July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Scaled-down gym project will proceed (10/30/07)
Jay School Board
An architect was hired Monday to design a scaled-back version of an auxiliary gymnasium for Jay County High School.
Approval to hire Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, Fort Wayne, to design the 140x200 foot structure at a fee of $98,000 came on a 6-1 vote by the Jay School Board, with Larry Paxson dissenting.
"Technically, this is not the final vote, but to me personally this is the up or down vote," said board president Bryan Alexander, a strong advocate of the project. "I don't think it would be prudent to spend $98,000 out of our budget and not go ahead and build the building."
Construction of a multipurpose facility/auxiliary gym has been on the board's agenda for several years. It was originally included in the recently-completed JCHS renovation project but was removed to make the bond issue for that work more politically palatable.
Alexander and other board members have noted that in the current climate in state government it is unlikely the high school project would have received approval from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance if the gym had been included.
Instead, board members have opted for setting aside $250,000 a year from the school corporation's capital projects fund in order to accumulate enough to pay for the multipurpose facility.
By the end of 2009, the school corporation would have about $1 million available in the capital projects fund. Superintendent Tim Long estimated a scaled-back version of an auxiliary gym could cost $1.2 to $1.6 million.
Long said that by scaling back plans for the building, it could be possible to phase in improvements over time. Earlier estimates had put the cost between $2 million and $4 million. A steel building with some masonry on the exterior is planned.
But Long emphasized that there's no way of knowing what the costs will actually be until designs for the scaled-back facility are drawn up and bids are sought from contractors.
"It just makes sense that we move on with the project," said Long. "Then you'll know what the price of the building is."
The proposed building has drawn fire from a handful of protesters and has generated negative letters to the editor of The Commercial Review.
But board members said Monday they believe the project has broad support.
"You have a lot more support out there than you realize," middle school basketball coach Rod Ashman told the board earlier in the meeting.
However, Portland resident Jim Sanders and Dunkirk resident John Ireland were both on hand to repeat their opposition.
"What happened to the armory? I think you ought to use that," said Ireland, referring to the Portland armory which is being closed and is being given to the school corporation.
Paxson, who had voiced opposition to the project prior to his election to the board, questioned both its cost and its timeliness.
"Obviously I'm a nay vote," said Paxson. He expressed concerns about the state of existing buildings and questioned whether this would be an appropriate use of the capital projects fund.
"I don't believe this building adds to ISTEP scores or will add to graduation rates," he added.
But Long and others argued that increased student involvement through not only athletics, but extracurricular activities such as band, does have an impact on graduation rates.
"The engagement of children is one of the greatest things we can do," said Long.
Board member Greg Wellman, who had originally proposed the plan to set aside money over a period of years to fund construction, challenged Paxson on his position, noting that Paxson had expressed support for the concept of an auxiliary gym but didn't support building it.
"You would build one at the right time, but it's never the right time," said Wellman.
Board member Frank Vormohr said much of the disagreement over whether to go forward with the project is generational. "It always comes down to a group of people over here and a group of people over there," said Vormohr, stressing the importance of athletics in helping students learn life lessons.
Parent Jan Simmons agreed. "It instills life values, the whole athletic program does at Jay County High School," said Simmons. "It's a lot more than just winning."
Ashman and Simmons both told the board earlier in the meeting that such a facility has been needed for decades.
"The facilities weren't good enough 32 years ago," said Ashman.
"I don't think there's any argument there's a need," said Alexander. "It will be the most used room in the corporation."
While board members Jay Halstead and Mike Masters expressed concern about how the facility would ultimately be paid for, both joined Alexander, Wellman, Vormohr, and Mike Shannon in voting to go forward with design work.
If bids come in at a satisfactory level and the board decides to go ahead with construction, the architectural firm would be paid an additional $36,000 for work during the construction period.
Responding to critics who have complained of the school corporation's level of indebtedness, Alexander noted that when compared to other school corporation's debt relative to their budgets, Jay Schools are below the state average.
"It's not the numbers. It's the ratios," said Alexander.
[[In-content Ad]]Character counts.
Jay School Board members unanimously agreed to launch a character education program in local schools working with the Center for Character Development at Anderson University.
"One of our goals is to become a "character counts' school system," said superintendent Tim Long, an advocate for the program.
Long said administrators and some teachers have attended meetings recently to learn about the Anderson University program and how schools can foster good character in schools.
The program centers on six "pillars of character" - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
"We're trying to find ways to engage kids in doing positive things," Long noted.
Board members were also unanimous in agreeing to pursue a change in the gifted and talented program in grades four and five, even though the change is likely to result in the addition of one teaching position.
Currently, gifted and talented teacher Kathy Littler meets with students in those grades once per week for half a day in a pull-out program at all seven elementary schools. But some parents have been reluctant to have their children participate in the pull-out program because students sometimes found themselves doing "double duty," regular classroom work in addition to work in the gifted and talented program.
"It's like they're being penalized for being gifted," said board member Larry Paxson.
Under a plan submitted by gifted and talented coordinator Michael Eads, a self-contained classroom of only high-ability students would be established at both grade four and grade five.
Transportation would be provided by the school corporation. Littler would teach grade four, and another teacher would teach grade five.
Details of the program will be developed over the next several months. It would not take effect until the 2008-2009 school year.
At the request of transportation coordinator Teresa Myers, the board authorized advertising for bids for the purchase of 18 school buses. One-quarter of the bus fleet is replaced every four years. Myers noted that the buses being trading it have an average of 192,000 miles. With this addition to the fleet, all Jay Schools buses will have automatic transmissions.
Several options - including air conditioning and luggage compartments - will be sought for bidding so that the board can consider making those changes.
Permission was also granted to advertise for a public hearing on Nov. 26 for a $50,000 additional appropriation from the corporation's rainy day fund to pay for work on the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at Bloomfield Elementary School.
Long explained that the plan is to upgrade the HVAC systems in two classrooms on a trial basis to measure their success. "We want to prototype that out," said Long, before installing the equipment in all the classrooms at Bloomfield.
Craig Dunkin of W.R. Dunkin and Son, Anderson, reported to the board on his review of the school corporation's buildings.
"You're in good shape, but there's work to be done in the future," Dunkin said.
He expressed particular concern about the 1973 addition to Westlawn Elementary School, where deteriorating brickwork may require repairs costing anywhere between $50,000 and $175,000 in the not too distant future.
Business manager Brad DeRome told the board the budget process will be different beginning in 2008. State officials have said local budget hearings will not be held until after the Department of Local Government Finance has received certified assessed values from the county. After those figures have been received by the DLGF, local units of government, including school corporations, will schedule their budget process.
DeRome also outlined a new state requirement that the school corporation set a financial goal for what percentage of its total expenditures go toward classroom instruction.
The new requirement, adopted by the Indiana General Assembly last year, had board members scratching their heads.
"What does this mean?" asked board president Bryan Alexander. "It's pretty easy to say we want to make it better."
"I don't know how to answer that," said DeRome. "This is just another way to measure our spending."
The intent of the legislation is to encourage school system's to spend a larger percentage of the budget on instruction, but board members noted the rules were arbitrary as to what funds qualified.
Board members unanimously approved a reciprocal use agreement with the Jay Community Center, so that neither pays rent to the other for use of facilities, and an agreement with Meridian Services to provide behavioral health care for students when needed.
In other business, the board:
•Added several new goals for administrators, including the review and updating of job descriptions, raising ISTEP scores, adopting a computerized grade card, and establishing a "Computers for Kids" program at Jay County High School. The program would have students refurbishing donated older computers to make them available for students who cannot afford a home computer.
•Heard assistant superintendent Wood Barwick revise his figures on absenteeism by bus drivers, indicating that attendance was significantly better. "The figure I gave the board (before) was a lot higher than the actual numbers," Barwick said.
•Accepted a $500 donation by Jayland ARC for students with special needs in the work training program at JCHS.
•Heard Portland resident Jim Sanders read a letter critical of school spending priorities on behalf of Fred Conkling. Conkling, also of Portland, was ill and unable to attend Monday's meeting.
•Hired Heather Isenhart as a math teacher at JCHS, Mark Root as a technology employee, Ron Homan as night custodian at Bloomfield, Caroline Strahammer as a special education teacher at General Shanks Elementary School, and Jack Current, William Lykins, and Robert Ford as bus drivers.
•Accepted the resignation of J.R. Acker as part-time custodian at Bloomfield and bus drivers Paul Lake and Mary Jutte.
•Approved leave for pre-school coordinator Theresa Linn.
•Approved extracurricular activities assignments for Ron Homan as fifth grade boys' basketball coach at Bloomfield, James Roberts III as seventh grade basketball coach at West Jay Middle School, Paul Bullock as eighth grade basketball coach at West Jay, Holly Long as cheerleading coach at Westlawn, Aaron Smith as fifth grade boys' basketball coach at Westlawn, Joella Rinker as fifth grade girls' basketball coach at Westlawn, Justin Lowe as fifth grad boys' basketball coach at East Elementary School, Ingrid Saxman as student council sponsor at East, Mark Myers as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Bart Brandenburg as boys' basketball coach at Judge Haynes Elementary School, Donald Gillespie as girls' basketball coach at Judge Haynes, Rod Ashman as eighth grade boys' basketball coach at East Jay Middle School, Dana Brown as sixth grade cheerleading coach at East Jay, Loretta Reece as junior class sponsor at JCHS, Jeanna Campbell as Just Say No sponsor at Bloomfield, and Tracy Muhlenkamp as fifth grade girls' basketball coach at Bloomfield.
•Approved field trips by the JCHS choir to Chicago, the JCHS band to the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade, the JCHS band to band camp, the JCHS German classes to Fort Recovery and Muncie, the JCHS student council to a state convention in Loogootee, the JCHS FFA to the state soils contest, third grade students to the Shrine Circus, the JCHS PVE Club to Florida, the ag mechanics class to Northwestern College in Lima, and the FFA to a conference in Trafalgar.
•Approved bus use requests by the Jay County Girl Scouts, the Jay Community Center, and Circle of Friends Ministries.
Approval to hire Barton-Coe-Vilamaa, Fort Wayne, to design the 140x200 foot structure at a fee of $98,000 came on a 6-1 vote by the Jay School Board, with Larry Paxson dissenting.
"Technically, this is not the final vote, but to me personally this is the up or down vote," said board president Bryan Alexander, a strong advocate of the project. "I don't think it would be prudent to spend $98,000 out of our budget and not go ahead and build the building."
Construction of a multipurpose facility/auxiliary gym has been on the board's agenda for several years. It was originally included in the recently-completed JCHS renovation project but was removed to make the bond issue for that work more politically palatable.
Alexander and other board members have noted that in the current climate in state government it is unlikely the high school project would have received approval from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance if the gym had been included.
Instead, board members have opted for setting aside $250,000 a year from the school corporation's capital projects fund in order to accumulate enough to pay for the multipurpose facility.
By the end of 2009, the school corporation would have about $1 million available in the capital projects fund. Superintendent Tim Long estimated a scaled-back version of an auxiliary gym could cost $1.2 to $1.6 million.
Long said that by scaling back plans for the building, it could be possible to phase in improvements over time. Earlier estimates had put the cost between $2 million and $4 million. A steel building with some masonry on the exterior is planned.
But Long emphasized that there's no way of knowing what the costs will actually be until designs for the scaled-back facility are drawn up and bids are sought from contractors.
"It just makes sense that we move on with the project," said Long. "Then you'll know what the price of the building is."
The proposed building has drawn fire from a handful of protesters and has generated negative letters to the editor of The Commercial Review.
But board members said Monday they believe the project has broad support.
"You have a lot more support out there than you realize," middle school basketball coach Rod Ashman told the board earlier in the meeting.
However, Portland resident Jim Sanders and Dunkirk resident John Ireland were both on hand to repeat their opposition.
"What happened to the armory? I think you ought to use that," said Ireland, referring to the Portland armory which is being closed and is being given to the school corporation.
Paxson, who had voiced opposition to the project prior to his election to the board, questioned both its cost and its timeliness.
"Obviously I'm a nay vote," said Paxson. He expressed concerns about the state of existing buildings and questioned whether this would be an appropriate use of the capital projects fund.
"I don't believe this building adds to ISTEP scores or will add to graduation rates," he added.
But Long and others argued that increased student involvement through not only athletics, but extracurricular activities such as band, does have an impact on graduation rates.
"The engagement of children is one of the greatest things we can do," said Long.
Board member Greg Wellman, who had originally proposed the plan to set aside money over a period of years to fund construction, challenged Paxson on his position, noting that Paxson had expressed support for the concept of an auxiliary gym but didn't support building it.
"You would build one at the right time, but it's never the right time," said Wellman.
Board member Frank Vormohr said much of the disagreement over whether to go forward with the project is generational. "It always comes down to a group of people over here and a group of people over there," said Vormohr, stressing the importance of athletics in helping students learn life lessons.
Parent Jan Simmons agreed. "It instills life values, the whole athletic program does at Jay County High School," said Simmons. "It's a lot more than just winning."
Ashman and Simmons both told the board earlier in the meeting that such a facility has been needed for decades.
"The facilities weren't good enough 32 years ago," said Ashman.
"I don't think there's any argument there's a need," said Alexander. "It will be the most used room in the corporation."
While board members Jay Halstead and Mike Masters expressed concern about how the facility would ultimately be paid for, both joined Alexander, Wellman, Vormohr, and Mike Shannon in voting to go forward with design work.
If bids come in at a satisfactory level and the board decides to go ahead with construction, the architectural firm would be paid an additional $36,000 for work during the construction period.
Responding to critics who have complained of the school corporation's level of indebtedness, Alexander noted that when compared to other school corporation's debt relative to their budgets, Jay Schools are below the state average.
"It's not the numbers. It's the ratios," said Alexander.
[[In-content Ad]]Character counts.
Jay School Board members unanimously agreed to launch a character education program in local schools working with the Center for Character Development at Anderson University.
"One of our goals is to become a "character counts' school system," said superintendent Tim Long, an advocate for the program.
Long said administrators and some teachers have attended meetings recently to learn about the Anderson University program and how schools can foster good character in schools.
The program centers on six "pillars of character" - trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
"We're trying to find ways to engage kids in doing positive things," Long noted.
Board members were also unanimous in agreeing to pursue a change in the gifted and talented program in grades four and five, even though the change is likely to result in the addition of one teaching position.
Currently, gifted and talented teacher Kathy Littler meets with students in those grades once per week for half a day in a pull-out program at all seven elementary schools. But some parents have been reluctant to have their children participate in the pull-out program because students sometimes found themselves doing "double duty," regular classroom work in addition to work in the gifted and talented program.
"It's like they're being penalized for being gifted," said board member Larry Paxson.
Under a plan submitted by gifted and talented coordinator Michael Eads, a self-contained classroom of only high-ability students would be established at both grade four and grade five.
Transportation would be provided by the school corporation. Littler would teach grade four, and another teacher would teach grade five.
Details of the program will be developed over the next several months. It would not take effect until the 2008-2009 school year.
At the request of transportation coordinator Teresa Myers, the board authorized advertising for bids for the purchase of 18 school buses. One-quarter of the bus fleet is replaced every four years. Myers noted that the buses being trading it have an average of 192,000 miles. With this addition to the fleet, all Jay Schools buses will have automatic transmissions.
Several options - including air conditioning and luggage compartments - will be sought for bidding so that the board can consider making those changes.
Permission was also granted to advertise for a public hearing on Nov. 26 for a $50,000 additional appropriation from the corporation's rainy day fund to pay for work on the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system at Bloomfield Elementary School.
Long explained that the plan is to upgrade the HVAC systems in two classrooms on a trial basis to measure their success. "We want to prototype that out," said Long, before installing the equipment in all the classrooms at Bloomfield.
Craig Dunkin of W.R. Dunkin and Son, Anderson, reported to the board on his review of the school corporation's buildings.
"You're in good shape, but there's work to be done in the future," Dunkin said.
He expressed particular concern about the 1973 addition to Westlawn Elementary School, where deteriorating brickwork may require repairs costing anywhere between $50,000 and $175,000 in the not too distant future.
Business manager Brad DeRome told the board the budget process will be different beginning in 2008. State officials have said local budget hearings will not be held until after the Department of Local Government Finance has received certified assessed values from the county. After those figures have been received by the DLGF, local units of government, including school corporations, will schedule their budget process.
DeRome also outlined a new state requirement that the school corporation set a financial goal for what percentage of its total expenditures go toward classroom instruction.
The new requirement, adopted by the Indiana General Assembly last year, had board members scratching their heads.
"What does this mean?" asked board president Bryan Alexander. "It's pretty easy to say we want to make it better."
"I don't know how to answer that," said DeRome. "This is just another way to measure our spending."
The intent of the legislation is to encourage school system's to spend a larger percentage of the budget on instruction, but board members noted the rules were arbitrary as to what funds qualified.
Board members unanimously approved a reciprocal use agreement with the Jay Community Center, so that neither pays rent to the other for use of facilities, and an agreement with Meridian Services to provide behavioral health care for students when needed.
In other business, the board:
•Added several new goals for administrators, including the review and updating of job descriptions, raising ISTEP scores, adopting a computerized grade card, and establishing a "Computers for Kids" program at Jay County High School. The program would have students refurbishing donated older computers to make them available for students who cannot afford a home computer.
•Heard assistant superintendent Wood Barwick revise his figures on absenteeism by bus drivers, indicating that attendance was significantly better. "The figure I gave the board (before) was a lot higher than the actual numbers," Barwick said.
•Accepted a $500 donation by Jayland ARC for students with special needs in the work training program at JCHS.
•Heard Portland resident Jim Sanders read a letter critical of school spending priorities on behalf of Fred Conkling. Conkling, also of Portland, was ill and unable to attend Monday's meeting.
•Hired Heather Isenhart as a math teacher at JCHS, Mark Root as a technology employee, Ron Homan as night custodian at Bloomfield, Caroline Strahammer as a special education teacher at General Shanks Elementary School, and Jack Current, William Lykins, and Robert Ford as bus drivers.
•Accepted the resignation of J.R. Acker as part-time custodian at Bloomfield and bus drivers Paul Lake and Mary Jutte.
•Approved leave for pre-school coordinator Theresa Linn.
•Approved extracurricular activities assignments for Ron Homan as fifth grade boys' basketball coach at Bloomfield, James Roberts III as seventh grade basketball coach at West Jay Middle School, Paul Bullock as eighth grade basketball coach at West Jay, Holly Long as cheerleading coach at Westlawn, Aaron Smith as fifth grade boys' basketball coach at Westlawn, Joella Rinker as fifth grade girls' basketball coach at Westlawn, Justin Lowe as fifth grad boys' basketball coach at East Elementary School, Ingrid Saxman as student council sponsor at East, Mark Myers as assistant wrestling coach at JCHS, Bart Brandenburg as boys' basketball coach at Judge Haynes Elementary School, Donald Gillespie as girls' basketball coach at Judge Haynes, Rod Ashman as eighth grade boys' basketball coach at East Jay Middle School, Dana Brown as sixth grade cheerleading coach at East Jay, Loretta Reece as junior class sponsor at JCHS, Jeanna Campbell as Just Say No sponsor at Bloomfield, and Tracy Muhlenkamp as fifth grade girls' basketball coach at Bloomfield.
•Approved field trips by the JCHS choir to Chicago, the JCHS band to the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade, the JCHS band to band camp, the JCHS German classes to Fort Recovery and Muncie, the JCHS student council to a state convention in Loogootee, the JCHS FFA to the state soils contest, third grade students to the Shrine Circus, the JCHS PVE Club to Florida, the ag mechanics class to Northwestern College in Lima, and the FFA to a conference in Trafalgar.
•Approved bus use requests by the Jay County Girl Scouts, the Jay Community Center, and Circle of Friends Ministries.
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