KCS remains on track for new school plans

Kenton City Schools remains on track to get a final construction proposal for its new preK-6 in September, said Superintendent Jennifer Penczarski.
She said representatives of the Ohio School Facilities Commission met July 19 with the school’s architect, Garmann/Miller, and Smoot Construction, the construction manager. They reviewed the building plan and costs.
“It’s the first stage of the schematic design. They are starting to put costs with that design and analyze everything,” Penczarski said.
The week of Aug. 13, all staff members will meet with Garmann/Miller officials to discuss the building plan, she said.
Also, representatives from Kenton and the Hardin County Engineer’s office are to meet with board members Wednesday to discuss extension of Morningside Drive to the new school site.
Turning to the existing buildings, Penczarski said plans to move the preschool to the Oaklief building have fallen through. The bathrooms do not meet federal handicap accessibility guidelines without costly upgrades. Therefore the preschool will remain with the kindergarten classes at Westview.
The Students With Severe Disabilities program, which was operated out of the Eastcrest building, is likely to be moved to Northwood. That decision is expected to be finalized today, she said.
Penczarski also reported that Ohio Hi-Point, which operates Kenton’s vocational agriculture program, is forming an advisory committee to help grow Kenton’s FFA program.
Also at the meeting, the board:
– Heard from Kirk Cameron, new principal at the middle school, who comes to Kenton after serving as an administrator for Buckeye United School District through the Department of Youth Services. “I look forward to a lot of the great initiatives going on in the district,” he said.
– Approved the hiring of three teachers: Brittany Wank, fourth grade at Hardin Central; Allison Kemmere, second grade at Northwood and Amanda Sprang, sixth grade intervention specialist at Kenton Middle School.
– Approved the transfer of Ellen Johnson from sixth to seventh grade intervention specialist at KMS.
– Accepted the resignation of Colleen Potts, eighth grade math teacher at KMS.
– Approved changes in cafeteria personnel. Hired were Maria Modd and Vickie Clements for the 3.5-hour position at the KMS cafeteria and Susan Bodine for the 3-hour position at KHS.
– Hired Misty Walters as administrative assistant with the treasurer’s office. Penczarski said there were 54 applicants for the job.
– Accepted the resignation of Ryan Ludwig as eighth grade head football coach.
– Approved the following employee supplemental positions: Jamie Bartlett, middle school yearbook; Julie Strous, middle school Dimensions; Shana Stout and Vicki Krock, Power of the Pen (one-half); Robin Hughes and Rick Collins, middle school quiz bowl (one-half); Tyler Turner, seventh grade head football coach and Scott Laman, eighth grade assistant football coach.
– Approved the following non-employee supplemental positions: Colby Rush, seventh grade assistant football coach; Bill Lawrence, eighth grade head football coach and Kendra Strous, seventh grade volleyball coach.
– Approved the transfer of William Bloom from open bus driver to SWSD bus driver.
– Approved Gary Dunahue as a bus driver to transport a student to the School for the Deaf in Columbus.
– Approved an unpaid leave for bus driver Don Heilman from Aug. 21 through Sept. 28.
– Approved the creation of a four-hour bus driver position from Kenton to Hardin Northern and the community school, and a four-hour educational assistant position to ride that bus.
The board will meet in special session for the hiring of personnel at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7 at the administration building. The next regular meeting was shifted to Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.

By TIM THOMAS
Times editor

Share This Post

Tweet

Posted by Kenton Times on July 24, 2012. Filed under Local News,Recent Headlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry