Board approves lease agreement for YMCA to take over daycare/preschool

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio – Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and the Don M. & Margaret Hilliker YMCA in Bellefontaine have reached an agreement for the YMCA to take over the district’s daycare/preschool operation on the Bellefontaine Campus.  The Ohio Hi-Point Board of Education formally approved the agreement during their regular monthly meeting.
    “We are very happy that we will be able to continue to offer daycare/preschool services at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center, and we look forward to this partnership with the Don M. & Margaret Hilliker YMCA,” wrote Ohio Hi-Point Superintendent Kim Davis in a letter to the parents of children enrolled in the daycare and preschool.
    During the April 2010 Board of Education, Superintendent Davis announced that the district would be disinvesting in the operation as part of the school’s efforts to reduce expenditures due to financial losses. 
    “While this operation has provided a very rich lab experience for our students, the Ohio Department of Education does not require that we operate a daycare and preschool for an Early Childhood Education program,” Davis noted in April following the Board of Education decision to close the facility.
    The original intent was always to find another entity to operate the programs within the district’s facilities.  Now, students enrolled in Early Childhood Education will be able to continue to receive valuable hands-on learning experiences on-site and the community will continue to have a high-quality licensed daycare and preschool provider in Logan County.
    Enrollment of children in the programs and the overall management of the programs will be handled by the Don M. & Margaret Hilliker YMCA staff. For enrollment information or to ask questions, please contact Lindsay Jackson at the YMCA at (937) 592-9622.
    The board also approved a lease agreement with the Hardin County Educational Service Center to sublease a portion of the new Ohio Hi-Point North Campus located in Kenton.   

    Superintendent Kim Davis received her evaluation from the board during the meeting, receiving an "excellent" rating.  Board President Anne Reames (Bellefontaine) hailed Davis as "visionary" and "forward-thinking."  She noted that Davis has taken Hi-Point to the next level, meeting all of the goals that were set for her.
    A public hearing was held to discuss the reemployment of Deborah Baker as the GRADS instructor for the district following her retirement at the end of the 2009/10 school year. No members of the public were present at the meeting, but several board members took the time to discuss the issue of retire/rehire. Superintendent Davis presented to the board her rationale for the reemployment, including cost savings to the district. The board will vote on the issue during the August meeting.
    In other personnel moves, the board accepted the resignation of Brittany Whitt (Career Based Intervention Instructor at Triad Middle School) for the purposes of other employment, effective June 30, 2010, and Jean Burden (Adult Education Practical Nursing Instructor) for the purposes of retirement, effective January 13, 2011. The board also acted on a reduction in force recommendation from Superintendent Davis of Terry Gibson (Adult Education Diversified Industrial Training Instructor) for financial reasons related to a sustained decline in enrollment in Gibson’s specific area of instruction.
    Satellite Director Deb Wortman reported on an increase in enrollment at the Agriculture Satellite at Graham High School. Wortman stated that she does not foresee having to reduce staff in that program at this time, but she is awaiting enrollment numbers in the Upper Scioto Valley Information Technology and Career Based Intervention, the Triad Career Based Intervention and the Marysville Career Based Intervention programs before being able to make final staffing decisions.
    Adult Education Director Darlene Chiles highlighted the Adult & Continuing Education Division’s Annual Report for the board.  Chiles noted that the division met five of six local targets for Carl Perkins Grant Performance reporting.  The unmet standard has already been addressed, according to Chiles, with a significant investment being made to improve student retention rates.  Chiles also noted that the division achieved four different accreditations during the 2009/10 school year, including the AdvancED NCA, Department of Health, Department of Public Safety Services and the Board of Nursing.
In other board action:
•    Approved the report of the treasurer
•    Heard the legislative liaison report from board member Warren Stevens (Urbana City Schools)
•    Adopted the Workers’ Compensation Pool Resolution
•    Approved the employment of Monica Hiser as a high school English instructor (one-year limited contract), Michelle Rutledge as the Student Services/Financial Aid Coordinator for the Adult & Continuing Education Division (one-year limited contract, plus 10 extended days), Darin Robinaugh as an EMS Instructor in the Public Safety Services program in Adult & Continuing Education
•    Authorized the opportunity for students and staff members to purchase school insurance through Stolly Insurance Agency, Inc., in Lima, Ohio, associated with Markel Insurance
•    Approved Dr. Chris O’ Connor, Maple Leaf Family and Sports Medicine of Bellefontaine, Ohio, to serve as school physician for the 2010/11 school year at an annual retainer of $1.00, and Dr. Edwin Boy, Bellefontaine, Ohio, to serve as school dentist for the 2010/11 school year at an annual retainer of $1.00
•    Approved the following stipends for the 2010/11 school year: Academic Lead Teacher ($750), CTSO Advisor ($600), CTSO Lead Advisor ($1,200), Entry Year Mentor ($500), High School That Work I-Team Member ($250), Master Teacher Lead ($1,000), Master Teacher Committee ($800), National Technical Honor Society Advisor ($600), Progress Book Training ($75 per participant per ½ day training), Progress Book Trainer ($100), Progress Book Administrator ($500), Prom Advisor ($600), Tech Paths ($75 per participant per ½ day training), Tech Paths Trainer ($100), Satellite Lead Teacher ($750), Satellite Mentor ($500), Van Driver Update ($75 per participant)
•    Approved new, revised and/or replacement policies
•    Approved the list of textbooks presented at the June Board meeting
•    Approved the 2010/11 supplemental fees as presented at the June Board meeting
•    Approved the 2010/11 Adult Instructor Handbook and Procedure Manual as presented at the June Board meeting
•    Approved the professional meeting requests of Eric Adelsberger (Treasurer) to attend the Global Education Summit 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at no cost to the district, Shane Haggerty (Communications Coordinator) to attend the National School Public Relations Association Annual Seminar in Charlotte, North Carolina, at no cost to the district, Mark Curtner and Jeniffer Brubaker (Adult Education Diversified Industrial Technology Instructor and Coordinator, respectively) to attend the Amatrol Headquarter training in Jeffersonville, Indiana, to be paid by Carl Perkins Grant money, Amy Main (Adult Education Supervisor), Darlene Chiles (Adult Education Director), Sharon Halter (Adult Basic Literacy Education Coordinator) to attend the Student Success Conference in Lansing, Michigan, as presenters, to be paid by Carl Perkins grant money and the Michigan Community College Association
•    Approved the following job descriptions: Assistant Technology Coordinator for Technology Integration, Assistant Technology Coordinator for Satellite Programs, Assistant Technology Coordinator for Help Desk and Adult Education Student Services/Financial Aid Coordinator
•    Approved the 2010/11 Staff and Student Acceptable Use of Technology Agreement
The next meeting of the board of education will be held on Wednesday, August 25, 2010, at 7 p.m. in the Hi-Point Inn.