February 6, 2023

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2023

6:30 p.m. 

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

MINUTES

Present:  John Adams, President; Adam Williams, Vice President; Lance Engle, Secretary; Alice Gillis, Member; Valerie Alexander, Member; Darin Gullion, Assistant Superintendent; and Greg Kile, Superintendent

  1. CALL TO ORDER

At 6:30 p.m. Board President, John Adams called the meeting to order.

  1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

  1. AMEND AGENDA

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

  1. MINUTES

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to accept the minutes of the business meeting held on Monday, January 9, 2023.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. FINANCE

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to accept the list of vouchers as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Purchases over $5000:

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

  1. E-Solutions FS $8,673.24

(remote reader module)

  1. AdTec OP $11,770.00

(E-Rate Agreement)

  1. Smekens ESSER III $32,261.00

(Elementary PD)

  1. Boyce OP $45,206.00

(Software and Subscription Agreement)

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Valerie Alexander and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve SA5’s, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Dr. Gullion gave a Monthly Finance Review.

  1. UPDATES FROM PRINCIPALS/DIRECTORS

  1. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

No comments were received.

  1. NEW BUSINESS

  1. Certified Staff

  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the recommendation to reassign Bowen Runyon, Speech Language Pathologist at Royerton Elementary School, effective for the 2023-24 school year.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Classified Staff

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the retirement of Ed Herniak, School Bus Driver, effective February 1, 2023. The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Valerie Alexander and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the retirement of Julie Lemons, School Bus Driver, effective   June 1, 2023.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the following (items 3-10):

  1. Resignation of Brandy Sorrell, Food Service Manager at Albany Elementary School, effective January 13, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Heather Crow, Food Service Assistant Manager at Delta Middle School, effective February 7, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Barbara Stader, Food Service Cook at Delta High School, effective January 17, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Lori Parker, Bus Aide, effective February 7, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Joshua Taylor, Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Royerton Elementary School, effective January 6, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Amanda Thorneycroft, Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Albany Elementary School, effective January 19, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Sydney Smekens, Latchkey Aide at Eaton Elementary School, effective January 27, 2023.

  1. Resignation of Madison Adams, Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Albany Elementary School, effective February 2, 2023.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items 11-26):

  1. Recommendation to employ Jessica Bryan as an Instructional Assistant at Eaton Elementary School effective February 7, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Amanda Hill as a Food Service Cook at Albany Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Candace Gruwell as a Food Service Cook at Albany Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Stacy Upchurch as a Food Service Cook at Eaton Elementary School effective January 30, 2023, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

  1. Recommendation to employ Stacy Tharp Rench as a Food Service Cook at Albany Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Dana Burns as a Food Service Cook at Delta Middle School effective January 30, 2023, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

  2. Recommendation to employ Ashley Taylor as a Food Service Cook at Delta High School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Grace Tesnar as a Latchkey Aide at Royerton Elementary School effective immediately.

  1. Recommendation to employ Serenity Mance as a Latchkey Aide at Royerton Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Danielle Weber as a Latchkey Aide at Albany Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to employ Julia Pryor as a Food Service Cook at Delta High School effective February 21, 2023, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

  1. Recommendation to transfer Johnna Davenport from a Food Service Cook at Delta High School to a Food Service Manager at Albany Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to transfer Ryan Leen from a Latchkey Aide to a Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Royerton Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to transfer Breeana King from a Latchkey Aide to a Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Royerton Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to transfer Grace Dimond from a Latchkey Aide to a Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Royerton Elementary School effective January 30, 2023.

  1. Recommendation to transfer Angie Withers from a Food Service Cook      to a Food Service Assistant Manager at Delta High School effective February 13, 2023.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Extra-Curricular

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the termination of Jared Holder, Diving Coach at Delta High School, effective immediately.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Valerie Alexander and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the following (items 2-4):

  1. Resignation of Steve Wuthrich, Head Boys’ Golf Coach at Delta High School, effective immediately.

  1. Resignation of Kurt Griffis, Head Boys’ Soccer Coach at Delta High School, effective immediately.

  1. Resignation of Brytany Pope, Head Girls’ Soccer Coach at Delta High School, effective immediately.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items 5-12):

  1. Recommendation to employ Jarrett Freeman as a Head Boys’ Track Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to employ Bradley Davis as a 7th/8th Grade Assistant Baseball Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to employ Aaron Carter and Rick Freiburger as 7th/8th Grade Assistant Softball Coaches at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

  1. Recommendation to appoint Jillian Evans as a Volunteer Assistant Softball Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to appoint Lea Selvey as a Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to appoint Jon Taylor as a Volunteer Assistant 7th/8th Grade Baseball Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to appoint Kristy Burns as a Volunteer Assistant Softball Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

  1. Recommendation to appoint Adam Navarro as a Volunteer Assistant Intramural Director at Delta Middle School effective for the 2022-23 school year.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Conference Requests/Field Trips

A motion was made by Valerie Alexander and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (items 1-16):

  1. Lynn Calloway requests permission to attend PSAT Training and Result Interpretation to be held on January 19, 2023 at Greater Lafayette Career Academy in Lafayette, IN.

  1. Andy Lewman requests permission to attend the girls’ basketball sectional meeting to be held on January 24, 2023 at Hamilton Heights in Arcadia, IN.

  1. Matt Huber, Julia Sanchez, Leslie Orman, Jenn Evans, Becky Waters, Chyenne Wilder, and Ryan Parrott request permission to attend Textbook Caravan on January 26, 2023 at the Convention Center in Muncie, IN.

  1. Scott Blakely and Greg Kile request permission to attend Faster Training to be held from January 26, 2023 through January 27, 2023 and February 10, 2023 through February 11, 2023 in Brookville, OH.

  1. Amanda Craw requests permission to attend Evaluating and Assessing Next Steps in Argument Writing to be held on January 31, 2023 and     April 25, 2023 at Southside Middle School in Muncie, IN.

  1. Cheryl Dominick requests permission to attend the IASBO Benefits Administration/Payroll Administration Seminar to be held virtually on February 2, 2023.

  1. Maggie Neckers, Melodee Motsenbocker, Debbie Carmicheal, and Emily Tinkle request permission to attend Multi-Sensory Approach to Phonics Instruction to be held on February 7, 2023 at WVEC in West Lafayette, IN.

  1. Alicia Fuller requests permission to attend the USF Teacher Workshop to be held on February 10, 2023 at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, IN.

  1. Chris Overholt, Travis Richey, Jon Kern, and Shane Conley request permission to attend Glazier Clinic to be held on February 10, 2023 at the Marriott in Indianapolis, IN.

  1. Chris Conley, Joey Gossett, Cindy Kunda, Nancy Kunk, Sam Carlton, James Lodl, and Mary May request permission to attend the RECN Quad Meeting to be held on February 14, 2023 at Delta High School.

  1. Amanda Craw requests permission to attend How to Serve Your Smaller EL/ML Population to be held on February 21, 2023 at the Wabash Valley Education Center in West Lafayette, IN.

  1. Cheryl Dominick requests permission to attend the IASBO Accrual Accounting Seminar to be held virtually on February 28, 2023.

  1. Robin Royal and Katie McGuire request permission to attend Kindergarten Round-up to be held on April 27, 2023 at Albany Elementary School.

  1. Lindsey Thompson and Morgan Jones request permission to attend the INCUE Meeting on May 12, 2023 at CIESC in Indianapolis, IN.

  1. Christopher Conley requests permission to attend the IHSAA Board Retreat to be held from June 21, 2023 through June 22, 2023 in French Lick, IN.

  1. Christopher Conley requests permission to attend the NFHS Summer Meeting to be held from June 28, 2023 through June 30, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle, WA.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Information and Proposals

  1. Superintendent

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the request for unpaid days, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the Albany Property Acquisition, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the DMS New Course Request, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the DMS Kings Island Trip, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the DHS Wrestling Trips, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the DHS Swimming/Diving Trip, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the Special Education Cooperative Agreement, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve Scott Blakely as the Director of School Safety and Student Wellness effective July 1, 2023, as presented.  The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

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

  1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve Board Policy Updates/Revisions- 2nd Reading:

  • F275 Gifts and Donations

  • H125 Corporation-Support Organizations

  • C425 Student Suicide Prevention and Awareness

  • C525 Medical Needs at School

  • D525 No Distracted Driving

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Superintendent Kile informed the Board about the following fundraisers:

  1. Julie Blakely and Whitney Freeman, DHS Student Council, request permission to collect pet food and supplies from February 6, 2023 through February 10, 2023, as presented.  Proceeds go towards Muncie Animal Shelter and ARF.

  1. Shane Conley, DHS Track and Field, requests permission to hold a SnapRaise Fundraiser to be held from March 1, 2023 through March 30, 2023, as presented.  Proceeds go towards supplies, snacks, meals, etc.

  1. Nakkia Patrick, DMS Yearbook Club, requests permission to hold an 8th Grade Semi-Formal Dance on May 19, 2023, as presented.  Proceeds go towards yearbook costs.

  1. Assistant Superintendent

  1. Use Of Facilities:

A motion was made by Valerie Alexander and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the following (items 1-6):

  1. Cody LeCount and Brett Clark, Delta Wrestling Club, request permission to use the Delta High School gym on         February 12, 2023 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to hold Rumble at The Nest tournament, as presented.

  1. Nick Pipito, Delta Little League, requests permission to use the DHS auxiliary gym on February 25, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to hold baseball skills assessments, as presented.

  1. Aaron Carter, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use the Royerton gym, cafeteria, and library from March 13, 2023 through March 14, 2023 and         March 30, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to hold skills assessments and coach’s meetings, as presented.

  1. Aaron Carter, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use the Royerton softball fields from April 2023 through October 2023 to hold softball league, as presented.

  1. Kylie Johnson, Delta Juniors Volleyball Club, requests permission to use the Delta High School auxiliary gym from January 2023 through June 2023 to hold volleyball club, as presented.

  1. Tamara Meacham, Albany Tri-Kappa, requests permission to use the Albany Elementary gymnasium on April 11, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to hold Basket Bingo, as presented.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. Donations:

A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Valerie Alexander to approve the following (items 1-3):

  1. Request for Delta Middle School to accept a donation in the amount of $32.00 from the Blackbaud Giving Fund, as presented.

  2. Request for Delta High School to accept a donation in the amount of $2,008.51 from Joey and Danielle Lynch, as presented.

  3. Request for the Food Service Department to accept an anonymous donation in the amount of $1,610.09, as presented.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items c-d):

  1. Request for Eaton Elementary School to surplus items, as presented.  

  2. Request for the Maintenance Department to surplus items, as presented.

The motion was approved 5-0 vote.

  1. LETTERS/NOTES

  1. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Valerie Alexander – Ms. Alexander congratulated Mr. Blakely and stated she knows he will do well.  She’s sad for Eaton already, but knows he’ll be there helping the whole corporation out.  She congratulated all athletes and stated it’s nice to hear from people in the room besides just the Board.  She stated it feels like they are almost doing a spring cleaning and getting ready for the new season with all the busy things going on.  She thanked everyone for being here and congratulated Mr. Runyon on his full-time status.  

Alice Gillis – Ms. Gillis expressed her condolences to Ms. Decker and her family.  She congratulated Mr. Blakely.  She stated it was a privilege to judge the Albany Science Fair and she enjoyed it.  She commented they had a lot of great projects and wished all the kids good luck as they move on to Ball State.  She congratulated the Royerton Robotics team.  She stated she knows very little about that, but she is very impressed with what they can do.  She congratulated all sports teams and the band students on their solo ensembles.  She thanked the anonymous donor for paying off all lunch debt and stated that puts everyone in a good spot and makes everyone feel good and caught up.  She congratulated Mr. Herniak and Ms. Lemons on their retirement and wished them the best.  

Lance Engle – Mr. Engle stated the freshmen orientation at the high school last week was phenomenal and went very well.  He stated they did it three years ago and they did a good job then and a great job this time.  He stated it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming and appreciates the way they went about it.  He knows it’s a lot of work and a lot to know about becoming a freshman and the path they take.  He stated it’s very overwhelming and they did a great job.  He highlighted Royerton’s Spelling Bee champ, Luke Pipito and stated he told his niece Adalyn Carter he would mention her because she won Albany’s as well.  He thanked Mr. Blakely for taking on the task of making the schools safer.  He stated he will be great at it and it’s a much needed position, which we have seen the last few years.  He welcomed Mr. Runyon and appreciates him coming on board full-time.  He stated he appreciates Mr. Herniak and Ms. Lemons on their years of service, dedication to our students, and keeping them safe every day to and from school.  He gave a shout-out to all extra-curricular teachers, coaches, and all the people who are willing to stay after school and spend that extra time with our kids and give them an opportunity to do something extra.  He thanked them for their willingness to take that time. 

Adam Williams – Mr. Williams stated it’s good we have so many opportunities at Delta for extra-curricular activities.  He stated it’s a wonderful place to be and he appreciates everyone who puts in the effort to make those things special for all the kids and for education.  He thanked Mr. Blakely for the important role he’s taking on.  He appreciates him stepping into that and stated it’s wonderful he’s here for us to fill that position.  He commented the anonymous donation for school lunches is phenomenal for the relief that can give to parents.  He stated it’s awesome all the new hires the food service department is getting and he’s glad that’s coming around for Ms. Cross.  He thanked Dr. Gullion and his team for transparency and being good stewards with different accounts.  He stated all that has a lot of meaning and it’s important to do it right when we are asked to by the State.  He appreciates their efforts because it’s an important part.  

John Adams – Mr. Adams concurred with his fellow board members.  He thanked the principals and directors for coming tonight and sharing.  He knows they get to have them a little bit here and there, but it’s great to have so many of them show up tonight and hear what’s going on in their buildings.  He stated it’s that time of year when you start hearing about Kindergarten Round-Up.  He said that’s a neat time for everyone to see the children they are going to get and that’s got to be pretty exciting.  He congratulated Mr. Herniak and Ms. Lemons on their retirement and thanked them for their time.  He stated he doesn’t know that people really appreciate what bus drivers do.  His wife did that for many years in another school corporation.  He stated they are the first person kids see that represents your school and to do it that long and being such great people to want to do it that long, that is a testament to those folks.  He stated if there is anyone out there looking for a rewarding career, go see Derick Bright at Transportation.  He stated it takes a little bit to get your license, but once you do, people do enjoy it.  He stated a few months ago we had a few things happen at our school and we had some parents here and they talked about safety.  He said at that point, he informed them in a few months they were going to address something that he thinks will make a difference and that tonight is Mr. Blakely and what he’s going to be able to bring to our schools.  He doesn’t think a lot of people realize how important that is.  He stated we aren’t Ball State and other places that have safety teams and communication people.  He stated we have Superintendents here and there and Principals here and there, but to have someone that will be a point person for school safety and some other administrative things, Mr. Adams is so excited about having Mr. Blakely on board.  He thinks it’s going to be a great asset for our schools, community, and school family and is thrilled to death we are in a position as a school board to make that happen. He stated a lot of other schools would certainly love to do this and they can’t, but he feels we are in a good position where we can now make this a reality.  He thanked Mr. Kile, Dr. Gullion, Mr. Blakely, and those who worked on getting all this put together.  He stated this is one of those things he knows will go down as a great thing for our school corporation.  He thanked Mr. Blakely for stepping up and doing that.  He welcomed Mr. Runyon as a full-time employee and knows he will love it here as a lot of folks do.  He shared an email Ms. Cross sent out about the anonymous donation for school lunch debt and wanted to mention that is a big deal.  He stated Ms. Cross put in her email that debt collection is one of the hardest parts of their job.  He commented what a great thing this individual did and we can’t thank them enough because several students benefited from this.  Mr. Adams stated it was a reality check to him, it's not the 250,000 meals served that’s the hardest job, it’s collecting debt from those that may be suffering or out of work and he thinks everyone does a very good job on how they do that.  He stated Ms. Cross saying 250,000 meals served since August and 2,300 meals a day isn’t the hard part, she is exactly right and that the debt collection is the hardest part of their job.  He stated we should celebrate that donation for what it is and what it’s done, it is a big deal and he can’t thank them all enough.

  1. FUTURE MEETINGS

  1. A regular meeting of the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2023 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.

  1. ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Adam Williams and Board President, John Adams, adjourned the meeting at 7:27 p.m.

February 6, 2023

JOHN ADAMS               


ADAM WILLIAMS


LANCE ENGLE 



ALICE GILLIS


VALERIE ALEXANDER