construction at the high school, Ontrop said.
Board members discussed Tuesday that they could take legal action against OSFC to be compensated for the $10,000 the school paid for architectural studies recommended by the OSFC or opt out of the program for a year.
“This thing just doesn’t favor us at all. We are not being treated fairly. Something is not right,” Ontrop added this morning.
Riel traveled to Columbus, Ohio this morning to meet with U.S. Sen. Jim Jordan to try to come up with a solution to the school’s funding problem.
In other business, Fort Recovery High School principal Ed Snyder reported on a new web site that helps the school keep track of alumni.
Snyder said that he has met with graduating seniors and allowed them to anonymously take an exit survey.
The students will then be notified by mail or e-mail and asked to take another survey one year and five years after they graduate from FRHS. The students can also submit anonymous comments to school officials.
Snyder said that the school’s web site administrators also plan to produce a quarterly newsletter that alumni can view online to keep up with events at the high school for five years after they graduate.
Also Tuesday, board members approved a contract with Battelle for Kids for a web site that analyzes student performance data from the schools. The gathered information will be used to focus on specific programs and instruction to improve performance and achievement levels, according to information on the web site. A fee of $1,313 will be paid for training to operate the program.
In other business, the board:
•Heard Greg Smith from Dayton Trane of Vandalia, Ohio report on the progress of the monitoring of energy usage at Fort Recovery Middle and Elementary schools.
He reported the program saved the district approximately $32,000 between April 2003 and March 2004 on natural gas and electric bills.
The school corporation entered into an agreement with the company in April 2003 to monitor the amount of kilowatt hours of electricity and one thousand cubic feet of gas used by the school each month.
•Heard Tim Buschur from Tri-Star Career Compact in Celina, Ohio report that between 35 and 40 Fort Recovery students attend classes at the center.
Tri-Star offers classes for high school students in welding, computers, machine trades, agriculture business, early childhood development, graphics, mechanics and computer aided drafting.
•Approved the transfer of $98,015.11 to the termination benefits fund from the general fund. These funds will be used to pay district employees that retire for sick days that have been accumulated during their employment.
“This money should last us for several years,” Ontrop said this morning.
•Heard Fort Recovery Elementary School principal Nancy Knapke report that a summer school class is scheduled in June for five third graders that didn’t pass the reading proficiency portion of Ohio Achievement Test. She also reported that 55 third graders passed the test.
In August, jump-start summer school classes will be held in reading and math for incoming kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth and fifth graders.
•Were given a copy of a letter from Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller thanking eight elementary school staff members and their students for helping during park clean up day on May 7.
•Heard Fort Recovery Middle School principal Ted Shuttleworth report that summer school will be held the first week of August for sixth graders who failed three or more areas on the Ohio Achievement Test.
He added that he expects to get results from those test next week.
•Heard Snyder report that 100 percent of the school’s seniors will graduate on Sunday, May 29. Commencement will be held at 2 p.m. (Ohio time) at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
•Heard presentations from band director Jamie Smith and choir director Tracy Hein-Evers. Both middle and high schools directors discussed contests, concerts and performances the groups held the past school year and their schedules for the upcoming school year.
•Voted to continue membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2005-06 school year.
•Approved summer office hours at all three schools for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Tuesday, May 31 to Monday, Aug. 22.
•Approved the hiring of Brian Happy as summer baseball coach, Brenda Kaup as the FRMS student council advisor, Kathleen Jutte as the eighth grade class advisor and FRMS yearbook advisor, Carol Ranly as the FRMS book club advisor, Cathy Etzler as FRMS drama advisor, Aaron Vaughn as FRMS science fair advisor and Judy Fortener as Students Making A Right Turn advisor.
•Accepted resignations from Marcia Weigel, a former science and language arts teacher at FRMS, bus driver Roger Lochtefeld, FRHS assistant track coach Zebulon Sutton and treasurer Dennis Ontrop.
Ontrop’s retirement will be effective Jan. 1, 2006.
•Approved advances of $100 to the Title V Fund from the general fund and $500 to the student intervention fund from the general fund.
•Accepted the donation of a wooden bench for the elementary/middle school from the Chuck and Cathy Etzler family in memory of Mason Springer.
•Will meet next on Tuesday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
Officials from the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission met with school board members several times in April and May to discuss funding for the district to renovate or rebuild the high school.
At an April meeting, the OSFC made a proposal of offering the district $1.7 million to add 10,000-square-feet onto the middle school and demolish the high school.
School board members told OSFC they could not accept that offer.
Fort Recovery schools treasurer Dennis Ontrop said this morning that the school board didn’t agree with OSFC’s estimate for district enrollment projections and square footage numbers for the two buildings.
On May 9, OSFC representatives came to the school board again and said they miscalculated because they thought the district had $4 million in estimated debt. The school actually has less than $2.3 million in debt, Ontrop said. The OSFC reduced its offer to $130,000 from $1.7 million.
The amount of money a school can get from OSFC depends on the district’s estimated debt. Ontrop did not know how OSFC officials arrived at the $130,000 amount.
“We have wonderful facilities and not much debt. Those are not bad things. But they have worked against us this time,” Fort Recovery superintendent David Riel said Tuesday.
Ontrop said he sent the correct numbers to the OSFC in April.
“Somebody messed up from day one,” board member Dan Jutte said Tuesday.
The OSFC helped fund construction of the middle/elementary school and offered to evaluate and help fund renovations or new construction at the high school, Ontrop said.
Board members discussed Tuesday that they could take legal action against OSFC to be compensated for the $10,000 the school paid for architectural studies recommended by the OSFC or opt out of the program for a year.
“This thing just doesn’t favor us at all. We are not being treated fairly. Something is not right,” Ontrop added this morning.
Riel traveled to Columbus, Ohio this morning to meet with U.S. Sen. Jim Jordan to try to come up with a solution to the school’s funding problem.
In other business, Fort Recovery High School principal Ed Snyder reported on a new web site that helps the school keep track of alumni.
Snyder said that he has met with graduating seniors and allowed them to anonymously take an exit survey.
The students will then be notified by mail or e-mail and asked to take another survey one year and five years after they graduate from FRHS. The students can also submit anonymous comments to school officials.
Snyder said that the school’s web site administrators also plan to produce a quarterly newsletter that alumni can view online to keep up with events at the high school for five years after they graduate.
Also Tuesday, board members approved a contract with Battelle for Kids for a web site that analyzes student performance data from the schools. The gathered information will be used to focus on specific programs and instruction to improve performance and achievement levels, according to information on the web site. A fee of $1,313 will be paid for training to operate the program.
In other business, the board:
•Heard Greg Smith from Dayton Trane of Vandalia, Ohio report on the progress of the monitoring of energy usage at Fort Recovery Middle and Elementary schools.
He reported the program saved the district approximately $32,000 between April 2003 and March 2004 on natural gas and electric bills.
The school corporation entered into an agreement with the company in April 2003 to monitor the amount of kilowatt hours of electricity and one thousand cubic feet of gas used by the school each month.
•Heard Tim Buschur from Tri-Star Career Compact in Celina, Ohio report that between 35 and 40 Fort Recovery students attend classes at the center.
Tri-Star offers classes for high school students in welding, computers, machine trades, agriculture business, early childhood development, graphics, mechanics and computer aided drafting.
•Approved the transfer of $98,015.11 to the termination benefits fund from the general fund. These funds will be used to pay district employees that retire for sick days that have been accumulated during their employment.
“This money should last us for several years,” Ontrop said this morning.
•Heard Fort Recovery Elementary School principal Nancy Knapke report that a summer school class is scheduled in June for five third graders that didn’t pass the reading proficiency portion of Ohio Achievement Test. She also reported that 55 third graders passed the test.
In August, jump-start summer school classes will be held in reading and math for incoming kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth and fifth graders.
•Were given a copy of a letter from Fort Recovery village administrator Randy Diller thanking eight elementary school staff members and their students for helping during park clean up day on May 7.
•Heard Fort Recovery Middle School principal Ted Shuttleworth report that summer school will be held the first week of August for sixth graders who failed three or more areas on the Ohio Achievement Test.
He added that he expects to get results from those test next week.
•Heard Snyder report that 100 percent of the school’s seniors will graduate on Sunday, May 29. Commencement will be held at 2 p.m. (Ohio time) at Fort Site Fieldhouse.
•Heard presentations from band director Jamie Smith and choir director Tracy Hein-Evers. Both middle and high schools directors discussed contests, concerts and performances the groups held the past school year and their schedules for the upcoming school year.
•Voted to continue membership in the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2005-06 school year.
•Approved summer office hours at all three schools for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Tuesday, May 31 to Monday, Aug. 22.
•Approved the hiring of Brian Happy as summer baseball coach, Brenda Kaup as the FRMS student council advisor, Kathleen Jutte as the eighth grade class advisor and FRMS yearbook advisor, Carol Ranly as the FRMS book club advisor, Cathy Etzler as FRMS drama advisor, Aaron Vaughn as FRMS science fair advisor and Judy Fortener as Students Making A Right Turn advisor.
•Accepted resignations from Marcia Weigel, a former science and language arts teacher at FRMS, bus driver Roger Lochtefeld, FRHS assistant track coach Zebulon Sutton and treasurer Dennis Ontrop.
Ontrop’s retirement will be effective Jan. 1, 2006.
•Approved advances of $100 to the Title V Fund from the general fund and $500 to the student intervention fund from the general fund.
•Accepted the donation of a wooden bench for the elementary/middle school from the Chuck and Cathy Etzler family in memory of Mason Springer.
•Will meet next on Tuesday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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