Lincolnview Superintendent Jeff Snyder (right) congratulates Brad Mendenhall after he was approved as the district’s new high school-junior high school principal. (Dave Mosier/Van Wert independent)
DAVE MOSIER/independent editor
For the second month in a row, Lincolnview Local Board of Education has hired a new principal. In June, the board approved a contract with Robbie Breese as the new Marsh School principal. This month, the board approved a three-year limited administrative contract for Brad Mendenhall as the new principal of Lincolnview Junior High-High School. Like Breese, Mendenhall is a Lincolnview High School alumnus, graduating in 1998. Mendenhall earned his bachelor’s degree from Wright State University and, later, a master’s degree, with administrative certification, from Bowling Green State University.
The new principal’s first teaching job was at New Knoxville Local Schools, where he spent four years as a physical education teacher and, in his last year there, was athletic director.
He then returned to Lincolnview in 2006 as an elementary phys. ed. teacher and stayed at the school until 2012, when he was hired by the Elida Local School District as its assistant high school principal. Mendenhall said he was hired in February by the Elida school board to take over as high school principal this fall, but felt the Lincolnview opportunity offered him more of what he was looking for in a career move.
“It’s home for me; I have kids who go to school here, so I’m really pleased to be back,” the new principal said.
Also Tuesday, the Lincolnview school board accepted the resignations of Tara Gustwiller as second-grade teacher after two years with the district, and Glenn Hicks as a fifth grade teacher after 17 years at Lincolnview.
Michelle Knodell was granted a one-year limited contract as high school English/technology integration coach for the upcoming school year, while Brian Niemeyer was given a one-year contract as a fifth-grade teacher for the 2014-15 school year.
The board also approved a new five-year limited contract for Lincolnview Treasurer/CFO Troy Bowersock and also authorized salary increases for several administrative employees (superintendent, treasurer, principals, computer network technician, and maintenance supervisor) as presented.
During his report, Superintendent Jeff Snyder talked about open enrollment, noting that nearly a third of students in the district – 279 – attend through open enrollment, which he said he feels is a very positive endorsement of the district.
The board also authorized a memorandum of understanding for Project Jump Start with Northwest State Community College, similar to an agreement Crestview Local Board of Education approved at its July meeting.
In other action, the board:
Approved, retroactively, the volleyball team’s hosting of a high school-junior high school volleyball camp July 14-17 at Lincolnview High School.
Appointed Board President Eric Germann as its delegate to the Ohio School Boards Association’s annual Capital Conference and Michelle Gorman as the alternate.
Entered into a transportation contract with Christopher Shane Woods and Linda A. Homan for the 2014-15 school year.
Hired Daniel Parrett as an assistant high school instrumental band instructor, Tracy Keber as an assistant volleyball coach and Morgan Hicks as eighth grade volleyball coach.
Authorized supplemental contracts for Chad Kraner to direct the class play and Krista Seibert as FFA advisor and Young Farmers advisor.
Approved an additional five days of compensation for Elementary Principal Nita McKinney at her 2013-2014 per-diem rate for the month of July.
Authorized the district’s participation in the First Call for Help Teen Line, a student hotline, effective July 1 through June 30, 2015, at a cost of 75 cents per student.
Went into executive session to discuss personnel items.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Lincolnview Local Board of Education will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 19, in the Neubrecht Lecture Hall.