FR lays out plan

FORT RECOVERY — Local schools have started planning health and safety precautions for the year.

Superintendent Larry Brown explained at Wednesday’s Fort Recovery School Board meeting that the plan presented by the district leadership team is dynamic, meaning it will change according to developments in the community or state mandates.

The new initiative, coined the “ReFortification Plan,” calls for schools to increase cleaning supplies and cleaning habits as well as encourage social distancing and require teachers to wear masks. Online-only learning is also available to students whose parents do not wish for them to attend in-person classes.

“We waited until today obviously for a reason,” Brown said. “We knew things would be changing over the summer, and they certainly have changed, and we’re trying to provide the best information at the time.”

Treasurer Deanna Knapke said the schools will install liter-sized hand sanitizer stations and COVID-19 signs. Staff will be given face coverings, with two styles of masks and two styles of face shields. Thirteen temporal scan digital thermometers have also been added, and the schools have received 55 gallons of Vital Oxide and Dominator disinfectant, and rooms will be equipped with spray bottles.

Middle school principle Tony Stahl, who will officially become the high school principal Aug. 1, said they will also receive four Vital Oxide machines with backpacks for disinfecting needs, which will be used in areas such as buses.

Jessica Jutte, a member of the leadership team, said staff will clean surfaces frequently. The schools will also be limiting visitors and field trips as well as large group events. COVID-19 self-quarantining rules will be followed in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Buses will be loaded from back to front, Stahl said. Students will be seated in groups of two or three, and siblings will be paired together.

Jill Ranly, another member of the leadership team, said self-serve food will be eliminated from the cafeterias. Condiments will be individually packaged, and students may sit in alternative locations to eat. Cafeterias will also be spaced for social distancing.

Elementary principal Kelli Thobe informed the board that the leadership team is working with the Mercer County Health District. She said they will be transparent in planning and moving forward, but she warned community members there will always be a risk sending their children to school or volunteering at school.

Matt Kerns, also a member of the leadership team, said four students have signed up for online-only classes so far. Those interested in the online option, Virtual Academy, can download the intent form on the Fort Recovery Local Schools website at fortrecoveryschools.org.

Staff will be required to wear masks except when alone or at least six feet away from others. Kerns added that, as of Wednesday, students are not required to wear masks.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Wednesday a statewide mandatory mask order similar to that issued by Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, which will go into effect Monday. Brown said it is unclear if students will be required to wear masks as well, stating the district will wait until the governor has released “more definitive answers” about the matter.

“Our administrative staff has actually talked about de-emphasizing perfect attendance for this year because it’s really promoting kids coming to school sick,” he said, explaining administration doesn’t want to encourage healthy children to skip school, but if the student is ill, they shouldn’t be there.

Also Wednesday, Stahl said his process of transitioning into his new job is going smoothly. He explained the eighth-grade field trip to Washington D.C., originally set in the spring and rescheduled to Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, may be postponed again or canceled due to the surrounding monuments and buildings closing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds for the trip have already been paid. Normally the trip is non-refundable, he added, but because of the circumstances that may change.

Athletics director Brent Niekamp also presented a petition from bowling coach Corey Gerlach to make the club team an official varsity sport. If approved, the school would hire two coaches, either a head coach for the boys team and girls team or a head coach and assistant coach. The school would also pay for transportation, tournaments and bowling alley fees, which are currently being paid the athletes. There are three teams (varsity and junior varsity boys and varsity girls) with about eight athletes on each.

If approved, board members may allocate the team about $6,200 from the athletics fund for fees and $4,500 from the general fund to pay the coaches. Niekamp also mentioned the swim coach Mindy Bubp asked for an assistant, explaining most other programs have two coaches. She also asked for a raise, comparing her workload to that of a track coach, Niekamp said. If approved, the raise will push her salary to $3,500, and the assistant will earn about $2,400.

In other business, board members Anne Guggenbiller, Jake Knapke, Greg LeFevre, Don Wendel and Nick Wehrkamp:

•Approved the following: the list of substitute teachers for the 2020-21 school year; Rick Kremer to represent Fort Recovery schools on the Tri Star Advisory Council for a two-year term; Vicki Schmitz as the public records officer for board members; initial advances, which forwarded $32,000 from the general fund into the early childhood education fund ($10,000), Title IA fund ($10,000), Title IIA ($7,000) and Title IVA ($5,000); a $350,000 transfer from the general fund to the permanent improvement fund; temporary appropriations, including decreasing $45,000 from termination benefits, which Knapke explained would be unnecessary for the year; paying a $3,150 invoice for transportation and technology; Wehrkamp as the delegate and Wendel as the alternate delegate to the Capital Conference, an Ohio School Boards Association annual meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for November in Columbus; Oscar Rameno for graduation, after he applied and met local and state requirements; the use of credit card rewards, about $380, as revenue; Sheri Grover and Bonita Fortkamp as non-teaching employees; a three-year contract for Brown starting August 1, 2021; and Julie Hart as a volunteer coach for both the junior high football and basketball cheer advisor positions.

•Accepted the resignation of Reid Knuth as middle school drama advisor. Brown explained Knuth will continue as the advisor for both the junior and senior high, but the programs will combine this year, eliminating the need for Knuth to hold two contracts. Also accepted the resignations of preschool aide Elizabeth Barga and middle school language arts teacher Carrie Kahlig.

•Set preschool, elementary and middle school tuition fees for the year as follows: preschool, $20; kindergarten, $54.65; first grade, $59.25; second grade, $61.09; third grade, $81.65; fourth grade, $84.57; fifth grade, $79.36; sixth grade, $62.80; seventh grade, $61.80; and eight grade, $56.50.