Board member resigns

ROCKFORD - Parkway school board members on Tuesday accepted the resignation of fellow board member Terry Keiser.

Still in her first term, Keiser said she must resign because she and her husband are moving out of the area. Superintendent Greg Puthoff said Keiser informed them in advance so officials would have time to advertise the opening and interview interested candidates.

In a special meeting prior to Tuesday's regular meeting, the board met in executive session to interview four candidates - Melissa Burch, Rockford; Steve Samples, Rockford; former board member Dana Smith, Wilshire; and Ryan Thompson, Rockford.

"All four candidates did a very nice job," Puthoff said.

The new board member will be announced during an organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8. The regular January board meeting will follow at 6:45 p.m. in the high school community room.

Puthoff told board members construction of the new athletic building is ahead of schedule. The $307,676 facility will house restrooms, ticket booths and concessions at the football stadium and baseball diamonds.

The outside walls are almost constructed, and workers soon will build the inside walls and roof.

The project is expected to be completed in early February.

Board members approved the purchase of a new set of bleachers at a cost of $32,440. They will serve as visitors' bleachers at the football stadium.

The old bleachers and concession building will be moved to the track, where bleachers were damaged in a June storm.

The new building and bleachers are being paid for with leftover funds from the school construction project. The state officially closed out the K-12 school building project in May, six years after the school's completion.

School board members transferred $703,745 of the $1.1 million leftover into the permanent improvement fund. The remaining $409,045 was transferred into the district's bond retirement fund to pay down the debt on the levy.

High school principal Brian Fortkamp said he is looking to bring the Bigger, Faster, Stronger assembly to the school Dec. 21 and a clinic on Dec. 22. The nationwide program motivates high school athletes and coaches and teaches them the best workout strategies for any sport.

"On a scale of one to 10, it teaches them to be an 11," he said.

The fee for the clinic is $5. If any interested student cannot afford the fee, he or she should see Fortkamp to work out something.

Board member Tom Lyons asked about the status of reinstating the after-school program that was canceled at the start of this school year. A 21st Century Grant funded the program in previous years; officials did not apply for the funds this year due to miscommunication.

Puthoff has applied for a vote-based Clorox grant. The school that receives the highest number of votes will be awarded $50,000; runners-up can receive $25,000. Puthoff said Parkway so far has received 588 votes.

"So I'm hoping we receive something," he said.

He also learned applications for next year's 21st Century Grant will be available in February.

Puthoff said after the first of the year, parents with unpaid fees will be able to track their children's grades online.

"We normally don't release grades until all fees are paid," he said. "This will change that. Parents will be able to keep track of their kids' grades even if they can't afford to pay the fees."

Puthoff didn't foresee the change being a financial setback for the district because students must still pay all fees to graduate or receive an official transcript.

Fortkamp said about 10 percent of students do not pay their fees throughout high school but all eventually do so they can graduate.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, board members,

• listened to a Christmas song performed by the high school chamber choir.

• approved the annual $250 membership with the Legal Assistance Fund through the Ohio School Board Association for 2013.

• approved minor revisions to the district policy book as recommended by NEOLA.

• elected board president Kim Brandt as president pro-tem for the January organizational meeting.

• approved Dan Cairns as the girls head track coach for the 2012-2013 school year.

• approved the proposed calendar for the 2013-2014 school year.

• approved Brandt as Vantage Career Center board representative for 2013.