West Central Board approves teacher contracts

Details

Published: Monday, 09 January 2017 21:55

FRANCESVILLE - The West Central School Board approved its teacher contracts at its monthly meeting Jan. 5.

Teacher salary is based upon 2015-16 evaluations, which is based upon the state ISTEP and state assigned letter grades for schools. This information was released by the state in December.

During the school board's annual reorganization procedures, Bonnie Koebcke administered the oath of office to Dennis Gutwein, Jonathan Gutwein, Mandy Sharpe and Jeff Tanner.

The board members filled out annual conflict of interest forms as required by law.

Jeff Lowry was elected president of the school board, Todd Miller was elected vice president and Jim Bergens was elected secretary.

Pamela Ledford was appointed corporation treasurer for the 2017 school year. Bonnie Koebcke was appointed assistant treasurer, Monica Franscoviak as extra-curricular treasurer, and Edward Dumas as school corporation attorney

In other business, the board voted to approve the fees for driver’s education for the 2017 summer session, as presented. In-corporation students will be charged $250 while out-of-corporation students will be charged $350. In addition, a $25-fee will be paid to Driving Brilliance for the online course

Superintendent Don Street presented the reduction of 2016 appropriations that more accurately reflect expenditures from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2016. The board voted to reduce the 2016 transportation fund appropriations by $57,915; and the 2016 general fund appropriations by $448,000.

The board also voted to transfer $150,000 to the rainy day Fund from the capital projects fund and $30,000 from the transportation fund, and $10,000 from the bus replacement fund.

Next the board voted to transfer $10,000 to the textbook fund from the debt service fund for reimbursement of unreimbursed textbook expenses.

Street reviewed the 2017 approved budget with the board.

Street also reported on the following:

• Based upon a survey, 85 percent of West Central students have internet access at home. This data will be taken into account if e-learning days must be used. All make-up days would be utilized before e-learning is used.
• Based upon recent communication from the federal level, it appears that Title I funding will be cut significantly across the country because of a shortfall of money at the federal level.
• Board members were presented with their Indiana School Boards Association (ISBA) membership certificate for 2017.
• State Rep. Doug Gutwein has co-authored House Bill 1143 that would reestablish a small school grant for school corporations. This bill would financially help small and rural schools such as West Central and replace state financial support that was taken away a few years ago from the general fund.

Personnel Items:

The board approved the resignations of high school secretary Valerie McKay, head varsity baseball coach Mike McKay, Candace Hivley of Cooperative School Services

The board approved the retirement of Jodena Schlatter from the Title 1 program.

Approval was given for the employment of Vickey Thompson as high school secretary, Natalie Wenzel as eighth-grade girls basketball coach, Tonya Wall as seventh-grade girls basketball coach, David Allen as head varsity baseball coach, Ralph Sharpe as assistant baseball coach, and Katie Bulington for Cooperative School Services. (Mandy Sharpe abstained from the vote.)

A leave of absence was approved for  Courtney Rausch, a personal leave for Feb. 2-7

Conference requests were approved for the following, as presented:

• AdvancED Team - Jan. 17-18 - Marcia Kennedy
• AdvancED Site Visit – Jan. 22-25 - Lorie Zellers
• BPA State Convention - March 12-14 - Joanne Stevens

The board approved a field trip request for Business Professionals of America - March 12-14 for Joanne Stevens and eight students.

Principal Reports:

Elementary school principal Dan Zylstrainformed the board that the elementary school will soon hold its Accelerated Reader Contest kickoff. Miss Straus will bring the High School band over to help us celebrate the theme, Reading Under the Stars.

Mrs. Gutwein’s first-grade class will go to Parkview Haven to read with the residents.

On Jan. 11 and 12 the school will hold its Perfect Attendance Lunch celebration for grades K-5, honoring those students who were neither absent nor tardy during the second quarter of 2016-17.

On Jan. 17 and 20, Mrs. DeRoo has arranged for a stringed instrument demonstration. Every class in grades 2-5 will have a 40-minute session with a group of string teachers. Each child will be given the opportunity to play his/her own string orchestra instrument and learn the basics of how it works.

Unit Leaders will attend a presentation on science textbooks for the 2016-17 science textbook adoption.

Staff spent some time Jan. 3 continuing to do AdvancED work on the self-assessment and working to better understand the digital portal for student data in the math program. They will use further time in January to prepare for Textbook adoption and continue to build their skills on the new math program.

Middle/high school principal Pat Culpreported that the Indiana Department of Education recently visited West Central Middle School. The purpose of the visit was to support the middle school in its continued improvement efforts. The IDOE visit consisted of interviews with the administration and staff and classroom observations. The visit was fruitful, and the DOE highlighted two specific areas of strength in the middle school. Those two areas of strength where the “Step Up to Writing” program currently implemented in grades 6-8 and the strong relationships built within the building between students and staff.

On Thursday, Jan. 19, all current eighth-graders and their parents are invited to freshmen orientation. Students and parents will have the opportunity to begin preparations for high school, including obtaining information on academic courses, CTE courses, financial aid, and other important information.

The Christmas concert originally scheduled for Dec. 19 is now re-scheduled for Monday, Jan. 23. Students from the band and the choir are excited about performing. The performance will start at 6:30 in the high school cafeteria.

As of Jan. 4, students in the Trojan Opportunity Academy (TOA) have earned 24 credits. Courses in the TOA room are online and supervised by a certified teacher, Laura Stout. Students earning credits are either re-taking courses or enrolled in enrichment courses. All the credits earned help students towards the goal of graduation.

Special Sessions:

Also on Jan. 5, the school board held a board of finance session and an executive session.

Mandy Sharpe was elected president of the board of finance, and Jeff Tanner as secretary. School corporation treasurer Pamela Ledford was designated as the investing officer.

Lake City Bank, Medaryville Branch, and Alliance Bank, Francesville Branch, were designated as depositories for the year.

The board approved a motion to declare the listing of outstanding and unpaid checks from West Central School Corporation.

The board met in executive session to train school board members with an outside consultant about the performance of the role of the members as public officials.