BLOOMDALE – The lack of a volleyball coach has Elmwood parents concerned there won’t be a team this year.
At the June 27 school board meeting, a motion to hire Kristine King again failed, 3-2.
At the May 9 board meeting, an attempt to hire King as volleyball coach failed 3-2 with Jeremie Pennington, Melanie Davis and board President Debbie Reynolds voting no.
Board member Ryan Lee read a prepared statement after making the most recent motion to hire King.
“No coach is perfect, no employee is perfect,” Lee said. “Employees deserve feedback and coaching as they work to address items of concern.”
There are many indicators of a successful program, and Elmwood volleyball hits them all, he said.
The number of girls participating shows the interest in the program, Lee said, and asked that his colleges vote yes to ensure they have a season.
The same three board members cast no votes and the motion failed.
Lee and Brian King voted in favor of both motions.
At the start of the meeting before the motion was made, Brandon Mogart asked the board what the status was of hiring a coach.
“There’s a lot of concern in the community, there’s a lot of concerned parents,” he said.
It’s preseason time and team camps and scrimmages already have been canceled.
Superintendent Tony Borton said the elementary gym will be open for a camp July 18 and July 20 from 9 a.m.-noon at a cost of $50 per student.
One parent asked why there is a camp, but no season planned, and another said an entire month of camps had been scheduled and canceled.
“We’re just trying to help out these kids,” Borton said.
“Are we having a season? Do we have a coach?” a parent asked. “These kids need to know. The parents need to know.”
It’s been six weeks since the board voted against King, a parent said.
Athletic Director Kevin Wolfe said he had received three applications and one was very promising.
Davis said she expects the board to act on a candidate at its July 11 meeting.
Reynolds was the only board member to oppose King’s hiring for the 2020 season. After the meeting, she said she believes the district needs to go in a new direction.
Reynolds said King has coached for the district before and her contract was non-renewed nine or 10 years ago.
“I feel there’s a right coach out there for us,” Davis said.
Pennington said he voted no because “that’s the way I feel it should be with some of the parents’ concerns.”
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Saw Marty Rothey, with the Northwest Region manager for the Ohio School Board Association, present Davis with a veteran school board member award for her 15 years on the board of education.
“Your district is very fortunate to have individuals in your community who are committed to representing you on the school board,” Rothey said.
• Saw Middle school Principal Roger Frank present to Doug Reynolds a plaque, made out of an elmwood tree, for his 31 years of service to the district.
• Heard Lisa Palmer, with the Elmwood Food Pantry, report 12 family were served when the pantry was last open on June 20. Donations of dry goods are needed.
There is an Elmwood Food Pantry and Elmwood Community Members Facebook pages. The pantry is next open July 18 from 5-6 p.m. Users do not have to have kids in school and financial information is not needed. Donations also will be accepted on the 18th, or can be dropped off at the central office.
• Approved fifth-grade camp at Heartland Outdoor Environmental School in Marengo for April 19-21.
• Accepted donations of $7,000 to the boys basketball program from the Northwest Ohio Basketball Club, $200 in books to the elementary library from Portage Center Arbor Gleaners and $115 in books to the elementary library from an anonymous donor.
• Approved a proposal for services from Life Path/Wood County Hospital for a school nurse for the 2022-23 school year for $97,650 and a contract with the Children’s Resource Center for mental health professionals for the 2022-23 school year for $22,034 (paid for by student wellness and success funds).
• Approved a change order of $50,260 with Morlock Asphalt for parking lot paving and paying Strategic Solutions $30,192 to scan and store school records.
