Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Minster moves ahead with school project

Cost of improvements set at $10.3M

By Ed Gebert
MINSTER - District officials are proceeding with plans to improve the junior/senior high school building.
School board members on Monday approved participation in the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission's assistance program for the project. The $10.3 million renovation project will be financed with $6.7 million in local funding through the 1-mill local income tax passed by voters last fall and a state share of $3.6 million from the OFCC.
Board members also approved an enterprise zone agreement with Dannon for the new building the company will construct east of its current facility. The company will receive a 75 percent tax abatement for 10 years in exchange for payments to the district of $173,000 monthly. Dannon has agreed to add 23 full-time employees as part of the agreement.
Members also approved the rental of a home the district purchased at 102 E. Seventh St. The Minster FFA program also will direct special agricultural projects on the surrounding acreage.
Board members accepted the retirement of junior/senior high school principal Mike Lee. Lee will retire July 31, after serving 24 of his 37 years in education with Minster Local School.
They also approved a request for a one-year sabbatical for high school math teacher David Borchers for the 2017-2018 school year.
One-year contracts for the remainder of the current school year were awarded to Christine Barhost as a secretary and to Tim Jay as a groundskeeper.
Adjustments in supplemental contracts were made to rescind offers for Greg Zumberger and Becky Baumer as junior high girls track coaches and Jason Lammers as junior high assistant boys track coach.
Limited one-year supplemental contracts were awarded to Kim Seaver and Deb Meyer as Youth Leadership Association advisers; the junior high girls track coaching staff of Becky Baumer, Sara Dahlinghaus, Adam Meyer and Keyla Weubker; Greg Zumberger as high school girls assistant track coach; varsity baseball coaches Jeff Stueve and Mark Cordonnier; junior high boys track coaches Payton Printz and Jason Lammers; and softball coaches Doug Bergman, Dave Conrad, Regan Hahn and Tom Richard.
Volunteer coaches approved were John Huelsman, Bob Inskeep, Austin Kaylor, Andrea Knapke, Andy Schmitmeyer, Kaylee Shoff and Tom Thien. Student contracts went to Genoa Arling and Liv Wuebker as cafeteria workers.
Also approved was the school calendar for the 2017-2018 school year. Students will begin classes Aug. 23 and end classes on May 23.
The board will meet next on March 20.
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