SOUTHERN WELLS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
BOARD AGENDA
Elementary Media Center
Executive Sessions Before and After
Public Meeting 5 PM
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
EXECUTIVE SESSION: An executive session was at 4 PM as allowed by Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-6.1 (2)(b) Initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing. As used in this clause, “litigation” includes any judicial action or administrative law proceeding under federal or state law.
PUBLIC MEETING:The public meeting was opened at 5:03 PM by President Kevin Scott. Others present were Vice-President Aaron Westfall, Secretary Mark Durham, Liaison Todd Fiechter, Superintendent Steve Darnell, corporation treasurer Vicki Andrews, corporation secretary Robin Minniear, maintenance supervisor Ryan King, elementary principal Cari Whicker, Pamela Beckford of the United Way, and Glen Werling of the Bluffton News-Banner.
Several members of the public from the Pennville community were also in attendance.
I.MEETING ORGANIZATION:
1. Approve Agenda
Motion: Scott
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
2. United Way Presentation: Pamela Beckford addressed the board and explained the Kindergarten Countdown program which is in the second year at Southern Wells and will run July 10-August 4. Twenty at-risk incoming kindergarten students will be invited to participate and United Way provides funding for two certified teacher, transportation, and all the necessary supplies.
3. Approve Minutes: May 16
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
II.FINANCIAL ITEMS:
- Claims
Motion: Westfall
Second: Fiechter
Vote: 4-0
- Financial Reports, Bank Reconciliation, Credit Card Statement
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
- FFA Donation Acceptance: Donations following the St. Louis theft of the FFA touring group were received from Jacqueline Frieda ($25) and Holland Law Firm ($250).
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
III.COMMUNITY INPUT: Members of the Pennville community were present to find out if the board will continue to send transportation into Jay County for their students. Blackford, Jay and Huntington superintendents have raised controversy since the SW board made the decision to send transportation into those neighboring districts. After assuring the parents that all decisions would be made with the welfare of students at heart, the board members said action would be undertaken later in the meeting.
IV.ACTION ITEMS:
1. PERSONNEL: Mr. Darnell, Superintendent,Mr. Chad Yencer, HS Principal, Mrs. Cari Whicker, ES Principal, and Mr. Robert Mangus, AD,recommend that the Board approve the following personnel changes as outlined.
Resignation Acceptance
Chad Yencer, as junior-senior high school principal
Jason Welch, as secondary language arts instructor
Mrs. Cari Whicker, ES Principal, recommends the acceptance of the following resignation:
Due to unforeseen personal circumstances, I will not be able to accept the teaching position for next year. I apologize for the inconvenience and am deeply saddened by this turn of events. Thank you for the opportunity. I will put the keys and Miss. Johnson’s welcome packet in the mail and you should receive them sometime next week.
Thank you,
Haley Goodpaster
Motion: Westfall
Second: Fiechter
Vote: 4-0
Background Information
Rebecca Miner has asked that she be paid for her total years of service in education as we are currently paying other people. Currently, she is paid at a bachelor level, 7 years of experience. She is actually a bachelor level, 12 years of teaching. This would move her salary from $36,983 to $39,825. I checked on her record. When she entered, she came at the same time Joel Roush came. He was paid for his current years’ experience, and she was not. For whatever reason, she was not compensated equally.
Recommendation
Superintendent Darnell recommends Rebecca Miner's salary be adjusted to $39,825 as the base for the 2017-18 school year with any salary adjustment for performance in 2016-17 added for the 2017-18 year.
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
Recommendation
I would like to recommend to the board that we hire Spencer Sharp for the STEM position at Southern Wells Elementary School at $34,500. He has a wide variety of computer skills, completed several STEM projects during his student teaching, and had wonderful recommendations from his referrals. Spencer is a team player and people-person, he will do a great job as we organize this new position in working with our core teachers to coordinate science curriculum.
Thank you,
Cari Whicker
Motion: Fiechter
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
Summer School Adjustment recommendations were received from Superintendent Steve Darnell as follows:
Superintendent recommends bus drivers paid three hours daily for 20 days (previously approved for two hours daily).
Superintendent recommends Abby McClain, special education teacher, be paid 24 hours at the rate of individual daily rate/6 hours. (New)
Superintendent recommends Amy Hunt, special education instructional assistant, be paid 60 hours at $12.04/hour. (New)
Motion: Fiechter
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
JH Cheer Coach, Heather Kinsey
Maternity Leave Request, Sydney Walter, Sept. 18-January 4 Anticipated dates
Concessions, Monica Edgeman
Curtis Garwood, with 8 years of experience, assigned to secondary social studies at $37,570
Leigh Lieurance, with 20 years of experience, assigned to 1st grade in elementary at $46,826
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
2. CTE Area 18 Agreement – Proposed/CTE Board Approved Changes to Agreement: Mr. Darnell related that the Area 18 Career and Technical Education Cooperative, between Adams and Wells schools, plus Jay, Blackford and Huntington schools, had voted at a recent meeting to change its bylaws. Those bylaws, which must be approved by each member schools’ board, states that a corporation is “not to provide any school transportation services within other participating school corporations’ boundaries”. In addition, the change gives the Area 18 board the right to vote out any school district by a two-thirds majority vote of the full administrative board.
Mr. Darnell noted that these changes still have to be approved by the Indiana Department of Education and he didn’t think that would happen before the 2017-18 school year. The agreements are currently being reviewed by each school district with many waiting on their own attorney or the State review before making a decision.
Mr. Scott noted, “I think this was a knee-jerk reaction to punish us for doing something that we believed was in the best interest of our students.” He also stressed that we did not seek out the students but were approached by the parents.
Mr. Westfall recommended tabling any decision and that the superintendents’ action disenfranchised voters in their districts by trying to make it more difficult for them to send their students to the school of choice.
Mr. Fiechter noted that parents of 250 students from other districts already choose to send their children here, without any solicitation on our part. “They see the value of sending their kids here.”
3. 2017-18 HS AND ES FEES AND HANDBOOKS – Approved on 2ndReading
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
4.COURSE DESCRIPTION GUIDE AND PROGRAM OF STUDIES – Approved on 2nd Reading
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
5. APPROVE SURPLUS ITEMS FOR DISPOSAL: Computer tables, computers, regular tables, work bench, Clarke floor scrubber with charger, paper filing holders, books, VHS tapes, chalk boards, student desks (broken), projector, rack of folding chairs, round wooden tables, wooden chairs, 6’ wooden tables, four-foot wooden table, circulation counter and extension, book cases and study carrels, upholstered chairs, teacher desks.
Motion: Westfall
Second: Scott
Vote: 4-0
6. APPROVAL OF BOARD DOCS USE
Recommendation
Superintendent Darnell recommends the purchase and use of Board Docs for use with development and delivery of School Board packets for scheduled meetings. Using Board Docs will allow classified and certified staff to construct packets electronically using the cloud-based governance software. Attached is full explanation of the software and features available to Board members, staff, and the public in use of the software.
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
7. BUILDING TRADES BOARD APPOINTMENTS: Southern Wells Building Trades, Inc. Board of Directors (SWBT) shall be appointed by the Board of School Trustees of Southern Wells Community Schools. The following individuals are recommended for appointment to the SWBT effective June, 2017:
Kevin Lemler, David Meeks, Kevin Sills, Rick Ramseyer, Dan Perry, board representative Mark Durham
Appointed treasurer: Vicki Andrews
Motion: Westfall
Second: Fiechter
Vote: 4-0
8. APPROVE APPOINTMENT OF LEGAL COUNSEL, ParrRichey Frandsen Patterson Kruse of Lebanon, IN
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
9. REQUEST FOR SMALL CLAIMS SUBMISSIONS: Permission was granted to submit accounts to the Wells County Small Claims Court for unpaid 2016-17 textbooks after all collection efforts are exhausted.
Motion: Fiechter
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
10. WWTP PROPOSALS UPDATE – Withdrawn as the interlocal agreement was not available.
It is anticipated that John Brooke, Montpelier City Attorney, will provide a recommended interlocal agreement between SWCS and the City of Montpelier for discussion at the meeting. Included in the package are three items: proposals from Triad, Commonwealth, and a cost analysis performed by Mr. Fiechter that demonstrates the cost savings of the Montpelier hookup option.
11. INFRARED SCAN OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ROOF
Background Information
In anticipation of work being done to replace the aging roof at the high school, the need to determine the extent of the replacement is required. This infrared process will determine the extent of moisture penetration within the roof insulation. Results from this examination of the roof will help determine the extent of tear off and replacement versus cover and repair.
Superintendent Darnell recommends approval of the Etica Group proposal to perform an infrared scan of the Southern Wells High School roof for $2,750.
Motion: Durham
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
12. CONFERENCE REQUESTS:Mr. Yencer, HS Principal, and Mr. Bobby Mangus, Activities Director, recommendapproval of the following conference requests:
Steve Stauffer, Ag Teacher Workshop
Chris Mossburg and Gwen McElhaney, Service Management Training and Food Safety in Schools
Sydney Walter, ArtEdNow
Chase Anderson, Monice Edgeman, Mark Gates, Chelle Gates, IATCCC Cross Country Clinic
Motion:Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
13. FIELD TRIP REQUEST: Mr. Yencer, HS Principal, and Mr. Bobby Mangus, Athletic Director, recommend approval of the following field trips:
Cross Country Camp, Salamonie Reservoir, July 17-20, and Terre Haute July 20-21
JH Cross Country, Ouabache State Park, July 7-8
Girls’ Varsity Basketball, Kings Island, July 13
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
V.SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT:
Superintendent Darnell explained that to meet state requirements, the adult breakfast price must be increased from $1.75 to $1.80.
Motion: Fiechter
Second: Westfall
Vote: 4-0
Update on Summer Projects: Ryan King, maintenance director, gave an update on the many summer renovations, including general summer cleaning and painting, HS library renovation and blind replacement, asphalt and concrete replacement, and plans for the stage and athletic floor sanding and resealing, cafeteria sound system and stage curtain replacement.
VI. SIGNING OF DOCUMENTS:
VII. ADJOURNMENT:The meeting was adjourned at 6:35 PM.The signatures below certify that only those items permitted by Indiana Code were discussed in the executive sessions.
Motion: Westfall
Second: Durham
Vote: 4-0
EXECUTIVE SESSION: An executive session was held immediately following the public session as allowed by Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-6.1(9) to discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees. This subdivision does not apply to a discussion of the salary, compensation, or benefits of employees during a budget process.
MARK DURHAMTODD FIECHTER
KEVIN SCOTT
AARON WESTFALL
SOUTHERN WELLS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, BOARD OF SCHOOL TRUSTEES