Contract awarded for East

A $2.5-million renovation project at East Elementary School received a green light Monday from Jay School Board, with school officials noting that a chunk of that amount is intended to make the school safer.

Muhlenkamp Building Corporation, Coldwater, Ohio, was awarded the contract for the East Elementary work with a total price tag of $2,532,114. Board approval came on a 6-0 vote, with board member Krista Muhlenkamp abstaining.

Most of the work will involve converting the formerly open concept building into classrooms to house students in kindergarten through second grade as part of the consolidation of elementary classes due to declining enrollment. General Shanks Elementary School will undergo much less work to become a grade three through five school.

Part of the East Elementary project — weighing in at $375,000 of the Muhlenkamp bid — involves switching the locations of the media center and the school office in order to improve security.

“We’re in a new era now,” said superintendent Jeremy Gulley.

The East work will be funded by a bond issue.

Major changes to the parking lot and traffic flow at East are also planned, though those were not part of the contract awarded Monday.

Board members gave 7-0 approval to having McGuff Roofing Inc., Muncie, repair nearly 25,000 square feet of roof at East Jay Middle School at a cost of $240,310. McGuff was low bidder on the project, which will be paid for with some of the savings from last year’s refinancing of construction bonds.

The board also unanimously authorized business manager Brad DeRome to investigate the replacement of eight school buses and purchasing one additional bus. DeRome said the buses to be replaced range in mileage from 173,000 to 268,000 miles. He’ll bring bids back to the board at its April meeting.

In other business, the board:

•Approved a list of 2018 summer school classes as proposed by curriculum director Trent Paxson.

•Reviewed the 2019 budget adoption schedule with DeRome, noting that the board will be asked for permission to advertise the budget on Aug. 6, a public hearing will be held Aug. 20 and adoption is set for Sept. 17.

•Hired Jane Brewer as a food service cook and Paulette Wagner as a bus driver.

•Accepted the resignation of bus driver Nicole Stiles.

•Approved leaves of absence for bus driver Mike Hirschy, transportation secretary Karen Hirschy, third grade teacher Tamra Shawver and bus driver Lois Ridgway-Weekly.

•Approve extracurricular assignments for Ivan Hemmelgarn as assistant wrestling coach at East Jay, Joe Imel as assistant football coach at JCHS, Whitney Gray as assistant boys’ golf coach at JCHS and Ryan Smitley as assistant wrestling coach at West Jay.

•Approved field trips by JCHS Spanish students, JCHS service club members, JCHS history students, Spanish Club, JCHS thespians and the Jay County robotics team.