FR to get new track, cameras

FORT RECOVERY — As the new year approaches, some new features were approved for the school grounds.

Fort Recovery School Board on Tuesday gave the OK to install new cameras at the elementary/middle and high schools and to install a new track at Barrenbrugge Athletic Park.

Superintendent Justin Firks made the proposal for the new cameras and other related equipment for several reasons, including that the current software has become obsolete. He also noted that while reviewing the school’s system as part of the bidding process, firms pointed out areas that are out of the view of the cameras that are now in use.

“We had a number of areas that were blind, didn’t have any coverage,” Firks said. “We’re adding additional cameras to increase coverage. We’re updating clarity of picture … and then all of the software system has to be replaced.”

The work at the elementary/middle school will involve replacing six outdoor cameras and 26 indoor cameras, and installing 16 new outdoor cameras and six new indoor cameras. At the high school, 11 existing outdoor cameras and 18 existing indoor cameras would be replaced, with 10 new outdoor cameras and 13 new indoor cameras to be installed. The new cameras will be four megapixels as compared to the current two megapixels.

The total cost of the work via SecurCom of Minster is $80,150, and includes the software as well as new cables and other support equipment. The bid from NTM came in lower at $66,008 but involved a $1,530 monthly subscription. The other bid, from Xtech Partners, was $166,370.

The board also improved installation of a new polyurethane track to replace the current latex surface. As had been explained at a previous meeting, the polyurethane has a higher cost but is expected to last 20 to 25 years compared to the six years the district got out of the most recent latex resurfacing.

The work, through All American Tracks, came in at $149,938. The work is planned for summer 2019, but at the request of the board Firks said he will talk with the company about the possibility of doing the work prior earlier, if weather allows.

Board members Mitch Ervin, Jose Faller, Mike Grube, Greg LeFevre and Nick Wehrkamp also approved an additional appropriation of $125,000 to help cover the costs for the two projects.

Firks also told the board that the state legislature is looking at a variety of components of the school evaluation system for possible changes. Those include eliminating the A through F grading system, changing the “value-added” score from a three-year average to one year, changing qualifying activities for “prepared for success” creating more graduation pathways and removing the requirement for all students to take the ACT.

Faller questioned the wisdom of the ever-changing school evaluation system, saying it would be nice if something was left in place for a period of time rather than forcing educators to chase a “moving target.”

In other business, board members:

•Were informed that the high school’s academic bowl team coach by Reid Knuth won the Midwest Athletic Conference championship Saturday. It was the first for FRHS since joining the conference in 1990.

•Recognized the volleyball team and National Honor Society inductees for their accomplishments this year.

•Accepted the resignations of athletics director Kurt Rammel (see related story on page 2) and Anthony Homan.

•Kept board member compensation at $80 per meeting, but increased the amount of potential paid meetings to 20 from the previous 16. (The maximum allowable is 24.)

•Learned from middle school principal Tony Stahl that a Making Middle Grades Work grant is being used to offer after-school tutoring for students in need of help.

•Approved the following: Karen Schwieterman and Kelly Lauber as substitute teachers; a band field trip May 17 and 18 to Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, Ohio; paying an invoice from Final Forms in the amount of $5,476.75; updates to the athletics handbook; indoor track as a club sport and Scott Abels as volunteer indoor track coach; the hiring of Kate Timmerman as cafeteria employee ; a series of policy updates and revisions

•Heard from treasurer Lori Koch that they school district’s income tax collection for October was up 6.8 percent from the same time last year.

•Accepted more than $4,000 in donations, including $2,530 from Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters for girls basketball uniforms.

•Changed the time of its Dec 18 meeting to 7 p.m. Also set the 2019 organizational meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 8 with the regular meeting to follow.