May 26, 2011
Aprile to lead athletics department PHS North AD gets five-year contract, department reduced by one position By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington High School North athletics director Mark Aprile has been selected to lead the district’s newly restructured athletics department for the next five years. The Pickerington Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved hiring Aprile, PHS North’s athletics director the past eight years, as the Pickerington Local School District’s director of student activities, effective Aug. 1.
As director of student activities, he will lead athletics programming at the district’s two high schools as well as its two junior highs. He will be paid a base salary of $98,950 annually, plus benefits. According to information provided by the district, the only change in Aprile’s benefits package is that he will be eligible to begin accruing vacation time on Aug. 1 since he now will be a year-round employee. He will receive up to 25 vacation days a year. As part of his medical insurance, he will pay 20 percent of his medical costs.
Assistant Superintendent Jim Sotlar said Aprile, in addition to leading the athletics department and programming, will be charged with “overseeing all extracurricular activities, especially in the pay-to-participate program.” Aprile said he’s looking forward to his new duties. “Any time you deal with education and athletics, there are challenges, and this certainly will be a challenge,” he said. The five-year contract was recommended by the PLSD administration, according to Lee Cole, the district’s direc-
tor of communications. “Athletics is a huge portion of the district and we wanted someone to be there for the long-term as the district goes through this restructuring,” she said. “Mark Aprile also has a business degree, so he really can look at this with a broad view.” The director of student activities position was created after the board approved approximately $13 million in cuts in January to balance the district’s budget for the 2011-12 school year. As part of those cuts, some 120 teach-
ing and staff jobs were eliminated. In an effort to reduce athletics department costs by up to $1 million, the district raised pay-to-participate fees for sports to $500 per student, per sport at the high school level, and $325 per student, per sport at the junior highs. The board also created the director of student activities position and reduced the number of athletics department administrators who will serve the district in 2011-12 from six to five. See APRILE, page A5
By Chris Parker/ThisWeek
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Pickerington High School Central’s “Top 10” students for the class of 2011 are (front row, from left) Riley Hampton, Sarah Cohen, Annie Curie, Noah Taylor, (back row, from left) Anthony Smith, Rachel Leist, Callie Busby, Jennifer Pence, Kathryn Oehlman and Ethan Stahlman.
Pickerington High School North’s “Top 10” students for the class of 2011 are (front row, from left) Christina Ciccone, Martina Stojanovska, Lindsey Logsdon, Erin Tracy, Victoria Nguyen, (back row, from left) Alex Fultz, Benjamin Prewitt, John Weibel, Michael Lee and Isaac Gephart.
PHS Central
PHS North
Most top students aim Pre-med, engineering for careers in science among choices for grads By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington High School Central’s class of 2011 and its “Top 10” students will be recognized collectively for one last time during the school’s graduation ceremony next month. The PHS Central 338-strong class of 2011 tentatively is scheduled to take its commencement walk at 9 a.m. June 4 at World Harvest Church, 3595 Gender Road, Canal Winchester. While class valedictorians or salutatorians are not named, Central does honor the “Top 10” students in each graduating class, based on gradepoint average.
This year’s top students, in alphabetical order, are: • Callie Busby, daughter of Robert and Christina Busby, currently is undecided on a college and major following graduation. • Sarah Cohen, daughter of Barry and Debra Cohen, plans to attend Ohio State University, where she will study political science. • Anne Curie, daughter of Timothy and Brenda Curie, will attend OSU, where she plans to study political science and international affairs. • Riley Hampton, son of Mark and Linda Hampton, will attend Purdue University, where he plans See CENTRAL GRADS, page A2
By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers Pickerington High School North will celebrate its class of 2011, as well as its “Top 10” seniors during the school’s June 4 graduation ceremonies. Some 486 PHS North seniors are expected to participate in commencement ceremonies next month. North’s graduation will take place at 1 p.m. at World Harvest Church, 3595 Gender Road, Canal Winchester. While class valedictorians or salutatorians are not named, PHS North does honor the “Top 10” students in each graduating class, based on gradepoint average.
This year’s top students, in alphabetical order, are: • Christina Ciccone, daughter of Michael and Kathleen Ciccone. She will attend Ohio Northern University, where she plans to study pharmacy. • Alex Fultz, son of Dan and Carla Fultz. He will attend Ohio State University, where he plans to study pre-medicine. • Isaac Gephart, son of James and Sherri Gephart. He will attend OSU, where he’s considering studying engineering. • Michael Lee, son of Michael and Vicki Lee. See NORTH GRADS, page A2
Pickerington, Violet Township consider planning agreement By NATE ELLIS ThisWeek Community Newspapers For years, Pickerington and Violet Township have had a less than sterling reputation when it comes to cooperation and communication. In recent months, the two sides have taken steps to promote harmony and regionalism, as evidenced recently by Violet Township’s proposal to share township economic de-
velopment specialist Joy Davis with PIckerington, which currently has no designated economic development director. Now, the two governments are working together on a new pact aimed at yielding developments which, at a minimum, would be less obtrusive to each entity and possibly could result in mutually beneficial projects. Following discussions between township director of operations Bill
Yaple and Pickerington city manager Bill Vance, Violet Township trustees and Pickerington City Council currently are mulling a proposed “joint planning agreement.” Under the proposal, which still requires approvals from the trustees and council, the governments would inform each other of all land-use and development applications they receive. A panel with at least two repre-
sentatives of both governments also would be formed, which would offer recommendations based on the landuse and development proposals coming before the township and city. “This agreement coordinates an understanding that all land-use and development applications received by the city or the township will be copied and sent to either the city or
A closer look As proposed, the agreement wouldn’t strip either the township or city of any existing authority to approve or deny land-use or development applications. In most case, the trustees and council still would have final say as to what projects are accepted or denied within their respective borders.
See PLANNING, page A6
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