BLANCHESTER — Blanchester Intermediate students and their parents may notice roofers on the school, and one of the school’s teachers is a finalist for Ohio Teacher of the Year.
“We got off kind of a late start on the roof because of the weather this year – a lot of rain,” Dave Fangmeyer, building and grounds supervisor, told the Blanchester Local Schools Board of Education. “All the tear-off is done and they’re basically up there putting tar down, glue in places.”
Fangmeyer said the roofers said they had another week of work left, but he didn’t want them working when students were in school because the tar stinks and may distract students. Instead, they’ll work on the weekends and may do trim work on school days “as long as they weren’t hammering and banging too much.”
Fangmeyer estimated completing the roof in two weeks, depending on the weather.
Fangmeyer said since school started Wednesday, he didn’t want the students to have to smell the tar, which might distract them.
“They’re doing alright,” he said. “They’ve really been getting at it pretty hard here.”
The board also recognized Stephenie Eriksson, an English teacher at Blanchester High School.
Eriksson was recently selected to be the Ohio State Board of Education 10th District’s teacher of the year and was recognized by Ron Rudduck, a Wilmington resident and the 10th District’s elected representative, according to Superintendent Dean Lynch. She is also a finalist for Ohio Teacher of the Year.
The Ohio Board of Education’s website says a teacher of the year will be selected from five finalists and named in the fall.
Erikkson began her student-teaching 18 years ago in a classroom next to Lynch.
“So I’ve gotten to see this young lady begin as a student teacher and make it to the point where she’s a finalist in the Ohio Teacher of the Year,” said Lynch. “That says a lot for her. … Stephenie, I’m very proud of you.”
The board also:
• Resolved to participate in the Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council, which will advertise and receive bids for the purchase of a bus on behalf of BLS’ board. EPC pools together and leverages the purchasing power of more than 100 school districts.
• Modified appropriations, adding $2,500 to the Blanchester Intermediate School’s revenue from fees and $1,700 to Title I both to reflect higher-than-expected revenues. The board also appropriated $5,400 to Early Childhood, which was recently approved by a state agency and pays for part of a preschool teacher’s salary.
• Advanced $32,000 from the general fund to the food service fund. The advance should help the food service department pay expenses in the summer when there’s no revenue stream. A similar advance was made last year and paid back.
• Approved one long-term substitute teacher, 58 substitute teachers, four parapro aides, two coaches, seven non-teacher substitutes and one person as a bus driver. Two volunteer coaches were also approved.
• Donated 16 chairs and two four-drawer filing cabinets to the Southern Ohio Educational Services Centers for its new learning center unit for students who have emotional disturbances. Those students are taught at SOESC’s alternative school.
Reach Nathan Kraatz at 937-382-2574, ext. 2510 or on Twitter @NathanKraatz.
