New school tech plan set

It’s hard to get a handle on rapidly changing technology.
While the Jay School Board adopted a 2013-2016 technology plan Monday, board members said it fell short of providing a meaningful roadmap for the future.
The plan, which the board adopted on a 6-0 vote with board member Mike Shannon absent, is essentially a school-by-school wish list to be used when seeking grant support to purchase new computers, electronic tablets, or other high tech equipment.
But board president Greg Wellman found it insufficient.
“I’ve come to the conclusion we need a bigger plan,” said Wellman, adding that he was looking for a comprehensive plan that would define goals, assess where each school is today, and spell out how to improve.
Superintendent Tim Long said the administration would move in that direction, coming back to the board in February.
“The dollar side of it has to be part of the equation,” said Long. “Otherwise we’re only dreaming.”
Vocational electronics teacher Doug Tipton urged flexibility in any plan because technology is changing so rapidly. “We’ve got to go at a cautious rate, but we can’t stand still,” said Tipton.
Long noted a similar approach in the school corporation’s move toward putting iPads in the hands of students. While pilot projects are underway, the corporation has moved cautiously to make sure the necessary software infrastructure is in place.
Business manager Brad DeRome told the board that Jay Schools had come “very close” to breaking even for the year and maintained most of the $3 million year-end balance it tries to keep on hand. That cash balance amounts to more than three school corporation payrolls and is considered prudent for dealing with unforeseen interruptions in state funding, DeRome said.
“As it turned out, health insurance expenses were down,” he said.
He noted, however, that enrollment declines this fall could have an impact on the 2013 budget. Exact figures on state support for the school corporation’s general fund are still being awaited.
The 2013 budget has been approved by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, DeRome said.
But he pointed out that the budget is merely a spending plan, and there is no guarantee that the state will provide general fund support for the full amount budgeted.
As approved by the DLGF, the 2013 budget totals $36,652,469, up from $36,169,009 in 2012. The general fund, nearly all of which comes from state revenues, totals $25,994,000, up from $25,482,865 in 2012.
The school tax rate will be $1.1593 per $100 assessed valuation, up from $1.1034 in 2012.
Meanwhile, the county’s total assessed valuation has increased to $832,438,286, up from $810,852,162 in 2012.
Board members approved DeRome’s request to advertise for bids for three vehicles — a one-ton heavy duty box truck, a one-ton cargo van, and a 3/4-ton or one-ton pick-up truck — to replace three that have more than 200,000 miles each. While joining the rest of the board in approving the request, board member Mike Masters asked for a detailed accounting of the school corporation’s fleet of vehicles. “It seems we have a lot of people driving vehicles all over the place,” said Masters. Long indicated that information would be provided to the board.
In other business, the board:
•Adopted three new goals: That all schools in the county achieve an A rating from the state; that the school corporation continue the A rating it has achieved; and that funding be found for expansion of digital curriculum.
•Hired Holly Faulkner as a teacher and instructional assistant at Westlawn Elementary School, Jennifer Snow as a reading recovery teacher at Judge Haynes and East elementaries, Michael Karn as a special education assistant at Jay County High School, and Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver’s training teachers at JCHS.
•Accepted the resignations of elementary physical education teacher John McGlothin and food service employee and crossing guard Connie Frye.
•Approved leaves of absence for reading recovery teacher Sherry Roberts and instructional assistant Susan Brown.
•Approved Tiffany Mathias as middle school swim coach and coordinator for both East Jay and West Jay middle schools.
•Authorized field trips by JCHS foreign language students to Italy in March, JCHS special education students to Ohio in March, the Marching Patriots to band camp at Miami University in July, and East Jay seventh graders to Cedar Point in May.
•Approved a bus request by the Holy Trinity Catholic Church youth group in February.
•Canceled an executive session set for Monday and a special session set for Thursday in connection with the appeal of a student expulsion.[[In-content Ad]]