MOUNT GILEAD- Varsity Assistant Football Coach Mike Reid II stood on the edge of the new football field, which has recently been sown with Bermuda grass. He is enthusiastic and excited to begin the football season, although play on the new field will be somewhat delayed because of construction.
Reid said he was a little skeptical about the turf grass until Virgil Staley took him to see Pickerington’s field with Bermuda grass and that was the game changer for him. Now he’s convinced the natural grass will be superior and safer than artificial turf.
At their June 21 meeting the Mount Gilead Board of Education approved the agreement between the school district and Plug Smart to replace Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) control valves in the amount of $209,736, recommission current equipment and replace and upgrade a chiller at the middle school/high school in the amount of $273,857. Grant funds will be used for the work involved.
An additional amount of $44,676 will be used to replace failing equipment identified during recommissioning using grant funds. (Department of Development for implementation of Controls Upgrades – $200,000, and remaining amounts to use ESSER Grant funds.) The amount of $575,000 will be the total grant funds to be used for the project.
Moving on in the meeting, teachers who were approved for the 2022-2023 school year were: Jeremy Barr, long term substitute at the high school; Kelsie Fike, third grade teacher at Park Avenue; Elle Hempstead, eighth grade math teacher, pending background completion; Amanda Martin, permanent substitute position at high school with $125 per day, Chelsey McChesney third grade teacher at Park Avenue; Dina Snow, permanent substitute with $125 per day.
Summer staff program
Sabrina Bolha was approved for Apex Training/Summer School for summer 2022.
Chiefs Club/SACC Program for summer 2021-2022: Director at rate of $20 per hour, Erin Whipple; Assistant Directors at $15 per hour are Lisa Beck and Amber Dailey.
Supplemental contracts were awarded for 2022-2023 for coaches and assistants in both boys and girls sports for basketball, baseball, softball, swimming, cheer coach, bowling, football and wrestling. A complete listing of supplemental coaches can be found on the Mount Gilead Schools website under June 21 meeting agenda documents.
*Molly Clapper was approved as Director of Preschool for the district with her yearly amount paid for by a grant.
*The agreement with the Village of Mount Gilead and the board of education to implement the School Resource Officer Program was approved for school year 2022-2023.
*The service agreement by the Mount Gilead Schools and Knox Educational Service Center (Knox ESC) was approved for 2022-2023. The Mid-Ohio Service Center Agreement is to be terminated June 30, 2022.
*Approved $2,404.10 for signs for state athlete winners to be purchased for three street entry points into the Village of Mount Gilead.
*Estimates were approved from Strategic Turf Systems, Inc. in the amount of $13,799 and the Arms Trucking Co., for the purchase and transport of 175 tons of USGA Spec Sand in the amount of $7,152.25 for purchase of sand slitting and aerating the football field and softball field.
*The board approved the purchase of a 2018 Toro ReelMaster3100D to be used to cut the Bermuda Turf recently installed at the stadium in the amount of $30,000.
The next regular board meeting will be held on July 19, 2022 at 7 p.m. at the Board of Education Office.
Full details of the agenda can be found at the district website: www.mtgilead.k12.oh.us/districtBoardEd.aspx , then follow the link to Board Docs.
