Cost of access laid out (10/24/06)

Jay County's elementary and middle school teachers have easy computer access to the Internet, and it would only take an expenditure of about $10,000 to provide the same access to the high school.

"What we need at the high school is to have rooms wired for the Internet," Jay School Corporation director of technology Dennis Green told the school board Monday night.

School board president Bryan Alexander expressed surprise at Green's estimate of what it would cost to wire Jay County High School for Web access. "I thought it was some astronomical number," said Alexander.

Green outlined the school system's information technology system, which involves 1,269 student computers and 73 administrative computers. Internet access is filtered as required by state law, he noted.

"We've got to keep up on this constantly changing technology," said Green. "Technology is not the answer to education. It's one of the tools to be used."

Board members noted that Monday's meeting was probably the final one for retiring superintendent Barb Downing.

"I think the people of Jay County owe you a huge debt of gratitude," said board member Greg Wellman.

Downing presented the board with a proposed school calendar for the 2007-2008 year.

Under that calendar, the first teacher day would be Aug. 17 and the first student day Aug. 20. The last student day would be May 22 and the last teacher day May 23, with JCHS graduation on June 1. Christmas vacation in the 2007-2008 school year would be from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3, and spring break would be from March 24 to 28.

No action was taken on the proposed calendar.

In other business, the board:

•Approved hiring Amanda Brandon as a sixth grade English teacher at West Jay Middle School, Rinada Davis as a bus driver, Nicholas Kunkler as a bus driver, William Lawhorn as custodian at East Jay Middle School, and Kathy Wellman as a part-time pre-school instructional assistant at JCHS.

•Accepted the resignation of Ivan Glenn Cash as a crossing guard at Pennville Elementary School and Kim Bye as honor society sponsor at East Jay.

•Approved Ron Homan as boys basketball coach at Bloomfield Elementary School, Tracy Muhlenkamp as girls basketball coach at Bloomfield, Jeanna Campbell as Just Say No Club sponsor at Bloomfield, Carrie Byrum as cheer sponsor at Bloomfield, Jack Houck as boys basketball coach at General Shanks Elementary School, Jan Hunt as elementary cheer sponsor at General Shanks, Bill Saxman as boys basketball coach at Pennville, Vickie Gettinger as a volunteer at Westlawn Elementary School, Joella Rinker as girls basketball coach at Westlawn, Aaron Smith as boys basketball coach at Westlawn, Lea Selvey as baseball field coordinator at JCHS, Katie Pearson as volunteer girls' basketball coach at JCHS, Donald Gillespie as volunteer girls basketball coach at JCHS, Carrie Schmit as a volunteer at Bloomfield, Linda Frantz as a volunteer at East Elementary School, Ana Minnich as a volunteer at Judge Haynes Elementary School, Sherry Minnick as volunteer at Westlawn, Rick Wellman as eighth grade girls basketball coach at East Jay, Rebecca Wellman as seventh grade girls basketball coach at East Jay, Beth Stephen as sixth grade girls basketball coach at East Jay, Abby Arnold as assistant girls swimming coach at JCHS, Amie Carpenter as a volunteer at East, Teresa Gibbs as cheer sponsor at Westlawn, Kim Bye as pep club sponsor at East Jay, Christy Grafmiller as Just Say No Club sponsor at East Jay, Lori Sims as yearbook sponsor at East Jay, Joni Aulbach as co-sponsor of the freshman class at JCHS, Tammy Overton as co-sponsor of the freshman class at JCHS, Christopher Snow as eighth grade boys basketball coach at East Jay, Rodney Ashman as volunteer assistant basketball coach at JCHS, Ed Geesaman as freshman girls basketball coach at JCHS, Andy Pfeifer as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Randy Mann as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Doug Arbuckle as assistant softball coach at JCHS, and Lori Sims as honor society sponsor at East Jay.

•Approved Christina Daniels, Lynn Boolman, Melissa McKinnnies, Patricia Myers, Joni Ostrowski, Duanne Racster, Sharon Reffitt, Judith Smith, and Holly Weaver as volunteers at General Shanks.

•Authorized a JCHS field trip to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis Wednesday through Saturday.

•Approved the transfer of Lisa Evans as central office secretary to secretary at East Elementary School.[[In-content Ad]]