Seeking proposals

Management of custodial and maintenance services will remain in house, but Jay Schools will look outside for management of its food service.

Jay School Board on Monday voted to solicit proposals for food services management.

The board also approved pursuing the purchase of eight new buses and gave superintendent Jeremy Gulley permission to pursue a lease agreement for the former Judge Haynes Elementary School building.

Gulley told Jay School Board that he had previously decided against recommending outside management of custodial and maintenance services and had communicated that decision both to the board and employees.

But on the topic of food service, he said estimates show shifting to outside management would save the school corporation about $200,000 annually.

“There are definite advantages to getting the efficiencies of bulk purchase and so on,” said Gulley.

As part of his recommendation, he said employees who are eligible to retire through the Public Employees' Retirement Fund will be retained as Jay School Corporation employees. Those who are vested in PERF would retain their eligibility and those who have not would still retain access to the annuity portion of the program.

Gulley said that as part of the agreement it will be assured that no food service employee will lose their job or have a drop in pay.

He added that sick days will be bought out at a graduated rate for any employee with more than five years of service. He estimated that will cost the corporation about $17,000.

Board members Phil Ford, Mike Shannon, Donna Geesaman, Krista Muhlenkamp, Ron Laux, Kristi Betts and Chris Snow granted permission to seek proposals. As part of the process, Jay Schools must submit documents regarding its intent to shift to an outside food service management company to Indiana Department of Education by May 1. The goal would then be to seek approval of an agreement with a company this summer.

The board also agreed to allow transportation director Teresa Myers to pursue the purchase of eight new buses through the State Purchasing Program. The eight buses are 2005 models ranging in mileage from 189,600 to 237,000. The purchases are part of the corporation’s regular rotation.

Myers plans to bring a recommendation for purchase to the May meeting, with buses to be delivered in the late fall. Jay Schools has a total of 55 buses.

The board also hired Melissa Stephen as its new transportation director to take over for the retiring Myers. Stephen will step into the role June 29.

Also Monday, the board granted Gulley permission to work out a lease agreement for the former Judge Haynes building with Community Development Institute Head Start for use for its migrant educational program. The building, which closed as an elementary at the end of the 2017-18 school year, would be used primarily for preschool children through the Head State program.

CDI proposed leasing part of the building — seven classrooms, three offices, the kitchen and boys and girls restrooms — for $11,667 per month.

Gulley and board members emphasized that as part of the agreement, the school corporation will not be responsible for any costs related to building maintenance or repair.

In other business, the board:

•Recognized the recent makeover at Redkey Elementary School through the Indiana Student Education Association Outreach to Teach program as a Patriot Pride moment. The organization made up of college students pursing teaching degrees chooses one school each year for such a project. About 200 volunteers were at the school April 6 to work on projects, including painting the gym, hallways and playground equipment.

•Hired Karley Reid as Jay County High School volleyball coach, replacing the retiring Fred Medler, and extended the contracts of football coach Tim Millspaugh and girls basketball coach Kirk Comer through the 2020-21 school year. Also approved extracurricular assignments for Olivia Cash as assistant gymnastics coach and East Jay Middle School cheer coach, and Don Denney as West Jay Middle School golf coach. Also accepted the resignation of Travis Theurer as middle school football coach.

•Heard from Gulley that the school corporation’s enrollment ticked up by 12 students from last month. He said he still sees the overall trend headed downward, but he wanted to share the positive news.

•Approved a series of policy updates on topics includes leaves of absence, employment of personnel for extracurricular activities and background checks.

•Hired Nicholas Raines as a second-shift custodian (West Jay Middle School). Also approved leaves of absence for Barbara Louck, Yvonne Thomas, Melinda McWilliams, Lisa Swink, Jeff Hess and Krista Wellman. And accepted the resignations of second grade teacher Lauren Budde (East Elementary School), instructional assistant Brandy Shannon (General Shanks and Bloomfield elementary schools) and custodians Kevin Degler, Shelly Rines, Russell Hartman and Richard Raines.

•Heard from Gulley that five law enforcement agencies from Jay, Blackford and Adams counties are attending School Shield training for school security.

•Approved field trips for the West Jay Middle School archery team to Louisville, Kentucky, for the national competition in May, Foreign Language Club students to Cedar Point on June 6 and German students to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, in May.

•OK’d the following: Bus use requests from The Rock Church for trips to Bethel College in June; a contract with Curtis & Livers Consulter for special education consulting services; and accepting donations, including $500 to West Jay Middle School from Farmer’s National for after-school activities.