WJ work approved

The Jay School Board voted to move ahead on a heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrade at West Jay Middle School despite the protests of two board members.
The board voted 5-2 Monday evening to move forward with the HVAC project and to fund it via a maximum $1.5 million bond through a local financing “Senate Bill 516” mechanism. Board members Jim Sanders and Mike Masters cast the two negative votes.
The 516 financing means the project will be paid out of the school’s capital improvement fund and although it will add to total indebtedness, it will not affect the tax rate.
CSO Architects will be tapped to design the upgrade, which will be a closed loop system with a geothermal feature.
The board originally voted 5-1 in October to delay the project for two years until some current bonds were paid off, reducing school’s overall indebtedness.
Monday’s decision was a flip-flop on that vote and came about a month after board president Greg Wellman said he believed the project needs to move forward this year.
“I’d like to do it all at once,” superintendent Tim Long said of the project as discussion kicked off, a sentiment he’s pushed throughout the HVAC discussion.
Long said that the decision Monday would authorize the school corporation to move ahead but that project specifications, designs and bids would have to be approved by the board before construction began.
When Long finished, Sanders began his protest, starting by questioning whether the geothermal system would be adequate to heat the school on days when the temperature dropped into the teens.
Board member Ron Laux took up the defense, going back and forth with Sanders about the concerns on the HVAC system. Laux said the prospective geothermal system should have no issue “if the loop’s sized like it should be.” Laux read a list of his concerns about the current equipment, which is about 30 years old.
“We owe them an environment or climate that’s conducive to (education),” Laux said.
Sanders then turned toward the board’s October vote to delay the project.
“We should honor our (vote),” Sanders said. “We need to keep our word. That’s something we don’t do.”
Wellman countered by saying that the school corporation can absorb the expected the $1.5 in debt and that the current total debt of about $48 million is down from a peak of $52 million.
Sanders attempted to interject and both men raised their voices, with Wellman repeating that the school is currently in less debt and Sanders calling out the justification as bogus.
Wellman said that future capital projects will have to be cut in order to fund the 516 financing, which will tie up a portion of that fund’s annual amount.
“Oh bull,” Sanders responded.
Masters then took over the conversation, addressing concerns about debt, spending and maintenance on the current systems.
“I disagree that there (are) cuts,” Master said of Wellman’s statement about the capital project fund. “I disagree we’re going to spend less money.”
Masters expressed disappointment that he hadn’t been given any concrete numbers outlining maintenance hours put in on the West Jay system other than the notion that it was “a lot.”
“I haven’t seen anything,” he said.
Long defended the project, stating that the geothermal system will offer a 13-year payback due to its efficiency and that the $1.5 million cap on the 516 financing will force the corporation to redesign or reconfigure if bids for a new system exceed that amount.
“Can we do it for $1.5 (million)? Sure, I think it’s possible,” Long said, then reminded board members that the decision was only an initial step. “You’ll get another look at it and you’ll get a chance to look at the numbers.”
Long then went on to tout the success of other heating and cooling projects throughout the school system, including the most recent HVAC projects that were funded through 516 financing, and stated that the West Jay project should be the last of them.
Masters asked if Long expected another major bond in the near future after the West Jay project.
“Another big 516? Do I see that on the horizon? No,” he said.
Business manager Brad DeRome said the bond would be a 15-year term and reminded board members again that the tax rate does not increase when 516 funding is utilized.
Master said his vote was “not a reflection of the good folks at West Jay” but that concerns he had about multiple issues had not been resolved.
Sanders said that his no vote was “against the how and when it’s been done.”
Long said he anticipated that bids for the project would be ready by May.
In other business Monday, school board members:
•Heard a report from Long that the 2011 annual report was completed but that some minor changes and fixes still need to be made to it.
•Were presented an article from CTB McGraw-Hill that featured Jay County’s use of the company’s Acuity program and the improvement shown in the school system.
•Approved a request to move forward with a potential land transfer to Jay-Randolph Developmental Services. JRDS was requesting permission to acquire a 1.89 acre section of land near its Portland headquarters and East Elementary School. Long said the land is not utilized by the schools. JRDS would pay for a survey and all costs associated with the transfer if it is completed.
•Approved a correction to the 2012-2013 school calendar to correct the date of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
•Accepted three new goals, including: Develop a training system for RISE Evaluation during the 2012-13 school year for administrators; develop an evaluation system for implementation for the 2013-14 school year; and develop a compensation model for the Board of Education to review and approve for the 2013-14 school year.
•Voted to accept RISE as the school’s evaluation method as established by the state.
•Were asked by Long to approve creation of a position of RISE Coordinator and that the position be paid on the teacher’s scale.
Board member Mike Shannon asked that Long look into contracting the evaluation work to an outside firm in order to keep the evaluation process “sterile” from personalities inside the school system. The board, in the meantime, approved the creation of the RISE Coordinator.
•Were invited to the Indiana School Board Association spring meeting at the Delaware Country Club March 28.
•Were invited to the Jay County Purdue Cooperative Extension annual meeting March 6 at the Jay County Fairgrounds.
•Approved changes to the consent agenda, including: new hire, Doreen Cook, part time cook, Judge Haynes, beginning Feb. 27; leave of absence, Chelsee Brunswick, East Elementary, March 26 through end of school year; retirement, Ruth Zicht, East Elementary, effective end of school year; field trip, East Jay Middle School seventh grade, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, date changed to May 25 from May 18.
•Heard the financial report from DeRome, who reported that the school should see an increase of about $233,000 in State Basic Grant funding, which will total $23.7 million. DeRome also said that the schools should see an increase of about $200,000 for full-day kindergarten funding and that medical claims were down about $133,000 from December.
•Approved the monthly claims. Sanders raised a question about mileage, since some people are receiving payment for mileage expense accrued over several months.
Long said there is no policy on when mileage sheets need to be turned in. After discussion, Long and DeRome said they would discuss the issue with the business office to look into whether a policy on how frequently sheets should be turned in is needed.
•Were informed by DeRome that the school’s 2012 budget was approved for $36.1 million and that the school tax rate declined by 7 cents.
•Voted 6-1 to advertise for purchase of 14 full-size buses and two short buses with a total cost of $1,466,253. Sanders cast the dissenting vote.
Transportation director Teresa Myers said she expected delivery of the new buses by the end of July.
•Approved curriculum guides after review by assistant superintendent Wood Barwick.
•Passed a change in date for the superintendent’s evaluation on first reading. The board set a new deadline of Oct. 1 for that evaluation to better coincide with school testing results.