Supt. Brian Petrie acknowledged the success of the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams and the boys’ and girl’s bowling teams during the April 10 session of the Cardington-Lincoln Board of Education.

The superintendent also recognized 2011 graduate Hannah Zierden who was recently awarded the 2017 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Award. There were 16,000 people applying for this award and only 2,000 are recipients. Zierden is a doctrinal student at John Hopkins University.

Petrie also read a letter of thanks from Jean Smith, with the Community Food Pantry, in which she thanked the board for allowing them to distribute food from the Producer’s Market on March 31. She said they served 166 families with 11,700 pounds of food. Smith thanked the girls softball team and Coach Brininger for their assistance.

Giving his report was Jon Mason, district treasurer, who reviewed the school’s funding and explained the real estate property re appraisal which happens every six years, and its affect on the school’s income.

He said agricultural values were up (from $25m to $40m ) There was a decline in residential values in 2014 but they have come back up the last two years. The industrial side also rose.

“Overall it’s a nice healthy trend for the county,” he commented after explaining more points.

Mason said “the state plays that game with you – ‘the district has grown in value and they can generate more money locally -so we are going to back off.’ “We look wealthier in the state’s eye- This year we’re looking at 2014-2015-2016 and as an average we go from 69 per cent from the state to 63 per cent from the state- a huge hit for a small school district. They look at the high and low and throw out the rest- we’ll probably see our ag value decline, though.”

“The values,” he said, “are the biggest contributors to the funding formula if the values go up the state backs off.”

Supt Petrie added “The new formula they are using takes into account how everyone else is doing in the state as well -where they are combining all those values and the last biennium they are factoring in the income of different communities to establish what the foundation payments will be.”

Approved was the Valuation Engineers proposal to update fixed asset values, $4,250 and the establishment of a new Community School Sponsorship Fund as required by the ODE.

The board also approved the Mission Statement for the Tomorrow Center Sponsorship.

The retirement of Eileen Chappell, secretary, was accepted effective June 30, 2017. Chappell has been with the district for 19 years. Supt. Petrie described her as very dedicated and contributed to the district.

“She will be greatly missed,” he said. She will be honored during the end of the year faculty breakfast.

Also approved: (1) the contract renewal for Student Protection Agency for FY 18 Guarantee Life Insurance Company Voluntary Student Accident Program (2) Physicians conducting T-8 physicals for bus driver qualifications in accordance with OAC 3301-83-07.

Terry Lichtenberg, was employed on a classified contract as an aide (four hours per day) and as varsity assistant football and given a one year contract as Community School Sponsorship Coordinator.

The board approved the 2017-2018 school calendar. School will begin on Aug. 15. Last day of school is May 24, 2018.

Joe Mills, high school principal reviewed some of the end of year activities going on in the high school including the Parent and Community engagement and the annual Prom taking place at the Glen Ross Golf Club in Delaware on April 21. Ice skating will follow. He also cited the Pirate Spectacular taking place April 18 which the teachers have worked on for some time.

Jennifer Zierden, intermediate principal, said they are gearing up for end of the year things with testing taking place the first week of May. May 19 is the annual fair the fifth graders put on. There will be sixth grade camp and parties going on.

Scott Hardwick, elementary principal, said they are doing teacher evaluations and student performance. The theme is the continuation of assessments and PBIS updates continue, he said. He is satisfied with the positive feedbacks coming from that program.

The board will interview Scholarship applicants on May 16 at 4 p.m.

They will meet for a work session on April 17, 2017.

Kindergarten screenings will be made May 2 and May 4.

The board entered an executive session based on ORC 121.22(G).

There was no more information following the end of the session

By Evelyn Long

The Sentinel

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