By DENISE R. FREELAND
News Leader Staff Writer
Minerva High School Principal Mike Riley told the Minerva Local School District Board of Education at its meeting, Feb. 17, that he will present a proposal for moving to a weighted grade scale, at the March board meeting.
The proposal, Riley said, will recommend that grades in advanced-placement classes be calculated on a 5.0 grade scale, as long as the student takes the AP exam, and grades in honors classes, on a 4.5 grade scale.
Riley said he will also recommend making an A and an A- both worth 4.0, rather than giving an A+ additional value, as he had previously suggested.
The new grade scale would be implemented beginning with the 2010 incoming freshman class, but grade-point averages for current high-school students would continue to be calculated according to the non-weighted scale. This is to avoid the confusion of students having grades from some years calculated on a weighted scale and some on a non-weighted scale, Riley explained.
He reported that 14 out of 17 Stark County school districts have weighted grade scales, with 11 of those 14 districts weighting AP classes only, and three weighting both AP and honors classes.
The board also heard a report on the high school's leadership class, which is new this year. Students Aaron Burman and Taylor Maurer and teacher Brett Yeagley explained how the class is structured, what the students are studying, and projects they have undertaken.
Each of the 42 leadership students is mentoring approximately five freshmen once a month. Yeagley noted the upperclassmen researched topics and issues to discuss with the younger students before beginning to meet with them.
Additionally, the leadership students are serving as Project M.O.R.E. tutors, organized a fall canned-goods drive for the Salvation Army that collected 4,000 cans and $240, partnered with the elementary and middle schools on a Pennies for Peace project, and planned free activity nights following home basketball games.
Plans in the works include bringing in guest speakers from the community, spring community-service projects, a tutoring/mentoring program at the middle school, and a service learning project in New Orleans over spring break.
The board approved the New Orleans trip, which will entail students and faculty members traveling either by van or air and spending two days working with Youth Rebuilding New Orleans, a nonprofit organization.
Business Manager Larry Pottorf reported the retirement of a bus driver enabled the district to absorb one bus route, saving a driver's salary and taking one bus off the road. With the input of the bus drivers and mechanics, bus #1 was taken off the road and its route divided among six other drivers, Pottorf said.
In other business, the board:
* APPROVED Sunday participation for the Academic Challenge team to participate in the Mount Union tournament on Sunday, March 14; the Latin Club to attend the Classical League Convention in Columbus, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 26-28; and girls and boys basketball teams to practice at Coshocton High School in preparation for upcoming tournaments.
* APPROVED the Interdistrict Open Enrollment policy for the 2010-2011 school year, with no changes from previous years. Minerva Schools currently has 112 students coming into the district and 68 students leaving.
* ACCEPTED the retirement of Deborah White, Special Services director, effective Feb. 28, and the resignation of Tracy Evans from her two-hour playground aide position at Minerva Elementary School, effective Feb. 26.
* HIRED the following individuals for extracurricular positions for the 2009-2010 school year: Tom Stafford, head track coach; Frank Monk, Susie Stadleman-McKelvey, and Vicki Stafford, assistant track coaches; Kevin Russell, Mikka Ray, and Danna Casto, two-thirds time each assistant track coaches; Carl Michael, head baseball coach; Elliott Hannen, Troy Richeson, and Charlie Johnson, assistant baseball coaches; Katie Hannen and Tiffany Ormiston, assistant softball coaches. Foltz abstained from voting on Elliott and Katie Hannen.
* HIRED the following individuals for extracurricular positions for the 2010-2011 school year: Brett Yeagley, head football coach; Tom Nunziato, head boys soccer coach; Nicole Blazer, head girls soccer coach; Bruce Wright, head golf coach; Vicki and Tom Stafford, co-head cross country coaches; and Troy Haught, head volleyball coach.
* APPROVED the following volunteer assistant coaches for the current school year: Ed Haught, Richard Fry, Frank Embrogno, and Mark Diels, softball; and Jon Rodgers, Rich Hart, Bruce Wright, and Tom Walker, baseball.
* ENTERED into two executive sessions, one to discuss personnel and one to discuss negotiations with public employees and the purchase or sale of property. No action was taken upon reconvening.
* SET the next board meeting for Monday, March 15, in the high-school library, with a book study at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.
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