Jay sees enrollment surge

Two weeks into the school year, the Jay Schools enrollment is close to the estimate that was used during the budget preparation process.
Interim superintendent Brad DeRome told Jay School Board at its meeting Monday that enrollment as for Friday was 3,387 students. That’s good news for the corporation’s finances.
The enrollment total is down 38 students from February, but up 32 from just two weeks ago. It’s also within four students of the enrollment decline — 34 students — DeRome estimated the corporation would have as the result of the graduation of a large class of 2016.
The enrollment increase over the last two weeks serves to help balance the corporation’s proposed budget for 2017, because the state distributes funding to schools on a per-student basis. While it has lost some students in other grades, its enrollment has been bolstered by a kindergarten class of 324 students, the largest in Jay Schools.
“I feel a lot better … after seeing the numbers as of last Friday,” said DeRome. “I feel a lot better about that because after those initial days of registration and the first day of school we were down roughly 70 students.”
Had the decline stayed at 70 students, Jay Schools would have received over $200,000 less in state funding than it had accounted for in its budget. That difference could have resulted in a projected budget deficit for 2017.
There is still time for enrollment to fluctuate, as the official count date for the state is Sept. 16.
The board also held its public hearing on its proposed $36.6 million budget, which includes just over $25 million in spending from the general fund.
There were no public comments on the budget, which is slated for adoption at the board’s Sept. 19 regular meeting.
In other business, board members Kristi Betts, Beth Krieg, Cory Gundrum, Ron Laux, Mike Shannon, Greg Wellman and Tammy Bennett:
•Heard a request from JCHS senior volleyball player Abby Barcus for improved locker rooms for female athletes. She requested a meeting with DeRome to discuss the issue. DeRome said he would make arrangements to do so.
•Approved agreements, contingent on review by the school board’s attorney, with Ball State University for psychology services and Head Start for special education services.
•Heard a presentation from JCHS National Honor Society sponsor Chrissy Krieg and students Katie Carpenter, Kiara Walter and Maddie Strausburg about the organization’s effort to host a Feed My Starving Children MobilePack in April. The project was detailed in the Aug. 17 edition of The Commercial Review.
•Increased the pay rate for school resource officers by $1 to a rate of $25 per hour.
•Hired instructional assistant Shelby Caylor (Redkey Elementary), part-time custodian Lisa Swink (West Jay Middle School), bus mechanic Joshua Nibarger and part-time cooks Kathryn Bice (East Elementary), Kari Fields (Bloomfield Elementary), Debra Raines (East Jay Middle School) and Lisa Houck (East). Also approved extra curricular assignments for Larry Wilson (Pennville Elementary boys basketball), Jessica Longerbone (WJMS student council sponsor), Kris Wolford (Pennville Just Say No sponsor), Tom Leonhard (EJMS eighth grade football assistant coach), Sherri McIntire (EJMS sixth grade volleyball coach), Ed Geesaman (EJMS seventh grade volleyball coach), Bart Brandenburg (Judge Haynes Elementary intramurals) and Ric VanSkyock (JCHS color guard sponsor), and approved a bus request from local Girl Scouts for an Aug. 28 trip to Whitewater State Park.
•Accepted the resignations of social studies teacher Trina Sommer (JCHS), instructional assistant Sarah Link (General Shanks and Judge Haynes) and bus drivers Robert Ford and Darold Eason.
•Learned from DeRome that several positions remain open, including a guidance counselor at West Jay Middle School, several special education teachers, two bus drivers, a part-time art teacher and a business teacher.
•Reviewed interschool transfers for the corporation. East Elementary had the largest net transfer out at 34 students. Bloomfield (41) and Judge Haynes (28) had the largest net gains. Changes for all other schools amounted to a gain or loss of 10 or fewer.
•Approved leaves of absence for JCHS math teacher Joni Aulbach and instructional assistant Kendra Harris.
•Accepted the donation of various items, including a hoist for use in the JCHS gyms, totaling a value of $9,000 from former Jay County residents Dr. Dennis and Cathleen Spaulding, who now live in Lecanto, Florida.
•Increased the adult lunch price by 10 cents to $3.25 as required by the United States Department of Agriculture, which administers the free and reduced lunch program.
•Heard from Betts that the Indiana School Board Association conference is scheduled for Sept. 26 in Indianapolis.
•Wrote off $243.20 in food service account debts that have been deemed uncollectible.