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BELOIT -- The West Branch school board accepted at large donation for its high school woodshop at its October meeting.
The board accepted a $100,000 from the Mahoning County Commissioners for the renovation of the high school woodshop. The money will be used for expansion and renovation of facilities, specifically focused on enhancing programs for in-demand educational and workforce training.
In a press release issued by the district in September, the funds from this award will be allocated toward the following key initiative:
Expansion and renovation of current facilities: The school district has acquired new equipment to be used in the wood shop classroom. However, the equipment has outgrown the space, and with this grant West Branch Local Schools will be able to expand the current woodshop space to better accommodate the needs of the students and community of West Branch Local Schools.
The project will specifically allow West Branch and its partners to increase the number of students and adult residents with access to in-demand job training and upskilling programming related to high-demand construction and related skilled trades occupations in the Mahoning Valley. The education/training offerings are focused on preparing the talent pipeline and upskilling adult Mahoning County residents, with emphasis on those who have been measurably impacted and experiencing educational accessibility and economic disparities or hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also at the meeting, schools Superintendent Micki Egli provided an update on the energy usage project at the high school, middle school and early center buildings being completed by Trane at a cost of $3.8 million that will address heating, cooling and lighting.
Egli reported all the boilers at the middle and high schools have been removed and plumbers are working to install new lines in order for the boilers to be operational.
"While there have been a few hiccups in the project, they continue to be on schedule to have everything finished by the end of (this) week," Egli said.
In other business, the board accepted the retirements of high school teachers Gina Solak and Robert Shepherd, effective May 31, and hired Maureen Smith as a Title tutor and Amanda Vallie Teague as van driver for the 2023-24 school year.
The board also approved athletic supplemental contracts to Chad Campbell for boys basketball eighth grade coach, Nick Cooper for wrestling volunteer and Zach Dean for middle school clock operator; as well as supplemental contracts to Tessa Wells for musical choreographer and assistant musical director.