Board makes staffing moves

Parents and teachers concerned about the shuffling of staff for the next school year went home unhappy Monday.
Jay School Board, which had delayed a decision on the staffing changes for one month to allow the public to express opinions on the issue, approved the staff transfers on a 5-2 vote with no discussion.
Board members Kristi Betts and Ron Laux dissented, while Mike Masters, Mike Shannon, Larry Paxson, Beth Krieg and Greg Wellman voted to approve the changes.
As a result, social studies teacher Chris Overholt will be transferred to Jay County High School, fifth grade teacher Kristen Gibson will move to Bloomfield Elementary School, fourth grade teacher Dru Mercer will move to Redkey Elementary School, fifth grade teacher Valerie Jutte will move to East Elementary School, fourth grade teacher Andrea Oswalt will move to East, librarian Jessica Root will have general school corporation duties, seventh grade English teacher Eric Hemmelgarn will move to East Jay Middle School, fifth grade teacher Kari Brotherton will move to Pennville Elementary School and half-time music teacher Jennifer Crum will work at Bloomfield and Pennville elementaries.
Tessa Hemmelgarn, a parent at East Elementary, thanked the board for listening and said those concerned would continue to speak out.
“We are still a united front because our children need to have voices,” she told the board. “And we ask that you listen to our voices.”
“We’re listening,” responded board president Mike Masters. “Our responsibility is to make the best educated decision. … We take that very personally. … They’re not always fun decisions.”
As part of an ongoing effort to reduce expenses, the school corporation has been working to reduce its overall staffing levels. Business manager Brad DeRome noted that as of this month the school corporation has a total of 527 certified and support staff. That’s down from 545 in the last school year.
DeRome presented the board with a preview of the preliminary capital projects fund budget for 2015 in advance of next month’s consideration of the overall 2015 budget.
A 2015 capital projects fund budget of $3.4 million is being proposed, though it is expected to be reduced by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
“We know we’re going to be cut a little bit,” said DeRome.
The 2014 capital projects fund budget was approved by the state at $3,267,000.
Major projects penciled in for 2015 include expenditures on technology; roof work above the JCHS boiler room, the library at East Jay and the Pennville gym; and renovation of east lockers at JCHS. Capital projects fund dollars will also be used to pay off HVAC projects at East, Redkey and Westlawn elementaries and West Jay Middle School.
“We’ll present the rest of the budget Aug. 4,” said DeRome.
Board members took the first step in disposing of the former Garfield building on East Arch Street in Portland on Monday, unanimously agreeing to put it on a list of “available” school properties.
Under relatively new state law, decommissioned school buildings that are available are put on a list that would allow them to be leased by a charter school for $1 a year. Unless a waiver is approved, buildings stay on the list for two years. If a waiver is sought, all charter schools are notified via email and have a chance to respond. If a waiver is granted, the building can be sold to the highest bidder.
“Declaring it available tonight puts you on a quicker (timeframe) to get rid of it,” school board attorney Phil Frantz told the board.
In other action Monday, the board:
•Pressed superintendent Tim Long for details on a proposed dual diploma program that would create a way for students studying online in China to receive a JCHS diploma.
Long said talks with schools in Shanghai have fallen through because they wanted to send students to the U.S. to study as part of the dual diploma program. Schools in Anshan are still considering the online proposal, which would be similar to the JCHS Annex at John Jay Center for Learning.
“I want to see what the cost is,” said Masters. “I want to look at those numbers.”
Krieg added, “I need some detail. … I think we all want to see it.”
“If the board doesn’t want to do it, that’s perfectly understandable,” said Long. “I don’t want to cheapen the diploma.”
•Approved a yearly rental fee of $75.22 for ninth grade students using a Chromebook as part of a pilot one-to-one technology program this fall. Students will be encouraged to “bring their own device,” but the Chromebooks will be available for students who need them.
•Approved the textbook rentals and student fees for JCHS and the middle schools for this fall. A complete list of those fees will be published later this week in The Commercial Review and will be posted on the Jay Schools website.
•Heard DeRome say the school corporation’s Verizon bill had been reduced by the elimination of 10 cell phone lines.
“Thank you,” said board member Kristi Betts. “It’s only taken a year and a half.”
•Appointed Carlton Brumfield and Ann Marie Beeson to the Dunkirk Public Library Board.
•Hired Michelle Keever as a special education resource teacher at West Jay, Stephanie Hunt as a special education instructional assistant at East Jay, Trisha Williams as a special education instructional assistant at Westlawn, Holly Knight as a special education instructional assistant at Westlawn, Julie Carner as a special education instructional assistant at General Shanks Elementary School, Priscilla Willrath as a special education teacher at Westlawn, Andrea Garringer as an alternative school teacher at Pennville, Natasha Rhodus as a special education instructional assistant at JCHS and Kemper Amstutz as an eighth grade English teacher at East Jay.
•Contracted with Traci Clark and Emily Reynolds for occupational therapy services in the next school year.
•Approved the retirement of JCHS social studies teacher Nancy Lopez.
•Accepted the resignations of East Jay English teacher Renee Huelsman, Westlawn special education teacher Amanda Lewis, East Jay special education teacher Jacquelyn Vegh, Westlawn special education teacher Deidre Grieshop and West Jay instructional assistant Samantha Kunk.
•Authorized a leave of absence for custodian Sheila Rines.
•Approved extracurricular assignments for Doug Arbuckle as softball coach at JCHS, Tim Antrim and Michael Karn as assistant football coaches at JCHS, Liz Lawson as fine arts academic coach at JCHS, Josh Selvey as assistant baseball coach at JCHS, Tiffany Mathias as assistant girls swim coach at JCHS, Butch Gray as girls and boys golf coach at JCHS, Alan Bailey as boys’ soccer coach at JCHS, Kristen Selvey as assistant cheer coach at JCHS, Bill Back as assistant football coach at JCHS, Pazia Williams as freshman girls basketball coach at JCHS, Mitchell Snyder as assistant summer band director at JCHS, Sarah Ullom as cheer sponsor at East Jay, Lori Sims as Just Say No and yearbook sponsor at East Jay, Eric Myers as wrestling coach at JCHS, Marc Bogenschutz as assistant girls basketball coach at JCHS, Susan Garringer as girls tennis coach at JCHS, Joseph Missicano as assistant softball coach at JCHS and Laura Collins and Sarah Wenk as assistant volleyball coaches at JCHS.
•Accepted the extracurricular assignment resignations of Lucinda Wolverton as drama club sponsor and seventh grade team leader at West Jay and Abby Champ as athletic director at West Jay.
•Approved a bus use request by Jay County Public Library.[[In-content Ad]]