The Coventry Schools Board of Education began its April meeting with a moment of silence to honor the troops overseas, former Coventry cook Mildred Paradis, and former board member L. James Harkins, who recently passed away. 

Turkeyfoot elementary teacher Lori Hall reported on the "First Forward" program, a classroom experience tailored to help kindergartend students who "were not quite ready for first grade" but did not need to be held back. With a class size of 10 to 12 students, the teacher and the Title I tutor work independently and in small groups with students on language and reading skills. Other benefits are better social skills and increased confidence. Student progress is monitored as they strive toward the goal of successful passage to second grade. Hall said most do make it and she thanked the board for supporting this program.

The board approved a resolution to direct the Coventry Schools Treasurer to rescind the district's request to the Ohio Department of Education and the Auditor of State's Office to be removed from fiscal watch until the district is better able to forecast its funding with more accurate and definite information "with particular reference to the state's school funding intentions or lack thereof." 

The resolution noted that  in spite of the support of the community by the recent levy passage, the district is "likely to experience a loss of state school funding dollars or get no increase in revenue for the next two years and there is uncertainty as to where funding is going in the state and how the governor and legislature will "come up with a fix" for the funding problem.

The board approved the graduating class of 2008, Glenn George, Donald Johnson, Clara Mohler, and Terri Pfaff as Alumni Achievement Award winners.

Resignations due to retirement of Martha Baillis, Lakeview Library Tech (effective at the end of the school year) and Matt Hinson, maintenance, (effective April 30) were accepted. The board sent congratulation and thanks. Hinson, called "a true gentleman" by Board President Bob Wohlgamuth, has 35 years service.

Hall's partner in the program, Stefani Wise (Title I), gave her own presentation on Camp Invention, a day camp at Turkeyfoot to take place June 16-20, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This camp is science based and includes projects and activities that develop creative thinking, and inventive, problem solving skills.  The cost is $205. The cost is less than Camp Y-Noah at $400 and there is financial help available. For more information on discounts contact Wise at swise@coventryschools.org or Renee Burkhart at rburkhart@coventryschools.org. Also, anyone with old vcrs, or stray appliances that do not contain glass are welcomed as donations. There is more information about Camp Invention at www.campinvention.org, or on the Coventry Schools Web site.

The next meeting of the Coventry BOE will be May 20, 6 p.m., at Coventry Junior High. The meetings are taped and played on Warner cable on Friday nights and can also be viewed on the Web at www.coventryschools.org.