Coronavirus

Belpre BOE discusses start of school year

BELPRE -- The Belpre City Schools Board of Education held its first meeting Monday afternoon since allowing students back to school to begin the 2020-2021 school year.

Belpre City Schools Superintendent Jeff Greenley used his time during the meeting to say how well everyone from the students and the faculty followed the school guidelines during the first four weeks of school.

"It was a pretty routine meeting, my report tonight was really just praising the team for getting through four weeks. I think some felt like we would even get this far," Greenley said.

"With everything going on, hats off to the team they've done an amazing job of being really adaptable. We're delighted to have a full month now with our students and hope to continue to be able to offer that service. My message is constant vigilance. We're a month in, but we have many, many more innings to play. So please continue to monitor your children's symptoms, keep them home if they're showing symptoms, continue to wash your hands, sanitize. We've been very, very pleased with facial covering compliance. Our kids have taken it very seriously, as our teachers. But let's just stay vigilant here, all of us want to stay in school and be in school and it's up to each of us to do those little things to make it happen," he said.

In the meeting, it was announced that Belpre City Schools is offering free meals to its students through the end of 2020. Getting approved by the Ohio Department of Education on Sept. 15, all students regardless of income status will receive a free breakfast and lunch meal for each school day. The program will last until Dec. 31 or when federal funding is depleted.

Students' meal status will be reviewed on Jan. 4, 2021. For this reason, the district still advises students to submit the free/reduced meal applications before then to make the process easy for the students when the switch happens.

"I think the important part for us tonight, was to make sure that folks still fill out those income forms. So that if and when we do have to switch over," Greenley said. "Everything is in place and families won't get billed for full dollar meals that they wouldn't have to if they would have filled out the free or reduced form. So we'll continue that normal process but are grateful to the administration for opening up those purse strings and for supporting our families during what is a very difficult time."

The board also approved contracts with Julian & Grube Inc for GAAP Audit Services for three years. According to Greenley, that will help the school treasurer's office to close out books and to make sure account practices are right.

Another contract was approved with WASCO Inc. from Aug 17, 2020, through Jan. 1, 2021, on an agreement for partnership grant funding HSTW Central/Southeast Ohio Region for the purpose of planning and implementing training conducted by Susie Peterson, from the AIW Institute on topic of authentic intellectual work for all middle and high school faculty during the fiscal year 20201 school year in the amount of $4,000.

A contract was approved with Building Bridges to Careers of Marietta for a period of three years at a cost of $2,000 per year. It will help teach teachers how to do project-based learning according to Greenley.

Another agreement was approved between the Ohio Attorney General, which oversees the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Belpre City Schools to procure the National Webcheck program services and equipment and is used appropriately for a period of three years.

The last contract is a memorandum of understanding between the WCDJFS Comprehensive Case Management Program and the BCS period of July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

Resignations were approved for Ryan Leasure, junior high football coach, Romel Henderson, football volunteer assistant coach, Pat Arnold, bus driver, effective on Sept. 25, 2020, Jeff Carmichael, football varsity assistant coach, effective on Sept. 23, 2020. Current high school football Lance Binegar's resignation from the head assistant coach position was mistakenly not present on the Aug. 18 agenda but was corrected during Monday's meeting.

The board-certified for personal William Jones, long term sub who was approved on the first day of school and had his final day was on Monday; Madina Sirag, long term sub; Christie Stewart, long term sub; and James Nelson, long term sub. Approved for classified were Netanya Wagenheim, custodian; Angel Cunningham, custodian; Alison Montgomery, cook; Hazel Guess, cook; Robert Smith, substitute custodian; Aaron Oliver, substitute custodian; and Tammy Gombos, substitute cook.

Nate Godfrey was extended through Dec. 31, 2020, for tech support and not to go over 28 hours per week.

Approved for extra-curricular/supplemental positions were Ryan Leasure varsity football assistant coach; Romel Henderson, junior high football head coach; Jesse Joseph, weight room coordinator; Carter Lang, National Honor Society advisor; Victoria Morgan, sophomores class of 2023 advisor; Katie Pintz, juniors Class of 2022 advisor; Jennifer Wells, seniors Class of 2021 advisor; Tyler Leasure, high school student council advisor; Kellie Krason, high school yearbook advisor; Kellie Krason, junior high yearbook advisor; Wendy Calaway, greenhouse advisor; Erica Wright, language arts team leader; Lori McNabb, math team leader; Chris Byron, intervention specialist team leader; Katie Pintz, social studies team leader; Wendy Calaway, science team leader; Kellie Krason, HSTW site coordinator; Beth Mercer, junior student council advisor; Jen Miller, testing special project; Kyle Scott, admin. services; Christa Benson, kindergarten team leader; Nicole Rodgers, first-grade team leader; Cheri Helgesen, second-grade team leader; Mary Miller, third-grade team leader; Eileen Cieslewski, fourth-grade team leader; Kathy Scimia, fifth grade team leader; and Dawn Dunlap, sixth-grade team leader.

Tuition reimbursement was approved for Brittany McNabb, Walden University, Megan Freed, Ashland University, and Ryan Leasure, West Virginia University.

A memorandum of understanding between Belpre City School and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees was also approved. This will allow classified staff to sign up for additional work to make up for the lost time due to the coronavirus, according to Greenley.

"We had some of our school calendar changed and for some of our classified staff had fewer days than they normally would have had during a school year. So in an effort to provide folks stability, we worked with the union so that they can sign up for additional work duty," Greenley said. "To work that time to get what they would have gotten if we hadn't had the coronavirus or professional development related scheduling changes. So it's a way of making them hold through extra work. So that they can continue to maintain the income that they've had in prior years."

The board accepts gifts/donations, including: $35.31 from CCI Spirit to BHS Principal's Fund; $200 from Belpre Athletic Boosters toward the purchase of IR thermometers; $250 from WV Central Credit Union to Belpre junior high cheer; and $1,000 from First Mutual Bank to Belpre high school cross country for the Belpre Invitational which occurred this past weekend.

At the start of the meeting, president Leonard Wiggins began by honoring the late Belpre High School teacher and baseball coach Bob Perkins who passed away in between the meetings.

"Mr. Perkins worked for Belpre City Schools for about 45 years and he was the driver's ed teacher. Very calm, very cool, never got excited. Had a tremendous record in his 35 years as the baseball coach. Heck of a winning record," Wiggins said, adding it would be a good way to honor him by renaming the baseball field after him. "Very well-liked in the community, very community orientated and that just a great kind of role model that it would be great for kids today. I just thought it was a small tribute to him if we could name the baseball field after him."

Contact Tyler Bennett at tbennett@newsandsentinel.com