Schools update COVID plan

With new guidance from the state, Jay School Corporation updated its plan Monday for responding to changes in the level of community spread of COVID-19.

The board also held its public hearing for the corporation’s 2021 budget, capital project plan and bus replacement plan.

Indiana State Department of Health has implemented a color-coded dashboard that rates counties based on its number of new cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents and the percentage of tests that are coming back positive. The ratings break down to four levels of community spread — minimal (blue), moderate (yellow), moderate-to-high (orange) and high (red).

Jay County is currently in the “minimal” range, though Jay County Health Department administrator and environmentalist Heath Butz reported at the meeting that it is creeping toward “moderate.”

The board on Monday approved Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley’s plan of action.

It lays out what the school corporation will do, based on the state recommendations, if the county remains in the minimal range or moves into the moderate, moderate-to-high or high ranges. The plan breaks down as follows:

•Minimal — Schools will remain open and extracurriculars will follow the current guidelines.

•Moderate — Schools will remain open with an increased focus on precautions such as mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene. Extracurriculars will follow the current guidelines.

•Moderate-to-high — Corporation will consider transitioning Jay County Junior-Senior High School to a hybrid model (50% occupancy). Elementary schools will remain open with an increased focus on precautions such as mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene. Extracurriculars will continue but attendance will be limited to participants and their families.

•High — The junior-senior high school will shift to remote learning. Elementary schools will be considered for a hybrid model (50% occupancy). Extracurricular activities will be suspended.

The corporation has had a similar plan in place since July. Monday’s update brings the specifics in line with the updated state rating system.

Indiana State Department of Health makes weekly updates to county ratings, releasing them to the public each Wednesday. Gulley said any changes to school procedures would be announced Thursday and implemented Friday.

“This is not theoretical. This has happened,” said Gulley, noting the shutdown of classes at nearby Delta, Blackford and Bellmont. “You can drive 30 minutes and find this happening in school districts. So we have to be ready.”

Board members Phil Ford, Ron Laux, Krista Muhlenkamp, Jason Phillips, Donna Geesaman and Mike Shannon voted in favor of the plan with Chris Snow dissenting.

Snow specifically asked Butz about the elimination of the powderpuff football game as part of spirit night activities during Jay County High School’s homecoming week. Butz responded that the health department recommended not holding the game because safer options were available.

“Our goal is we want to so as much as we can do but we also want to do it safely,” said Butz.

Business manager Tarinna Morris presented the 2021 budget of $37,002,096, which is down about $2 million from the current year. The bulk of the reduction is in the education fund, which is down by $1.259 million.

Fund totals for 2021 are as follows: education – $20.5 million; operation – $10.21 million; debt service – $5.03 million; pension bond – $892,783; rainy day – $500,000.

The capital project plan, which looks at spending on projects of $10,000 or more over the next three years, includes $200,000 for roof replacement each year as well as $250,000 for the Redkey Elementary School parking lot in 2022, $200,000 for the East Elementary kitchen in 2022 and $200,000 for parking lot work in 2023.

The bus replacement plan calls for seven new buses in 2021, seven in 2022, three in 2023, three in 2024 and seven in 2025. Jay School Corporation generally replaces buses after 12 years.

Board members unanimously approved budget-related resolutions to allow Morris to reduce appropriations for 2020 to fund the 2021 budget, as necessary; set up procedures for expenditures for spending from the rainy day fund, requiring board approval; and allow for $2.8 million to be transferred from the education fund to the operation fund.

The board is scheduled to vote on approval of the budget at its Oct. 19 meeting.

Also approved on a 6-1 vote with Snow dissenting was continued participation in Indiana Bond Bank’s fuel budgeting program. The program allows local government units to pool together in an effort to budget more effectively for fuel costs.

In other business, the board:

•Heard from Jay County Junior-Senior High School librarian Cathy Fugiett during the Patriot Pride moment. She reported that 700 students had checked out materials from the revamped school library in the first six days of school. “I am blown away with how much (the library) is being used,” she said.

•Approved the following: hiring art instructors Nicole Henson (Redkey and Westlawn elementary schools) and Eric Hemmelgarn (Bloomfield and East elementary schools), driver education instructor Nichole Myers, secretary/instructional assistant Erica Swingley (East Elementary), RTI instructional assistant Emily Rammel (East) and JCHS assistant wrestling coach Bruce Wood; naming Ford, Geesaman and Phillips to the negotiating committee; and a leave of absence for instructional assistant Tina Cavanaugh.

•Accepted the resignations of art instructor Kayla Rowles and student council sponsor and elementary intramural basketball coach Catherine Berno.

•Heard from Gulley that enrollment numbers have not yet been finalized but that he expects them to be down slightly more than anticipated because of the coronavirus pandemic.