Elementary boundaries may shift

Jay Schools may be shifting some boundaries for elementary schools in the coming school year to maintain appropriate class sizes.
Superintendent Tim Long recommended three changes Monday to the Jay School Board that would affect General Shanks, Redkey, Judge Haynes, and Pennville elementaries.
“It’s not ever going to be an exact science,” said Long, noting that families move during the summer and the school corporation allows transfers between buildings. “The buildings are working pretty closely together.”
However, he said, classes at General Shanks Elementary School need some relief in terms of size.
Long’s proposal, which will be acted upon by the board at its July meeting, calls for:
•Sending students who live in the Piedmont and Maple Heights apartment complexes in Portland from General Shanks to Judge Haynes.
•Sending students who live in a rural area southwest of Portland bounded roughly by U.S. 27, 550 South, Como Road, and 100 North to Redkey instead of General Shanks.
•Sending students who live in a rural area northwest of Portland bounded by 200 West, Ind. 26, 550 West, and 300 North to Pennville instead of General Shanks.
“It will help us balance out,” he said.
Long urged board members to sound out public opinion between now and the July meeting. “Let me know what kind of feedback you’re hearing,” he said.
Board members accepted the early retirements of 17 members of the support staff and one administrator Monday as part of an effort to reduce long-term costs.
Earlier this year, the board authorized the use of federal stimulus dollars to create the incentive plan in hopes of simultaneously reducing school expenditures while creating new jobs. Twenty-two teachers have also opted to take early retirement under the program.
Monday’s meeting saw the approval of the retirements of food service director Bill Bussear; bus drivers James Vermillion, Karen Guingrich, John Pearson, Betty LeMaster, and Mike Brown; support staff members Betsy Toschlog, Linda Sipe, Linda Aker, Jane Carlin, Pam Tarr, Susan McCombs, Susan Brown, and Mary Lou Wendel; cook Marlene Fullenkamp; bus mechanic Greg Runyon; and custodians Lynn Duffy and John Lingo. Those early retirees received incentives ranging from $6,000 to $15,000.
“There is a lot of experience leaving us,” business manager Brad DeRome said.
Board members unanimously approved a 12 percent increase in health insurance costs and a 5 percent increase in dental and vision premiums for non-certified personnel.
And board members were also unanimous in approving an incentive to help steer non-certified employees from the Plan A insurance coverage to the less expensive Plan B or Plan C coverage.
Under the addendum approved by the board, no new employees are eligible for Plan A.
Employees now covered on Plan A who sign a letter agreeing to shift to Plan B or Plan C for the 2012-2013 school year will have no increase in single person Plan A costs and an 8 percent increase in family coverage in 2011-2012.
In another insurance-related matter, the board approved property and casualty coverage with Indiana Insurance at a cost of $118,748 and workers’ compensation coverage with Accident Fund at a cost of $75,332, both through First Merchants Insurance Service. The total cost of the two policies is almost $900 less than last year, DeRome told the board.
“None of the companies will give you a rate guarantee for two years,” he said.
On a 6-1 vote with Jim Sanders dissenting, the board agreed to purchase a 72-passenger Thomas-Freightliner bus at a cost of $89,705, which was the lowest and recommended bid. The bus will replace a 2000 model that was considered a total loss after a traffic accident earlier this spring.
DeRome said the insurance company for the driver responsible for the accident is expected to pay $11,000 for the loss of the 11-year-old bus.
In other business, the board:
•Heard a positive report on the impact of the Freshman Academy at Jay County High School in improving student success. Failure rates have been reduced, and the program has had a positive effect on discipline. Next year’s seniors will be the first set of students to have gone through the Freshman Academy.
“I think you’re doing a wonderful job,” board member Mike Masters told JCHS faculty. “I think it’s a great program.”
•Authorized applying for $899,317.68 in federal Title I funds. Those funds are spread among schools based upon the percent of poverty as determined by federal guidelines.
•Hired Landon Martin as a physical education and special education teacher, Andrew Huffman as an instructional assistant at JCHS, Ashlee Keuneke as a mild intervention teacher at JCHS, Amanda James as an instructional assistant at General Shanks, Jennifer Mickler as an instructional assistant at Westlawn Elementary School, Travis Theurer as a health and physical education teacher at East Jay Middle School, Wesley Romine as a custodian at West Jay Middle School, Amanda Omstead as an English teacher at East Jay, Karmella VanSkyock as food service director, Mary Laux as kitchen manager at JCHS, and Mike Whetstone as custodian at East Jay.
•Updated memoranda of understanding for the middle school assistant principal, food service director, and pre-school coordinator.
•Approved a plan for improving school behavior and discipline as required by a new state law.
•Accepted the resignation of special education instructional assistant Richie Secor.
•Approved leaves of absence for kindergarten teacher Kristin Westgerdes and instructional assistant Sheila Toledo.
•Learned that Long had appointed Sara Farris to the board of managers of the Hawkins Community Trust and Tommy “Chip” Phillips to the Dunkirk Library Board.
•Approved extracurricular assignments for William Bice as East Jay archery coach, Alan Bailey and JCHS boys soccer coach, Derek Mills as assistant boys soccer coach at JCHS, Joni Penrod as assistant cheer coach, Travis Theurer as seventh grade assistant football coach at East Jay, Lori Sims as adviser for the yearbook, newspaper, and Just Say No Club at East Jay, Cody Linville as archery coach at JCHS, Andy Huffman as assistant JCHS football coach, Kari Anderson as English chair at JCHS, and Shane Hill as math chair at JCHS.
•Learned the high school’s emergency preparedness plan had been reviewed and approved by the Indiana Department of Education.
•Approved elementary and middle school textbook rental fees. Elementary fees are as follows: Kindergarten $101, first grade $115, second grade $102, third grade $124, fourth grade $117, and fifth grade $118. High school fees will be set in July. A complete listing of all school fees will appear in The Commercial Review in July.
•Approved bus requests by the Jay Community Center Summer Day Camp.
•Approved a field trip by the girls’ basketball team.
•Accepted a $750 donation from Verizon.[[In-content Ad]]