NEWS

Clyde-Green Springs school board acts to save $3 million

Rebecca R. Brooks
Reporter

CLYDE – The Clyde-Green Springs school board approved a refinancing resolution Monday that should save the district $3 million in interest costs.

District Treasurer Meghan Rohde said after the board meeting that the exact savings will not be known until the interest rate is pinned down in August, when new certificates are sold. In 2008, the district sold bonds in the amount of $21,299,988 for funding its share of the Ohio School Facilities Commission building project for the construction of the new Green Springs Elementary and renovation of the high school and Clyde Elementary.

"They were going to call in the bonds and reissue them at a lower interest rate," interim Superintendent Dennis Haft said.

The district has paid down the amount to $19,259,988 and will now refinance through a lease-purchase financing program, which allows for annual renewal of the financing through 2037.

In other business, the board approved more than $92,000 in donations to school programs.

A $73,483 donation from the estate of LaVaughn Jennings will be divided between the Clyde High School arts department and music department.

Another donation, valued at $5,950, a basketball Shoot-A-Way, was donated by Miller Super Valu, and $12,880 for two wrestling mats was given by the Biddy Wrestling Boosters.

Under personnel moves, Ryan Fretz was hired as head varsity boys basketball coach at $6,947 for 2016-17. He also was hired as a social studies teacher at McPherson Middle School. District Athletic Director Ryan Greenslade said Fretz replaces Lou Garcia in the coaching position.

The board accepted the resignations of Cory Dickman as CHS golf coach and CHS English teacher; Janelle Raifsnider as CHS physical education teacher; and Lauren Grugle as first grade teacher.

The board hired Brian Hill as STEM coordinator for the coming year. Hill explained he would be expanding the STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) from the high school to the middle school in the coming year.

Contracts for coaches also were approved. CHS head coaches whose contracts were approved include Ryan Carter, football, $6,097; Ryan Norris, girls and boys cross country, $4,076 each; Rob Jennings, golf, $2,375; Jeff MacFarland, girls tennis, $4,076; Alex Binger, girls soccer, $2,942; Sahen Fultz, boys soccer, $2,942; Betty Hasselbach, volleyball, 5,672; and Brad Milleson, bowling, $2,659.

New instructors hired included Megan Osborn, English at CHS; Karlee Keegan, intervention specialist at MMS; and Amanda Fretz, math teacher at MMS.

rrbrooks@gannett.com

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