By DAVE SCHULTZ
Joel Reinhard has been hired as the new assisant principal at Norwell Middle School and the board of the Northern Wells Community gave some unused (by NWCS) real estate to the town of Ossian.
The property is being used by the town already, with part of it being used for the Lenny Gerber Memorial Trail at the Archbold-Wilson Park. There is 6.55 acres involved in the transaction.
Superintendent Mike Springer proposed giving the land to the town — it was called a gift transfer in the agenda — and the four board members present (Angie Topp, Karen Harris, Gene Donaghy, and Chad Kline; Corey Krug was absent) approved the transaction.
Donaghy said it was a good idea for the school district to rid itself of the land. “It’s not worth anything to us and we don’t need the liability,” he said.
Springer said he had discussed the matter with Ossian Town Manager Luann Martin. He quoted her as saying that the town was “happy to get it.”
The approval to hire Reinhard for the assistant principal’s position at Norwell Middle School brings a Norwell graduate back home. He is a 2008 graduate of Norwell High School. He received his undergraduate degree at Purdue and his master’s degree at Ball State. He has been a teacher at Adams Central for nine years.
“This is just a dream come true, to be at Norwell,” Reinhard said.
“We’re really glad to have Joel,” Donaghy said.
In other business:
• The board discussed volunteer guidelines, with Springer saying the current rules may be too stringent. The board will consider the matter at its next meeting.
• The school district will probably pass on the cost of a required background check to would-be volunteers. Spring said the school district has paid $15,000 for the background checks, which are good for three years. “That’s a pretty significant expense,” Kline said. Topp said it would be good to try it for a year to see if there is opposition to it. The matter will be on the board’s agenda for its June 28 meeting.
• The board approved administrative contracts for all but two administrators. Spring discovered an error in the contracts of Jeff Miller and Stephanie Rohr and will be them back to the board for approval.
• Lunch prices were approved with no changes for next year, but Springer presented a letter from Raina Sisson, the district’s food service director, noting that waivers for school lunch and breakfast had not been continued for the next school year. The prices match those for the 2020-21 school year: Elementary, middle, and high school breakfasts, $1.85; elementary lunch, $2.75; middle school lunch, $2.85; and high shool lunh, $2.95. Adult prices are $2.15 for breakfast and $3.60 for lunch.
daves@news-banner.com
