By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Buckeye Central received good news on the financial side during the district’s final school board meeting of the year Thursday night.
During Beth Diesch’s Financial Committee report to the board she noted that the district audit for the state had been completed. Diesch quoted the audit saying that the school complied in all material aspects, and that there were no internal deficiencies found within the audit.
More good news in the financial sector came when Treasurer Nancy Ackerman reported that the school was $20,000 to $30,000 better than the estimate for the month of December.
During Superintendent Mark Robinson’s report he gave a synopsis of the Dec. 1 teacher in-service day.
“We looked at value added. It seems to be driving everything in the state. Those numbers are being used in the teacher evaluations, and the teachers need to understand what they mean,” Robinson said to the board. “We looked at students – what is going well with them, and how to improve areas where growth isn’t what we want.”
“All of the schools are concerned with PARCC testing; it is more difficult than the OAA. The PARCC tests will all be given digitally at Buckeye Central,” Robinson said. “We have to get kids to understand how the tests work electronically. Within 2 years the tests will be total electronic.”
Robinson noted that the murals by the screens and athletic office are complete, and that work on the mural that will adorn the elementary wing of Buckeye Central will start within the week.
The school board passed all recommendations by the superintendent including the Buckeye Central Field House and Weight Room Facilities Use Guidelines which will become effective Jan. 1. With the field house facility receiving new doors those who wish to use the facility will have to inquire with Buckeye Central about usage.
Also approved was making Board President Melissa McDougal as president pro tem for the January 2015 organizational meeting.
The Buckeye Central Board unanimously approved all certified staff recommendations which were the hiring of Thad Metzger as girls track head coach, Joe Wiles as boys track head coach, and Jeff Niedermier as boys track assistant coach.
The classified staff recommendations on the agenda were also unanimously approved by the school board. Among those was the retirement of bus driver Cindy Alt. Alt was a bus driver for the district for 32 years.
The next Buckeye Central Board of Education meeting will be the annual organizational meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 in the Multipurpose Room. The regular January board meeting will follow.