July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
JSC buys 16 buses (05/20/08)
Jay School Board
By By JACK RONALD-
Sixteen new 72-passenger school buses - eight from Kerlin and eight from Cardinal - will be purchased by the Jay School Corporation at a cost of $1,326,103.13.
Jay School Board members approved the purchase Monday at the recommendation of transportation director Teresa Myers.
"Although we have always been long time International fans, we believe it is time for a change, to see if the product and service provided by someone else is better," Myers told the board in her formal recommendation.
Board member Larry Paxson, who directed the transporation system when he was a Jay Schools administrator, questioned why 72-passenger buses instead of 66-passenger models were part of the recommendation from Myers.
But when Myers assured him that there was no intention to lengthen bus routes, Paxson agreed that the larger models would make sense for extracurricular purposes.
The buses, one of which will have a lift for handicapped students, will all be equipped with Cummins engines, air conditioning, and a two-camera video system.
As to the decision to recommend air conditioning, Myers said, "It is a change of thought process. It is not just about comfort. Studies have shown that air conditioning reduces fatigue in truck drivers. Why not bus drivers and students?"
The bus purchase was approved on a 5-0 vote, with board members Frank Vormohr and Bryan Alexander absent.
Board members also voted 5-0 to borrow an additional $2,739,560 from the Indiana Bond Bank to cover corporation expenses while awaiting property tax revenues that have been delayed because of reassessment.
"We just don't have a choice," business manager Brad DeRome told the board.
The borrowed money will be distributed among five different funds. The general fund will receive $500,000, the capital projects fund $750,00, the debt service fund $941,000, the pension debt service fund $263,560, and the transportation fund $285,000.
Loans from the Indiana Bond Bank are at about half the interest rate charged by commercial banks.
DeRome said he hopes the loan will be enough to get the school corporation through until property tax revenues come in. "If I don't get money in August, I guarantee I'll be coming back to you," he added.
County officials hope to have tax bills sent out for collection in July.
DeRome said interest earnings on school corporation accounts, meanwhile will be down dramatically this year. He expects interest earnings to total about $151,000 for the year, compared to $381,000 in 2007.
"I've seen our interest rates fall right off the table," DeRome said.
At DeRome's urging the board made small increases in the price of school lunches and the latch key after-school program.
"This is due to increased costs," he said.
Latch key prices will be incre3ased 25 cents an hour. The registration fee will stay at $10, with the standard rate $2.25 per hour. For children on the reduced price lunch program, the rate will be $2 an hour, while those on the free lunch program will be at $1.75 an hour.
School lunch prices will increase 10 cents per meal across the board. Elementary lunches will be $1.75, middle school lunches s$1.85, high school lunches $2, student breakfasts $1.20, adult breakfasts $1.50, a la carte milk 35 cents, and adult lunches $2.50. The reduced price student lunch will stay at 40 cents and the reduced price student breakfast at 30 cents; those prices are set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Our hope is to try to keep our lunch prices as low as possible and still be in the black," said superintendent Tim Long.
The board reaffirmed the after-school tutor and detention fees at their current level of $20 and $50 per hour respectively.
An application for waiver of the financial penalty for cancelled school days was also approved by the board. Eight school days were missed because of weather, and approval for the waiver must come from the Indiana Department of Education.
Jay Schools did receive a waiver from the state to conduct three full days on professional staff development in the 2008-2009 school year.
In other business, the board:
•Approved the hiring of David Chastain as the next director of special education. Chastain now works at the Adams-Wells special education cooperative. He was one of 15 applicants, four of whom were interviewed.
•Noted that both the county and Community and Family Services have expressed interest in the current administrative office building, the former Garfield School. "Right now the corporation's going to keep it for awhile," said Long. "We may need it." Administrative offices will be moving to the former Portland armory this summer.
•Gave final approval to changes in the search and seizure policy which were reviewed in April and reviewed policy changes to bring the corporation into compliance with changes in federal law on family leaves.
•Appropriated $400,000 from the Rainy Day Fund after a public hearing to pay for heating and cooling repairs at Bloomfield Elementary School.
•Accepted the donation of a street clock at Jay County High School by the JCHS class of 2008. Principal Jeremy Gulley said he hopes the clock will be installed in time for the class's commencement exercises.
•Hired Abby Kellogg as an English teacher at East Jay Middle School, Evelyn M. Scott as a special needs bus aide, Donna Chenoweth as a secretary at Judge Haynes Elementary School, and Macy Boseck as a special education teacher at East Jay.
•Accepted the retirements of Priscilla Keller as a second grade teacher at East Elementary School, Linda Burkhardt as a fifth grade teacher at Westlawn Elementary School, Pamela Hart as an instructional assistant at General Shanks Elementary School, Mavis Catalfio as a technology specialist, Deanna Gillespie as a secretary at East Jay, and Tyrah Jerles as a second grade teacher at Redkey Elementary School.
•Accepted the resignation of Erin Arnold as girls' freshman basketball coach at JCHS.
•Approved field trips by the Pennville Library summer reading program to the Loblolly Wetlands Preserve and Limberlost State Memorial and by the foreign language club to Cedar Point.
•Approved a bus request by First Baptist Church.
•Approved a leave request for Christy Shauver at East Jay.
•Approved summer school teaching assignments. Long noted that nearly 800 students will be taking part in summer programs, including members of the Marching Patriot Band.
[[In-content Ad]]Wednesday night will be family night under a proposal being promoted by at least one Jay School Board member.
At the urging of Greg Wellman, the board directed school officials Monday to begin developing a policy that would eliminate evening school activities from the kindergarten level through high school on Wednesday nights.
Wellman, who said a "Wednesday night black out" was tied to his vote in support of the multi-purpose/auxiliary gymnasium under construction at Jay County High School, would like the policy to be ready for review by the board in January of 2009 with implementation in the 2009-2010 school year.
"I think we made a commitment to that at the high school," said superintendent Tim Long, noting that he had not brought elementary and middle school principals into the discussion at this point.
"I'm more than happy to take a look at it," said board member Jay Halstead. "But I'm not committing."
"As long as we take a look at it, that's all I'm asking," responded Wellman.
Wellman's motion passed 5-0.
Jay School Board members approved the purchase Monday at the recommendation of transportation director Teresa Myers.
"Although we have always been long time International fans, we believe it is time for a change, to see if the product and service provided by someone else is better," Myers told the board in her formal recommendation.
Board member Larry Paxson, who directed the transporation system when he was a Jay Schools administrator, questioned why 72-passenger buses instead of 66-passenger models were part of the recommendation from Myers.
But when Myers assured him that there was no intention to lengthen bus routes, Paxson agreed that the larger models would make sense for extracurricular purposes.
The buses, one of which will have a lift for handicapped students, will all be equipped with Cummins engines, air conditioning, and a two-camera video system.
As to the decision to recommend air conditioning, Myers said, "It is a change of thought process. It is not just about comfort. Studies have shown that air conditioning reduces fatigue in truck drivers. Why not bus drivers and students?"
The bus purchase was approved on a 5-0 vote, with board members Frank Vormohr and Bryan Alexander absent.
Board members also voted 5-0 to borrow an additional $2,739,560 from the Indiana Bond Bank to cover corporation expenses while awaiting property tax revenues that have been delayed because of reassessment.
"We just don't have a choice," business manager Brad DeRome told the board.
The borrowed money will be distributed among five different funds. The general fund will receive $500,000, the capital projects fund $750,00, the debt service fund $941,000, the pension debt service fund $263,560, and the transportation fund $285,000.
Loans from the Indiana Bond Bank are at about half the interest rate charged by commercial banks.
DeRome said he hopes the loan will be enough to get the school corporation through until property tax revenues come in. "If I don't get money in August, I guarantee I'll be coming back to you," he added.
County officials hope to have tax bills sent out for collection in July.
DeRome said interest earnings on school corporation accounts, meanwhile will be down dramatically this year. He expects interest earnings to total about $151,000 for the year, compared to $381,000 in 2007.
"I've seen our interest rates fall right off the table," DeRome said.
At DeRome's urging the board made small increases in the price of school lunches and the latch key after-school program.
"This is due to increased costs," he said.
Latch key prices will be incre3ased 25 cents an hour. The registration fee will stay at $10, with the standard rate $2.25 per hour. For children on the reduced price lunch program, the rate will be $2 an hour, while those on the free lunch program will be at $1.75 an hour.
School lunch prices will increase 10 cents per meal across the board. Elementary lunches will be $1.75, middle school lunches s$1.85, high school lunches $2, student breakfasts $1.20, adult breakfasts $1.50, a la carte milk 35 cents, and adult lunches $2.50. The reduced price student lunch will stay at 40 cents and the reduced price student breakfast at 30 cents; those prices are set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Our hope is to try to keep our lunch prices as low as possible and still be in the black," said superintendent Tim Long.
The board reaffirmed the after-school tutor and detention fees at their current level of $20 and $50 per hour respectively.
An application for waiver of the financial penalty for cancelled school days was also approved by the board. Eight school days were missed because of weather, and approval for the waiver must come from the Indiana Department of Education.
Jay Schools did receive a waiver from the state to conduct three full days on professional staff development in the 2008-2009 school year.
In other business, the board:
•Approved the hiring of David Chastain as the next director of special education. Chastain now works at the Adams-Wells special education cooperative. He was one of 15 applicants, four of whom were interviewed.
•Noted that both the county and Community and Family Services have expressed interest in the current administrative office building, the former Garfield School. "Right now the corporation's going to keep it for awhile," said Long. "We may need it." Administrative offices will be moving to the former Portland armory this summer.
•Gave final approval to changes in the search and seizure policy which were reviewed in April and reviewed policy changes to bring the corporation into compliance with changes in federal law on family leaves.
•Appropriated $400,000 from the Rainy Day Fund after a public hearing to pay for heating and cooling repairs at Bloomfield Elementary School.
•Accepted the donation of a street clock at Jay County High School by the JCHS class of 2008. Principal Jeremy Gulley said he hopes the clock will be installed in time for the class's commencement exercises.
•Hired Abby Kellogg as an English teacher at East Jay Middle School, Evelyn M. Scott as a special needs bus aide, Donna Chenoweth as a secretary at Judge Haynes Elementary School, and Macy Boseck as a special education teacher at East Jay.
•Accepted the retirements of Priscilla Keller as a second grade teacher at East Elementary School, Linda Burkhardt as a fifth grade teacher at Westlawn Elementary School, Pamela Hart as an instructional assistant at General Shanks Elementary School, Mavis Catalfio as a technology specialist, Deanna Gillespie as a secretary at East Jay, and Tyrah Jerles as a second grade teacher at Redkey Elementary School.
•Accepted the resignation of Erin Arnold as girls' freshman basketball coach at JCHS.
•Approved field trips by the Pennville Library summer reading program to the Loblolly Wetlands Preserve and Limberlost State Memorial and by the foreign language club to Cedar Point.
•Approved a bus request by First Baptist Church.
•Approved a leave request for Christy Shauver at East Jay.
•Approved summer school teaching assignments. Long noted that nearly 800 students will be taking part in summer programs, including members of the Marching Patriot Band.
[[In-content Ad]]Wednesday night will be family night under a proposal being promoted by at least one Jay School Board member.
At the urging of Greg Wellman, the board directed school officials Monday to begin developing a policy that would eliminate evening school activities from the kindergarten level through high school on Wednesday nights.
Wellman, who said a "Wednesday night black out" was tied to his vote in support of the multi-purpose/auxiliary gymnasium under construction at Jay County High School, would like the policy to be ready for review by the board in January of 2009 with implementation in the 2009-2010 school year.
"I think we made a commitment to that at the high school," said superintendent Tim Long, noting that he had not brought elementary and middle school principals into the discussion at this point.
"I'm more than happy to take a look at it," said board member Jay Halstead. "But I'm not committing."
"As long as we take a look at it, that's all I'm asking," responded Wellman.
Wellman's motion passed 5-0.
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