12-10-02: Former member returns to Parkway board

12-10-02: Former member returns to Parkway board

By BETTY LAWRENCE
The Daily Standard

    ROCKFORD - The Parkway Local Schools board of education appointed Willshire resident Dana Smith to fill the unexpired term of board president Gary Hamrick, who resigned his position in November.
    The appointment came Monday evening after the board interviewed three applicants for the position in executive session prior to the board's regular scheduled meeting.
    Also interviewed for a seat on the board were Terry Shaffer, of Rockford, and former board member Tim Kennedy, of Mendon.
    In one fell swoop, Smith was appointed, sworn in and took a seat amidst the other four board members to chair his first board meeting.
    Smith is no stranger to Parkway Schools. He is a former board member, having served 12 years (three terms), the latest ending in 1997.
    Citing philosophical differences with other board members, Hamrick resigned after nearly eight years of service. Smith will serve his unexpired term which runs through 2003.
    Bruce Miller, with Garmann/Miller Architects-Engineers, Minster, offered the board an update on the village's looming $36 million school construction project.
    In November, voters approved an 8.8-mill property tax levy that will be used to pay down the $11.75 million for the local share of the construction project. The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) is contributing $24 million to the project.
    Rob Grinch, Columbus, is serving as OSFC project administrator and Nate Neuenschwander, of Tuttle Construction, Lima, is project manager.
    Miller announced the first core meeting for the project has been set for Jan. 23 at either 9:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. at the Parkway school. The time will be confirmed at a later date. Future core meetings tentatively are set for the third Thursday of each month at Parkway Schools.
    It was suggested two board members be present at the core meetings.
    A tentative schedule for design phases is forthcoming, Miller said, with a February/March 2004 completion date set as the preliminary goal.
    Miller also noted he has reviewed preliminary site information with utilities, including storm sewer and roads which are not funded by OSFC. Bidding that work as an alternate may allow the OSFC to become part of the OSFC share of the project cost, he reported.
    A rough draft of program requirements, incorporating Locally Funded Initiatives (LFI's) totaling 28,000 square feet was handed out to the board.
    LFI's are items - including an auditorium, expanded spectator gymnasium, additional vocational agriculture classroom and storage space, locker room and terrazzo flooring < that are not covered by the OSFC grant.
    Garmann/Miller has agreed to continue moving forward in working with Rockford on the construction project without a contract, however it is anticipated contracts will be negotiated and signed in January.
    Tuttle will negotiate their contract with OSFC in December and Neuenschwander will negotiate the LFI's with Parkway Schools.
    "We're also thinking about having partnering meetings, to bring all components together for work sessions," Superinten-dent Doug Karst added. A single-story, 234,000-square-foot building on 45 acres of land on the south edge of the village will be home to the new single-story educational building.
    The school buildings in Willshire, Mendon and Rockford, which now house the school district's students, may be demolished, according to the OSFC master plan, however school officials have said they may offer the land and property back to the respective villages.
    Paperwork to formally acquire the land should be completed in January, noted Karst.
    In other action, the board went into an executive session following the regular meeting to review the employment evaluations of the school superintendent and treasurer.
    In other action, board members:
    - Learned school employee medical and dental insurance will be increasing next year, 13 and 7 percent respectively.
    - Heard four Parkway High School students speak on their recent experiences at the annual Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention in St. Louis, Mo. and Louisville, Ky.
    - Approved the request of the Willshire Youth Activities Board to place an electronic scoreboard on the ball diamond at the Willshire school.
    - Accepted the bids from Myers Equipment Corp. for a conventional school bus at $56,035 and for a conventional special needs bus at $63,570.
    - Slated the board's annual organizational meeting, budget hearing and regular January meeting for Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.
    - Appointed board member Kim Brandt as president pro-tem for the January organizational meeting and selected her as representative to the Vantage Career Center board of education.
    - Accepted the donation of $1,235 from various individuals in honor of Aurelia Grieshop to the elementary library.
    - Granted approval for the treasurer to establish Round Two of the Assistive Technology Infusion Project.
    - Hired Matt Fisher as head boys track coach for the 2002-2003 season.
    - Hired Michelle Agler as head girls track coach for the 2002-2003 season.
    - Hired Teresa Frysinger for the supplemental position of care of uniforms (athletic) for the 2002-2003 school year.
    - Heard brief administrative reports from the school district's principals and dean of students.

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