July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Need for Asst. Principal pondered
Board balks at advertising position
Jay School Board members will learn Thursday whether an assistant principal is legally required at East Jay Middle School.
Board members balked Monday at advertising for the position and questioned whether it is necessary.
“If it were not for the law, I would not be recommending it,” Superintendent Barbara Downing told the board.
EJMS is projected to have enrollment of 596 students next year with the addition of sixth grade to the middle school. State regulations appear to call for an additional administrator when enrollment in a middle school or high school tops 500. But the language of the regulation was questioned by some board members.
“It’s not clearly written,” school board attorney Phil Frantz agreed.
Downing said she’d check with the Indiana Department of Education for a definitive answer and get back to the board when it meets at noon Thursday for approval of a new contract with the Jay Classroom Teachers Association.
An earlier tentative contract, which the board had approved, was rejected by the JCTA because of issues over the clarity of its language. Downing said a new tentative agreement was reached last week and will be taken to JCTA members for consideration on Wednesday.
“Details will be made public Thursday,” Downing said.
Board members were unanimous in backing a move to expand parking at West Jay Middle School by eliminating four badly-deteriorated tennis courts.
“This is not a brand-new issue,” WJMS principal Andy Schemenaur told the board. The addition of sixth grade at WJMS has increased the pressure on the school’s parking situation. “We need more parking. We like the luxury of having tennis ... but it’s not being utilized.”
Board member Mike Shannon said it boils down to a safety issue. “The prudent thing for the school corporation to do is assure we have adequate parking and adequate access to the building,” he said.
School corporation business manager Brad DeRome provided the board with a list of planned capital projects for the summer of 2004, including the WJMS work.
DeRome noted that gym floors are scheduled for refinishing at Jay County High School and at Pennville Elementary School.
Among this year’s capital projects is a major investment in replacing desks, chairs, and tables at schools throughout the county. The old school furniture will be sold at auction along with other surplus equipment; a tentative date of May 14 has been set for the sale to coincide with the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association’s swap meet.
Downing received authorization from the board to begin meeting with teachers whose contracts will not be renewed next year. The board will issue official notices of non-renewal at its April 26 meeting, and final action on non-renewals is set for May 24.
In other business, the board:
•Accepted the retirement resignations of elementary teacher Maria Hiatt, elementary teacher Judith Smith, elementary teacher Sharon Perry, JCHS teacher John Ferguson and JCHS guidance department secretary Georganna Ferguson. All retirements take effect prior to the next school year.
•Accepted the resignations of instructional assistant Clara Shaw, custodian Theodore Workman and instructional assistant Virginia Cline.
•Approved maternity leave for reading teacher Amy Klopfenstein and extended medical leave for bus driver Bill Lykins.
•Hired Jim Moeschberger as part-time industrial technology teacher at WJMS, Shane Jellison as a JCHS custodian, Janet Dues as a part-time food service employee and Kim Shannon as an adult education instructional assistant.
•Approved a number of extracurricular assignments including Jesse Bivens as seventh grade boys’ track coach at WJMS, Carla Johnson as eighth grade girls’ track coach at EJMS, Stephen Summerfield as seventh grade boys’ track coach at EJMS, Tina O’Dell as seventh grade girls’ track coach at WJMS and J. Tyler Caldwell as varsity girls’ track coach at JCHS. Judy Smith’s resignation as sponsor of the Just Say No Club at East Elementary School was accepted.
•Authorized field trips by JCHS advanced German students to Columbus, Ohio, Bloomfield Elementary School sixth grade students to Wright Patterson Air Force Base and Ohio Caverns, General Shanks Elementary School fifth grade students to Newport Aquarium Life Science Experience, Bloomfield sixth grade students to Camp Lutherhaven, and JCHS Spanish and art students to the Chicago Art Institute.
•Approved use of bus requests by the Wapehani Girl Scouts of Jay County to travel to Mad River Ski Resort in Ohio, Jay Community Center Girls Club to travel to the Winchester Skating Rink, and Jay County Girl Scouts to travel to the Newport Aquarium.
•Received a budget timeline from DeRome which calls for first publication of the 2005 budget on Aug. 11, a public hearing on Aug. 23, and budget adoption on Sept. 20.
All board actions Monday were unanimous by a 6-0 vote. Board member Doug Inman was absent.[[In-content Ad]]
Board members balked Monday at advertising for the position and questioned whether it is necessary.
“If it were not for the law, I would not be recommending it,” Superintendent Barbara Downing told the board.
EJMS is projected to have enrollment of 596 students next year with the addition of sixth grade to the middle school. State regulations appear to call for an additional administrator when enrollment in a middle school or high school tops 500. But the language of the regulation was questioned by some board members.
“It’s not clearly written,” school board attorney Phil Frantz agreed.
Downing said she’d check with the Indiana Department of Education for a definitive answer and get back to the board when it meets at noon Thursday for approval of a new contract with the Jay Classroom Teachers Association.
An earlier tentative contract, which the board had approved, was rejected by the JCTA because of issues over the clarity of its language. Downing said a new tentative agreement was reached last week and will be taken to JCTA members for consideration on Wednesday.
“Details will be made public Thursday,” Downing said.
Board members were unanimous in backing a move to expand parking at West Jay Middle School by eliminating four badly-deteriorated tennis courts.
“This is not a brand-new issue,” WJMS principal Andy Schemenaur told the board. The addition of sixth grade at WJMS has increased the pressure on the school’s parking situation. “We need more parking. We like the luxury of having tennis ... but it’s not being utilized.”
Board member Mike Shannon said it boils down to a safety issue. “The prudent thing for the school corporation to do is assure we have adequate parking and adequate access to the building,” he said.
School corporation business manager Brad DeRome provided the board with a list of planned capital projects for the summer of 2004, including the WJMS work.
DeRome noted that gym floors are scheduled for refinishing at Jay County High School and at Pennville Elementary School.
Among this year’s capital projects is a major investment in replacing desks, chairs, and tables at schools throughout the county. The old school furniture will be sold at auction along with other surplus equipment; a tentative date of May 14 has been set for the sale to coincide with the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association’s swap meet.
Downing received authorization from the board to begin meeting with teachers whose contracts will not be renewed next year. The board will issue official notices of non-renewal at its April 26 meeting, and final action on non-renewals is set for May 24.
In other business, the board:
•Accepted the retirement resignations of elementary teacher Maria Hiatt, elementary teacher Judith Smith, elementary teacher Sharon Perry, JCHS teacher John Ferguson and JCHS guidance department secretary Georganna Ferguson. All retirements take effect prior to the next school year.
•Accepted the resignations of instructional assistant Clara Shaw, custodian Theodore Workman and instructional assistant Virginia Cline.
•Approved maternity leave for reading teacher Amy Klopfenstein and extended medical leave for bus driver Bill Lykins.
•Hired Jim Moeschberger as part-time industrial technology teacher at WJMS, Shane Jellison as a JCHS custodian, Janet Dues as a part-time food service employee and Kim Shannon as an adult education instructional assistant.
•Approved a number of extracurricular assignments including Jesse Bivens as seventh grade boys’ track coach at WJMS, Carla Johnson as eighth grade girls’ track coach at EJMS, Stephen Summerfield as seventh grade boys’ track coach at EJMS, Tina O’Dell as seventh grade girls’ track coach at WJMS and J. Tyler Caldwell as varsity girls’ track coach at JCHS. Judy Smith’s resignation as sponsor of the Just Say No Club at East Elementary School was accepted.
•Authorized field trips by JCHS advanced German students to Columbus, Ohio, Bloomfield Elementary School sixth grade students to Wright Patterson Air Force Base and Ohio Caverns, General Shanks Elementary School fifth grade students to Newport Aquarium Life Science Experience, Bloomfield sixth grade students to Camp Lutherhaven, and JCHS Spanish and art students to the Chicago Art Institute.
•Approved use of bus requests by the Wapehani Girl Scouts of Jay County to travel to Mad River Ski Resort in Ohio, Jay Community Center Girls Club to travel to the Winchester Skating Rink, and Jay County Girl Scouts to travel to the Newport Aquarium.
•Received a budget timeline from DeRome which calls for first publication of the 2005 budget on Aug. 11, a public hearing on Aug. 23, and budget adoption on Sept. 20.
All board actions Monday were unanimous by a 6-0 vote. Board member Doug Inman was absent.[[In-content Ad]]
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