July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Board still setting aside gym funds (09/18/07)
Jay School Board
By By JACK RONALD-
The Jay School Board approved a 2008 budget and a capital projects plan which calls for continuing to accumulate funds for an auxiliary gymnasium Monday, despite calls for spending restraint and a reduction in the school corporation's debt load.
The budget totals $34,267,580, with $15,487,124 of that amount projected to come from property taxes.
"I thought that gym was on hold," said Dunkirk resident John Ireland, who joined Jim Sanders of Portland to urge the board to trim the budget or eliminate plans for the additional high school gym. "We feel that we have been misled."
Ireland and Sanders have toured school facilities with Superintendent Tim Long and other staff members since appearing before the board at a budget hearing in August.
"I've learned a lot of things," said Sanders, who defended the tone of a series of letters to The Commercial Review this summer that took school officials to task. "Every time I write an opinion, if the shoe fits I expect you to wear it," he said. "I apologize not for that at all."
"Right's right and wrong's wrong," said Long. "But when you say we don't care about kids, that's wrong."
Approval of a series of eight resolutions approving the budget, the capital projects plan, and the bus replacement plan came on a 6-0 vote. Board member Frank Vormohr was absent Monday.
Acknowledging the concerns of taxpayers, board member Larry Paxson said the budget was sound, particularly when there is continued uncertainty about revenues from the state.
"The one wild card (in terms of school finances) that's certainly out there is reassessment," said school business manager Brad DeRome. "We're not sure what the ramifications will be. ... We'll continue to monitor that."
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance may order a reassessment of industrial and commercial properties in Jay County because the values of those properties did not increase as expected when they were assessed earlier.
Board members also gave 6-0 approval to having Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, a Fort Wayne architectural firm, do design work on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning work at Bloomfield Elementary School, the construction of new tennis courts and a new west drive at Jay County High School, and completion of re-roofing of West Jay Middle School.
Long said he now favors having design specifications developed for the Bloomfield HVAC project in hopes that by putting it up for bid the price will come down.
"If we go to the open market and the bids are high, we can toss them out and start over again," said Long. "We need to move ahead if we can."
The architect's fee on the Bloomfield project is $19,000. On the tennis courts, it's $10,000. On the west drive, it's another $10,000. And on the re-roofing, it's $8,000.
The tennis courts and the West Jay re-roofing are included in the board's capital projects plan, while the west drive work is included in the high school renovation project.
The high school renovation project will be dedicated with ceremonies in the JCHS auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 27. There will be tours of the school following the ceremonies.
In an effort to reduce bus driver absenteeism, the board adopted a trial incentive program Monday. Under the program, which will be in place this school year to see how well it works, bus drivers with perfect attendance for the 160 remaining days will receive a $450 bonus. Those with 95 percent attendance will receive a bonus of $252.
Board member Greg Wellman wondered whether the incentive program would encourage drivers to work when they are sick. "That's my only concern," he said. "The rest of it I agree with."
Long told board members he had been working with school attorney Phil Frantz and Doug Inman of The Portland Foundation to establish a Jay County School Foundation as a fund within The Portland Foundation.
Such a fund would allow school employees and JCHS alumni to contribute for the benefit of education in Jay County.
"My wife and I will put the first 1,000 bucks in," said Long.
"I'll do the same," responded assistant superintendent Wood Barwick.
In other business, the board:
•Learned from DeRome that paperwork is advancing which should lead to the transfer of ownership of the Portland Armory to the school corporation.
•Moved its October meeting to Oct. 29 instead of Oct. 22.
•Noted that the Indiana State Police had found 100 percent of the school bus fleet passed inspection.
•Learned that Long had re-appointed librarian Rosalie Clamme to a second term on the board of The Portland Foundation.
•Revised the memorandum of understanding with support staff to clarify pay levels for lead custodians at school buildings.
•Received draft policy revisions from NEOLA, an Ohio-based legal firm, which had been reviewed by Phil Frantz. Those revisions will be brought before the board for formal adoption in October.
•Set Oct. 20 as the date for an auction of surplus equipment.
•Approved the adoption of civics textbooks as recommended by the textbook adoption committee.
•Hired Marcia Lyn Michael as a half-time instructional assistant at Pennville Elementary School, Mara Paxson as a pre-school and special education instructional assistant at Redkey Elementary School and East Jay Middle School, Katie Kosak as a special education instructional assistant at Westlawn Elementary School, Amy McIlwain as an English as a second language instructional assistant at the elementary level, Jessie Mangus as INPACE Intake coordinator at John Jay Center for Learning, Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver's training instructors at JCHS, and Dana McClung, Gary Tarr, and John Ferguson as adult education teachers at John Jay Center for Learning.
•Accepted the resignation of bus driver Gary Sollenberger.
•Approved medical leave for Stacy Campbell of Redkey Elementary.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for Lacy Grider as assistant gymnastics coach at JCHS, Roy Adams as head girls tennis coach at JCHS, Andy Pfeifer as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Julie Barlow and Cathy Franks as sponsors of Just Say No Club at Redkey Elementary, Shawna Davis as yearbook sponsor at Redkey Elementary, Linda Brackman as cheer coach at Redkey Elementary, Jenny Cornett as boys basketball coach at Redkey Elementary, Kathy Nelson as honor society sponsor at West Jay, Jane Prescott as girls basketball coach at East Elementary, and Matt Slavik as assistant boys swim coach at JCHS.
•Authorized a field trip by the JCHS German Club.[[In-content Ad]]
The budget totals $34,267,580, with $15,487,124 of that amount projected to come from property taxes.
"I thought that gym was on hold," said Dunkirk resident John Ireland, who joined Jim Sanders of Portland to urge the board to trim the budget or eliminate plans for the additional high school gym. "We feel that we have been misled."
Ireland and Sanders have toured school facilities with Superintendent Tim Long and other staff members since appearing before the board at a budget hearing in August.
"I've learned a lot of things," said Sanders, who defended the tone of a series of letters to The Commercial Review this summer that took school officials to task. "Every time I write an opinion, if the shoe fits I expect you to wear it," he said. "I apologize not for that at all."
"Right's right and wrong's wrong," said Long. "But when you say we don't care about kids, that's wrong."
Approval of a series of eight resolutions approving the budget, the capital projects plan, and the bus replacement plan came on a 6-0 vote. Board member Frank Vormohr was absent Monday.
Acknowledging the concerns of taxpayers, board member Larry Paxson said the budget was sound, particularly when there is continued uncertainty about revenues from the state.
"The one wild card (in terms of school finances) that's certainly out there is reassessment," said school business manager Brad DeRome. "We're not sure what the ramifications will be. ... We'll continue to monitor that."
The Indiana Department of Local Government Finance may order a reassessment of industrial and commercial properties in Jay County because the values of those properties did not increase as expected when they were assessed earlier.
Board members also gave 6-0 approval to having Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, a Fort Wayne architectural firm, do design work on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning work at Bloomfield Elementary School, the construction of new tennis courts and a new west drive at Jay County High School, and completion of re-roofing of West Jay Middle School.
Long said he now favors having design specifications developed for the Bloomfield HVAC project in hopes that by putting it up for bid the price will come down.
"If we go to the open market and the bids are high, we can toss them out and start over again," said Long. "We need to move ahead if we can."
The architect's fee on the Bloomfield project is $19,000. On the tennis courts, it's $10,000. On the west drive, it's another $10,000. And on the re-roofing, it's $8,000.
The tennis courts and the West Jay re-roofing are included in the board's capital projects plan, while the west drive work is included in the high school renovation project.
The high school renovation project will be dedicated with ceremonies in the JCHS auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 27. There will be tours of the school following the ceremonies.
In an effort to reduce bus driver absenteeism, the board adopted a trial incentive program Monday. Under the program, which will be in place this school year to see how well it works, bus drivers with perfect attendance for the 160 remaining days will receive a $450 bonus. Those with 95 percent attendance will receive a bonus of $252.
Board member Greg Wellman wondered whether the incentive program would encourage drivers to work when they are sick. "That's my only concern," he said. "The rest of it I agree with."
Long told board members he had been working with school attorney Phil Frantz and Doug Inman of The Portland Foundation to establish a Jay County School Foundation as a fund within The Portland Foundation.
Such a fund would allow school employees and JCHS alumni to contribute for the benefit of education in Jay County.
"My wife and I will put the first 1,000 bucks in," said Long.
"I'll do the same," responded assistant superintendent Wood Barwick.
In other business, the board:
•Learned from DeRome that paperwork is advancing which should lead to the transfer of ownership of the Portland Armory to the school corporation.
•Moved its October meeting to Oct. 29 instead of Oct. 22.
•Noted that the Indiana State Police had found 100 percent of the school bus fleet passed inspection.
•Learned that Long had re-appointed librarian Rosalie Clamme to a second term on the board of The Portland Foundation.
•Revised the memorandum of understanding with support staff to clarify pay levels for lead custodians at school buildings.
•Received draft policy revisions from NEOLA, an Ohio-based legal firm, which had been reviewed by Phil Frantz. Those revisions will be brought before the board for formal adoption in October.
•Set Oct. 20 as the date for an auction of surplus equipment.
•Approved the adoption of civics textbooks as recommended by the textbook adoption committee.
•Hired Marcia Lyn Michael as a half-time instructional assistant at Pennville Elementary School, Mara Paxson as a pre-school and special education instructional assistant at Redkey Elementary School and East Jay Middle School, Katie Kosak as a special education instructional assistant at Westlawn Elementary School, Amy McIlwain as an English as a second language instructional assistant at the elementary level, Jessie Mangus as INPACE Intake coordinator at John Jay Center for Learning, Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver's training instructors at JCHS, and Dana McClung, Gary Tarr, and John Ferguson as adult education teachers at John Jay Center for Learning.
•Accepted the resignation of bus driver Gary Sollenberger.
•Approved medical leave for Stacy Campbell of Redkey Elementary.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for Lacy Grider as assistant gymnastics coach at JCHS, Roy Adams as head girls tennis coach at JCHS, Andy Pfeifer as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Julie Barlow and Cathy Franks as sponsors of Just Say No Club at Redkey Elementary, Shawna Davis as yearbook sponsor at Redkey Elementary, Linda Brackman as cheer coach at Redkey Elementary, Jenny Cornett as boys basketball coach at Redkey Elementary, Kathy Nelson as honor society sponsor at West Jay, Jane Prescott as girls basketball coach at East Elementary, and Matt Slavik as assistant boys swim coach at JCHS.
•Authorized a field trip by the JCHS German Club.[[In-content Ad]]
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