August 22, 2018 at 4:21 p.m.
Constantly improving
Firks says district has done well, and can be even better
Constantly improving
FORT RECOVERY — Schools are good and striving to be even better.
That was the message fourth-year superintendent Justin Firks presented Tuesday in his State of the Schools Address as part of the Fort Recovery School Board meeting.
Board members also heard and update from Tri-Star director Tim Buschur about the ongoing project to build a new facility at the Wright State University Lake Campus in Celina.
Firks touted academic achievement, implementation of a new district-wide philosophy and capital upgrades in his first such address to the board and about 20 members of the public.
He told those in attendance that Fort Recovery Local Schools hit an all-time low for its Performance Index — overall assessment of student scores on state standardized tests — in 2015 at 76.6. (The highest possible score is 120.) That came in part because it was the year the state changed to a new test as part of Common Core and about 25 percent of students opted out, thus resulting in scores of zero.
Since then, Fort Recovery has seen its score climb each year to an even 100 in 2018.
Firks, who pointed out other achievements such as being ranked No. 78 among the state’s more than 900 public schools by Cleveland.com (Cleveland Plain Dealer), said he’d like to see that number up to between 104 and 107.
The superintendent also explained “The Indian Way,” a character-focused initiative based off of the “Above the Line” system implemented by Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer. The program focuses on a thought process designed to encourage intentional decision making toward positive outcomes rather than impulsive behavior.
Firks also discussed upgrades such as online payment options and forms, a variety of new school safety efforts including installation of Nightlock devices to secure classroom doors and improvements to classrooms throughout the district, Fort Site Fieldhouse and Barrenbrugge Athletic Park.
Looking ahead, he noted several new efforts this year, including using Reading Horizons for students with disabilities, Edmentum to help identify and improve student weaknesses, a new transportation software and the district’s first robotics team.
That was the message fourth-year superintendent Justin Firks presented Tuesday in his State of the Schools Address as part of the Fort Recovery School Board meeting.
Board members also heard and update from Tri-Star director Tim Buschur about the ongoing project to build a new facility at the Wright State University Lake Campus in Celina.
Firks touted academic achievement, implementation of a new district-wide philosophy and capital upgrades in his first such address to the board and about 20 members of the public.
He told those in attendance that Fort Recovery Local Schools hit an all-time low for its Performance Index — overall assessment of student scores on state standardized tests — in 2015 at 76.6. (The highest possible score is 120.) That came in part because it was the year the state changed to a new test as part of Common Core and about 25 percent of students opted out, thus resulting in scores of zero.
Since then, Fort Recovery has seen its score climb each year to an even 100 in 2018.
Firks, who pointed out other achievements such as being ranked No. 78 among the state’s more than 900 public schools by Cleveland.com (Cleveland Plain Dealer), said he’d like to see that number up to between 104 and 107.
The superintendent also explained “The Indian Way,” a character-focused initiative based off of the “Above the Line” system implemented by Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer. The program focuses on a thought process designed to encourage intentional decision making toward positive outcomes rather than impulsive behavior.
Firks also discussed upgrades such as online payment options and forms, a variety of new school safety efforts including installation of Nightlock devices to secure classroom doors and improvements to classrooms throughout the district, Fort Site Fieldhouse and Barrenbrugge Athletic Park.
Looking ahead, he noted several new efforts this year, including using Reading Horizons for students with disabilities, Edmentum to help identify and improve student weaknesses, a new transportation software and the district’s first robotics team.
“We’re going to have the best school district in the state of Ohio,” Firks said. “That’s the goal.”
Buschur told the board that the Tri-Star 2.0 project, which is being paid for via a joint levy approved in 2016 by the nine school districts that partner to provide career technical education, is on schedule both in terms of timeline and cost. The roof of the new facility is about 20 percent complete and is expected to be finished by Oct. 1. The goal is for construction to be complete by June 1, with equipment to then be brought in and teachers allowed in the building on Aug. 1.
The $20-million facility will serve as the single site for Tri-Star, which now holds courses at three locations — three in Celina, two in St. Marys and one in Coldwater.
Public tours of the new facility will be planned for early in the 2019-20 school year.
“We talked about this being a community effort,” said Buschur. “We want that to continue.”
In other business, the board:
•Approved the following: allowing Firks to employ substitute teachers on an as-needed basis at a rate of $80 per day; a field trip Sept. 28 and 29 for the marching band to Ohio State University; the resignation of Tyler Wuebker as assistant football coach; designating a total of $1.25 million in CDs inactive until their maturity dates; a resolution declaring its intent to not provide career-technical education to seventh and eighth graders; participation in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; the district gifted education policy; Bill Overla, Tony Stahl and Tracy Evers-Westgerdes as credentialed teacher evaluators; supplemental contracts for Kim Minnich and Jill Dues to lead the RTI Core Team and Julie Billenstein as the SADD advisor; temporary appropriations, advances and transfers in relation to grants the district has received; employee investment plans; a memorandum of understanding the Fort Recovery Educators Association; allowing seniors to provide their own transportation to the Tri-Star site in St. Marys; amending the miscellaneous hourly rate and the preschool salary schedule.
•Hired Jerry Kaup as baseball coach. Also hired the following volunteer coaches: Miranda Muhlenkamp (girls assistant basketball); Jeff Wendel (assistant baseball), Harold Fiely (assistant baseball), Olivia Acheson (assistant swim) and Tyler Wuebker (assistant football).
•Discussed a complaint about busing in connection with a household that is no longer receiving service because it was annexed into the village. The board stood by its policy of providing bus service outside of the village only.
•Approved the following as substitute teachers: Nancy Abels, Denise Bruns, Marilyn Fortkamp, Sheri Grover, Lacy Heinrichs, Tammie Hiser, Kathleen Heitkamp, Angie Homan, Janet Hummel, Alicia Jutte, Kathleen Jutte, Vickie Jutte, Sandra Kaiser, Alison Koch, Lisa Lennartz, Shelly McCain, Tony Overton, Norma Pottkotter, Nancy Reinhard, Charlene Pearson, Barbara Sautbine, Edward Snyder, Kate Timmerman, Jill Walter and Angie Will. Salary as per schedule.
•Accepted $8,683.78 in donations, including $5,000 from Fort Recovery Community Foundation to the high school band, a total of $2,825 from Fort Recovery Athletic Booster Club to the athletics department and $717.03 from Homefield Advantage to the volleyball program.
•Heard an update on the athletics department from athletics director Kurt Rammel.
Buschur told the board that the Tri-Star 2.0 project, which is being paid for via a joint levy approved in 2016 by the nine school districts that partner to provide career technical education, is on schedule both in terms of timeline and cost. The roof of the new facility is about 20 percent complete and is expected to be finished by Oct. 1. The goal is for construction to be complete by June 1, with equipment to then be brought in and teachers allowed in the building on Aug. 1.
The $20-million facility will serve as the single site for Tri-Star, which now holds courses at three locations — three in Celina, two in St. Marys and one in Coldwater.
Public tours of the new facility will be planned for early in the 2019-20 school year.
“We talked about this being a community effort,” said Buschur. “We want that to continue.”
In other business, the board:
•Approved the following: allowing Firks to employ substitute teachers on an as-needed basis at a rate of $80 per day; a field trip Sept. 28 and 29 for the marching band to Ohio State University; the resignation of Tyler Wuebker as assistant football coach; designating a total of $1.25 million in CDs inactive until their maturity dates; a resolution declaring its intent to not provide career-technical education to seventh and eighth graders; participation in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; the district gifted education policy; Bill Overla, Tony Stahl and Tracy Evers-Westgerdes as credentialed teacher evaluators; supplemental contracts for Kim Minnich and Jill Dues to lead the RTI Core Team and Julie Billenstein as the SADD advisor; temporary appropriations, advances and transfers in relation to grants the district has received; employee investment plans; a memorandum of understanding the Fort Recovery Educators Association; allowing seniors to provide their own transportation to the Tri-Star site in St. Marys; amending the miscellaneous hourly rate and the preschool salary schedule.
•Hired Jerry Kaup as baseball coach. Also hired the following volunteer coaches: Miranda Muhlenkamp (girls assistant basketball); Jeff Wendel (assistant baseball), Harold Fiely (assistant baseball), Olivia Acheson (assistant swim) and Tyler Wuebker (assistant football).
•Discussed a complaint about busing in connection with a household that is no longer receiving service because it was annexed into the village. The board stood by its policy of providing bus service outside of the village only.
•Approved the following as substitute teachers: Nancy Abels, Denise Bruns, Marilyn Fortkamp, Sheri Grover, Lacy Heinrichs, Tammie Hiser, Kathleen Heitkamp, Angie Homan, Janet Hummel, Alicia Jutte, Kathleen Jutte, Vickie Jutte, Sandra Kaiser, Alison Koch, Lisa Lennartz, Shelly McCain, Tony Overton, Norma Pottkotter, Nancy Reinhard, Charlene Pearson, Barbara Sautbine, Edward Snyder, Kate Timmerman, Jill Walter and Angie Will. Salary as per schedule.
•Accepted $8,683.78 in donations, including $5,000 from Fort Recovery Community Foundation to the high school band, a total of $2,825 from Fort Recovery Athletic Booster Club to the athletics department and $717.03 from Homefield Advantage to the volleyball program.
•Heard an update on the athletics department from athletics director Kurt Rammel.
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