West Holmes Board of Education holds June meeting
The West Holmes Local Schools Board of Education met Monday, June 19 at West Holmes High School for the regular June board meeting.
Superintendent Eric Jurkovic provided an update on several items during the meeting.
Jurkovic said the district is currently working with the Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center on getting a concrete pad ready for building trades to have a better and more secure place to build its next house project.
Jurkovic said they put out for bid for the multipurpose field house project on June 20. He said they’re using federal dollars that will expire in September to pay for the project.
“That’s going to be used for all students and athletes,” he said. “It can be used during the school day or after school. Hopefully, in the next month or two, we’ll start digging on that.”
The future of what to do with some of the district’s facilities — remodel or build new — also was discussed during the meeting.
“We ended our community meetings (about the facilities) last month, and we had an excellent turnout,” Jurkovic said. “I appreciate all of the feedback we’ve gotten from the community. We are now in the process of evaluating that feedback and moving forward possibly with a plan for our facilities and trying to make it as minimal of an impact on the community tax-wise as possible. It will not be on the ballot in November.”
Jurkovic said the district is still looking for an elementary art teacher as of June 20.
The board also did the following during the meeting:
—Approved participating in the 2024 group rating program with CompManagement for worker’s compensation.
—Approved Liberty Insurance for property, fleet and liability insurance from July 1 through June 30, 2024, at a premium of $139,971.
—Approved a certificate of record disposal as per the Historical Society records/AOS records retention guidelines.
—Approved a contract for law-enforcement services between the sheriff of Holmes County and West Holmes Local Schools.
—Approved a 2023-24 College Credit Plus intent letter for one high school student.
—Approved a contract between West Holmes Local Schools and Imperial Autism Connections LLC.
—Approved payment to Boiler Specialists Inc. for the Millersburg Elementary boiler issues. These initially were requisitioned on April 21 for $37,291 for the replacement of the make-up water tank. Upon installation and further inspection, Boiler Specialists Inc. found retubing was necessary, and $42,563 was requisitioned on May 10. Because this was found in stages, changing companies through the bidding process was deemed impractical, which is why the entire project wasn’t bid out with both being individually under the $50,000 threshold.
—Approved a bid award in the amount of $369,841 to Kahl’s Telecommunications Inc. for upgrades to the central PA systems and digital clocks at West Holmes High School, West Holmes Middle School, Killbuck Elementary School, Lakeville Elementary School, Millersburg Elementary School and Nashville Elementary School.
—Approved advertising for bids for the construction of the field house expansion project.
—Approved six handbooks for the 2023-24 school year.
—Approved a one-year contract for the 2023-24 school year for the following: Zach Gardner (high school football head coach), Luke Colopy (high school football assistant), Trent Shaffer (high school football assistant), Tom Eastep (high school football assistant), Matt Torgler (high school football assistant), Timothy McAvene (high school football), Ed Honabarger (high school football), Geoff Wagers (middle school football head coach), Kelly Camacho (middle school football assistant), DiVaunta Spearman (middle school football assistant), Hanse Cromer (high school volleyball head coach), Cara Park (high school volleyball assistant), Sam Rhonemus (high school volleyball freshman coach), Katie Welsh (middle school volleyball head coach), Mya Blochlinger (middle school volleyball assistant), Kevin Beachy (high school/middle school cross country head coach), Scot Mellor (high school/middle school cross country assistant),
Nick Gerber (high school/middle school cross country volunteer), Josh Wengerd (high school boys soccer head coach), Steve Obrst (high school boys soccer assistant coach), Jill Obrst (high school boys soccer volunteer), Schuyler Jones (high school girls soccer head coach), Taylor Dye (high school girls soccer assistant coach), Ayla Uhl (high school girls soccer volunteer), Nicole Strouse (middle school girls soccer head coach), Mike Molnar (high school golf head coach/Knights of the Round Table), Andy Toye (high school golf volunteer), Keith Troyer (middle school golf head coach), Rebbie Hill (high school girls tennis head coach), Madison Baker (high school girls tennis assistant coach), Jim Park (high school faculty manager), Lisa Ogi (high school faculty manager),
Teresa Wengerd (middle school faculty manager, fall), Josh Wengerd (middle school faculty manager, winter), Raven Wilcox (high school cheerleading head coach), Beth Lemon (high school cheerleading assistant coach), Jamie Aufrance (middle school cheerleading head coach), Tiffany Conner (middle school cheerleading assistant coach), Steve Butcher (high school concert band/jazz band/marching band/pep band/theater manager), Blake Depinet (high school assistant band director/middle school pep band/middle school concert band), Jason Snyder (high school volunteer marching band director), Michele Chaney (high school majorette advisor), Kristen O’Brien (high school musical director/choral music director/theater manager), Jeremy Westbrook (senior class advisor),
Melissa Rodhe (senior class advisor), Lacey Reynolds (junior class advisor), Lindsay Rettig (junior class advisor), Andrea Anderson (sophomore class advisor), Morgan Kellogg (freshman class advisor), Jeremy Burnison (high school yearbook advisor/tech energizer), Katie Welsh (high school Honors Awards coordinator), Alison Rogers (high school Student Council advisor), Lacey Reynolds (high school National Honor Society), Lisa Lang (high school Academic Challenge), Brooke Fox (middle school Knights Council, 1/4), Jennifer McCluggage (middle school Knights Council, 1/4), Dana Downs (middle school Knights Council, 1/4), Carla Burgett (middle school Knights Council, 1/4),
Sara Sponseller-Uhl (middle school yearbook/yearbook advisor), Rachel Snyder (middle school Academic Challenge), Brooke Fox (middle school Robotics Club), Sherri Barkman (Millersburg Elementary director safety patrol), Janet Yoder (Millersburg Elementary ED/MD for self-contained class), Angela Snyder (Millersburg Elementary ED/MD for self-contained class), Lindsey Beachy (Killbuck Elementary co-director safety patrol), Gerrilu Hughes (Killbuck Elementary co-director safety patrol), Kelly Hood (Killbuck Elementary ED/MD for self-contained class), Ashley Ogi (Nashville Elementary co-teacher leader, $500 payment in June 2024), Brooke Mast (Nashville Elementary co-teacher leader, $500 payment in June 2024) and Courtney Cooper (Lakeville Elementary teacher leader, $1,000 payment in June 2024).
—Approved the hirings, effective Aug. 15, of Alexander Looney (elementary music), Doyle Burgett (custodian), Stephen Fowler (assistant principal at Millersburg/Killbuck elementary schools), Brooke Wolfe (intervention specialist), Miranda Miller (intervention specialist), Clay Miller (high school math teacher) and Joshua Phillips (high school science).
—Approved the resignation of Rachel Steiner, speech language pathologist, effective May 26.
—Approved a two-year classified contract for Carrie Skolmutch for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
—Approved Teressa Weaver (Nashville/Lakeville), Kayla Nicholson (middle school), Jennifer Piatt (Millersburg), Billie Jo Addair (high school) and Daniel Anthony (Killbuck) as full-time substitutes for the 2023-24 school year.
The next board meeting will be July 17 at 6 p.m. at West Holmes High School.