By Matt Clevenger
For the Miami Valley Today
CASSTOWN — The Miami East Local Schools Board of Education has appointed Mark Davis to serve as a temporary board member, filling a vacant seat that was left open after the recent resignation of Board Member Mike Rindler.
“It is a privilege to be asked to return temporarily to this auspicious group,” Davis said after taking the Oath of Office.
“I’d like to thank Mr. Davis for coming on board,” Board Member Kevin Accurso said. “Mark was a great help to me when I started here. He’s a great asset.”
Board members voted to appoint Davis and formally accept Rindler’s resignation, effective May 31, 2021, during their regularly scheduled board meeting on Monday, June 21. In other business, board members also voted to approve the transfer of $1,000,000 from the district’s general fund to the permanent improvement fund for the addition of a new wing at the elementary school.
“We were able to fund the addition from our general fund without going to taxpayers for additional funding,” Board President Mark Iiames said. “It’s a tribute to our successful financial planning.”
“Westerheide started construction last week,” Superintendent Dr. Todd Rappold said. “It would really be nice to get a lot of the large work completed by the start of the school year.”
“Our facilities team has just done a phenomenal job over the last couple years,” he said. “At some point early in the fall, we’re going to survey our parents in the district to get a gauge of what facilities we need to focus in on for the next couple of years.”
Board members also approved the acceptance of several donations, including $50 from Beth Culberson to the Miami East Athletic Program in memory of Richard Roeth, $75 from Greenville Federal Equity to the elementary, junior high school and high school principal’s funds, and $1,500 from the Miami County Foundation for High School Muse Machine, as well as the hiring of additional counselors for the 2021-2022 school year.
“Thank you so much to the community for all that they do for us,” Treasurer Lisa Fahnke said. “Without these funds, our student activities wouldn’t have the opportunity to do many of the programs they have; there just wouldn’t be adequate funding for that.”
“Student activities are stand-alone,” Fahnke said. “What they have is what they have, so anything donated to these funds is greatly appreciated by the programs.”
“We are excited to have four full-time counselors on campus next year,” Rappold said. “We’ll have one counselor who will be full-time just at the elementary; we’ll have one full-time at the junior high, and two full-time here at the high school.”
“We’re very aware that students and parents are going to need some extra assistance as we move into the 2021-22 school year,” he said. The additional counselors will be funded through a Wellness Grant from the State of Ohio.
Board members also heard an update on new federal school lunch guidelines for the 2021-2022 school year. “Right now, it appears as if the USDA is going to begin the school year with the same free lunch program,” Rappold said. “We’re going to try to publicize a little bit more to our parents that kids are entitled to a free lunch.”
“We’re going to try to do a better job of communicating to our parents,” he said.
Board members adjourned their meeting to executive session. The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14.
