Board OKs delay

BERNE — Scott Litwiller has the ability to use a three-hour delay. But he only plans on implementing it in order to save a day of school.
South Adams School Board on Tuesday voted 5-2 to approve giving the superintendent the option to use a three-hour delay in addition to the existing two-hour delay.
The board also approved bonuses for administrators based on school accountability grades and saw a demonstration from students involved in TECHFIT.
Board members Arlene Amstutz, John Mann, Amy Orr, John Buckingham and Ray Gill voted in favor of giving Litwiller the option of using the three-hour delay, an issue the board had been discussing since September.
The superintendent said the two-hour delay would remain the norm, and that he only plans to use the three-hour in special circumstances. The policy calls for the initial delay/closing decision to come by 6:30 a.m., with the choice to go to school, extend the delay or cancel by 8:30 a.m. If a three-hour delay is used, a final call on whether or not school will be in session will come by 9:30 a.m.
“In my past experience, the three-hour delay would be used very, very seldom,” said Mann.
“Hopefully we won’t even have to use it at all,” added Litwiller.
Julie Mansfield and Landon Patterson voted against the three-hour delay. Neither spoke about the issue at Tuesday’s meeting, but had previously voiced concerns about the requirement to extend the school day by an hour. They said they preferred not to take away from students’ time at home after school.
A survey showed 70 percent of parents and 55 percent of teachers supported the three-hour option. Support staff favored staying with the two-hour delay only, 51 percent to 38 percent.
Board members unanimously approved bonuses of $4,530 for school administrators and guidance counselor Marty Goller to match those of the teachers and Litwiller. South Adams received $54,760.58 from the state for bonuses to “effective” and “highly effective” teachers based on test scores and graduation rate.
The school corporation’s contract with South Adams Classroom Teachers Association requires that the money be divided equally among qualifying teachers, and board members agreed administrators should be given the same amount.
“All three principals we really, really commend for everything you put forth in maintaining and improving the status of our schools,” said Gill.
The board also saw a presentation from the middle school’s TECHFIT (teaching engineering concepts to harness future innovators and technologists) program. It involves combining technology and fitness into a game, with a computerized element that can be reprogrammed for a variety of purposes.
The 23 students in the South Adams program, one of just four in the state, will travel Thursday to Purdue University to present their work.
In other business, the board:
•Honored the high school cross country teams as examples of excellence. Both teams won the Allen County Athletic Conference title, and the boys went on to take the sectional title as well. Sophomore Bailey McIntire was the ACAC, sectional and regional champion, and placed 21st at the state finals.
•Selected a quote of $105,815 from Bixler Insurance for property/liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Other quotes were $108,403 from Graber Insurance and $122,116 from Educational Service Centers Risk Funding Trust.
•OK’d the purchase of a 2013 Ford Fusion for $15,900 from Moser Motors as a drivers’ education car to replace the school’s 2004 Ford Taurus. State law requires cars used for drivers’ education be less than 10 years old. The school had already saved $13,000 for the purchase of a new vehicle, and plans to sell the Taurus to help make up the difference.
•Heard Litwiller say the school will wait to see its budget for capital projects before making any decisions about its proposed addition of a bus wash bay at the bus garage.
•Approved overnight field trip requests for the livestock judging team March 6 through 8 to Blackhawk College in Kewannee, Illinois, and April 10 and 11 to Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois.
•Agreed to allow treasurer Becky Biberstein and Litwiller to make necessary transfers to pay year-end claims.
•Approved softball coach Jessie O’Dell to use the middle school gym for pitching clinics on Sunday evenings in December through March.
•Discussed a survey about the school’s fitness center that showed there is interest in expanded hours. The board plans to revisit the issue at a later meeting.
•Set its next meeting for 5:15 p.m. Jan. 13