Track repairs OK'd (9/21/04)

The track at Jay County High School will be ready for runners this spring.

Jay School Board members unanimously approved a $61,820 project Monday to complete track repairs. The track was paved in August for $21,000.

To complete the project, Leslie Corporation of Indianapolis will cover the track with a rubber running surface and renovate the high jump, long jump, discus and shot put areas.

Jay Schools business manager Brad DeRome said the project should be completed later this year.

Also Monday, board members adopted the 2005 Jay School Corporation budget of $29,340,398.

That amount is down $102,429 from this year’s budget of $29,442,827. The estimated tax rate would be about $1.67 per $100 of assessed valuation — up from this year’s rate of $1.44. The 2005 general fund is balanced, and revenues are expected to exceed expenses by $5,965.

The budget covers all expenses for the school corporation including salaries, benefits, contract services, supplies, equipment and other costs.

In other business, Jay Schools superintendent Barbara Downing updated the board on the corporation’s goals for strategic planning.

The previous goals for the corporation were set by a focus group in 1998.

“Most (of the goals) have been implemented,” Downing said, highlighting the achievements in the 10 areas of improvement identified by the focus group.

These areas include assessment and evaluation, parental involvement, community/business partnerships, adult education, integrated curriculum, foreign language, career education, pre-school/all-day kindergarten, gifted and talented program and technology.

Currently, board members and corporation officials are working to define the present needs of the corporation to construct an updated strategic plan.

Also, board members accepted the donation of the greenhouse at Jay County High School. The ag advisory board consisting of 10 community members and three agriculture instructors at JCHS previously owned and maintained the $271,383 greenhouse.

JCHS agriculture teachers Bob Lyons and Matt Swartz told board members Monday that construction of the greenhouse was funded by grants and approximately $55,700 in donations from more than 200 individuals, local organizations and businesses.

Unfinished projects, totaling $18,000, include landscaping, seeding grass, constructing a driveway, grow lights and a shade house.

In other action Monday, board members:

•Heard Downing report that Indiana Statewide Testing for Education Progress Plus and Graduation Qualifying Exams are currently being administered to students.

The ISTEP Plus is being administered to students in grades three, six and eight on various days between Monday and Friday, Oct. 1. The GQE test will be completed by 10th graders starting today and continuing through Thursday.

•Voted to continue the gifted and talented program at the school corporation’s seven elementary schools and advance courses offered at the middle and high schools.

There are 80 elementary students in the corporation currently attending GT programs with teacher Kathy Littler. Littler said she meets with students at each elementary school for a half day a week.

Board members also approved a grant application for a $17,501 gifted and talented grant through the Indiana Department of Education. This grant would fund Littler’s salary, benefits and staff development for other teachers in the corporation.

•Approved the final reading of several updates and additions to the school board policies.

Additions to the homeless student policy and revisions to the corporation’s mission statement, the family and medical leave of absence policy for support and professional staff and the drug and alcohol testing of Commercial Driver’s License holders were approved.

•Honored Bloomfield Elementary School faculty and staff for being named a Four Star School by the Indiana Department of Education.

•Honored Westlawn Elementary School custodian Jerry Nelson for being named the Indiana Optimist Club 2004 Humanitarian of the Year.

•Acknowledged the First Bank of Berne for its $3,800 donation of a lighted scorer’s table to the JCHS athletic department.

•Authorized field trips by the JCHS Student Council to Penn High School in Mishawaka for the Indiana Association of Student Councils from Nov. 5 to 7 and middle school band and choir students to Kings Island on the day after the last day of the 2004-05 school year.

•Granted requests for the use of school corporation buses from Girl Scouts of Wapehani Council to Winchester Skating Rink on Monday, Oct. 18 and to Conseco Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 4.

•Approved a surplus equipment auction to be held on Friday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. at the old bus garage at East Jay Middle School. The sale will include a 1988 Chevrolet van, an assortment of school desks, chairs, projectors, technology hardware, monitors, keyboards and other miscellaneous items.[[In-content Ad]]