January 11, 2017 at 6:55 p.m.
SA starting new program
SA starting new program
BERNE — South Adams High School will start a new pilot computer science education program next school year.
South Adams School Board approved the creation of the new program for the 2017-18 school year at its Tuesday meeting.
The board also discussed ISTEP performance, reviewed property tax revenue for 2016 and honored a South Adams High School senior for winning a Lilly Endowment Scholarship.
Superintendent Scott Litwiller explained a proposal to create new shared computer science career and technical education program. The program would be open to students in area 18 schools, which include Adams, Jay, Wells, Blackford and Huntington counties. Area schools whose students enroll in the course will pay a per-student fee to help pay salary and benefits for the new teacher.
Litwiller said he and Trent Lehman, principal of South Adams High School, are currently looking for someone with industry experience to fill the new part-time position.
Principals from South Adams elementary, middle and high schools updated the board on their performance on school-wide accountability grades for 2016. South Adams Elementary received an A letter grade, the middle school received a C and the high schools received a B, leaving the corporation’s overall grade a B.
“These results are just a snapshot in time, and it’s just one picture … It’s kind of like a picture taken of you when you just get out of bed,” Litwiller said. “So we’ve made a switch to these college and career ready standards, that takes time, sometimes that takes years to get adjusted. So this is a very early picture.”
Litwiller attributed the drop in grades, as compared to 2014 all A’s, is a result of the new ISTEP standards. The state average dropped precipitously in 2015, when the new standards were implemented, but Litwiller explained that in 2016, while the state average continued to decline, South Adams had improvement across the board, and remains above the state average in all aspects.
“The teachers are really working hard to understand that shift … so the time that the teachers have had to spend on their own and with each other, digging in, is really unprecedented,” said Michelle Clouser, South Adams Title I director.
South Adams School Board approved the creation of the new program for the 2017-18 school year at its Tuesday meeting.
The board also discussed ISTEP performance, reviewed property tax revenue for 2016 and honored a South Adams High School senior for winning a Lilly Endowment Scholarship.
Superintendent Scott Litwiller explained a proposal to create new shared computer science career and technical education program. The program would be open to students in area 18 schools, which include Adams, Jay, Wells, Blackford and Huntington counties. Area schools whose students enroll in the course will pay a per-student fee to help pay salary and benefits for the new teacher.
Litwiller said he and Trent Lehman, principal of South Adams High School, are currently looking for someone with industry experience to fill the new part-time position.
Principals from South Adams elementary, middle and high schools updated the board on their performance on school-wide accountability grades for 2016. South Adams Elementary received an A letter grade, the middle school received a C and the high schools received a B, leaving the corporation’s overall grade a B.
“These results are just a snapshot in time, and it’s just one picture … It’s kind of like a picture taken of you when you just get out of bed,” Litwiller said. “So we’ve made a switch to these college and career ready standards, that takes time, sometimes that takes years to get adjusted. So this is a very early picture.”
Litwiller attributed the drop in grades, as compared to 2014 all A’s, is a result of the new ISTEP standards. The state average dropped precipitously in 2015, when the new standards were implemented, but Litwiller explained that in 2016, while the state average continued to decline, South Adams had improvement across the board, and remains above the state average in all aspects.
“The teachers are really working hard to understand that shift … so the time that the teachers have had to spend on their own and with each other, digging in, is really unprecedented,” said Michelle Clouser, South Adams Title I director.
The board approved a resolution recognizing the school corporation’s teachers for their hard work in shifting to the new standards.
The board also viewed finalized numbers for the 2016 property tax revenue. The school district’s tax levy was originally set at $4,117,710, and the district received only $3,980,994.84, just 96.68 percent of the levy’s total. Litwiller said the shortage is typical, and caused by people who didn’t pay taxes, and tax circuit breakers, which provide property tax relief to individuals whose property taxes exceed a certain amount of their income.
“We’ve ranged anywhere from 93 to 98 percent, so we’ll be just a little above the average,” Litwiller said.
South Adams senior Elle Amstutz was honored during the meeting for recently being awarded the 2016-17 South Adams County Community Foundation Lilly Endowment Scholarship. The scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to an Indiana college of her choice. She plans to attend Indiana University and major in business administration.
In other business, the board:
•Passed a remembrance resolution for former bus driver Dawn Wanner, who died in November.
•Approved the purchase of a new 78-passenger school bus from Midwest Transit, who submitted the low bid of $93,612.
•Adjusted the teacher performance stipend to align with new state rules, which require a $1 difference between the stipend amounts for “effective” and “highly effective” teachers. The board voted to give “effective” teachers $488.28 from the stipend, and “highly effective” teachers $489.28. The board also voted to award matching stipends from the general fund to administrators Jason Arnold, Michelle Clouser, Trent Lehman, Shellie Miller and Jeff Rich.
•Approved a facility use request for softball pitching lessons in the elementary and middle schools gyms Sunday evening from Jan. 15 through April 23. The lessons will be sponsored by softball coach Jessie O’Dell, and will cost $10.
•Approved a field trip request from teacher Josh Roby, who plans to take a group of about five juniors and seniors on a trip to Costa Rica from May 29 to June 4, 2018. The group will study marine and rainforest biomes and experience some of the history of the Mayan people.
•Voted to retain its previous officers, with Arlene Amstutz as president, John Mann as vice president and Landon Patterson as secretary. Also approved the appointment of Rebecca Biberstein as recording secretary and treasurer, Annette Schwartz as deputy treasurer, Amber Schwartz as extra curricular treasurer and Tim Baker as attorney. It also accepted a conflict of interest disclosure from Baker.
•Approved a family medical leave of absence for Kaylea Kongar, to begin around February 22.
•Scheduled a policy work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 to review and revise policies.
The board also viewed finalized numbers for the 2016 property tax revenue. The school district’s tax levy was originally set at $4,117,710, and the district received only $3,980,994.84, just 96.68 percent of the levy’s total. Litwiller said the shortage is typical, and caused by people who didn’t pay taxes, and tax circuit breakers, which provide property tax relief to individuals whose property taxes exceed a certain amount of their income.
“We’ve ranged anywhere from 93 to 98 percent, so we’ll be just a little above the average,” Litwiller said.
South Adams senior Elle Amstutz was honored during the meeting for recently being awarded the 2016-17 South Adams County Community Foundation Lilly Endowment Scholarship. The scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to an Indiana college of her choice. She plans to attend Indiana University and major in business administration.
In other business, the board:
•Passed a remembrance resolution for former bus driver Dawn Wanner, who died in November.
•Approved the purchase of a new 78-passenger school bus from Midwest Transit, who submitted the low bid of $93,612.
•Adjusted the teacher performance stipend to align with new state rules, which require a $1 difference between the stipend amounts for “effective” and “highly effective” teachers. The board voted to give “effective” teachers $488.28 from the stipend, and “highly effective” teachers $489.28. The board also voted to award matching stipends from the general fund to administrators Jason Arnold, Michelle Clouser, Trent Lehman, Shellie Miller and Jeff Rich.
•Approved a facility use request for softball pitching lessons in the elementary and middle schools gyms Sunday evening from Jan. 15 through April 23. The lessons will be sponsored by softball coach Jessie O’Dell, and will cost $10.
•Approved a field trip request from teacher Josh Roby, who plans to take a group of about five juniors and seniors on a trip to Costa Rica from May 29 to June 4, 2018. The group will study marine and rainforest biomes and experience some of the history of the Mayan people.
•Voted to retain its previous officers, with Arlene Amstutz as president, John Mann as vice president and Landon Patterson as secretary. Also approved the appointment of Rebecca Biberstein as recording secretary and treasurer, Annette Schwartz as deputy treasurer, Amber Schwartz as extra curricular treasurer and Tim Baker as attorney. It also accepted a conflict of interest disclosure from Baker.
•Approved a family medical leave of absence for Kaylea Kongar, to begin around February 22.
•Scheduled a policy work session at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 to review and revise policies.
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