PERRYSBURG – Penta Career Center has started its search for a new assistant superintendent.
Penta’s Executive and Personnel Committee, during its meeting Tuesday, heard details about search services offered by Hulings and Associates for the assistant superintendent position.
Although Penta’s board of education is considering hiring this firm, a final decision has not been made.
The board intends to have the assistant superintendent position filled before the school year is over.
Superintendent Ed Ewers said after Tuesday’s Penta board meeting that Michigan-based Hulings and Associates is being considered due to the options the firm offers.
“They have an eight-step process that really looks at more than just applicants,” he said. “It really gets into understanding who we are in culture and climate … it’s more than just a search service. It really is a leadership service.”
Upon their hiring, they provide one year of leadership training, reported board member Paul Walker.
The cost has not yet been determined.
Bob Falkenstein announced in December his intent to resign as assistant superintendent, effective June 30. He was hired in January 2020 and formerly was principal at North Baltimore Local Schools.
In other actions, the board also decided to go out to bid for an underdrain installation and bus lot resurfacing project.
The scope of work includes the installation of approximately 10,000 feet of underground drainage and an aggregate shoulder along the loop road around campus. An alternate consists of 52,000 square feet of mill and resurfacing of the bus lot along with 900 square feet of new sidewalk.
The sidewalk will connect the small animal care facility to the floral department.
“Right now, you walk in the grass – you don’t have to – (but) when I’m there I can see there’s a lot of traffic in the grass,” said board member Judy Paredes. “If we could put a sidewalk in, that would make it look a lot nicer and would be easier for customers going into floral or dropping their pets off to be groomed when the weather is bad.”
Bids will be opened this spring with work to start as soon as school lets out in May.
Tonya Kessinger, assistant director for career instruction, reported more than 70 HOSA students and 50 BPS students will compete at the state level in March.
HOSA is an international student organization that promotes career opportunities in the health care industry.
BPA is a career and technical student organization for students pursuing careers in business management, office administration, information technology and other career fields.
“I’m pretty confident we will have some of those kids head to nationals,” Kessinger said.
On March 7, the school will hold a student personal development day with 150 employers on campus conducting mock and real-life interviews.
“They could get hired that day,” Kessinger said about students who are job hunting.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, an eighth-grade career expo is planned for March 15-16 for all member school districts.
Ewers also announced he is meeting with area chambers of commerce and business advisory councils to talk about Senate Bill 166, which goes into effect at the end of March.
The legislation gives tax incentives for business and industry to hire career technical students. The employee can receive up to a $5,000 tax credit per employee, Ewers said.
According to the Ohio Press Network, the legislation establishes the Student Pathways to Career Success Grant Program, which would give businesses financial incentives and creates a two-year pilot program that would allow a workers’ compensation premium discount to an employer with a work-based learning experience for students.
