SA board hires architectural firm

BERNE — The Indianapolis-based architectural firm InterDesign was hired Tuesday by South Adams School Board to develop design criteria for the upcoming high school media center and classroom renovation project.

InterDesign, which has worked with South Adams in the past, will be paide $28,000 plus $175 an hour for support during the construction phase.

Five firms were asked to submit proposals for the project, but only two expressed interest: InterDesign and Lancer and Beebe.

“Both of those architectural firms would do a good job,” superintendent Scott Litwiller told the board. “InterDesign has more experience as a criteria developer.”

InterDesign’s quote was also $10,000 lower than that of Lancer and Beebe.

Approval of the firm came on a 6-0 vote with board member Julie Mansfield absent.

Initial options for the project, which will be paid for with money made available through bond refinancing, were presented in August and include a relocated main office in a 2,000-square-foot area on the east side of the northeast entrance to the high school, enclosing the media center, eliminating the locker alcoves along the east side of the main hallway to create more classroom space and reconfiguring the athletics department area and current main office to better accommodate the athletics and guidance department staff.

The board was also unanimous in approving the 2017 budget as advertised. Pending approval by the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, the budget calls for total school spending next year of $15,674,481, with $5,309,378 of that amount coming from local property taxes and the balance coming from state tax revenue. Tentatively, that would mean a property tax rate of $1.5418 per $100 assessed valuation. The rate is likely to change after DLGF adjustments and the latest assessed valuation figures for the district.

Litwiller said the budget is not significantly different from past years.

“We did increase (the rainy day fund),” he said. “Just to give us some more options.”

As part of the budget approval process, the board approved the capital projects plan, the bus replacement plan and a resolution giving Litwiller authority to reduce the budget in accordance with direction from the DLGF.

Technology director Myra Moore told the board the school corporation is giving increased focus to cyber security in the wake of increasing incidents of computer viruses and hacking.

Moore said all data is backed up off-site once a week and is backed up on “the cloud” daily.

She also said plans are being developed for “virtual learning days” in the case of inclement weather. She expects to return to the board in December with details.

In other business, the board:

•Heard Litwiller report that official enrollment on Sept. 16 was 1,285.52, compared to 1,254.9 a year ago. The fractional enrollment is due to such factors as home-schooled students who attend for only part of the school day.

•Accepted the low quote from Marquis Builders, Berne, for a new long jump runway and pit for the track team. Litwiller noted that the quote of $11,538 did not include the cost of the purchase of a rubberized surface for the runway.

•Approved renewal of several administrators’ contracts. The 2016-17 school year will be the first year of two-year contracts for South Adams High School principal Trent Lehman, middle school principal Jeff Rich, elementary principal Shellie Miller, curriculum director Michelle Clouser, and athletics director Jason Arnold. All of those administrators will receive a $1,200 raise, the same amount given to teachers, with the exception of Arnold and Clouser, who will receive a small percentage increase as was promised when they were hired. The new contracts call for the following salaries: Lehman $89,217, Rich $82,217, Miller $82,217, Clouser $80,217 and Arnold $72,047. The school corporation’s contribution toward health insurance will stay the same at $7,764 for a single plan and $19,584 for family coverage.

•Agreed to raise the hourly rate for student workers to $7.25, the federal minimum wage.

•Approved leaves for Laura Daily and Laura Scheiner.

•Accepted the resignation of Angie Bluhm as a part-time special education aide.

•Hired Jamie Fishburn as a part-time special education aide.

•Approved the hiring of a number of winter coaches, including Jesse Gaskill as wrestling coach, Robert Loshe and Josh Gaskill as assistant wrestling coaches, Andy Brown as boys basketball coach, Josh Hendrixson as junior varsity boys basketball coach, Josh Roby as freshman boys basketball coach, Larry Patterson as assistant or a volunteer assistant boys basketball coach depending upon the number of players, Corey LeMaster as eighth grade boys basketball coach, Don Foust as seventh grade boys basketball coach, Brett Freeman as girls basketball coach, Kyle Glidewell as girls junior varsity basketball coach, Morgan Mitchell as eighth grade girls basketball coach, Trevor Sprunger as seventh grade girls basketball coach, Andy Lehman as swim coach, Jeannine Wurster as assistant swim coach and Ashley Fosnaugh as middle school swim coach.

•Accepted a donation of $141.61 from Zoetis Pharmaceutic on behalf of veterinarian Tim Grimm to FFA.