New pathways may come soon
Fort Recovery School Board
New pathways may come soon
FORT RECOVERY — New graduation pathways are a signature away.
High school principal Bill Overla on Monday updated Fort Recovery School board on the status of Ohio House Bill 491, which opens up alternative pathways to earn a high school diploma.
Board members also moved money for projects it approved last month and agreed to give Tri-Star leeway in purchasing new equipment.
Overla reported to the board that the bill passed the house last week after previously being approved in the state senate. It is now on the desk of Gov. John Kasich for his signature.
Typically a student must earn a set number of points on end-of-course assessments in order to be eligible for a diploma.
House Bill 491 would extend alternate pathways that were approved last year.
They would allow a student to earn a diploma if they have met additional standards such as completing a capstone project, passing an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course, completing community services hours, earning credit hours through College Credit Plus, passing the state’s job skills or job-readiness assessments, obtaining an industry-recognized credential and demonstrating workplace participation (250 hours).
“Hopefully this is done soon so students have additional pathways to graduation,” Fort Recovery Local Schools superintendent Justin Firks said this morning.
Board members Mitch Ervin, Jose Faller, Mike Grube, Nick Wehrkamp and Greg LeFevre also approved several additional appropriations and transfers, including funds to cover a new track at Barrenbrugge Athletic Park and camera upgrades at the middle school and high school. Those projects were approved last month at costs of $149,938 and $80,150, respectively.
Firks also reported that Fort Recovery has been approved for a $5,644.35 School Safety Grant, which will be put toward the camera project. He also recently applied for a grant through the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation that could be worth up to $40,000 for school safety.
The board also OK’d a measure to allow Tri-Star, a partnership for career technical education, to purchase equipment for its new facility at the Wright State University Lake Campus in Celina. Typically Tri-Star needs to receive approval from participating districts for purchases of more than $7,500.
In other business, the board:
•Recognized the high school academic bowl team which won its first Midwest Athletic Conference championship last month.
•Named Ervin president pro-tem for its organizational meeting and set the meeting for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 with the regular board meeting to follow.
•Approved the 2018-19 school calendar with the first day of school set for Aug. 21. Winter break will run from Dec. 21 through Jan. 1. The final day of school will be May 21.
•Accepted a total of $350 in anonymous donations for the high school’s Adopt-A-Family program.
•Approved the following: Carol Ranly, Rebecca Link and Donna Bates to not be evaluated for the year because of their intent to retire; renewal of membership with Ohio School Boards Association; contract with Mercer County Health Department for nursing services; an agreement with Council on Rural Services for educational instruction; the purchase of a bus for $89,810 from Cardinal Bus Sales and Services through Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; the re-appointment of Julie Wuebker to Fort Recovery Public Library Board; and the hiring of Gerald Stammen as a non-teaching employee.
