PIQUA — Three new board members and election of officers was held during the organizational meeting Jan. 23 for the Upper Valley Career Center Board of Education,

Joining the board was Clint Bostick, Piqua City Schools, Maria Brewer, Bradford Exempted Village School District, and Lee Harmon, Covington Exempted Village School Distric. Their terms of office is through Dec. 31, 2025.

Lee Harmon was elected president, while Bill Ankney was elected vice president. The legislative liaison will be Maria Brewer.

The 2022 committee assignments were approved. Members of the Facilities Committee will be Bill Ankney, Eric Ditmer, Randy Sailor and Andy Hite. The Records Retention Committee member is Lee Harmon. The Nominating Committee members are Dr. Robert Allen, Randy Sailor, Maria Brewer and Michele Lott.

Performance Review Committee members are Eric Ditmer, Lee Harmon and Levi Fox. Compensation Review Committee members are Joyce Reives, Michele Lott, Clint Bostick and Lee Harmon.

Amanda Davidson provided an update of the programs available through the Adult Education Health Sciences program. She shared that the State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) course is offered one time per month. The Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program offers two cohort start times per year and the LPN to RN transitional program is currently offered once per year and meets two to three days per week to allow students to maintain employment.

Cameron Horen explained his career path and how Upper Valley Career Center was an instrumental part. He shared how he attended the Upper Valley Career Center Adult Diploma program where he was allowed to complete his requirements for a high school diploma while earning a STNA Certificate. He found his passion for caring for others and enrolled in the LPN program. Cameron recently completed LPN training and plans to continue working while enrolled in the LPN to RN transitional program at Upper Valley Career Center in the fall.

Hite shared that he had an opportunity to tour the Willowbrook facility and learn more about the Landscape and Natural Resources program. He shared that he felt that combining the Landscape and Natural Resources would provide more job opportunities for students and encouraged staff to continue to represent both programs and job opportunities equally.

Superintendent Jason Haak shared the board policy manual draft review was nearing completion and that a final draft for review should be released within the next few weeks.

Haak said the staff of Upper Valley Career Center donated over $1,676 to be used to give gift cards to students in need. Thirty-nine students received a gift card right before Christmas break along with a blanket and pillow that were made by Upper Valley Career Center support staff.

Haak reported that 63 students participated in a blood drive held by the Upper Valley Career Center Sports Medicine program for the Community Blood Center on Dec. 21, 2022. Twenty-nine were first-time donors. Students that donate at least twice during their high school years will receive a red cord that can be worn during convocation. Students plan to do another blood drive in March.

Haak thanked the Hartstein/Favorite Grant that has once again helped support the Yellowstone/Teton Study Trip for the Landscape and Natural Resources students that will take place in September 2023. The grant will support $20,087 of the trip’s expenses.

Haak said Clark Schaefer Hackett has completed the annual District audit. In the post-audit meeting, representatives from the firm complemented the staff and treasurer on their promptness and thoroughness of responses. The audit has been sent to the Auditor of State for final approval. A full report will be emailed out once reviewed and approved by the Auditor of State.

Haak commended 16 students from the Troy-UVCC Career Based Intervention Program (CBIP) that completed The Future Begins Today 8-week program on career exploration titled “Trojan Futures.” The new program offers students an opportunity to discover the career(s) that has meaning and value to them.

Haak shared that Samantha Marlow, Joshua Schilling, Alexis Torivio and Zachary Burton were the Upper Valley Career Center winners of the local Americanism and Government test sponsored by the Piqua American Legion. This program provides students with the opportunity to receive recognition and scholarship awards by testing their knowledge of current events, Ohio and United State Government and History, and display of the United States Flag.

Haak shared the State Board of Education Title IX Resolution.

He provided board members certificates of recognition that were provided by the Ohio School Boards Association and thanked them all for their service and focus on what is best for students.

Jeff Shaffer, Director of Technology, explained to the Board his three-phase plan to update the technology infrastructure throughout the District. Shaffer said his plan included utilizing E-Rate dollars over the next three years reducing the cost to the District by nearly 60%.

During the organizational meeting, the board:

• Authorized the superintendent to employ Upper Valley Career Center personnel pursuant to the appropriate salary schedule, to accept resignations, to suspend employees without pay when deemed appropriate by the superintendent, and to approve stipends per the pay schedule

• Authorized the Superintendent to sign and file Federal/State/Local Proposals/Applications with operation contingent upon board approval.

• Authorized insurance for board members.

• Appointed the treasurer as public records designee and distributed to the treasurer the Records Retention Schedule and Records Board Policies.

• Approved a resolution to waive the oral reading of board minutes.

• Approved authorization of tax advance requests.

• Approved a resolution authorizing the investment of funds.

During the regular meeting, the board:

• Approved the investment interest proration resolution. The treasurer will be able to credit qualified investment earnings of funds directly to the individual fund for the Bond/Note Retirement Fund, Permanent Improvement Fund, Lunchroom Fund, Adult Scholarship Fund, Shelby County Assistance Fund, Patronage Fund, Hartstein-Favorite Career Enhancement Fund, Student Activity Funds and Building Maintenance Fund.

• Approved grant funds from the Troy Foundation Grant, from the Dan and Carole Kerber Charitable Checking Account, in the amount of $1,000, for general support; the FCCLA Ohio FACTS Initiative Grant in the amount of $1,000 for the Early Childhood Education program; and the Hartstein/Favorite International Vocational Fund of the Troy Foundation grant in the amount of $20,087 to be used by the Landscape and Natural Resources program for the Yellowstone/Teton Study trip.

• Approved Career Tech alternate license tuition reimbursements for Joel Baden, Jackie Doseck, Drew Ihle, Zachary Friend, Konner Keller and Emily Palmer.

• Approved the purchase order to WOCO in the amount of $51,371.92 (40%) for the purchase of licensing, network switches, and wireless infrastructure. The total cost of this project will be $128,429.81, where E-Rate funding will be used for the remaining 60% of the project.

• Approved a resolution for the Community Reinvestment Area Agreement between the village of Botkins and Botkins-Platfoot Industrial Properties.

• Approved a resolution for the Community Reinvestment Area Agreement between the village of Botkins and Eric May Enterprises

• Approved a resolution for the Community Reinvestment Area Agreement and Reducing Advance Notice between the city of Sidney and JBM Sidney

• Approved a resolution for the Reducing Advance Notice between the city of Sidney and Vision Development.

• Approved a resolution reducing statutory notice periods with Vision Development’s project in the city of Sidney.

• Approved out-of-district learning opportunities/out-of-state travel for Landscape and Natural Resources instructors Michaella Quinter and John Kreitzer along with up to 12 students to participate in the Yellowstone/Teton Study Experience trip from Sept. 13-22, 2023. The costs for the students will not exceed $27,000, and the costs for the staff will not exceed $9,000. Funding for the students is covered by a grant from the Hartstein/Favorite International Vocational Fund of the Troy Foundation and the contributions of the individual students. The Board will cover the expenses of the staff.

• Approved the 2022-23 Adult and High School Advisory Committee members.

• Approved the 2023-24 high school calendar.

• Approved the Adult LPN-RN Clinical Affiliation Agreements with Lima Memorial, Piqua Manor, Fair Haven Shelby County and Ohio Living Dorothy Loved.

• ApprovedAdult Education intermittent/hourly employment for Jerald Duff, Workforce Development Instructor- In-House – Industrial and Workforce Development Instructor Off-Site -Industrial; and Brad Shade, Workforce Development Instructor- In-House – Industrial and Workforce Development Instructor Off-Site -Industrial.

• Approved the resignation for the purpose of retirement for Karen Cole, Aspire instructor.

• Approved a 3% + $750 increase on the base salary for the 2023-24 contract year for all salary schedules, excluding the Miscellaneous/Intermittent and the Adult Hourly/Intermittent salary schedules.

• Approved a 3% base salary increase for cabinet level contracts.

The next meeting of the Upper Valley Career Center Board of Education will be held on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Adams Board Room- Main Instructional Building.