Changes in calendar

Next year’s school calendar is still taking shape, and one option on the table would have Jay Schools starting classes as early as Aug. 10.
“We’re going to take that on probably at the next board meeting,” superintendent Tim Long told the Jay School Board Monday.
Board members had urged Long to explore bringing the Jay calendar in sync with the South Adams School calendar. About 30 Jay County students take vocational classes at South Adams, and about 30 South Adams students take classes in Jay County.
The option that would align with South Adams would start the school year for students on Aug. 10 and have the last day of classes on May 20, barring any make-up days because of snow.
“That’s the one I’m in favor of right now,” said Long.
Another option presented to the board for consideration Monday would have school start on Aug. 17 and the last day of classes on May 29, barring any make-up days.
“We always try to do it early,” Long said of the calendar.
“I’m sure we’re going to get an opinion from the JCTA (the Jay Classroom Teachers Association).”
The next board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 23 at 6 p.m.
Business manager Brad DeRome told the board the school corporation finished the year with the general fund in the black. “We finished with a cash flow surplus of $7,529,” said DeRome. “What that means is revenues were greater than spending by this amount.”
DeRome noted the school corporation has been able to finish in the black and build its cash balance in the general fund in eight of the past nine years.
The general fund year-end cash balance was $3.1 million.
Most of Monday’s meeting was an organizational session for the year ahead.
Board members re-elected Greg Wellman as president, Mike Masters as vice president, and Larry Paxson as secretary. But the election came on a split vote, with Jim Sanders dissenting.
Sanders complained that Wellman had been slow getting back to him with information he was seeking.
“If you’re too busy Greg, you have no business in the position,” Sanders said.
“That’s my concern, that you don’t have time.” Wellman farms and is a rural mail carrier.
In other action, the board:
•Named the firm of Coldren and Frantz as board legal counsel.
•Appointed DeRome as treasurer and Violet Current as deputy treasurer and authorized the two of them to have access to the safety deposit box.
•Appointed DeRome, Linda Selvey, and Sharon Dues as small claims court representatives.
•Concurred with Long’s appointments of Masters, Sanders and Ron Laux to the insurance committee; Wellman, Sanders, and Mike Shannon to the negotiation committee; Beth Krieg to the calendar committee; and Shannon as the board’s legislative delegate.
•Voided a number of checks that had been uncashed for two years.
•Hired Jill Muhlenkamp as a full-time food service employee.
•Accepted the resignations of Kathleen Keller as a life skills instructional assistant and Alissa McMillan as a technology instructional assistant.
•Approved leaves of absence for Abby Champ and Jennifer Blackford.
•Approved the retirement of custodian David Pogue Sr.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for Tom Leonhard as assistant track coach at Jay County High School; Aaron Hudson, Joshua Mills, Sam Miller, Aaron Thomas, and Holly Patz as volunteer robotics coaches at JCHS; Josh Swift as volunteer assistant boys’ track coach at JCHS; and David Cramer as volunteer assistant girls’ tennis coach at JCHS.
•Approved this summer’s field trip by the JCHS band to band camp.
•Approved two bus requests from the Jay Community Center.
•Accepted the resignation of Sharon Bubp as the board’s representative on the Portland Park Board.
•Set meeting dates of Jan. 23, Feb. 27, March 12, April 23, May 21, June 11, July 16, Aug. 6, Aug. 20, Sept. 17, Oct. 22, Nov. 19, and Dec. 10 for 2012.
•Noted there will be no school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.[[In-content Ad]]