WEST BRANCH Summer school hires done

Summer school will be offered for physical education and driver's education.
By JoANN JONES
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BELOIT -- The West Branch Board of Education hired 11 teachers, seven aides and a secretary Thursday for elementary summer school, which encompasses pupils from kindergarten through sixth grade.
Hired as instructors were Arlene Roelen, Jane Morckel, Tina Mull, Anne Sellaroli, Tina McMullen, Jackie Paxson, Lisa Lucente, Stephanie Adams, Jackie Rinyo, Chris Lydic and Shelley Wilson. All are employed as teachers in the district, although the board voted not to renew Wilson's contract as a part-time kindergarten teacher because kindergarten enrollment has not been determined.
Funding program
The program, paid for through four $15,000 grants from the Ohio Reads program.
Teacher Sherri Kitzmiller, who helped write the grants for the program, will serve as principal, and Cindy Helms will serve as director. Both are teachers in the district.
The board hired educational aides Michele Esterle, Keli Doyle, Megan Woods, Pam Denny and Rhonda Bauman to work the summer program, while also hiring district residents Christi Paxson and Amy Griffith as aides. Lynn Taylor, a secretary in the district, was hired as secretary.
The program will be run at Beloit's new K-8 facility from 8-11 a.m. June 21-23, June 28-30 and at the same time on Monday through Wednesday during the first three weeks of August.
District administrator Scott Weingart said this is the third year for the program, which allows for busing to be paid from the grant funds. He said the curriculum will focus on reading, and pupils usually enroll on the basis of test scores and teacher recommendation. The program usually services about 200 pupils, Weingart said.
High school program
The board also approved the high school summer program that will include instruction in physical education and driver's education. Each is a one-quarter credit, and students taking driver's ed must be 15 years old by July 15. The first semester for physical education is from June 14-July 1.
Daily instruction begins at 8 a.m. at the high school with the ending time to be determined by the instructor. A second semester course will be offered from July 6-23. The cost for this course is $45 for West Branch students and $55 for students out of the district.
Driver's education classroom instruction runs from June 14-21, with actual driving time to be scheduled throughout the summer. Hours for that course are from 7:30-11:30 a.m. The cost is $200 for any student. For more information, call the principal's office at (330) 938-2183. Instructors for these two programs have not yet been hired.