Learning continues

“Our teachers are teaching. Our kids are learning,” Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley told school board members Monday.

Though Jay Schools are closed for a month in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, teachers and students are making use of e-learning to assure continuity in the educational process.

“To our parents, I would say, patience is my counsel. This is unprecedented. We need to be patient with one another,” said Gulley.

Educational continuity, providing meals to students — even with schools closed — and “taking care of our employees” are the priorities Gulley has identified.

“Last week I asked teachers to prepare three days of e-learning,” he said. “We’re in day oOne.”

On a 6-0 vote, board members Phil Ford, Mike Shannon, Chris Snow, Jason Phillips, Krista Muhlenkamp and Donna Geesaman, with Ron Laux absent, approved a resolution retroactively granting Gulley the authority to close schools “as deemed necessary and appropriate” and continue to take whatever actions he deems necessary to assist employees and students in the face of COVID-19.

That includes a system for providing school lunches even though school is not in session.

“Our plan is still in effect,” Gulley said.

Beginning Wednesday, “grab and go” lunches will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays at Bloomfield, Westlawn and Redkey elementary schools, the former Pennville Elementary School, East Jay Middle School and Jay County High School. Because of federal guidelines, the student must be present in order to receive a meal.

Gulley said he is working on plans to have meals available during spring break as well.

“I expect we will have additional guidance,” Gulley said. “And that is very dynamic right now.”

During the month-long school closing, there will be an emphasis on communication.

“Our goal is to have steady communication with our parents and our community,” Gulley said. “We’re focusing on a week at a time.”

On a 5-0 vote with Muhlenkamp abstaining, the board awarded the contract for renovations to the West Jay Middle School building to Muhlenkamp Building Corporation, Coldwater, Ohio, at a total cost of $1,175,500.

Muhlenkamp, which is already in the process of renovation work at other buildings involved in consolidation, submitted the low bid for the work. Its bid was about $300,000 below a bid from J.G. Bowers Inc., Marion.

Once the work is done, the middle school building will be re-born as West Jay Elementary School for the 2021-22 school year.

In other business, the board:

•Accepted new band equipment for JCHS. The school corporation will pay $20,047, The Portland Foundation is providing $66,000 and Jay County Band Boosters will raise the balance of the $100,732 needed.

•Hired Clint Littler as a custodian, Amber Yadon as assistant junior high principal, Catherine Berno as assistant principal at East Jay Elementary School, Spencer Tonner as an athletic trainer and Christine Addington and Nichole Myers as driver education teachers.

•Accepted the resignations of library instructional assistant Becky Bailey, crossing guard Abigail Chapman, administrator Andrew Schmit and athletic trainer Rita Bollenbacher.

•Suspended Rita Bollenbacher without pay from her position as an athletic trainer.

•Approved leaves of absence for instructional assistants Tina Cavanaugh and Leah Shannon.

•Approved extracurricular assignments for Catera Gierhart as JCHS assistant softball coach, Ryan Smitley as West Jay assistant wrestling coach, Shelby Caylor as Just Say No sponsor at General Shanks Elementary School and Lori DeRome as yearbook sponsor at General Shanks.

•Accepted the extracurricular resignations of boys basketball coach Chris Krieg and assistant boys golf coach Zach Fullenkamp.

•Approved a bus request from The Rock youth group.