February 21, 2018 at 5:16 a.m.
FR board approves contracts
Votes, which weren’t unanimous, came after extensive discussion about process, executive session
FR board approves contracts
Copyright 2018, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
FORT RECOVERY — Extensions for five school administrators and supervisors were approved Tuesday night. But the votes didn’t come until after an extensive discussion about the process as well as a lengthy executive session, and not all votes were unanimous.
Fort Recovery School Board on Tuesday approved new three-year deals for high school principal Marcus Overman, middle school principal Tony Stahl, athletics director Kurt Rammel, technology director Ryan Fullenkamp and building maintenance/custodial supervisor Kevin Will.
Board member Greg LeFevre cast dissenting votes on the contracts for Overman and Rammel.
The board also heard a request from superintendent Justin Firks to change its schedule for open enrollment and got an update on kindergarten numbers from elementary principal Tracy Evers-Westgerdes.
All five contracts were on the agenda, which was approved unanimously at the beginning of the meeting, to be discussed and voted on during the public session. But when it came time to discuss Rammel’s contract, which was first on the list, LeFevre called the process into question.
LeFevre said as a new board member — he and fellow board member Nick Wehrkamp joined the board at the start of the year — he was surprised that the contracts were not scheduled to be discussed in executive session and suggested that votes on all five be tabled until the board’s March meeting. Wehrkamp agreed that he wanted more time to consider the contracts.
Firks responded by saying that handling discussion of the contracts in the public session is done both for transparency and in fairness to the employees who were up for renewal.
Board president Mitch Ervin noted that such contract discussions have happened in executive session in the past if there have been questions in regard to performance based on supervisor evaluations.
But that was not the case with any of the employees up for contract extensions Tuesday.
Board member Mike Grube expressed agreement with Firks’ effort at transparency, adding that the board should trust the supervisors who evaluate the employees they work with on a daily basis and follow their recommendations. Ervin agreed with that assessment.
Faller said he understood where LeFevre was coming from in terms of needing more information as a new board member, but he added that the board’s role is to set policy rather than hiring and firing employees (with the exception of the superintendent and treasurer).
After a lengthy discussion, the board decided against tabling the votes, with Ervin instead suggesting it go into executive session for discussion and to allow LeFevre and Wehrkamp time to review the performance evaluations for the five employees up for contract renewal.
Following an executive session that lasted about 45 minutes, the board returned to public session and approved all five contracts. Fullenkamp, Will and Stahl were all approved on unanimous votes while Overman and Rammel were approved on 4-1 votes with LeFevre casting the lone dissenting vote in both cases.
No concerns about the contract extensions for any of the employees were brought up during the public session. Offered the opportunity following the meeting to elaborate on his votes against the contracts for Overman and Rammel, LeFevre declined to do so.
Also Tuesday, Firks asked the board to consider changing its open enrollment policy back to what it had been prior to 2011.
Currently, Fort Recovery accepts applications for open enrollment from May 1 through June 30. The superintendent then has until July 30 to act on the request, and parents have until Aug. 10 to accept.
That timeline complicates staffing decisions when certain grades are on the borderline of whether or not an additional teacher will need to be added or if one will need to be eliminated, Firks said. He suggested reverting back to the pre-2011 dates that called for applications in May, a superintendent decision by June 15 and acceptance by the parents by June 30.
LeFevre asked how Fort Recovery’s schedule compares with others in the county, suggesting that it would be good for all of the districts to be on the same calendar. Firks said Fort Recovery’s dates are later than those in other school districts, adding that he would get specific information for the next board meeting and bring up the issue with other superintendents in the county.
Evers-Westgerdes updated the board on projected kindergarten numbers for the 2018-19 school year while noting that there will not be a traditional screening this year. Instead, letters were sent to parents of eligible children and information about kindergarten was advertised.
So far, 65 kindergartners have been signed up for next year and three more are expected.
For students who are currently enrolled in preschool at Fort Recovery, teachers will be using a checklist to screen. For those who are not, staff will be hosting a screening on March 23.
Also, sign-up for preschool is slated for March 19 through April 6, with screening on April 18.
In other business, the board:
•Recognized the middle school honors festival band and choir and girls basketball team for their accomplishments.
•Heard from Stahl and Overman that they have secured $1,500 grants for professional development through the Making Middle Grades Work and High Schools That Work grant programs. The schools will be eligible for up to $3,000 and $5,000 in additional grant funding through the program next year.
•Was informed that FRHS senior Ryan Braun will receive this year’s Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award for academic achievement.
•Approved the following: a one-year contract with Healthy Lawns of Coldwater to maintain the school football, baseball, softball and practice fields; a one-year contract with Jutte’s Landscaping for mowing and trimming; and Mitch Waters as a volunteer assistant baseball coach.
•Heard from Overman that beginning next year he would like to have eighth graders start their day with first period at the high school. Currently, teachers Dave Blockberger, Joe Hawk and/or Michael Gower travel to the middle school to teach eighth graders. Having the classes at the high school would allow the teachers access to more resources and create more opportunities for the students, Overman said.
•Learned from Overman that The Save A Life Tour, which focuses on the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, will be coming to Fort Recovery High School on May 11. The visit was made possible by funding from several businesses and groups.
All Rights Reserved
FORT RECOVERY — Extensions for five school administrators and supervisors were approved Tuesday night. But the votes didn’t come until after an extensive discussion about the process as well as a lengthy executive session, and not all votes were unanimous.
Fort Recovery School Board on Tuesday approved new three-year deals for high school principal Marcus Overman, middle school principal Tony Stahl, athletics director Kurt Rammel, technology director Ryan Fullenkamp and building maintenance/custodial supervisor Kevin Will.
Board member Greg LeFevre cast dissenting votes on the contracts for Overman and Rammel.
The board also heard a request from superintendent Justin Firks to change its schedule for open enrollment and got an update on kindergarten numbers from elementary principal Tracy Evers-Westgerdes.
All five contracts were on the agenda, which was approved unanimously at the beginning of the meeting, to be discussed and voted on during the public session. But when it came time to discuss Rammel’s contract, which was first on the list, LeFevre called the process into question.
LeFevre said as a new board member — he and fellow board member Nick Wehrkamp joined the board at the start of the year — he was surprised that the contracts were not scheduled to be discussed in executive session and suggested that votes on all five be tabled until the board’s March meeting. Wehrkamp agreed that he wanted more time to consider the contracts.
Firks responded by saying that handling discussion of the contracts in the public session is done both for transparency and in fairness to the employees who were up for renewal.
Board president Mitch Ervin noted that such contract discussions have happened in executive session in the past if there have been questions in regard to performance based on supervisor evaluations.
But that was not the case with any of the employees up for contract extensions Tuesday.
Board member Mike Grube expressed agreement with Firks’ effort at transparency, adding that the board should trust the supervisors who evaluate the employees they work with on a daily basis and follow their recommendations. Ervin agreed with that assessment.
Faller said he understood where LeFevre was coming from in terms of needing more information as a new board member, but he added that the board’s role is to set policy rather than hiring and firing employees (with the exception of the superintendent and treasurer).
After a lengthy discussion, the board decided against tabling the votes, with Ervin instead suggesting it go into executive session for discussion and to allow LeFevre and Wehrkamp time to review the performance evaluations for the five employees up for contract renewal.
Following an executive session that lasted about 45 minutes, the board returned to public session and approved all five contracts. Fullenkamp, Will and Stahl were all approved on unanimous votes while Overman and Rammel were approved on 4-1 votes with LeFevre casting the lone dissenting vote in both cases.
No concerns about the contract extensions for any of the employees were brought up during the public session. Offered the opportunity following the meeting to elaborate on his votes against the contracts for Overman and Rammel, LeFevre declined to do so.
Also Tuesday, Firks asked the board to consider changing its open enrollment policy back to what it had been prior to 2011.
Currently, Fort Recovery accepts applications for open enrollment from May 1 through June 30. The superintendent then has until July 30 to act on the request, and parents have until Aug. 10 to accept.
That timeline complicates staffing decisions when certain grades are on the borderline of whether or not an additional teacher will need to be added or if one will need to be eliminated, Firks said. He suggested reverting back to the pre-2011 dates that called for applications in May, a superintendent decision by June 15 and acceptance by the parents by June 30.
LeFevre asked how Fort Recovery’s schedule compares with others in the county, suggesting that it would be good for all of the districts to be on the same calendar. Firks said Fort Recovery’s dates are later than those in other school districts, adding that he would get specific information for the next board meeting and bring up the issue with other superintendents in the county.
Evers-Westgerdes updated the board on projected kindergarten numbers for the 2018-19 school year while noting that there will not be a traditional screening this year. Instead, letters were sent to parents of eligible children and information about kindergarten was advertised.
So far, 65 kindergartners have been signed up for next year and three more are expected.
For students who are currently enrolled in preschool at Fort Recovery, teachers will be using a checklist to screen. For those who are not, staff will be hosting a screening on March 23.
Also, sign-up for preschool is slated for March 19 through April 6, with screening on April 18.
In other business, the board:
•Recognized the middle school honors festival band and choir and girls basketball team for their accomplishments.
•Heard from Stahl and Overman that they have secured $1,500 grants for professional development through the Making Middle Grades Work and High Schools That Work grant programs. The schools will be eligible for up to $3,000 and $5,000 in additional grant funding through the program next year.
•Was informed that FRHS senior Ryan Braun will receive this year’s Franklin B. Walter All-Scholastic Award for academic achievement.
•Approved the following: a one-year contract with Healthy Lawns of Coldwater to maintain the school football, baseball, softball and practice fields; a one-year contract with Jutte’s Landscaping for mowing and trimming; and Mitch Waters as a volunteer assistant baseball coach.
•Heard from Overman that beginning next year he would like to have eighth graders start their day with first period at the high school. Currently, teachers Dave Blockberger, Joe Hawk and/or Michael Gower travel to the middle school to teach eighth graders. Having the classes at the high school would allow the teachers access to more resources and create more opportunities for the students, Overman said.
•Learned from Overman that The Save A Life Tour, which focuses on the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, will be coming to Fort Recovery High School on May 11. The visit was made possible by funding from several businesses and groups.
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