Retirement incentive offered

BERNE — South Adams is hoping to reduce staff by way of retirement before it makes any other cuts.
Facing the need to slice its general fund spending by nearly $800,000 in order to balance its budget, South Adams School Board on Tuesday approved a retirement incentive package.
South Adams will offer $15,000 to teachers and counselors who are willing to retire at the end of the school year. In order to be eligible, employees must be at least 55 years old and have a minimum of 12 years of experience with South Adams Schools.
The deadline for those interested in the incentive is 4 p.m. June 1, and it is limited to eight employees. If more than eight express interest, the incentive will go to those with the most longevity with South Adams Schools.
About 25 teachers and counselors at South Adams meet the requirements for the incentive, said superintendent Scott Litwiller.
“Over the last couple months I’ve made recommendations to the board concerning actions to balance the budget,” Litwiller said. “But because of the retirement incentive plan, it is fitting that those recommendations, including official reduction in force notices, be postponed.”
After evaluating staffing levels following the retirement incentive deadline, the board would have to make a decision on reductions in force (RIFs) by July 1.
Litwiller and board members at a special meeting April 28 discussed a variety of possible money saving measures, the most significant of which was reducing staff by eight teachers, one custodian and a part-time nurse. It is estimated those cuts would save South Adams nearly $500,000 per year.
The school system has been faced with the cuts after incurring deficit spending of $393,214 during the 2013-14 school year and more than $700,000 this year. As a result, its year-end general fund balance has dipped to about $1.4 million from $2.28 million at the end of 2012. If it continues to spend money at its current rate, it would be in the red by the end of the 2016-17 school year.

“We need to balance the general fund budget,” said Litwiller. “The estimate is that the difference between our revenue next school year and our expenses will be a deficit of $779,000.”
In other business, board members Arlene Amstutz, John Mann, Julie Mansfield, Mitch Sprunger, Amy Orr and John Buckingham, absent Landon Patterson:
•Honored vocational students David All and John Osterholt (CNC milling specialists), Michael McKinley, Jon Dathe and Elijah Hamrick (CNC turning specialists) and Tyler Sprunger (CNC technician); auto service technology students Keegon Boxell, Cameron Crago, Will Watson, Chance Sprunger, Cameron Current, John Hudson, John Harris and Jacob Wooster; clarinet playing Zach Teeple; Lilly Endowment Scholarship recipient Derek Wanner; and school board representative Ellerie Baer as examples of excellence.
•Approved overnight/out-of-state field trips for Current and Harris June 7 through 9 to the National Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Contest; All and McKinley June 22 through 26 to the National SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills Conference for CNC milling and CNC turning contests in Louisville, Kentucky, and the boys and girls cross country teams Aug. 4 through 7 to camp at Chain ’O Lakes State Park and a meet Sept. 25 and 26 in Culver.
•Accepted a donation of $838 from Northeast Indiana Machinist Group for expenses associated with the National Skills USA competition.
•Heard from director of building and maintenance Dave Vorhees that construction of a new bus wash bay is expected to begin this month. Also approved the purchase of a new International bus and maintenance supplies at a cost of $93,220.
•Approved the hiring of class sponsor Morgan Mitchell, summer school teachers Andy Brown, Jamie Gerber, J.D. Keller, Curt Amstutz, Steve Tatman and Jason Shuck, migrant tutors Alissa Goldsworthy, Morgan Mitchell, Jacob Amstutz, Samuel Amstutz, Jacob Barse, David Boyajian, Sheri Litwiller, Diane McClung, Annette McComas, Jenne Neuenschwander, Joel Reinhard, Ashton Morgan, Toni Nevil, Jennifer Sorgen, Ashley Stewart and Ana Zazueta and football coach Grant Moser (see related story on page 10); the resignations of David Daniels (migrant field specialist), Jennifer Thompson (auditorium co-director) and J.D. Keller (middle school football coach); and a leave of absence for Pauline Borders.  
•OK’d hiring two students for summer work at the schools.
•Heard reminders from Litwiller that senior awards night is 7 p.m. tonight in the SAHS auditorium, graduation is 2 p.m. May 31 in the SAHS auditorium and a staff appreciation breakfast is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. June 1 in the school cafeteria.
•Scheduled a work session for 5:15 p.m. June 2.