Incentive to retire will repeat

An early retirement incentive program implemented in 2011 will be repeated in 2012.
Jay School Board members gave unanimous approval Monday to incentive plans for support staff and administrators using federal stimulus funds.
Under the program, up to 5 full-time certified administrators or administrative directors who are at least 55 years old and have been on the staff for at least 6 consecutive years will be offered $15,000 each to retire early. Those interested in the incentive must submit a retirement letter by March 30, 2012.
Up to 20 full-time support staff who are at least 55 and have been full-time employees for at least 10 consecutive years qualify for incentives ranging from $15,000 to $3,000 depending upon their annual pay level. Those interested must submit a retirement letter by April 5, 2012.
“This is almost a mirror image” of the 2011 program, business director Brad DeRome said. “We still have funds available in the federal stimulus grant.”
By encouraging early retirement, the school corporation lowers its payroll expenses in the future. This year, 22 teachers, 17 support staff, and the food service director took advantage of the early retirement incentive.
The board split 6-1 on authorizing the administration to bid on the former cable TV office on East Water Street in Portland, with Jim Sanders dissenting. The property, which abuts East Jay Middle School land, is going up for auction. DeRome is authorized to bid up to the maximum allowable legal limit that does not require an appraisal process. The auction is for one of many  parcels of land owned by Comcast nationally.
“I don’t think it’s a necessity for the school corporation to own it,” said Sanders. “We can put the money elsewhere.”
Sanders noted that the school corporation already owns a number of small properties it has no use for, and later in the meeting Superintendent Tim Long agreed.
“Maybe it’s time to liquidate some of that,” said Long, pledging to put the matter on a future board agenda.
Board members were unanimous in approving a lease with Community Fiber Solutions for a 60-square-foot parcel of land adjacent to the east parking lot at West Jay Middle School for a fiber optic cabinet and vault. Long noted that Community Fiber Solutions will be making a $10,000 contribution to update a computer lab at East Jay Middle School.
In other business, the board:
•Heard a report from teacher Chris Overholt on the Jay County High School Annex program at John Jay Center for Learning. Overholt said 57 students are currently enrolled and have earned 197 credits. Four students have graduated this fall, and 16 others are 10 credits or less away from graduation.
“Look at how many students we’d be losing” without the program, said Long.
JCHS principal Phil Ford added, “Virtually every student he (Overholt) has is a student who would not be graduating.”
•Heard Long say an extensive survey of staff and parents is underway. More than 200 faculty and staff have been surveyed. “I’m getting some really good feedback,” Long said. A detailed report is expected at a future board meeting.
•Learned that about 20 children are taking part in a new pre-school program at Westlawn Elementary School.
•Approved short-term borrowing of $900,000 from the Indiana Bond Bank to help with cash flow needs in 2012. That amount is down from prior years. Last year’s Bond Bank loan carried an interest rate of 1.3 percent. “I hope we’re in the same ballpark,” said DeRome.
•Formally accepted the resignations of teacher Lucas Tetrault and bus driver Cindy Bracy. Tetrault was charged with four counts of child seduction last month and submitted his resignation when the allegations surfaced.
•Approved an end of course assessment test for high school biology. JCHS already has end of course assessment tests for English and algebra.
•Received a report on vocational education from assistant superintendent Wood Barwick.
•Approved the JCHS curriculum for 2012-2013.
•Hired Ted Habegger and Dennis Dwiggins as drivers’ education teachers and Valarie Jutte as a part-time pre-school teacher at General Shanks Elementary School and a part-time instructional assistant at the JCHS Annex. Jutte had been a full-time instructional assistant.
•Approved a leave of absence by special education teacher Sherry Hilliard.
•Approved Nicholas Ehrhart as boys’ assistant swim coach at JCHS, Heath Rigby as volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach at JCHS, Kyle Sibray as volunteer diving coach at JCHS, Bruce Wood as volunteer assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, and Corey Comer as seventh grade boys’ basketball coach at East Jay.
•Approved field trips by the JCHS choir to Fort Recovery, German students to Chicago, and two international exchange groups to China and Taiwan in April. Sanders questioned the international trips and was assured by Long that they would be at the expense of the participants, not the school corporation. Sanders voted against the consent agenda that included the field trips.
•Approved a bus use request by the Girl Scouts.
Prior to Monday night’s meeting, the board met in executive session to consider strategy related to collective bargaining.
School corporation staff inadvertently failed to issue public notice in advance of that meeting, putting it out of compliance with Indiana’s Open Meetings Law. By law, no action may be taken in executive session.[[In-content Ad]]