November 15, 2017 at 6:19 p.m.
SA adds work to 2017 project
Walls will be added to enclose the media center
SA adds work to 2017 project
Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
BERNE — As the first phase of the South Adams High School renovation project winds down, the details of the second are taking shape.
South Adams School Board on Tuesday approved some additional work for the 2017 portion of the renovation and was updated on the priorities and timeline for the 2018 portion.
It also discussed a proposal that would change the state’s graduation requirements and held a public hearing on a two-year contract extension for superintendent Scott Litwiller.
Board members Arlene Amstutz, John Mann, Julie Mansfield, John Buckingham, Landon Patterson and Mitch Sprunger, absent Amy Orr, approved an additional $124,718 in 2017 spending to enclose the rest of the media center and to add more cabinets in the science classrooms.
The original scope of the project included adding a couple of new walls around the media center, which created “collaboration areas.” Litwiller noted that the decision was made not to enclose the area entirely in order to give staff and students an opportunity to gauge the effect of the changes. He noted Tuesday that the modifications have been well-received, leading to the desire to fully enclose the media center.
That work will require moving the information technology work area from the northeast corner of the media center to an unused space adjacent to a classroom on the south side of the high school.
Other work still to be completed in the first phase of the renovation includes fixing the floors in the science labs (scheduled for winter break), installing cabinets and other minor finishes.
South Adams still has nearly $73,000 left in the project fund, and Litwiller said he plans to have suggestions on how to spend that money at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
As for the 2018 project, Litwiller updated the board on priorities, the first of which will be renovating the classrooms on the southwest side of the media center. (Classrooms on the north and east sides of the media center were renovated this summer.) He recommended that the second priority be the former office area, which will be modified to be used for intense intervention classes, and the third will be the media center.
The next step in the process is slated for Dec. 12, when design-build partner Performance Services will present a proposed budget, scope and schedule for the 2018 work.
The board also heard from high school principal Trent Lehman and Litwiller about proposed graduation “pathways” proposed by an Indiana State Board of Education panel.
If approved by the state board, they would require that a student meet three requirements in order to graduate:
1) The standards for earning a diploma.
2) “Employability skills” through a work-, service- or project-based learning experience.
3) “Postsecondary-ready competency” through one of eight options, including earning an honors diploma, earning an industry credential or certification, performing an apprenticeship or achieving a specified score on the ACT, SAT or ASVAB (military placement) test.
Lehman expressed some concerns about the proposal, saying it could be difficult to get students to meet the first requirement if a “Core 40” diploma, which requires more math, science and social studies credits than a general diploma, is the standard. He also said the third requirement could pose a significant challenge for many students to become graduation eligible.
“I know the scores they’re proposing … that’s not going to be easy,” said Lehman.
The public hearing on Litwiller’s contract, which will be up for approval at the board’s next meeting, passed without comment. The proposal calls for a base salary of $107,500 and total compensation, including health insurance, life insurance, a 401(a) Plan and contribution to the teachers’ retirement fund, of $141,577.
In other business, the board:
•Honored the Allen County Athletic Conference champion volleyball and girls cross country teams, as well as individual ACAC cross country champions Kallee Patch and Wyatt Miller, as examples of excellence.
•Was presented with a proposed calendar for the 2018-19 school year to be voted on at the December meeting. The calendar calls for the first day of school to be Aug. 14 with fall break Oct. 24 through 26, winter break Dec. 24 through Jan. 2, spring break March 25 through 29 and the final day May 23.
•Heard South Adams received $3,000 in mini grants from Adams County Community Foundation during its October grant cycle. That includes a $1,000 grant last month for a fifth grade field trip to Camp Friedenswald. The board was also updated that a fund for renovation of the precision machining facility through Adams County Community Foundation now has $24,900.
•Accepted the resignation of part-time preschool migrant student interventionist Yesenia Gerber.
•Learned from Litwiller that lead testing, which was conducted for free last month through a state program, found three sinks that had levels about the Environmental Protection Agency threshold of 15 parts per billion. It was recommended that those sinks have “for hand washing only” signs placed over them.
•Approved Caleb Sprunger as a volunteer wrestling coach.
•Gave the OK to field trips for precision machining students to shops in Celina and Coldwater, Ohio, and the FFA livestock judging team for Dec. 1 and 2 to Hoosier Beef Congress in Indianapolis, March 2 and 3 to Blackhawk College in Kewanee, Illinois, and April 20 and 21 to Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois.
•Heard form Litwiller that South Adams’ plan for virtual learning days that can be used in case of inclement weather.
•Learned from Litwiller that out of 95 staff members for the 2016-17 school year, 77 were rated as highly effective and 15 as effective. Three did not have evaluations finalized because they left the corporation for other jobs.
•Heard from student representative Becah Schwartz that the high school and middle school Christmas concerts are Dec. 12.
All Rights Reserved
BERNE — As the first phase of the South Adams High School renovation project winds down, the details of the second are taking shape.
South Adams School Board on Tuesday approved some additional work for the 2017 portion of the renovation and was updated on the priorities and timeline for the 2018 portion.
It also discussed a proposal that would change the state’s graduation requirements and held a public hearing on a two-year contract extension for superintendent Scott Litwiller.
Board members Arlene Amstutz, John Mann, Julie Mansfield, John Buckingham, Landon Patterson and Mitch Sprunger, absent Amy Orr, approved an additional $124,718 in 2017 spending to enclose the rest of the media center and to add more cabinets in the science classrooms.
The original scope of the project included adding a couple of new walls around the media center, which created “collaboration areas.” Litwiller noted that the decision was made not to enclose the area entirely in order to give staff and students an opportunity to gauge the effect of the changes. He noted Tuesday that the modifications have been well-received, leading to the desire to fully enclose the media center.
That work will require moving the information technology work area from the northeast corner of the media center to an unused space adjacent to a classroom on the south side of the high school.
Other work still to be completed in the first phase of the renovation includes fixing the floors in the science labs (scheduled for winter break), installing cabinets and other minor finishes.
South Adams still has nearly $73,000 left in the project fund, and Litwiller said he plans to have suggestions on how to spend that money at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
As for the 2018 project, Litwiller updated the board on priorities, the first of which will be renovating the classrooms on the southwest side of the media center. (Classrooms on the north and east sides of the media center were renovated this summer.) He recommended that the second priority be the former office area, which will be modified to be used for intense intervention classes, and the third will be the media center.
The next step in the process is slated for Dec. 12, when design-build partner Performance Services will present a proposed budget, scope and schedule for the 2018 work.
The board also heard from high school principal Trent Lehman and Litwiller about proposed graduation “pathways” proposed by an Indiana State Board of Education panel.
If approved by the state board, they would require that a student meet three requirements in order to graduate:
1) The standards for earning a diploma.
2) “Employability skills” through a work-, service- or project-based learning experience.
3) “Postsecondary-ready competency” through one of eight options, including earning an honors diploma, earning an industry credential or certification, performing an apprenticeship or achieving a specified score on the ACT, SAT or ASVAB (military placement) test.
Lehman expressed some concerns about the proposal, saying it could be difficult to get students to meet the first requirement if a “Core 40” diploma, which requires more math, science and social studies credits than a general diploma, is the standard. He also said the third requirement could pose a significant challenge for many students to become graduation eligible.
“I know the scores they’re proposing … that’s not going to be easy,” said Lehman.
The public hearing on Litwiller’s contract, which will be up for approval at the board’s next meeting, passed without comment. The proposal calls for a base salary of $107,500 and total compensation, including health insurance, life insurance, a 401(a) Plan and contribution to the teachers’ retirement fund, of $141,577.
In other business, the board:
•Honored the Allen County Athletic Conference champion volleyball and girls cross country teams, as well as individual ACAC cross country champions Kallee Patch and Wyatt Miller, as examples of excellence.
•Was presented with a proposed calendar for the 2018-19 school year to be voted on at the December meeting. The calendar calls for the first day of school to be Aug. 14 with fall break Oct. 24 through 26, winter break Dec. 24 through Jan. 2, spring break March 25 through 29 and the final day May 23.
•Heard South Adams received $3,000 in mini grants from Adams County Community Foundation during its October grant cycle. That includes a $1,000 grant last month for a fifth grade field trip to Camp Friedenswald. The board was also updated that a fund for renovation of the precision machining facility through Adams County Community Foundation now has $24,900.
•Accepted the resignation of part-time preschool migrant student interventionist Yesenia Gerber.
•Learned from Litwiller that lead testing, which was conducted for free last month through a state program, found three sinks that had levels about the Environmental Protection Agency threshold of 15 parts per billion. It was recommended that those sinks have “for hand washing only” signs placed over them.
•Approved Caleb Sprunger as a volunteer wrestling coach.
•Gave the OK to field trips for precision machining students to shops in Celina and Coldwater, Ohio, and the FFA livestock judging team for Dec. 1 and 2 to Hoosier Beef Congress in Indianapolis, March 2 and 3 to Blackhawk College in Kewanee, Illinois, and April 20 and 21 to Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois.
•Heard form Litwiller that South Adams’ plan for virtual learning days that can be used in case of inclement weather.
•Learned from Litwiller that out of 95 staff members for the 2016-17 school year, 77 were rated as highly effective and 15 as effective. Three did not have evaluations finalized because they left the corporation for other jobs.
•Heard from student representative Becah Schwartz that the high school and middle school Christmas concerts are Dec. 12.
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