Tuesday, November 29th, 2022

State awards $200K in grants

High school, Head Start to get $100K each

By William Kincaid
File Photo/The Daily Standard

New security devices will be installed at Celina High School.

CELINA - The Celina City Schools district has been awarded $200,000 through Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's K-12 School Safety Grant Program.
Celina High School and Mercer County Head Start will each receive $100,000 safety grants, according to a news release from DeWine's Office.
Superintendent Ken Schmiesing welcomed the news, saying school officials likely will spend the funds on safety components for the high school and Head Start program that can be reused in new school buildings once they're built.
Head Start is a countywide preschool program that serves children ages 3-5 who have a disability or whose families are income eligible. Limited enrollment also is available for families who don't meet these requirements. Celina City Schools hosts the program and serves as its fiscal agent.
"We applied for a hundred thousand dollars for each of our buildings," Schmiesing told the newspaper. "It was a piece we were going to put in some safety initiatives in our current buildings that we would then be able to move to the new buildings."
Schmiesing applauded district facilities director Phil Metz for writing the successful application.
"Certainly hats off to him," Schmiesing said. "It's great to have that $200,000 headed our way to help us with the safety initiatives."
The planned 7-12 school building is expected to open in 2026, Schmiesing said.
"If we can in any manner use (the grant) to replace what we would otherwise be using funds for in the new building - I'm speaking of some technology advances, perhaps. Camera systems. Things like this," he said.
One of the safety features they'd like to incorporate into the design is a vestibule like the one at Tri Star where people are screened before given access into the facility.
"They're able to see the people walking up to the building so that's a feature that we're looking at with the new buildings as well," Schmiesing said.
The release noted 708 schools in 57 counties will receive $57.8 million in funding through this third round of funding through a competitive process to public school districts and chartered non-public schools, with a maximum award of $100,000 per school. A total of $105 million will have been allocated over the course of three rounds.
"We are being proactive in keeping our schools safe in Ohio. Student and staff safety is paramount," DeWine said in a statement. "These safety grants are helping schools create environments that are secure and welcoming for teachers and their students."
The safety funds are to be used to cover expenses associated with physical security enhancements such as security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems and exterior lighting.
Other local entities awarded safety grants were Mercer County Educational Service Center and Coldwater Exempted Village Schools.
Mercer County ESC superintendent Shelly Vaughn at the time said its $100,000 grant would be spent on improvements at the ESC's new facility in the former Fanning Howey building located at 540 E. Market Street, Celina.
They were to include outdoor lighting in the parking lot, security cameras, a backup generator and re-keying the entire building with keyless-entry capabilities.
Vaughn had said Celina Police Chief Tom Wale conducted a vulnerability assessment of the building as part of the grant application process and helped form a report with suggestions for improvements.
Coldwater school district treasurer Jenn McCoy last month said school officials were still mulling how to spend the $50,000 safety grant awarded to the high school.
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The Bulldogs finished 10th in the girls division of the Western Buckeye League championships last season while the boys were eighth.
COLDWATER - Coldwater swimming coach Matt May expects a rebuilding year after several years of solid state-qualifying performances.
The Cavaliers have just one swimmer from the state meet last season.
FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery boasts four returning district qualifiers on the girls team and a pair of accomplished returners on the boys team.

GIRLS
The Indians have nine girls swimming this season, with three seniors leading the way.
MARIA STEIN - Fourth-year Marion Local swim coach Danielle Hartke has high hopes that her squad will improve on last year's accomplishments.
With several swimmers that competed at district returning this season, the Flyers are looking to make a bigger impact in the postseason.
MINSTER - The Minster swimming team will be going through a bit of rebuilding after having some solid seasons featuring qualfiers to the state meet.
Coach Dawn Schwieterman has a smaller squad this season that does feature several returning district qualifiers.
NEW BREMEN - First-year New Bremen swimming coaches Steve Hemmelgarn and Amanda Kuck will look to build on the success from the past several years, including having state meet competitors last season.
ST. MARYS - After some exceptional showings at the Western Buckeye League and state meet performances, St. Marys returns to look to move up the league ladder.
CELINA - The last three years, Celina has been so close to winning its first Western Buckeye League wrestling title finishing third last season after being the runner-up the previous two season.
COLDWATER - The wrestling season will get started on schedule for Coldwater and the Cavaliers will have their full squad for the season opener after the football team lost in the regional semifinals.
ROCKFORD - Parkway will look to its veterans to help keep up the positive progress on the wrestling team this season.
Coach Jeff Farmer has six letterwinners returning with two returning after district qualifying performances last season.
ST. MARYS - With three straight Western Buckeye League wrestling championships under its belt, the St. Marys wrestling team is gearing up for another run to the title this season.
CELINA - Coming off back-to-back Western Buckeye League titles, Celina's girls bowling team has to replace a pair of seniors and brings up four freshmen.
COLDWATER - Veteran Coldwater bowling coach Rick Hartings has a loaded talent roster for both his boys and girls bowling teams as the Cavaliers look for another run to state.
FORT RECOVERY - While the Fort Recovery boys bowling team returns a number of letterwinners from last season's sixth-place showing in Midwest Athletic Conference action, the Indians' girls team will look to rebuild this season.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local brings back four senior girls as it looks to improve on a winless season last year.
Ali Bruns returns after earning seco
MINSTER - Coming off a 12-7 season, the Minster boys look to get through sectionals for the first time in school history.
Leading the way for the W
NEW BREMEN - After fielding a young roster last season, the New Bremen girls can hope to take a step forward in 2023.
Marina Nelson, who led the te
ROCKFORD - The Parkway boys bowling team brings back seven bowlers while adding enough numbers to have a JV team.
Junior Corey Stachler is the most
ST. HENRY - After just missing out on a trip to state last season, St. Henry's bowling team will look to rebuild with just one returning starter from last season when the Redskins went 4-3 in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
ST. MARYS - After finishing third in the state tournament last year, the St. Marys girls team returns all but one bowler and comes in with an eye on returning to state.