Board of education approves labor contract

Teachers in the Antwerp Local School District will be getting a three percent raise for each of the next three years, after a new labor agreement was unanimously approved by the Board of Education at last Thursday’s meeting.

“When we had negotiations with the teachers’ association, they worked very well with us. They didn’t ask for crazy stuff. Everyone came to meeting table respectful of each other, knowing the boundaries that the district has financially,” said superintendent Dr. Martin Miller.

“It took us an hour and twenty-seven minutes to come to an agreement. It’s just unbelievable,” added Miller. “We are very proud of the interaction we have. It’s a process that builds over the years.”

The board also approved both the classified and the administrative salary schedules for the 2022-23 school year.

Among the consent items approved by the board included:

• Approved the Western Buckeye Educational Service Center Substitute list for the current month and provide reasonable assurance that all active members on the list have a position as a substitute teacher on an as-needed basis with the Antwerp Local School District.

• Approved the May 2022 Five-Year Forecast.

• Approved a one-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Antwerp Education Association to contract with Elevate K-12 for a foreign language teacher of the 2022-23 school year.

• Raised the substitute teacher pay rate to $100 per day for the 2022-23 school year.

• Approved the following one-year non-certified contracts for the 2022-23 school year: Dustin Greenwood, full-time bus driver; David Parrish, full-time bus driver; Melanie Verberkmoes, special van route/aide.

• Approved an overnight trip for the yearbook staff to St. Louis, Missouri on November 8-11, 2022, to be chaperoned by yearbook advisor Amy Sorrell.

• Approved the following supplemental contracts for the 2022-23 school year: Sam Smith, audio/visual manager; Andrea Newell, marching band director and elementary music programs; Mary Smith, elementary music programs, show choir, middle/high school choir concerts, and elementary musical/dinner theater/variety show; Kayla Bagley, public relations coordinator; Zac Feasby, Paul Cottrell, Joe Beregszazi, Jarod Martenies, and Derek Smalley, assistant football coaches – 50%; Brooks Rohrs, junior high head football coach; Chris Walters and John Buehrer, junior high assistant football coaches – 50%; Harlee Walk, assistant cross country coach; Toni Jerome, junior varsity volleyball coach; Rachel Williamson, freshman volleyball coach; Jason Hormann, junior varsity boys’ basketball coach.

• Approved an overnight trip for the high school girls’ basketball team to Hope College in Holland, Michigan, on July 14-16, 2022, to be supervised by coach Scott McMichael.

• Approved an overnight trip for the high school boys’ basketball team to the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio on June 20-21, 2022 to be supervised by Doug Billman.