SA votes to reduce staff

BERNE — There will be four fewer teachers at South Adams next year.
In an effort to save money in the general fund after a drastic enrollment drop, South Adams School Board voted Tuesday to eliminate or consolidate several teaching positions.
The board also heard an updates on IREAD-3 testing and the effects of the extended school day on student attendance.
South Adams Superintendent Scott Litwiller, other school officials and the board had been looking at ways to save money after the district saw its total enrollment drop by 76 students between August and February. That resulted in the need to cut more than $90,000 from the second-semester budget this year and to consider ways to save money for the 2014-15 school year and beyond.
Following up on proposals he made at April’s board meeting, Litwiller recommended Tuesday that the board reduce the teaching staff by a total of four positions. Those reductions, which are all being made by not replacing teachers who have either resigned or retired, include a third grade teacher, fifth grade teacher, high school history teacher and high school business/family and consumer science (FACS) teacher. South Adams will no longer offer the FACS classes, but students who are interested will be able to take them at neighboring schools.
The board approved the proposal with a unanimous vote.
“It helps,” said Litwiller of the effect of the cuts on the district’s financial outlook. “The big question is we don’t know what our student enrollment will be.”
The deadline for superintendents to turn in an estimate for fall enrollment is this week, and Litwiller said he is projecting 1,250 students after having 1,288 in August of last year.
“I gave what my best estimate is,” he said, “but … last year from May to August we had 180 changes — either kids that left or kids that came — out of 1,300 kids …”
South Adams has made other moves to save money, including reducing supply costs by making double-sided printing standard, using Title II money to pay teachers instead of for professional development and shifting payment for some employees/services out of the general fund.
Also Tuesday, elementary school principal Shellie Miller told the board 88 out of 98 (89.8 percent) third graders have passed the IREAD-3 test that is a requirement to be promoted to fourth grade. The remaining students are working on remediation and will retake the test June 13.
“With the time change and the extra half-hour added on, that’s really allowed us to do some either small group … or one-on-one … additional reading help to get them ready for this test,” said Miller.”
Litwiller also addressed a concern the board had raised about South Adams extending its school day by a half hour — starting 15 minutes earlier and ending 15 minutes later — in order to recoup days missed because of inclement weather.
Board members wondered if such a move would lead to a drop in student attendance. Numbers from the first four weeks of extended school days show attendance is slightly up as compared to the same time periods in 2012 and ’13.
In other business, board members Arlene Amsutz, John Mann, Julie Mansfield, Ray Gill, John Buckingham, Amy Orr and Landon Patterson:
•Recognized 17 students as examples of excellence. Among them were Cody Brewster (Jay County), who finished second and earned $26,500 in scholarships at the Skills USA auto service technology state contest, Chance Reynolds (Adams Central) who was third and earned $18,000 in the same competition, Cady Farlow, who placed ninth in the 100-yard breaststroke at the IHSAA Girls Swimming State Finals and Chris Inniger, who has served as the board’s student representative for two years.
•Saw an iPad demonstration from a group of second graders along with teacher Anita Goodwin.
•Heard a facilities report that included updates on the school roof replacement project and plans to build a 1,440-square foot bus garage wash bay.
School officials are still awaiting a third quote on the roof project, but director of building and maintenance Dave Vorhees said he expects to be able to expand the roof replacement beyond what was originally planned for the pool and administration areas of the building.
Because the addition to the bus garage is expected to top $100,000, to be paid for from transportation funds, the district must hire an architect before proceeding with plans.
Vorhees and his staff will also be replacing 30 shrubs that did not survive the harsh winter.
•Hired summer school teachers Andy Brown (IREAD), Craig McKean (algebra remediation and credit recovery), Curt Amstutz (high school credit recovery and credit advancement), Steve Tatman (high school credit recovery and credit advancement), Jason Shuck (supervised ag experience) and Myron Schwartz (driver’s ed). South Adams will offer a summer driver’s ed course at a cost of $300 for students in the district and $340 for those outside the district, if at least 15 students sign up. The board plans to higher addition summer school teachers as needed at its June meeting.
•Accepted the retirement of special ed teacher’s aide and bus aide Deb Renner, and the resignations of third-grade teacher Matt Loshe, middle school swim coaches Tami and Jeff Sprunger and special ed bus aide Becky Caffee.
•Approved waving the facility use fee for Agape Respite Care’s summer tee-ball/baseball league.
•Hired Daniel Steffen, Sara Schwartz and Gabe Perry as summer student workers.
•Approved the updated high school course description handbook, which requires students taking Advanced Placement courses to also take the corresponding test.
•Accepted a donation of $250 from Curt and Rachel VanEmon to be used for new dugouts for the baseball field.
•Learned $1.68 million in scholarships were presented April 28 during Senior Awards Night.
•Were invited to both the top 10 percent student appreciation breakfast scheduled from 6:30 a.m. Friday and the staff appreciation breakfast scheduled from 7:30 a.m. June 2.
•Approved an overnight field trip for FFA members to the state convention at Purdue University from June 16 through 19.[[In-content Ad]]