Greenfield school personnel and McCarty Engineering staff participate in a ground breaking ceremony Monday at the McClain High School practice field. Pictured (l-r) are school board members Eric Zint, Sandy Free, Marilyn Mitchell, Rachel Fraley and Eric Wise; MIke McCarty and Doug Karnes of McCarty Associates.
The development of a practice field has been a proposed project for the Greenfield schools for a few years now, and on Monday evening an official groundbreaking was held at what is to be 750 McClain Ave.
The work, weather permitting, is slated to begin next week, superintendent Quincey Gray said at the school board meeting that followed the groundbreaking.
Gray said members of numerous departments have spent much time to ensure the planned spaces would be the best they can be, and that “in the words of Edward Lee McClain, ‘As promising the most good to the greatest number for the longest time.’”
DJ Fett, of Elford Inc., the construction company for the project, said the company is excited to do the work and assured those gathered that the company will leave at least one basketball court open until the new ones are built and ready to go on the other side of the field.
While the practice field development will benefit the school on many levels, the community’s use of the practice field has been a consideration throughout the planning of this project.
Once completed, the practice field area will be home to a multipurpose facility that meets the needs of transportation and maintenance departments, as well as the athletics and band programs. The facility will also allow for storage space. The project will bring improved field conditions, renovated basketball courts, sidewalks and parking spaces.
During the school board meeting, McClain graduate and current agriculture science teacher Madison Schumacher provided some FFA program statistics and highlights. They included the hundreds of hours logged by FFA members and leadership this school year, that there are four state degree recipients this year, and three McClain students will be receiving the American Degree, the highest achievable degree of the National FFA Organization.
On volunteering, Schumacher talked about the upcoming MHS Day, which is May 12. During this annual event all high school students, as well as staff, perform community service projects throughout the village and the surrounding area. The shirts for the event have been designed by two FFA students, Schumacher said, and the list of projects for the day is growing.
Schumacher also talked about new opportunities coming to agriculture science at MHS with the addition of College Credit Plus courses, and the development of a six-acre plot of the district’s 32-acre property off North Fifth Street for a land lab and school barn.
In other business, MHS Principal Matt Shelton said the school is hosting its first career fair on March 23 from 8 a.m. to noon in the new gym. It’s an opportunity for students to talk to people working all manner of jobs in varying fields, to experience filling out applications, and exploring career opportunities. More than 30 businesses are slated to attend the fair.
Athletic director Tim Bolender provided an update on the outcome of the winter sports season, and noted that the beginning of spring sports is just around the corner. He also discussed a silent auction of old team photographs held in the new gym lobby last month and said it was more successful than anticipated.
Bolender said they are still in the process of returning individual photos to those pictured, but there are still some people he doesn’t know how to get a hold of. He said that people that were on the All-Ohio wall can get a hold of him at 937-981-4812 or by email at [email protected].
In her report, Gray thanked all the student athletes, the meeting’s presenters, and commented on the pre-meeting groundbreaking at the practice field. She said that she has a Coffee and Crumbs meeting, which is an opportunity for the public to meet with her and talk about what’s going on in the district, coming up on March 23 at 6 p.m. El Cañon Mexican Restaurant. The following ones are scheduled for April 21 at 11:30 a.m. at Subway, and May 18 at 7:30 a.m. at McDonald’s.
The superintendent’s student advisory council member present at the meeting was Allie Flowers, who presented information from all the district buildings regarding things like Visible Learning, fundraisers by students, test preparation, and a recent PTO Carnival.
Employment recommendations approved were: Randy Closson, Buckskin Elementary principal; Jarrod Haines, McClain Assistant principal; Jeremy Andrews, Greenfield Middle School assistant principal; Tony Ward, second shift high school custodian; James Larkin, certified substitute; Hailie McMurry, aide; Harrison Gallaugher, aide; Cory Curtis, substitute bus driver; and Emma Stegbauer, junior high track.
In other business, after more than two decades, Bob Schumm is retiring from his post as the Greenfield Elementary principal. His resignation for the purposes of retirement was accepted by school board Monday.
Other items on the consent agenda that were approved were: intra- and inter-district open enrollment for the coming school year; student handbooks for the coming school year; the resignation of custodian Geraldine Harris; and mowing contracts for Buckskin and Rainsboro elementaries.
The next regular meeting of the Greenfield Exempted Village School District Board of Education is April 24 at 7 p.m. at Buckskin Elementary.
Angela Shepherd is a correspondent for the Greenfield Exempted Village School District.
