Schools will have new leaders

Three schools will see a change in leadership this fall because of administrative retirements.
Jay School Board unanimously approved Chad Dodd as principal at Jay County High School, Fred Medler as principal at East Jay Middle School and Julie Gregg as acting principal at Redkey Elementary School.
Dodd follows retiring JCHS principal Phil Ford, Medler follows retiring East Jay principal Lee Newman and Gregg follows retiring Redkey principal Tom Jerles.
Dodd’s move to the principal’s job from his current spot as dean/assistant principal opened up a position that will be filled by James Myers. Medler’s move from assistant principal to principal opened up a position that will be filled by Andrew Schmidt.
Gregg, who has been a teacher at Bloomfield Elementary School, is working toward her principal’s license, which is the reason for her “acting” status.
“I think it’s a great list of people,” said board member Greg Wellman.
“I appreciate the opportunity,” said Dodd, who will earn $92,100 in his new job.
Medler’s salary will be $80,210, Myers and Schmidt will each earn $70,000 a year and Gregg will make $60,802.
In the case of all five new administrative contracts, there will be no $1-a-year health insurance benefit as there has been in the past.
Board members had targeted that benefit during cost-cutting efforts this year and intend to phase it out as individual contracts expire.
Those cost-cutting efforts have occupied the board for the past several months, but board members indicated Monday that it’s time to step back and see what impact the steps taken so far will have.
“We’ve hit a lot of areas,” said superintendent Tim Long of the cost-cutting. “Now we just have to wait and see.”
“We’ve done some things,” said board member Beth Krieg. “Now we have to see …”
“What works and what doesn’t,” said board president Mike Masters, finishing Krieg’s sentence.
“I think we’ve reduced as many positions as we could right now,” added Long.
By September, as many as 18 positions could be eliminated through retirements and attrition.
Other general fund savings have been achieved by reductions in spending for medical insurance, consultants and travel. Some other general fund expenditures, such as maintenance expenses, have been moved to the capital projects fund to relieve pressure on the general fund.
Long has urged a comprehensive review of the school corporation’s buildings to provide the board with better information if, in the future, schools have to be closed.
But board members aren’t ready to take that step just yet.
John Rigsbee of CSO Architects told the board his firm could conduct a two-month review of existing facilities at a cost of $7,500 to provide “the information you need to make long-term decisions.”
Board members, however, thought such a study could be deferred until the fall or until early 2015.
“We will get another look at enrollment in September,” Long said. “But any solution should be one that encompasses the whole district.”
Board member Ron Laux noted that this is an election year, which could result in a major shift in the board in November.
“There could be four new people sitting here next year,” he said.
In other business, the board:
•Approved a memorandum of understanding for support staff that provides an overall increase of 1.5 to 2 percent in pay but will result in a total support staff payroll expense decrease of about $54,000 because nine support staff employees have retired and will not be replaced.
•Approved a memorandum of understanding for administrators that includes the $778 increase in pay that was approved as part of the teachers’ contract. The increase is for all administrators other than the superintendent, who is under a separate contract. As a result of the approval, salaries for administrators are as follows: Business manager Brad DeRome $93,815, special education director Anne Van Horn $93,037, director of teacher effectiveness Jeremy Gulley $82,394, director of testing and assessment Trent Paxson $82,394, pre-school director Clif DeRome $80,010, West Jay Middle School principal Mike Crull $75,356, Westlawn Elementary School principal Jeff Davis $73,407, East Elementary School principal Andy Schemenaur $73,204, JCHS athletic director/assistant principal Steve Boozier $73,100, General Shanks Elementary School principal Craig Campbell $70,037, Bloomfield Elementary School principal Ben Dues $70,037, Judge Haynes Elementary School principal Erica Tomano $70,037, Pennville Elementary School principal Rex Pinkerton $69,259, technology director Dennis Green $66,804, director of transportation Teresa Myers $55,403 and food service director Karmella VanSkyock $44,458.
•Approved property casualty insurance for the coming year with EMC Insurance at a cost of $160,362 and workers’ compensation insurance with accident fund at a cost of $80,646.
•Approved the use of the Chromebook as a textbook for ninth graders for a pilot program of the “bring your own device” technology initiative.
•Learned a school technology loan of $321,000 had been approved for the purchase of additional computers.
•Approved a textbook for a ServSafe dual credit course at the high school.
•Hired Lisa Brewster as a nurse at East Jay.
•Approved the transfers of JCHS instructional assistant Whitney Gray, East Jay instructional assistant Amanda Hilty, JCHS instructional assistant Donna Glassford, physical education teacher Josh Gibson, West Jay math teacher Jessica Longerbone, East Jay English teacher Tavia Boolman, music teacher Ryan Thomson and JCHS band teacher Pete Vogler.
•Accepted the retirement resignations of JCHS principal Phil Ford and custodian Deb Brinkerhoff.
•Accepted the resignations of instructional assistants Amanda Smith and Joseph Coons.
•Approved a special services contract with occupational therapist Emily Reynolds.
•Approved leaves of absence for JCHS math teacher Joni Aulbach, Bloomfield kindergarten teacher Amanda Clemens, West Jay guidance counselor Laura McConnell and East custodian Shelvia Rines.
•Approve extracurricular assignments for Giles Laux as JCHS girls’ soccer coach, Scott Miller as JCHS boys’ tennis coach, Dana Brown as East Jay newspaper sponsor, Ashley Loucks as JCHS assistant cheer sponsor, Brianne Wellman as JCHS assistant girls’ soccer coach, Doug Johnson as East Jay cross country coach, Tavia Boolman as East Jay assistant cheer sponsor and Sarah Mescher as JCHS cross country coach.
•Accepted the extracurricular resignations of Dennis Rowell as JCHS Earth Watch Club sponsor, Nancy Lopez as JCHS academic team coach, Aaron Daniels as JCHS assistant football coach and James Myers as JCHS wrestling coach.
•Approved a field trip by the JCHS agriculture class.
•Approved a bus request by the Jay Community Center’s day camp.[[In-content Ad]]