January 19, 2016

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

6:30 p.m.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

 MINUTES

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

I.                   CALL TO ORDER

At 6:30 p.m. Board President, Adam Williams, called the meeting to order.

II.                PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III.             AMEND AGENDA

A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Trent Fox to amend the agenda, as presented.  The motion was approved unanimously.

 

IV.              MINUTES

A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Tyce Stebbins to accept the minutes of the business meeting and executive session held on Tuesday, January 5, 2016.  The motion was approved unanimously.

 

V.                 FINANCE

A.     A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Tyce Stebbins to accept the list of vouchers, as presented.  The motion was approved unanimously.

B.     Purchases over $7500:

A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (item 1):

1.       Barton-Coe-Vilamaa                 CP                   $20,000.00

The motion was approved unanimously.

 

VI.              COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

Allen Kidd, Royerton Elementary Parent, wanted to let everyone know how pleased their experiences at Royerton with his Kindergarten daughter has been so far.  He stated his daughter starts everyday with Mr. Ron on the school bus who is a friendly guy.  Mr. Kidd’s daughter has Ms. Tinkle and she adores her and he believes she’s a great teacher.  He stated Mr. Marshall has been very supportive.  He expressed his concern for not having art, music, library, and P.E. more often than once every 4 days.  He stated P.E. is something he’d like to see kids spend more time in.  Mr. Kidd knows there are a lot of facility and scheduling limitations, but whether it could be a structured P.E. class or something informal with an aide or classroom teacher, going forward in future years, he’d like to see more time in these activities for kids to run around and get more physically fit. 

Mr. Kidd would also like for us to consider starting the school year later.  He was surprised at how early it started.  He said looking ahead in the future, a lot of the various camps, bible school programs, scouting, and 4-H programs are around that time.  Mr. Kidd thinks Indiana is an outlier in starting school early and the wonderful programs kids can participate in start earlier.  He is cautiously optimistic that we might see a little less teach to the test and a little more of a return at recognizing the value of the student.  He’s spoken to a lot of people around the county and there are quite a few parents that would like to see school start later.  He stated even a week or two would give the opportunity for kids to get outdoors and he thinks there is a lot of public support for that.  Mr. Kidd thanked everyone for letting him put his 2 cents in.

Joe Schmaltz, Albany Elementary Principal, stated he couldn’t be at the last meeting and wanted everyone to meet his new Instructional Assistant, Ashley Caupp.  He stated not to hold it against her, but she’s a Jay County girl who has finished her student teaching and is very close to getting her teaching license.  Mr. Schmaltz said she has done a fabulous job in the first week and a half since she’s been there.

Amy Lewman, Delta Middle School Assistant Principal, wanted to share that last week they had their 2nd 9 weeks Honor Roll and almost 300 of their 610 students got to have their name read for either carrying all A’s or all AB Honor Roll.  She said that is almost 50% of their student population that is working very hard in the classroom and they were able to get to walk across the stage to receive their ribbon and have their name called.  Ms. Lewman stated her and Ms. Brown were able to go last Friday to Ft. Wayne to see Emma Shreve, Morgan Storie, Morgan Gardner and Lisa East perform in the Indiana Honor Choir.  She said they get to audition eight young ladies and gentleman every year and these four ladies were accepted based on the auditions they submitted.  They got to sing with 156 other middle school students.  She told everyone it gives you chills when you listen to them and they did an amazing job.  Ms. Lewman stated Delta Middle School is fabulous in the fact that their teachers are so welcoming to students who are trying to become educators.  She said this semester they have five student teachers in their building and they also welcomed two interns that they will be introducing to their students so they can start to get their feet wet and see how the education process runs.  She couldn’t be happier to have them in such a great corporation. 

Brett Clark, Delta High School Interim Athletic Director/Assistant Principal, shared the swimming and wrestling teams both competed in the HHC tournaments.  He stated the boys swim team placed 2nd and the girls placed 5th.  He said with those team places we had several place finishers as relay teams and individuals in events.  Mr. Clark let everyone know the wrestling team won their first ever HHC Title and we also had several placers which put Delta at the top.  He stated it was definitely a team effort from the 6th place finishers to the 3 champions that we had.  He said it showed depth from our team and what the program has been doing the past several years to gain that full potential.  Mr. Clark shared that the girls’ basketball team was runner up at the county tournament with the boys’ basketball team winning it.  He let everyone know senior Kelly Delisle and sophmores Avery Langdon and Bryn Marlow competed at the All State Honor Choir Competition.  He stated Rebekah Weaver attended and said she was moved to tears twice during the performance.  Also, senior Shelby Crouse attended the Future Music Educators Conference which consists of high school students from Indiana that are aspiring music teachers.  Mr. Clark stated Mrs. Weaver wanted everyone to know Kelly Delisle was able to perform at the National Honor Choir and that’s the first time Delta has had a representative.

VII.           NEW BUSINESS

A.     Certified Staff

1.       A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the retirement of Teresa Orcutt, Special Education Teacher at Delta Middle School, effective at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.  The motion was approved unanimously.

B.     Classified Staff

A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (item 1):

1.       Resignation of Mindy Lacy, School Bus Driver, effective January 7, 2016.

The motion was approved unanimously.

A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (items 2-3):

2.      Recommendation to change Linda DeVoe from a Sub Bus Driver to a full time School Bus Driver, effective January 11, 2016.

3.      Recommendation to employ Shawnda Swain as a School Nurse at Royerton Elementary School effective February 3, 2016.

The motion was approved unanimously.

 

C.     Extra-Curricular

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

1.       Recommendation to employ Shane Conley as a Head Boys’ Varsity Track and Field Coach at Delta High School effective January 19, 2016.

2.      Recommendation to employ Ryan Coleman as a Head Girls’ Track Coach at Delta High School effective January 19, 2016, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

3.      Recommendation to employ Ashley Loffer as an Assistant Girls’ Tennis Coach at Delta High School effective January 19, 2016.

4.      Recommendation to appoint Chad Hinds as a Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach at Delta High School effective January 19, 2016.

 

The motion was approved unanimously.

D.    Conference Requests/Field Trips

A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items 1-11):

1.       Jennifer Orchard and Emily Tressler request permission to attend Language Acquisition through Motor Planning to be held on January 19, 2016 at Preble County Education Service Center in Eaton, OH.

2.      Ron Curry requests permission to attend the HIRE Technology Conference/Winter Educator Seminar to be held on January 26, 2016 at IMMI in Westfield, IN.

3.      Reece Mann requests permission to attend the 2016 IAPSS Winter Seminar to be held on January 27, 2016 at The Palms in Plainfield, IN.

4.      Suzy Fox requests permission to attend Smeken’s Power Strategies for Standardized Tests to be held from January 26, 2016 through January 27, 2016 at the Landmark Centre in Ft. Wayne, IN.

5.      Teresa Orcutt requests permission to attend the IEPA Textbook Fair to be held on January 28, 2016 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie, IN.

6.      Kristina Carpenter requests permission to attend the HASTI Conference to be held from February 4, 2016 through February 5, 2016 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN.

7.      Karen Kirtley requests permission to attend the FCCLA State Leadership Conference to be held from February 25, 2016 through February 27, 2016 at the Marriott East in Indianapolis, IN.

8.     Tarinna Morris and Darin Gullion request permission to attend the 2016 IASBO Budget Workshop to be held from March 17, 2016 through March 18, 2016 and April 21, 2016 through April 22, 2016 at the MSD of Warren Township in Indianapolis, IN.

9.      Mark Clawson requests permission to attend the STAI Conference to be held from June 19, 2016 through June 22, 2016 at Belterra in Florence, IN.

10.  Karen Kirtley, 8th Grade FACS, requests permission to take 13 students to tour the Kitchen Aid Factory in Greenville, OH and Wicks Pies in Winchester, IN on February 3, 2016, as presented.

11.   Karen Kirtley, 6th-9th Grade FACS, requests permission to take up to 14 students to the FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, IN from February 25, 2016 through February 27, 2016, as presented.

The motion was approved unanimously.

 

E.     Information and Proposals

1.       Superintendent

a.      A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the Employee Handbook- (2nd Reading).  The motion was approved unanimously.

b.      Superintendent Mann informed the Board about the following fundraisers:

1.       Wendy Brown and Morgan Jones, Delta Junior Honor Society, request permission to sell Candy Grams from February 1, 2016 through February 10, 2016 at Delta Middle School, as presented. Proceeds will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

2.      Debbie Eichhorn, RES Choir/Rockers, requests permission to hold a guitar and musical instrument swap on March 12, 2016, as presented.  Proceeds go towards music, instruments, and Choir/Rocker events.

3.      Alli Juskevice, Delta Cheerleading, requests permission to sell laundry soap from January 20, 2016 through February 5, 2016 at Delta High School, as presented.  Proceeds go towards clothing, equipment, and uniform needs.

4.      Lauren Griffis and Ron Curry, DHS Class of 2018, request permission to hold a Sweetheart Dance on February 20, 2016 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., as presented.  Proceeds go towards activities for the Class of 2018.

5.      Robert Summer, DHS Student Council, requests permission to hold a Delta Dance Marathon from April 1, 2016 through April 2, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., as presented.  Proceeds go towards Riley Children’s Hospital.

 

2.      Assistant Superintendent

a.      Use of Facilities:

A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items 1-6):

1.       David Bratton, Delta Little League, requests permission to use the Delta High School Aux Gym on January 23, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. to hold an open gym, as presented.

2.      Rob Robbins, Delta Jrs. Basketball, requests permission to use the Royerton Elementary Gym from January 28, 2016 through March 10, 2016, as presented.

3.      Sherri Spay, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use a hallway or small room at Albany Elementary School on February 4, 2016 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to hold softball sign-ups, as presented.

4.      Kim Jackson, Del Met FCU, requests permission to use Delta Middle School on March 12, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to hold an annual meeting, as presented.

5.      Sherri Spay, Delta Girls’ Softball Association, requests permission to use the Royerton Elementary Gym/Cafeteria from March 14, 2016 through March 16, 2016 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., as presented.

6.      Terry Summers, Delta Girls’ Softball, requests permission to use the Delta High School Aux Gym from January 24, 2016 through April 10, 2016 to hold softball practice, as presented.

The motion was approved unanimously.

b.      A motion was made by John Adams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the Del-Com Education Foundation Grants.  The motion was approved unanimously.

 

VIII.        LETTERS/NOTES

A.     None. 

 

IX.              BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Tyce Stebbins – Mr. Stebbins congratulated Ms. Orcutt on her retirement at the end of the school year.  He stated it is a great accomplishment to be at this point in her life to be able to enjoy the hard work she’s put in and the many people she has affected in a positive way.  He congratulated her on what she’s accomplished through the years and said there may not be a certain award or plaque hanging on her wall that signifies some of the special moments, but he’s sure she could write a book that shows what those moments are.  He let Ms. Lewman know it was awesome to hear about the 50% honor roll at the middle school and it proves the kids are showing a drive.  Mr. Stebbins welcomed Ashley Caupp to the corporation and he’s glad she came in front of the Board.  He let Mr. Kidd know he appreciates his comments and some of Mr. Kidd’s ideas about having art, music, library and P.E. more and starting school later in the year he’d like to see as well.  He let Mr. Kidd know sometimes those are things we can act on and other times, our hands are tied by a lot of different limitations.  He appreciates Mr. Kidd coming in and sharing his thoughts and encourages anyone else to come and share.  Mr. Stebbins congratulated all the sports teams.  He stated he doesn’t think the Star Press did the wrestling team justice.  He said it’s probably the best wrestling conference in the state.  He stated there are some good teams all across the state and he knows of six number 1 ranked wrestlers that were there and probably five or six more that were in the top four and it’s a really big accomplishment.  He expressed it was a really big deal and everyone across the state took notice of that. 

Alice Gillis – Ms. Gillis wished Ms. Orcutt best of luck on her retirement.  She welcomed Ashley Caupp to Albany Elementary School.  She stated she was impressed with all the sports teams and they represented themselves very well over the weekend.  Ms. Gillis congratulated the middle school and high school choirs.  She said she knows Shelby Crouse and that is a good accomplishment for her because she works hard. Ms. Gillis thinks having 50% of the student population on the honor roll at the middle school is fantastic and she was glad to hear from Mr. Kidd.

John Adams – Mr. Adams thanked Mr. Kidd and stated having a parent come and share thoughts with us is great.  He said he’s been on the Board for quite some time and we don’t always get parents that want to come and give some of their thoughts to the Board and he really appreciates Mr. Kidd’s concerns.  Mr. Adams agrees with Mr. Stebbins that there are things we’d like to change, but can’t for some reason or another and it’s nice to hear from a parent that looks at things the same way we do.  He appreciates Mr. Kidd coming and sharing his thoughts.  Mr. Adams congratulated Ms. Orcutt on her retirement at the end of the school year.  He commented that 37 years is a long time and told her she’s earned it and to enjoy it.  He let her know we will miss having her around and thanked her for all her years.  He stated the middle school AB honor roll is huge and hopefully it keeps going higher.  He said it’s a job well done by staff and thanked them for a great accomplishment and hopes we get to see more kids get their names announced. Mr. Adams was able to be at the basketball games this weekend and the girls’ team almost pulled that out.  His heart felt for them, but they worked hard and played hard.  He thinks they also saw some things out of their own team they didn’t see earlier in the year and they’ve come a long way.  He was so proud to see them give it their all, but they came up just a little bit short at the end.  He stated for the boys’ to win county tourney is a job well done.  Mr. Adams congratulated all who participated in the Choir Competition.  He stated Kelly Delisle used to live across the street from him and one of her goals has always been to be on Broadway and to perform.  He commented she’s right on track with what she wants to do and it’s great that we are able to help her as a school and give her things she can do to participate that will hopefully get her to that point.  Mr. Adams welcomed all new employees and he’s glad to have them on board.  He gave a shout out to the maintenance and transportation crews, Mr. Mann, Dr. Gullion, and everyone who is looking at the roads and has to make the decision on whether we do or don’t go to school.  He stated they always err on the side of safety for our students and he appreciates that.  He expressed it’s not about whether we have to make that day up, but just knowing they are looking at student safety and if the buses can pick them up and get them home safe.  He stated decisions have to be made and thanked those out in the mornings trying to figure that out.

Trent Fox – Mr. Fox thanked everyone for coming.  He congratulated Ms. Orcutt and knows she’s been looking forward to retirement and wants her to enjoy it.  He congratulated Ashley Caupp and hopes it has gone well for her so far and she is enjoying it.  He looks forward to great things as she continues on and let her know if she gets her license and something opens up, maybe she can find something full time down the road within the corporation.  Mr. Fox thanked Mr. Kidd for coming and sharing and let him know he appreciates it.  He stated they tend to hear things outside of meetings, but it’s nice to hear things in a meeting as well. 

Mr. Fox commented on how great the sports teams have done the past few weeks.  He knows some of them will be finishing up in the next couple of weeks and going into their tournaments so he wishes them a lot of success.  He stated it is great news for the middle school about the honor roll students and gave a shout out to all staff.  He appreciates all the work and effort that has gone into making that happen.  He knows when you are out of school a couple days, it tends to cause havoc and the kids aren’t ready to get back into the groove, but it seems we’ve been able to weather that a little bit and keep them going in the right direction.  Mr. Fox hopes we can get through the next couple months without too many delays or cancellations.  He appreciates the effort that goes into making the right decisions for our kids.

Adam Williams – Mr. Williams concurred with his fellow board members.  He stated the Del-Com Foundation just had a meeting that he was able to attend and they do some amazing things.  He appreciates what that group of people does.  He let everyone know one of the things they do as part of their mission is teacher grants.  He encourages everyone reading the minutes to check out what the Del-Com Foundation does and learn more about their role and partnerships they have with the schools.  He stated Taste of Del-Com is April 7th, but there may be a conflict with Albany Elementary School so they will look at that.

 

FUTURE MEETINGS

A.     A regular meeting for the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building. 

 

X.                 ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Tyce Stebbins and seconded by Alice Gillis and Board President, Adam Williams, adjourned the meeting at 7:17 p.m.

An executive session was held immediately following the business meeting on personnel matters.

 

January 19, 2016

 

ADAM WILLIAMS                                              ___________________________

TRENT FOX                                                        ____________________________

JOHN ADAMS                                                   ____________________________

ALICE GILLIS                                                    ____________________________

TYCE STEBBINS                                                ____________________________