Delay policy shifts

Don’t look for as many three-hour delays for Jay Schools when classes resume this fall.

After surveying students, parents, school staff and the community at-large, superintendent Jeremy Gulley is adopting a system that incorporates two-hour as well as three-hour delays.

“I think this gives the decision-makers a little more leeway,” school board member Phil Ford said Monday after Gulley announced his decision.

Ordinarily, buses start leaving home about 6 a.m. and pick up their first students at 6:30 a.m. As outlined by Gulley, decisions on a two-hour school delay will be made by 5:30 a.m.

If there’s a two-hour delay, buses will head out at 8 a.m. and pick up their first students about 8:30 a.m.

But weather conditions are changeable, so by 7:30 a.m. a decision will be made on whether to go to a three-hour delay. That would have buses heading out at 9 a.m. and picking up students about 9:30 a.m.

If conditions warrant, a decision on closing school will be made by 8:30 a.m.

“We’ll do our best,” said Gulley. “It’s the least enjoyable part of this position. … It will not always be easy. … I will not do anything that I do not think is safe.”

Board members had urged Gulley to re-evaluate the three-hour delay in response to complaints from school patrons.

“It’s a decision I want no part of,” joked Ford, “because it’s always wrong.”

An online survey with 333 responses showed that 84.7 percent supported the option of a two-hour delay with the ability to switch to a three-hour delay if needed. The three-hour delay approach, which has been in place the last several years, was favored by 15.3 percent.

One advantage of the three-hour delay is that it helped avoid cancelling school altogether.

“It kept the kids from going to school until mid-June,” said board member Beth Krieg.

Board president Kristi Betts noted that she’d received positive feedback from school patrons about being able to express an opinion on the matter.

In other business, board members Mike Shannon, Cory Gundrum, Ron Laux, Betts, Krieg and Ford, with Krista Muhlenkamp absent:

•Heard on first reading policy changes involving state teacher appreciation grants and the transfer of students. Gulley noted that the state now requires that teacher appreciation grants be distributed in such a way that there is a pay “bump” for those teachers rated “highly effective.” That policy, after approval on second reading, will still have to go to Indiana Department of Education for approval.

•Hired Lauren Runkle as a special education resource teacher at East Jay Middle School, Elizabeth Dennison as a school psychologist, and Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver’s education teachers.

•Reviewed a preview of the capital projects fund outlook for the next three years from business manager Brad DeRome. He’s projecting $3.4 million per year in capital expenses.

“We do have things that are always in the pipeline that need to be addressed,” he said.

•Was informed DeRome will bring a proposed budget to the Aug. 14 meeting to be advertised. A public hearing on the budget is set for Aug. 28, with adoption set for Sept. 18. The budget will then go to Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.

•Learned from DeRome that cash flow in the general fund still projects a year-end cash balance of $1,378,000. DeRome noted that the total employee head count is now 462, down from about 500 in fall 2016.

•Agreed to keep Anthem as the carrier for the corporation’s medical and vision insurance with the expectation of a 10.5 percent increase in premiums. It’s the first increase in health insurance expenses since 2014 for Jay Schools.

“Claims drove the rates,” said DeRome.

•Approved assigning the contracts for about $364,000 in repairs and capital projects to the Jay Schools Building Corporation to be paid with the savings from the 2017 bond refinancing.

•Accepted the retirement of Kathy Nelson as music and choir teacher at West Jay Middle School.

•Accepted the resignations of second grade teachers Lisa Wellman and Alison Springer, and bus driver Amy Lawrence.

•Approved a leave of absence for bus driver Nicole Stiles.

•Approved Dru Mercer as boys basketball coach at Redkey Elementary School.

•Accepted the resignations of sixth grade volleyball coach Diana Hill, Redkey Just Say No sponsor Dru Mercer, East Elementary School yearbook sponsor Sarah Davidson, and East girls basketball coach and Just Say No sponsor Christy Shauver.

•Approved a field trip by Jay County High School FFA members to the state convention at Purdue University.

•Updated internal control documents to bring them in compliance with state regulations.