Fitness equipment staying (7/14/04)

BERNE — The fitness equipment is staying.

South Adams School District board members voted Tuesday to pay off the remaining $57,446.35 owed on approximately $150,000 worth of cardiovascular and weight training equipment provided to South Adams High School in August 2002. The board saved approximately $1,600 by paying the amount owed, instead of continuing to make monthly payments for the equipment.

In 2002, Utah-based National School Fitness Foundation said it would reimburse districts a portion of the cost each month by raising money from private donors and government grants that support fighting obesity. In the agreement with South Adams, the foundation outfitted the high school and 600 other schools nationwide with cardiovascular machines and circuit strength training stations.

In exchange, the school agreed to provide the foundation with student fitness data to be used in a national study. Along with the athletic equipment, the foundation provided a scale, a body fat counter, a blood pressure monitor, a computer and a fax machine to ensure the school would be able to keep track of and regularly send the data.

A complaint has been filed recently in U.S Bankruptcy Court of Utah claiming the foundation’s president used millions from the charity for his personal use. The foundation filed for bankruptcy reorganization on June 1 and failed to make its payment to the school in May, June and July.

South Adams superintendent Connie Bailey said Tuesday that by paying off the amount owed on the equipment, the school corporation could still receive reimbursement if the fitness company would resume making its monthly payments.

The equipment is used for school activities and by the public.

Also Tuesday, board members elected Arlene Amstutz as president, replacing former board members Agnes Shoch. Dennis Affolder was elected vice president replacing Amstutz, and Tony Mellenkamp was elected secretary and legislative liaison replacing Affolder.

The board also appointed Jay Lahr as the corporation treasurer and recording secretary replacing Linda McMullen. Sally Thomas was appointed deputy treasurer; Sue Shoaf, Betty Stuber and Sandy Flueckiger were appointed extracurricular treasurers; and Baumgartner & Beitler and Bose McKinney and Evans LLP were appointed as the corporation’s legal firms.

In other business, new board members Steve Hampshire, Steve Dobler and Julie Mansfield and Amstutz, who is beginning her second term, were sworn in.

Also, board members:

•Tabled discussion on moving meetings to one of the three schools in the district rather than holding them in Bailey’s office.

The board and the elementary, middle and high school principals will look at possible places the board can meet and discuss it at the board’s Tuesday, Aug. 10 meeting.

Mansfield suggested the change, saying the meetings should be “where it is comfortable for the public.”

•Heard an update on summer maintenance projects at the high school, including new flooring, walls, ceilings, countertops and doors in the administration and public areas, classrooms, media center, art room, home economics room and corridor.

The company is expected to complete the approximately $560,000 in projects by Sept. 20.

•Approved textbook fees for kindergartners through sixth graders.

In kindergarten, costs increased $14 from the 2003-04 school year to $40.61; first grade costs increased $5 to $81.34; second grade fees increased $3 to $83.46; and for third graders fees increased $1 to $88.11.

In the fourth grade, fees increased $4.25 to $87.86; fifth grade fees also increased $4.25 to $97.41; and fees for sixth grade increased $2.89 to $90.30.

South Adams High School principal Brent Lehman reported the fees for grades seven through 12 couldn’t be calculated as the grade school classes.

“In high school, it’s a la carte. You get the books for the classes you take. One student could pay $70 (a year), another could pay $200,” he said.

•Approved the budget schedule.

The board is set to vote on advertising the budget at its Tuesday, Aug. 10 regular meeting. The legal advertisement for the budget will run in the Berne and Decatur newspapers on Monday Aug. 16 and 23.

A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 a.m., and the board is set to adopt the budget at its Tuesday, Sept. 14 regular meeting.

•Voted to hire Matt Loshe as a Title One teacher and accepted a retirement resignation from Doris Taylor, a former cook at the elementary school.

•Voted to continue memberships in the upcoming school year in the Indiana High School Athletic Association, North Central Accreditation Association, Indiana Middle Level Education Association/National Middle School Association, Division of Student Activities, Indiana Association of School Principals, National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Also to continue memberships in the America Association of School Administrators, Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, Indiana School Board Association, National School Boards Association, Berne Chamber of Commerce, Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Small & Rural Schools Association, Upper Wabash Valley School Study, Region 8 Education Service Center and Indiana Association of School Business Officials.

•Approved the transfer of $7,037 to the summer school fund from the general fund.[[In-content Ad]]