The Urbana City Schools board voted to purchase five new propane school buses Tuesday.
It also approved several staff contracts, though members voted against new contracts for Urbana South Elementary Principal Cheryl Carter and Director of Curriculum Kathy Colasanti.
The district started using propane buses a few years ago. They are cleaner and quieter than traditional diesel-engine school buses, Transportation Supervisor Dan Leiker said. They can be cheaper to maintain.
The board unanimously approved the lease/purchase agreement for five propane buses, estimated to cost $109,914.22 annually. The lease/purchase agreement will last four years, Treasurer Mandy Hildebrand said.
The new buses are to replace others that Leiker said he did not think would pass inspection this year. A couple would have needed thousands of dollars of repairs, and the buses are old enough that it may not be worth it. Over the year, a couple of spare buses were used because buses were out for repairs, and the district borrowed a bus a few times from West Liberty-Salem Local Schools.
If the district continues to replace diesel buses with propane, Leiker said, he would like to eventually put in a propane filling station. The cost is usually borne by the supplier of the propane.
Staff contracts
The school board unanimously approved new three-year contracts for Director of Technology Kurt Hanson, Director of Special Education Lucas Pozenel, Urbana Junior High Assistant Principal Jason Shultz, Director of Technology Integration Kelli Marsh, and Urbana High School Principal Kristin Mays.
Hanson’s current salary is $61,376.93; Pozenel’s salary is $77,175; Marsh’s salary is $58,146.56; Shultz’s salary is $62,842.50; Mays’ salary is $102,541.08.
The board voted down Colasanti’s two-year contract and Carter’s one-year contract 1-4; Board President Jan Engle was the sole vote in favor of the contracts. Both administrators’ current contracts expire July 31, 2017.
None of the board members commented on the vote.
The administrators will still be employed even though the contracts were not approved, Hildebrand said. According to the district’s administrative guidelines and Ohio law, non-renewal of contracts and termination of employees must follow specific requirements and guidelines. The board must also have an “affirmative vote for non-renewal” to not renew a contract, she said.
If those requirements and guidelines are not met, the contracts are automatically renewed at least one year, Hildebrand said.
In other action, the board:
•Accepted donations of $100 from Dr. Anthony Schneider to the Urbana High School Banquet; a total of $1,045 to North Elementary’s Henry Cole program from the Urbana Climber Club, Melanie Anders, Missie Wright, Tara King, Julie Loudenback, Susan Bell, Kay Trout, Mike Baldwin, Richard Stevens, Amie Boyd, Michelle Williams, Kelly Glessner, Marcia Marsh, Julie Willoughby, April Monteith, Mendie Bowdle, Jaimie Anderson, Kristin Miesse, April Petry Brisley, Cheryl Wylie and Cindy Dorsey; $600 to the Urbana High School Athletic Department Golf Scramble from Main Graphics, Spriggs Landscaping, Jack’s Garage, Michael Farms, Pan-Glo, Coppertop and GameTime; $550 to Urbana North Elementary for Kindergarten screening materials from Orbis; a total of $700 to the Urbana FFA Farm Day from the Souders family, the Rittenhouse family, the Hiltibran family and Select Sires; $1,500 to the Urbana Junior High Track Program from Marshall Plastics; $100 to the Urbana City Schools Lunch Bus Program from the Phillips Family Trust; $50 to the Urbana Junior High Civil War Day from Sadie Steffan; $400 to Urbana High School from Case Western University; $1,889 to Urbana High and Junior High Schools from Lifetouch; $1,000 to the Urbana Junior High Kirkmont Program from First Presbyterian Church; $75 to the Urbana High School Athletic Department in memory of Ray DeCola from the Brenning family; and $200 to the Urbana High School Athletic Department from the Boosters.
•Accepted resignations for retirement of Custodian Frank Halley, effective the end of business day May 31, 2017, and Secretary Mollie Fox, effective the end of the business day June 9, 2017.
•Accepted resignations of Assistant Junior High volleyball Coach Lindsey Schetter and Assistant High School Volleyball Coach Katie Miller, both effective immediately; Athletic Director Chuck Raterman, effective July 31, 2017; and Community School Director Larry Nickels, effective June 21, 2017.
•Approved hiring Junior High Football Head Coach Patrick Trenor, Assistant High School Football Coach Kris Doggett, and Assistant Junior High Volleyball Coach Tyler Wisse, all at Step 0, for the 2017-18 school year.
•Approved hiring Assistant Junior High Football Coach Tyler Cantrell, Assistant High School Football Cheerleading Coach Bailey Allen, Freshman Boys Basketball Coach Andrew Donahoe, Head High School Wrestling Coach Sam Harris, Assistant High School Wrestling Coach Dylan Souders, Assistant High School Basketball Cheerleading Coach Bailey Allen, Head Junior High Basketball Cheerleading Coach Amy Russell and Head Boys Golf Coach Jerome Armstrong, all at Step 1; and Assistant High School Football Coach Bill Moss, Assistant High School Basketball Coach Greg Hower, Assistant Junior High Girls Basketball Coach Kai Scott, Head Girls Soccer Coach Brandon Deskins, all at Step 2; all for the 2017-18 school year.
•Approved hiring Heidi Geer as a substitute bus driver for the 2016-17 school year.
•Approved the Urbana FFA Officer Team trip to the FFA Officer Retreat in Piqua May 30-31.
•Approved the Urbana FFA trip to the Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., July 11-16.
•Approved the Urbana High School Spanish student trip to Costa Rica May 29-June 6, 2018.
