At the first meeting of 2022, the Penta Career Center board of education elected two members to serve as president and vice president.
During the meeting, the board selected Judy Sander of the North Point Educational Service Center to be president this year and Eric Benington, representing Perrys-burg Schools as vice president.
On behalf of the board, Superintendent Ed Ewers expressed appreciation to outgoing president Ken Sutter of Rossford, who served as board president for two years.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Ken for his service,” he said.
Board member Judith Paredes agreed, “I would like to thank you for your leadership these past two years. You did a phenomenal job.”
The board also voted to keep the monthly meetings at 5:15 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, with the exception of June, July and August when meeting times are 7:30 a.m. A June 29 meeting was added for the end of the fiscal year, if needed. Due to a scheduling conflict, the February meeting was moved up by one week to February 2.
Meeting dates for the remainder of the year are March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, August 3, September 14, October 12, November 9 and December 14.
Debt Service
Treasurer Carrie Herringshaw presented the board with a review of financial reports.
Ms. Herringshaw noted the district is on track to make its last debt service payment on the career center in April 2028.
“It seems like it was such a long time, but now it’s just a handful of years. This is really exciting,” she said.
Originally scheduled to open in fall 2009, the $91 million, 522,000-square-foot building was completed one year ahead of schedule and under budget, opening in August 2008.
Penta officials began construction on the new campus after voters in its 16-member school districts passed a 1-mill permanent improvement levy in November 2003.
According to then assistant superintendent Ron Matter, “The school was constructed with flexibility to meet future workforce demands of the region.”
Other Business
In other business, the board:
•Approved compensation for members, who will be paid $125 per meeting. Members also are eligible for a mileage reimbursement for attendance at all meetings at the rate of 50 cents per mile.
•Set aside from the general fund a sum not to exceed $2 per child enrolled or $20,000, whichever is greater, to the service fund. The fund is used only to pay expenses incurred by the nine members of the school board in performance of their duties.
•Authorized Ms. Herringshaw to seek tax advances from the county auditors as they become available.
•Accepted the retirement resignation of Grace Phillips, cosmetology instructor at the end of 2021-22.
“Grace started in 2015 and came here with more than 20 years experience,” Mr. Ewers said.
The board also accepted the resignation of John McClure, job coach, effective June 1. “He’s been with us for quite some time,” the superintendent noted, adding that both will be missed.
•Employed several certified personnel. They are Jolyn Heavener and Penny Miller, long-term substitutes; Brenda Strauss, adult education instructor, part time, $30 per hour; Bobbie Dotson, adult education part time, $25 per hour, and Darryl Robinson, Aspire instructor part time, $25 per hour.
The board also hired as support personnel Katherine Skaff, job coach, effective January 4; Kenneth Blandin, on-board instructor, $25 per hour, and Andrea Caverly, secretary. All are employed through the remainder of the school year.
•Received certificates of appreciation from Mr. Ewers in recognition of the Ohio School Boards Association board appreciation month.
“Thank you for all that you do at Penta,” he said.
•Heard from career center director Ryan Lee that the school has kicked off its short-term, post-secondary courses, which are designed for adults with limited time due to full-time employment or other issues.
“Phlebotomy has 15 students enrolled,” he said, adding they also offer a welding course.
The courses are abbreviated and stacked, allowing students to opt in at a convenient time for them.
At the high school, Mr. Lee said staff continues to work on connections with work-based partners. “I’m excited about those opportunities.”
•Learned that enrollment numbers for next fall are positive. “I’m very, very pleased to say we are right where we were with our record breaking numbers in 2021,” Mr. Ewers commented.
•Learned from the superintendent that the district continues to deal with COVID-19 and its most recent variant, “but we haven’t reached the point where we need to change our protocols.”
He added, “It’s still manageable with students, but we are seeing an uptick with staff.”
Board member Bill Green commended administrators and staff. “Everyone is doing a fine job under trying circumstances.”
•Approved two requests to attend professional meetings.
The next board meeting will be at 5:15 p.m., Wednesday, February 2, in the board meeting room, 9301 Buck Road, Perrysburg Township, and is open to the public
