Board takes 1st step on budget

Jay School Board has taken the first step toward approving its 2014 budget.
The board voted unanimously at its meeting Monday to give business manager Brad DeRome permission to advertise the proposed budget.
Also Monday, board members approved a pay raise for substitute teachers, honored a student for his work at a local park and discussed bullying in schools.
DeRome will advertise a budget of $36,742,973 for 2014. That number is nearly identical to that of the 2013 budget, which was up about 1.5 percent from 2012.
The budget calls for a general fund of $25,873,000, about 98 percent of which comes from the state. The remaining funds — debt service ($3,906,090), pension debt service ($981,883), capital projects ($3,400,000), transportation ($2,300,000) and bus replacement ($282,000) for a total of $10.87 million — are supported by local property taxes.
As advertised, the budget will have a tax rate of $1.3894 per $100 of assessed valuation. But, like last year, DeRome emphasized the tax rate will likely be lower because he was conservative in making his budget projections.
For example, the 2013 budget advertised a tax rate of $1.47 while the actual rate ended up being $1.16.
The board had no questions for DeRome, with members Greg Wellman, Larry Paxson, Kristi Betts, Mike Masters, Greg Wellman, Beth Krieg, Mike Shannon and Ron Laux voting 7-0 to approve advertising the proposed budget.
“It’s very similar to past budgets,” said Wellman, the board president. “That might be one of the reasons we don’t have a lot of questions.”
The budget will be advertised Wednesday and Aug. 14 in The Commercial Review and The News and Sun. There will be a public hearing to discuss the budget at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Jay School Corporation administrative offices, 1976 W. Tyson Road, Portland. The budget must also be posted online at https://gateway.ifionline.org.
The board is slated to vote on whether to approve the budget at its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 16.
While the overall budget was the main topic of discussion, the board also voted to spend a bit more money on substitute teachers as it approved a $5-per-day raise on a suggestion from Laux. Pay was raised to $65 per day for substitutes from the previous $60.
Laux originally suggested a raise for only certified teachers acting as substitutes, but that idea was passed over because it would have complicated bookkeeping. Krieg agreed a raise was necessary, noting the last one for substitutes came in 2004.
“I think just in light of that, it should be raised a little bit at least,” said Krieg. “I feel like there should be something for the work that they’re doing.”
Reporting on what she and Krieg learned at the Indiana School Board Association summer conference, Betts said bullying was a key topic of discussion. She noted that, under state law, schools have a responsibility to try to stop bullying in many cases, even if the issues are happening off of school grounds.
Board members discussed the possibility of having school officials call police to file a report each time they are presented with an accusation of bullying, but stopped short of voting on that idea.
The board also honored Jay County High School senior Arthur Lamb, who spent time this summer cleaning up Dunkirk’s Frank Mary Park.
Lamb had asked Shannon if he could work at the park in exchange for a membership at the park for his girlfriend’s grandfather, who has cancer.
After earning that membership, he proceeded to request to do more work in order to earn a second.
“He made it look wonderful,” said Shannon. “That showed me a quality of character in him that just puts a lump in my throat. I just wanted to say thanks.”
In other business, the board:
•Approved the hiring of Jacquelyn Vegh as a special education teacher at East Jay Middle School, Ryan Thomson (assistant band/music – Jay County High School and General Shanks Elementary), Tamara Tillman (art – EJMS), Tavia Boolman (reading/instructional assistant – EJMS), Greg Franks (bus driver), David Davis (bus driver), Francene Castillo (instructional assistant - General Shanks), Courtney Clay (business – JCHS), Debora Funk (special education – EJMS) and Brian Carr (physical education/health – EJMS).
It also approved leaves of absence for Deidre Grieshop (Westlawn Elementary), Abby Champ (WJMS), Caryn Moore (Pennville Elementary), Jan McGalliard (JCHS) and Amanda Omstead (EJMS); transfers for Michelle Keever (instructional assistant – EJMS), Angie Louck (instructional assistant – Redkey Elementary) and Donna Richards (full-time bus driver); the retirement of Margaret Ralph (business – JCHS); the resignations of Teresa Gibbs (preschool instructional assistant – Redkey), Alison Jackson (special education – EJMS), Kim Lloyd (instructional assistant – Redkey), Nick Kunkler (bus driver) and Deborah Holden (instructional assistant – WJMS); and extra-curricular resignations for Amanda Omstead (assistant cross country – EJMS) and Taryn Koontz (sixth grade volleyball – EJMS).
Extra-curricular assignments were approved for Eric Myers (assistant seventh grade football – EJMS), Chelsi Wall (assistant volleyball – JCHS), Valentin Lopez (volunteer boys soccer - JCHS), Whitney Freeman (senior class sponsor – JCHS), Brittany Byrum (Latin club sponsor – JCHS), Isaac Poole (assistant boys soccer – JCHS), Tracy Huelskamp (assistant girls soccer – JCHS), Thomas Leonhard (assistant eighth grade football – EJMS), Sarah Wenk (half-time assistant volleyball – JCHS), Laura Collins (half-time assistant volleyball – JCHS), Violet Current (eighth grade volleyball – WJMS), Shannon Current (seventh grade volleyball – WJMS), Lindsey Lloyd (sixth grade volleyball – WJMS), David Cramer (cross country – EJMS), Diana Hill (sixth grade volleyball – WJMS), Ryan VanSkyock (track – WJMS) and Annette Stultz (assistant cross country – WJMS).
•Discussed attending the Indiana School Board Association fall conference on Sept. 23 and 24. Jay Schools superintendent Tim Long and board members Kristi Betts, Mike Masters and Mike Shannon plan on attending.
•Heard from Long that school safety will be one of the topics of discussion on the first teacher day of school Friday.
Representatives from the state police will be on hand to talk about safety. The meeting will also include a presentation from Long, introduction of new teachers and recognition of long-time faculty.
•Approved bus driver contracts as presented by director of transportation Teresa Myers. Also approved a contract for the rental of West Jay Community Center for practices for WJMS athletic teams.
•Complimented the Jay County High School Marching Patriots on their sixth-place finish at the Indiana State Fair Band Day Competition.
“The band was great,” said Long.[[In-content Ad]]