Retiring staff honored

Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved

Jay School Board opened Monday’s meeting by saying thanks.

The board presented gifts to 16 retiring staff members, offering its thanks for a combined 439 years of service.

The list of 10 retiring teachers was headed by Denny Taylor, who is stepping away from education after 41 years of service to Jay School Corporation. Others with at least 30 years of service were Linda Lowe, Doug Johnson and Linda Lacy. Joining them in departing this year are Dennis Green, Andy Schemenaur, Cathi Godfrey, LuAnn Fugiett, Mary Snider and Suzanne Durkovich.

Six members of the support staff are also retiring this year, with food service cook Elfriede Davis holding the longest tenure at 43 years. Secretary Janet Park came in at 38 years, with instructional assistant Mary Hemmelgarn at 30 years. Joining them are Clyde Rogers, Debbie Miller and Flora Paxson.

“I’m gratified to see so many faces in the room who have served Jay Schools for many, many years,” said superintendent Jeremy Gulley. “There’s no words we’re going to be able to share that will adequately express our heartfelt gratitude for what you have done for this school district, the kids you’ve served, the countless memories you’ve made with your fellow faculty …

“What an example you have been, and what lasting contributions you’ve made.”

In other business, the board:

•Gave the OK to a new cell phone policy that requires that the devices be left in lockers during the school day unless teachers choose to allow their use in the classroom for educational purposes.

•Raised the Chromebook rental fee to $85 from the previous $75.

•Approved 15-cent increases in lunch and breakfast prices as required to maintain federal reimbursements. The new prices are as follows: elementary lunch – $2.55; middle/high school lunch – $2.80; student breakfast – $2; adult breakfast – $2.30; adult lunch – $3.40.

•Set the following elementary school fees for 2017-18: kindergarten – $118; first – $137; second – $120; third – $140; fourth – $128; and fifth – $131.

•Transferred a $30,000 Career and Technical Education Performance Grant to John Jay Center for Learning.

•Heard from director of curriculum and instruction Trent Paxson that 89.7 percent of Jay County third graders passed the IREAD 3 test on their first attempt this year, including all students at Judge Haynes and Redkey elementary schools. That’s 6.4 percentage points above the state average of 83.3 percent. Those who did not pass the test will take it again in June.

•Set the following pay rates, which are unchanged, for 2017-18: substitute bus driver – $62 per day; substitute teacher – $65 per day; after-school tutoring – $20 per hour; after-school detention – $50; Saturday School – $50; and credit recovery – $24 per hour.

•Accepted the retirements of East Jay Middle School teacher Doug Johnson and EJMS library instructional assistant Mary Hemmelgarn, the resignations of EJMS custodian Michael Whetstone, part-time General Shanks custodian David Pogue, Redkey Elementary third grade teacher Jennifer Mickler, elementary school technology assistant Cassandra Stewart and General Shanks Elementary LatchKey supervisor Roxie Winchester and the extracurricular resignations of JCHS boys swim assistant coach Mandy Bruce, JCHS boys golf assistant coach Brad Horn, JCHS vocational education department chair Chris Krieg and EJMS sixth grade boys basketball coach Doug Johnson.

•Approved summer school courses in reading, English, applied economics, civic, economics U.S. government, U.S. history, world geography, geography and world history, algebra, geometry, biology, life science, physics, health, physical education, art history, band, computer applications, personal finance and supervised agricultural experience. Also approved new textbooks from McGraw-Hill for middle school and high school health, and sixth and seventh grade science, and from Discovery for eighth grade science.

•Terminated the employment of General Shanks instructional assistant Francene Castillo.

•Hired Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver education instructors and approved extracurricular assignments for Ashley Loucks and Abby Champ (competition cheer coaches) and Cheree McCallister and Kristen Selvey (assistant cheer coaches.

•Approved field trips for the JCHS girls basketball, boys basketball and archery teams, the JCHS German students and foreign language club, JCHS thespians, EJMS sixth graders, archery team and eighth graders and WJMS archery team and honor society. Also gave the OK to bus requests from Portland High School class of 1962, the Jay County Summer Swim Team, The Rock Church, Jay County Sheriff’s Office and West Jay Community Center.

•Approved a leave of absence for JCHS secretary Bonnie Muhlenkamp.

•Appointed Mark Root as technology director and Mark Myers as director of maintenance/facilities. Also appointed Barry Hudson to the John Jay Center for Learning board of directors.

•Accepted grants totaling $1,849.70 from Jay County Solid Waste Management District.

•OK’d a list of policy changes regarding health plans, graduation requirements, student records and a variety of other topics.