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COLUMBIANA -- The Crestview School District is turning to outside help for its nursing services.
District Superintendent Daniel Hill said that the decision was made to find a nurse through a private company following the retirement of longtime nurse Janet Leipheimer.
Leipheimer's retirement was approved by the board of education during the June meeting.
"Janet has served the community through Crestview Schools for 30 years ... thank you for your service," Hill said during the meeting.
He added that Leipheimer has expanded her credentials as a nurse practitioner and has entered the private sector to continue her career goals.
Hill explained after the meeting that the decision to outsource the school nurse position was made due to difficulty in finding staff.
He added that other school districts are turning to that option as well.
The school nurse position was a union position, under the Crestview Education Association, and as a result of the decision to seek a private company, the board also approved a change to the education association collective bargaining agreement to exclude the position from the union agreement that is currently in place through Aug. 31, 2025.
The board also approved excluding the health assistant position from the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) agreement that is in effect through July 31, 2025.
Both union agreements took effect on Aug. 31, 2022.
As for the district's new building project, Hill reported to the board that school officials met with the township and were granted authority to proceed with the bidding of the softball field relocation and expansion of parking on the south side of Crestview Road.
He said that prior to Oct. 1 the softball field will be mitigated of fencing, scoreboard and sound system, and that Maintenance Supervisor Jay Radman will arrange the memorializing of those items to be reused at a later date.
Additionally, he said that the district is seeking to wrap up the tree felling and removal process and that the mitigation of the area is being conducted through the proper agencies and awaiting the permissions to proceed.