Board has funding flexibility

Jay Schools will have more flexibility that originally expected for how it can use money saved via refinancing.
Jay School Board on Monday approved the option to use all of the estimated $1.8 million it will save from refinancing debt from 2006 bonds on capital projects. It was previously thought that only a portion of the savings could be used for projects while the rest would go to paying back the debt.
The board also heard some good news during the financial report and got an update on administrative staffing changes.
Board attorney Phil Frantz explained that there is a $1 million cap on spending on individual projects from the refinancing money. It had previously been thought that there was a $1 million overall cap.
That allows the board to consider spending all of the money on projects and in turn save some of what it had planned to spend out of the capital projects fund. That savings, Frantz said, could be transferred to the rainy day fund to give the corporation a cushion in case of times of financial hardship.
Finances have been a concern in recent years as the corporation’s general fund balance has dipped from about $3 million to $1.68 million at the end of 2015.
Greg Wellman, who is nearing the end of his third term on the board and did not seek reelection, encouraged his fellow board members to try to get as much money in the rainy day fund as possible.
Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley also asked business manager Brad DeRome to have a maintenance study done on the buildings involved — Jay County High School, East Jay Middle School, West Jay Middle School and Bloomfield Elementary — to determine the most pressing issues. He noted that he wants the board to have that information before moving forward with any projects.
The financial report from DeRome, who served as interim superintendent for about four months before Gulley’s hiring in November, offered some good news. He said state funding did not go down as much as he expected, and that the corporation would also receive about $5,000 more than projected for summer school reimbursement. Those changes, along with the sale of some corporation property approved Monday by the board, could give Jay Schools a chance to finish the year in the black.
DeRome had first projected a budget surplus of $190,000 for 2016, but revised those numbers last month saying that a decrease in state funding in part because of a decline in enrollment could result in a deficit of $94,000.
The corporation will bring in some money after board members Kristi Betts, Greg Wellman, Beth Krieg, Ron Laux, Tammy Bennett and Mike Shannon, absent Cory Gundrum, approved the sale of school property that was once home to Beacon Heights Drive-in at a price of $50,000 to Chris Grieshop. The corporation had previously tried to sell the approximately 15 acres adjacent to Jay County High School for a minimum of $129,150 but received no bids. It had since hired a real estate agent, with Grieshop’s offer as the highest received.
Gulley asked the board to consider restructuring that will be necessary given his shift from director of teacher effectiveness to superintendent and the decision not to fill his previous position. Some of his previous duties, he said, will be picked up by John Jay Center for Learning, but others, specifically involving teacher evaluation, will need to be reassigned. He noted that financial compensation will need to be considered, whether that work is assigned to one staff member or divided among several.
Gulley, in his first meeting as superintendent, also said he has been working on his transition plan by visiting schools and talking with students and staff.
"I can tell you it’s been a joy to go out among these kids and these classrooms, and in the community as well. I’ve been asking questions and getting a lot of feedback."
In other business, school board:
•Reviewed a report from Gully that shows the number of substitute teachers in the corporation has dropped from 89 in 2013-14 to 52 this year. He indicated that he plans to try to expand the base of substitute teachers by no longer requiring them to have at least 30 credit hours of college course work. He said there is no board policy stating that requirement.
•Heard from principal Mike Krull that West Jay Middle School was honored with the Association of Teacher Educators’ Outstanding/Successful School Award.
•Hired Ted Habegger and Dennis Dwiggins as driver education instructors, Tara Swanson and Holly Knight as instructional assistants and Kristeena Beatrice as a bus driver; accepted the resignation of Leigh Ann Norton as an instructional assistant; and approved leaves of absence for Bonnie Muhlenkamp, Colinda Anderson and Nicole Stiles.
•Approved field trips for JCHS ag, soil and ag business students April 28 through May 6 to the National Soils Judging competition in Oklahoma City, high school German students Dec. 21 to Chicago and high school art students April 20 and 21 to art museums in Chicago.
•Hired the following coaches/sponsors: Mark Alberson (EJMS eighth grade boys basketball), Renae Laux (EJMS seventh grade girls basketball), Betty Harris (Redkey Elementary Just Say No), Steve Wickliffe (JCHS assistant swim), Michelle Hart (WJMS sixth grade girls basketball), Nate Brackman (WJMS sixth grade boys basketball) and Krista Taylor (JCHS assistant gymnastics). Also accepted the resignations of Doug Tipton as JCHS robotics coach and Alberson as EJMS sixth grade boys basketball coach.
•Approved the 2017-18 school calendar, making an effort to work with South Adams as the schools have almost 100 students who travel back and forth for classes. The first day for students will be Aug. 11, a Friday. There will be a three-day fall break, three days off around Thanksgiving and a week-long spring break. Winter break will run from Dec. 21 through Jan. 2. The last day of school is scheduled for May 23.
•Reappointed Joel Roberts to the Jay County Public Library Board.