December 5, 2017

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2017

6:30 p.m.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING



MINUTES


Present:  Trent Fox, President; John Adams, Vice President; Alice Gillis, Secretary; Tyce Stebbins, Member; Adam Williams, Member; Darin Gullion, Assistant Superintendent; and Reece Mann, Superintendent


  1. CALL TO ORDER


At 6:30 p.m. Board President, Trent Fox, called the meeting to order.



  1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE


A Project Hearing and Preliminary Determination Hearing was held.  No comments were received.  President Fox closed the hearings and resumed the regular business meeting.  



  1. AMEND AGENDA


A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Adam Williams to amend the agenda, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.



  1. MINUTES


A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by John Adams to accept the minutes of the business meeting and executive session held on Tuesday,  November 21, 2017.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.



  1. FINANCE


  1. A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Adam Williams to accept the list of vouchers, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  2. Purchases over $7500:


  1. None.


  1. A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the request to give the DelCom Foundation a check in the amount of $971.75, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.



  1. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR


Joseph Schmaltz, Principal at Albany Elementary School, stated we have 12 days left in the first semester which is hard to believe.  He said the kids and teachers are working hard.  They just started round two of NWEA testing and a lot of activities are coming up within the next few weeks.  He invited everyone to the Albany Christmas Program on Thursday, December 14th at 7:00 p.m. at Cornerstone Center for the Arts; Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; and An Albany Christmas on Sunday, December 10th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.


Doug Marshall, Principal at Delta Middle School, congratulated Ms. Camp and the students who participated in the musical last weekend.  He said they did a phenomenal job and had a great turnout both nights.   He informed everyone they completed NWEA testing last week and had a good showing and wanted to congratulate the students and staff.  The students did an excellent job.  He stated ELA held strong with 73% of students on track to pass ISTEP and 67% achieving typical or high growth, which is amazing.  He stated the students did an excellent job in math as well.  Achievement is up 8.7% in comparison to testing in the fall and 70% are on track to pass ISTEP.  He stated as far as growth in math, they had 70% of students showing typical or high growth which he is pretty excited about.  He said the teachers are working very hard in all departments and are making sure student achievement increases.  He informed everyone they’ve been doing book studies in English, language arts, and math.  The students have taken a lot of what they’ve been reading about and putting it into action in the classroom.  He stated the English and math teachers had one-on-one conferences with each student at the end of the first round of testing where they made sure the students understood why we do this and helped motivate them.  Mr. Marshall stated he did data talks with the students before the last round of testing.  He said teachers from other departments selected at least 10 of their students before they started testing and chatted them up about doing well.  He stated these types of the moments are important and he’s proud of everyone’s work.



Christopher Conley, Principal at Delta High School, informed everyone they are in the middle of retests for ISTEP+10 for juniors who didn’t pass their math or English tests last spring.  He stated Mr. Kile jumped into testing and threw them a life preserver when they were trying to get ready and they appreciate his help.  He stated they are also testing seniors in ECA.  This will be their next to last time to pass their ECA.  He informed everyone seniors have to pass ECA, juniors and this year’s sophomores have to pass ISTEP+10, and this year’s freshmen will have ILEARN.  He stated Senior Ball was last Saturday night at Cornerstone.  It was beautiful and lots of young people had a good time.  Mr. Conley stated he fan-girled Heaven Cansler, who is a singer.  He heard her song on 96.7 Friday night and Mr. Conley stated he literally screamed when he heard the song and then her name came up on the radio screen in his vehicle. He stated he was getting out of his car in the parking lot at Senior Ball and turned around and Heaven was getting out of her car.  Mr. Conley told her he wasn’t going to go completely nuts on her, but he heard her on the radio!  He stated she has 2 songs in rotation on 96.7 and she will be performing with Cook and Belle at Muncie Central on December 15th and 16th.  He commented she is a young lady with big dreams and a lot of talent.  He informed everyone the Holiday Concert for the middle and high school bands is Monday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Emens Auditorium.  



  1. SPECIAL PRESENTATION



  1. NEW BUSINESS


  1. Certified Staff


  1. None.


  1. Classified Staff


A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (items 1-2):


  1. Recommendation to employ Orval Lehman as a Will Call Substitute Bus Aide effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.


  1. Recommendation to employ Barbara Sharp as a Sub Bus Driver Trainee effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.


The motion was approved 5-0 vote.


  1. Extra-Curricular


  1. None.


  1. Conference Requests/Field Trips


A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by John Adams to approve the following (items 1-3):


  1. Reece Mann, Doug Marshall, Christy McGuire, Joe Schmaltz, and Chris Conley request permission to attend the IDOE Roadshow-Assessment/Accountability to be held on December 13, 2017 at the Grand Hall in Indianapolis, IN.


  1. Julie Brown requests permission to attend the PSUG Midwest PowerSchool Conference to be held from March 19, 2018 through March 21, 2018 at the Blue Chip Hotel in Michigan City, IN.


  1. Rebekah Weaver requests permission to attend the Indiana Music Education Association Professional Development Conference to be held from January 10, 2018 through January 13, 2018 at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, IN.


The motion was approved 5-0 vote.


  1. Information and Proposals


  1. Superintendent


  1. Mr. Mann informed the Board about the Employee Handbook-     (1st Reading), as presented.  


  1. Mr. Mann informed the Board about the Transportation Employee Handbook-(1st Reading), as presented.  


  1. A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the Addendums to the Administrative Contracts, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  2. Mr. Mann informed the Board about NEOLA Board Policy-Volume 30, Number 1-(1st Reading), as presented.


  1. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the Latchkey Program changes, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.


  1. A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Tyce Stebbins to approve classified pay increases, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.  


  1. Mr. Mann informed the Board about the following fundraisers:


  1. Seth Paul, Delta Baseball, requests permission to sell clothing through an online merchandise shop from December 5, 2017 through March 5, 2018, as presented.  Proceeds go towards merchandise reimbursement for equipment for the baseball program.


  1. Jen Kile and Lynde Bratton, Royerton PTO, request permission to sell Cool Cayenne clothing from January 5, 2018 through January 17, 2018 at Royerton Elementary School, as presented.  Proceeds go towards teacher grants.


  1. Jeri Harman, Mrs. Harman’s 5th Grade Students, requests permission to hold a “Week of Giving” from January 8, 2018 through January 12, 2018 at Royerton Elementary School, as presented.  Proceeds go towards Christian Ministries.


  1. Leslie Phillips, Mrs. Phillips’ Class, requests permission to sell candy canes from December 6, 2017 through December 20, 2017 at Eaton Elementary School, as presented.  Proceeds go towards field trips and expenses.



  1. Assistant Superintendent


A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (items 1-4):


  1. Use of Facilities:


  1. Brent Thomas, Royerton AAU Basketball, requests permission to use the Royerton Elementary gymnasium from December 6, 2017 through January 17, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to hold AAU Basketball, as presented.


  1. Alli Juskevice, Delta Cheer, requests permission to use the Delta High School auxiliary gym on January 29, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to hold a cheer clinic, as presented.


  1. Ed Pemberton, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use the Royerton Elementary gymnasium and cafeteria from March 19, 2018 through March 21, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to hold tryouts, as presented.


  1. Ed Pemberton, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use the Royerton Elementary cafeteria on        April 4, 2018 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to hold a draft, as presented.


The motion was approved 5-0 vote.


A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items b-c):


  1. Request for Delta High School to accept a donation in the amount of $100.00 from Vicki Reade and Ran-Del Agri Services, as presented.  


  1. Request for Delta High School to accept the donation of wood lockers, as presented.


The motion was approved 5-0 vote.



  1. LETTERS/NOTES



  1. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Adam Williams – Mr. Williams stated there was a lot of information presented today and he greatly appreciates the time spent by everyone in gathering the information and presenting it.  He thanked Mr. Kile for his presentation.  He stated Mr. Kile could probably speak on the information in his presentation for several hours to bring the Board up to speed.  Mr. Williams can see the excitement Mr. Kile has and stated a couple things he touched on are exciting.  He appreciates the work Mr. Kile is doing.  He stated Mr. Kile couldn’t be doing this without the principals, teachers, kids, and everyone buying in on the concept and it’s really exciting to see a dramatic shift.  Mr. Williams stated instead of trying to work harder, we are working smarter and harder and there are studies and proven methodologies to this and he is excited to see where this will go.  He thanked Mr. Kile for his time and what he is doing for our corporation.  He thanked Mr. Schmaltz for informing them about the Christmas Programs.  Mr. Williams stated he loves going to those and hopes everyone can get out to see them.

Tyce Stebbins – Mr. Stebbins stated Al Holdren, former Board Member, continues to direct Secret Families.  He thanked everyone involved from a community member standpoint.  He stated a lot of our community is involved with Secret Families and he’s sure several people in our community benefit from it as well.  He commented it has really blossomed and has been spectacular.  He’s proud to say he knows Mr. Holdren and proud so many people are involved in it and donate time, money, and energy in many different ways.  He feels it’s something everyone in our community should be proud of.  He thanked Mr. Holdren and the thousands of people who were involved. Mr. Stebbins stated Mr. Kile thanked all of our employees in his presentation.  He stated the buy-in thing going on in our school district is great, people love it here and love our community.  He stated it doesn’t take long for someone to grasp onto things and take it and run with it.  He stated to then feel the support of people behind them or those who are running with and/or for them is great.  Mr. Stebbins stated it seems when we have presentations, projects, or activities, the masses get involved and that is great to be a part of.  He stated it’s very easy to have Monday-Friday tunnel vision and to keep doing things the way you’ve always done them and thinking that’s just the way it’s going to be, etc.  He thinks as we look at our kids, things were a lot different than when we were kids because school business is evolving in different ways as far as financial, learning, technology, and even staffing standpoints.  He thanked everyone for seeing this and stated knowing what to change, stay the same, or evolve is the key.  Mr. Stebbins stated he knows people don’t like to have their name associated with donations sometimes, but he has some insight on the last donation.  He stated it goes back to the love of our community and the vision people have for certain projects.  He stated our community isn’t afraid to jump in, help out, and support something they love and he thanked everyone for that.

Alice Gillis – Ms. Gillis thanked Mr. Schmaltz and the Albany community for the fundraising event on Saturday to raise money for a family who she’s sure has to be in need and is in a terrible spot.  She hopes they did well and stated it was packed when she was there.  She stated sometimes we think one person can’t do much, but her neighbor Sue Dalton had a one day event for Secret Families and made over $7,000.00.  She stated our community should be very proud of Secret Families.  It’s been going well for several years and a great thing that involves a lot of people.  Ms. Gillis congratulated Delta Middle School for having great test results.  She stated it’s very exciting for Heaven Cansler, the singer at the high school, who is making her way out there.  She thanked Mr. Kile and stated his results are bringing together a lot of different people to accomplish something that needs to be done.  She stated it sounds like he’s getting support from everyone and that is important. Ms. Gillis stated something as large a scale as that is helping our corporation and is great.  She knows Mr. Kile is working hard.  

John Adams – Mr. Adams concurred with his fellow board members.  He thanked those who helped present the information necessary on the project.  He stated it takes time away from their families so the Board can have the right information to make proper decisions.  He commented it’s an exciting time in our corporation right now and a lot of things are going on.  He stated we are supporting our own, taking care of our own, doing the things necessary in the buildings with Mr. Kile’s leadership, and that’s good to hear.  He stated he is anxious to see the results, what works well, what doesn’t work well, and how we can improve as a school corporation.  He thanked everyone involved in making this happen.  He stated to please go out and support our kids if you can for the Christmas programs and concerts.  He stated the kids enjoy these and put a lot of time and effort in them to put on a good show.  He thanked Dr. Gullion and Mr. Mann for their time and effort on giving our employees a raise.  He stated the employees are very deserving of it and he’s glad they are able to do it.  Mr. Adams stated it’s a privilege to be able to sit up here and vote on that and do the best we can for the employees.


Trent Fox – Mr. Fox thanked everyone for being here.  He knows it was a long meeting with the Hearings and presentations.  He stated hopefully those who hadn’t seen the drawings for the high school yet, it appealed to them and has some merit now that they’ve seen it and know what we are looking at.  He stated they’ve been talking about it for a while now and are really excited.  He hopes it goes through and no one opposes so we can make the high school a better place.  He stated the science rooms need updated and he’s really excited for what this could bring for our kids and the opportunities for those who are really involved with science.  Mr. Fox thanked everyone for their commitments to our school.  He stated it’s a huge undertaking, but everyone has to be involved and supportive one way or another.  He commented that’s the only way we are going to grow and reach the kids we are trying to reach and hopefully make them better people along the way.  He appreciates the hard work and effort that goes into everything that’s done by everybody, not just a certain group, but all those that are part of our corporation.  Mr. Fox stated it’s an honor to be on a Board where you feel there’s a huge support system out there for everybody.  


  1. FUTURE MEETINGS


  1. A 2nd Project Hearing and Preliminary Determination Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.


  1. A regular meeting for the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, December 19, 2017 immediately following the Project Hearing and Preliminary Determination Hearing.



  1. ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Adam Williams and Board President, Trent Fox, adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m.







December 5, 2017



TRENT FOX                                               ___________________________


JOHN ADAMS                                                 ____________________________


ALICE GILLIS                                                   ____________________________


TYCE STEBBINS                                              ____________________________


ADAM WILLIAMS                                           ____________________________