Project planning

What’s next?

And what’s the financial capacity to do it?

Jay School Board got a first high-level view at those questions during its meeting Monday as it begins the process of considering potential capital improvement projects.

The meeting featured presentations from representatives of accounting and consulting firm Baker Tilly and architecture and engineering firm Barton Coe Vilamaa.

Lindsay Simonetto of Baker Tilly explained that multiple debt payments will be coming to an end over the next few years. The school corporation’s total debt service was $5.73 million in 2024, dips slightly to $5.6 million this year and in 2026, and is slated to fall to $4.85 million in 2027 and then $3.3 million in 2028. With bonds rolling off the debt service schedule, the school corporation can take on additional capital projects without increasing the total debt service amount or tax rate.

Based on her firm’s review, Simonneto said the board could bond up to $6.6 million for a “non-controlled” project — it would not be subject to a remonstrance — or up to $18.285 million for a project that would be subject to a remonstrance.

Barton Coe Vilamaa was tasked with conducting an overall evaluation of all of the school corporation’s schools and auxiliary buildings (such as the greenhouse at the junior-senior high school). As part of that process, a team of two architects, a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer examined all of the schools and other structures, took more than 13,000 photos and interviewed administrators, principals and other staff, said Barton Coe Vilamaa president Brian Bohlender.

The firm compiled a 406-page report that breaks down recommendations for each building, ranking items of high, medium and low importance, with cost estimates for each. For example, items of high priority for the junior-senior high include replacing wire glass with safety glass, updating handrails and guardrails that are not ADA compliant, upgrading kitchen equipment and resurfacing the north parking lot.

Gulley formed a committee made up of himself, school board members Marcie Vormohr and Aaron Clark, business manager Shannon Current, facilities director Gary Cagle and Bohlender to review the studies. The group will evaluate the data, develop preliminary options and present information and options to the board this spring.

Gulley expressed his feeling that it’s important to keep the tax rate steady, thus creating predictability for both the taxpayers and the school corporation. He also advocated for staying on top of upgrades to systems such as heating, ventilation and cooling systems rather than waiting to take action until after they fail. He noted that changes are sometimes needed as new programs are phased out and new ones are added.

“Programs change, curriculum changes,” he said.

Barton Coe Vilamaa also provided a building capacity study for the corporation’s elementary schools. By state law, school corporations are now required to do an annual review of buildings and determine whether any should be closed in the next year or subsequent years. The report shows the following capacities for Jay Schools’ elementary buildings:

Bloomfield — 375 capacity; 277 enrollment

East — 486 capacity; 398 enrollment

East Jay — 859 capacity; 536 enrollment

Redkey — 362 capacity; 184 enrollment

West Jay — 387 capacity; 222 enrollment

The board also reviewed a proposed timeline for repairs for the junior-senior high school following the September tornado. Gulley said he hopes to be able to advertise a first notice to bidders in early February, with bid opening on March 6 and the board potentially awarding the project at its March 17 meeting. Construction could begin at any point thereafter — the damaged portion of the building has been sealed off from the rest of the structure — with a goal of completion to allow students to return to their regular classrooms when school begins in early August. (Mobile classrooms will remain on site in case the construction is not complete by the scheduled first day of school.)

Board members Ron Laux, Donna Geesaman, Chip Phillips, Chad Towell, Jon Eads, Vormohr and Clark also approved $14,246.29 in expenditures related to the tornado. (Those costs have already been improved for reimbursement by the school corporation’s insurance company.)

Also approved Monday were various policy updates, including regarding student “personal communication devices,” such as cell phones. The policy requires high school students to leave devices in their locker or a designated place in the classroom during instructional time in most circumstances. Teachers may allow students to use devices for educational purposes. In most cases, elementary school and junior high students are expected to leave devices in their lockers (or backpacks for elementary school students).

“It’s pretty much what we’ve been doing,” said Gulley. “That’s what the policy says.”

A law passed by the Indiana General Assembly last year law passed by the 2024 General Assembly requires that school corporations adopt and implement a wireless communication device policy that, with some exceptions, prohibits students from using a wireless communication device such as a cell phone during instructional time.

In other business, the board:

•During the Patriot Pride moment, honored the Jay County High School girls wrestling team. Mallory Winner, Katie Rowles, Lina Lingo and Brenna Ruble won state medals Friday in the inaugural IHSAA Girls Wrestling State Finals in Corteva Coliseum at Indiana State Fairgrounds. The Patriots finished sixth at the state finals. Winner capped her career as a four-time state champion, having won the tournament sponsored by the coaches association the previous three years.

•Voted to continue its policy of holding a planned two-hour delay once per quarter for professional development.

•Approved the following: the hiring of Lifeskills instructional assistants Lillyan Holliday and Kimberly Pinkerton and resource instructional assistant Samantha Nunez; a leave of absence for special education teacher Julie Szymczak for two weeks in February and field trips for JROTC students to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., and a competition in Kentucky; and year-end transfers as required to keep fund balances positive.

•Heard a reminder from Gulley that the board was testing its recording system during the meeting. The recording has been posted at jayschoolcorp.org. (Livestreaming and recording of meetings will be required by state law beginning July 1.)

•Appointed Jessica Cook to another term on the Jay County Public Library Board. Also appointed Emily Jessup to to Dunkirk Public Library Board to fill the seat vacated by Connie Retter. Both will serve four-year terms.

•Heard the financial report, which showed positive cash flows of $347,434 in the education fund and $1.76 million in the operation fund for 2024.

•Received required reports regarding receipts, expenditures, investments, obligations and encumbrances as well as financial data for each school.

•Noted guidelines regarding safety for inclement weather, given the current frigid weather. Schools were closed Monday because of the cold weather. Gulley called a two-hour delay for today’s classes and said he and other staff would re-evaluate this morning.