Superintendent Catherine Puster announces school building open houses

LOUDONVILLE - Back-to-school information dominated a largely routine meeting of the Loudonville-Perrysville Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 8.

Superintendent Catherine Puster announced school building open houses will be conducted on Monday, Aug. 22, at the McMullen Elementary (grades K-3) from 5 to 6 p.m.; at the Budd Elementary School (grades 4-6) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; and at Loudonville Junior High and High School from 6 to 7 p.m.

School start dates are different at the McMullen School. Grades 1-3 will start classes on Aug. 23. Kindergarten students with last names beginning with A through L will attend school the first week on Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 23 and 25; and beginning with M-Z on Wednesday and Friday, Aug. 24 and 26.

School will start for grades 4-6 at the Budd School on Aug. 23. Grades 7-8 will start classes on Tuesday, Aug. 23, while grades 9-12 will start classes on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

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Monday’s meeting opened with a twist. The agenda showed an executive session at the end of the meeting called to discuss an employee contract. Board President John Carroll asked that an executive session, for the same reason, be held at the opening of the meeting. The board went into the first session at 6:35 p.m. until 7:05 p.m. with no report on return to open session. Then, at the close of all other business around 7:25 p.m., it went into a second closed session, returning to open session again with no report, and adjourned the meeting.

Vermilya recognized as a first team high school academic all-American

Athletic Director and Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Tyler Bates opened the meeting by presenting LHS junior Corri Vermilya with a plaque recognizing her as a first team high school academic all-American.

Vermilya was the top scorer for the Redbird varsity girls basketball team, and a member of the state-qualifying 800-meter relay team, as well as a 4.0 grade point average student. Bates said she was the only athlete from Ohio to receive first team academic all-American honors.

Junior High/High School Principal Chrissy Butts announced three major changes at her school for the coming year, a new rule prohibiting junior high students from carrying cell phones, new lockers in the building with locks and stricter consequences for student caught vaping.

“We are serious about vaping,” Butts said. “One vape hit is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes.”

Puster reviewed teacher in-service meetings prior to school and carried into the school year, starting with a new teacher in-service on Aug. 17.

She also praised new assistant transportation supervisor George Lee’s work on providing much-needed maintenance for school buses. Problem for the bus fleet is the district’s bus garage, which has dirt floors in all but two bays, and was built prior to school buses being lengthened, so buses stick out from the end of the garage.

“We need serious conversation about getting rid of those dirt floors,” Board Member Bruce Davis said.

The board agreed to spend $31,065 on the school liaison program to give the district two full-time liaisons on staff. The county mental health and recovery board pays for 30 hours of their work, with the district agreeing to pay for 10 more hours.

Intervention specialist, paraprofessional and bus driver resign

Last month, Puster reported that staffing has been completed for the upcoming school year, but two resignations this month negated that claim. The board accepted the resignation of high school intervention specialist Sarah Smith and reported the loss of a junior high paraprofessional.

Also resigning was long-term school bus driver Tom Kauffman, who, Puster said, “was an excellent bus driver. The kids loved him.”

Certified personnel hired included Jennifer Baynes, district library/media specialist; and Whitney Snyder, high school English/language arts teacher.

The board acknowledged receipt of funds from the Loudonville-Perrysville School Foundation for teacher mini-grants and major projects.

It approved the following adult school support groups to be eligible for district liability insurance: L-P School Foundation, Academic Boosters, Music Boosters, Academic Boosters, McMullen Parents Association, Budd Partners in Education, Prom Parents and FFA Alumni.

It approved the substitute teacher’s list provided by the Tri-County Educational Service Center contracted with Tri-County for special services and employment services; approved a list of substitute classified personnel; appointed building principals and school liaisons as attendance officers; amended its list of legal representatives; and accepted a donation of $500 to the athletic department for Jerald Quickle to cover cost for lettering for the Athletic Hall of Fame touch screen project.

Teachers approved for supplemental contracts

The following teachers were approved for supplemental contracts: Jackie Arnold, head volleyball; Karissa Frische, vocal music grades 7-12; Rachel Albright, vocal music 1-6; Angela Spreng, instrumental music 15 days extended time; Jennifer Baynes, library media six days extended time; Dave Lance, guidance, 20 days extended times; Kristen Thiebaud, guidance, 10 days extended time; Emily Roblin, fall and spring drama club and flag corps; Jenna Fisher, council for exceptional children adviser; Tiffani Ziegler, Power of the Pen both seventh and eighth grade; Jim Gale, eighth grade science fair and junior high academic challenge; Pete Snyder, high school academic challenge and honor society adviser; Aimee Ross, prom and yearbook adviser; Matt Cottrill, junior high student council; Mike Baker, Leo Club; Megan sellers, junior high athletic director; and Tyler Dates, high school athletic director.

Non-teachers approved for supplemental positions included Chris Harris, homecoming adviser; Lara Sprang, junior high art club; Danielle Clady, football cheerleading adviser; Samantha Thiemens, football cheerleading head for junior high and assistant for high school; Steve Seaman, head boys soccer; Tim Trapp, assistant boys soccer; John Curtis, freshman football; and Andrew Berry, assistant high school football.

Next regular L-P School Board meeting is Monday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Loudonville High School cafeteria.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville-Perrysville school board reviews back-to-school events