By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

New Washington residents won’t have too much longer to wait for better phone service. That was the message from Thursday’s Buckeye Central school board meeting. The board received the final contract from Verizon to begin construction of a 4G tower on the school’s grounds

Buckeye Central Superintendent Mark Robinson noted that there were a few changes to the contract with some of the language in the initial talks removed. Among the changes that Robinson noted was that as long as Verizon is leasing the land, Buckeye Central can’t remove the tower to construct a building at the tower’s location. Robinson also noted that any alteration to the cell phone tower would have to be run through the school board.

Robinson explained the positives for the school district as well as the community with the installation of the cellular phone tower.

“I think we are all very excited about it because we don’t have the best cell phone coverage here in the area, we are a more rural area. What it’s going to means is that we will be able to access 3G and 4G, and we have been told both through the city and the school district that it will improve our cell service tremendously,” Robinson said.

Verizon will be leasing .2296 of an acre on the school’s grounds with construction to begin July 1. It is expected to be finished by July of 2016.

Robinson also presented the school board with the handbook of courses available to students for the 2015-2016 school year. Robinson stated that the biggest changes revolve around the college credit plus program which will add on .25 of a credit towards the student’s coursework for graduation.

Buckeye Central will offer three in-class programs next school year with the rest being available online.

The Buckeye Central Board of Education approved all items on the consent agenda including the contracts for the 2015-2016 school year for Nancy Ackerman as girls volleyball varsity assistant; Paige Caudill as junior varsity volleyball coach; Phil Loy as boys varsity golf coach; and Thad Metzger as boys and girls cross country coach.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for May 13.