Minster preparing for 2021-2022 school year

MINSTER — Minster’s school district reiterated its plans for the upcoming school year Monday night during the board of education meeting.

Superintendent Brenda Boeke echoed remarks she had at last month’s meeting, with the school having masks optional.

She said the school will continue to follow recommendations from the county health department and they will encourage good hygiene and three feet of distance in school.

“We respect the wishes of every parent and child to wear a mask or not wear a mask and we hope everyone else respects the wishes as well,” said Boeke.

Also Monday, both principals from the district shared student testing results from the spring.

High school principal Austin Kaylor shared advanced placement scores, saying that most colleges and universities grant credit for a score of three or above on a five-point scale.

Minster’s student average was a 3.49, well above the global average of 2.67.

Leanne Keller, the elementary principal, shared test results from grades third grade through sixth grade in the subjects of English/language arts, math and science.

A notable result was fourth grade math, with every student passing.

During her report, Keller said that the scores showed excellent overall performance and the teachers and students were to be congratulated on their level of accomplishment.

Keller added the breakdown of grade levels for the upcoming school year and Minster’s elementary will be made up of 232 boys and 219 girls.

Kaylor reported there will be 189 boys and 194 girls in junior high and high school.

In her treasurer’s report, Lau

ra Klosterman shared that the financials for the 2021 school year are being completed by Julian and Grube, an accounting and auditing service based out of Westerville.

Klosterman said it was uncertain if the district would meet the $750,000 threshold requiring single audit and special procedures.

She said the Ohio Department of Education recently

announced that free lunches for August, September and October were to be included as federal funding and if that is true, then the district would be under the threshold.

Klosterman stated that the school received its Auglaize County real estate tax settlement for August.

The settlement is up $41,000 from this August compared to last August.

Klosterman also said that the district has applied for the ARP Esser III grant which they plan to use toward equipment, mental

health along with professional development, vaping detectors and after-school programs.

In other business:

• The board approved

a sixth grade class trip to Camp Wilson

• The board approved

membership in the West Central Ohio Assistive Technology Center Consortium

• The board approved the

use of school grounds for the Oktoberfest 10k Run for Oct. 3.

• The board approved the

FFA’s request to establish a

corn maze for students and community members. High school vocational agriculture teacher Paul Winglewich said the maze has already been cut into place. The board granted permission previously in 2019 to run the maze but because of the pandemic, the idea was shelved.

• The board approved personnel recommendations for bus drivers, cook’s helpers, substitutes and sports coaches.

• The board accepted the resignation of Jacqueline Clark as the junior high concessions

manager.

• Boeke introduced new

teachers for the 2021-22 school year.

• The board accepted a

$4,000 from Danone North America for positive behavior intervention support as well as a $1,500 donation from Danone. They also accepted a $1,500 from the Minster Community Fund for the elementary playground expansion.

• The next board meeting

is set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 20. There will be a public hearing at the beginning of the meeting.