School board OKs $15.8 million budget

Greencastle Mayor Nancy Michael signed a proclamation Thursday declaring Wednesday as Friendship Day. Looking on are (back, from left) Greencastle Chamber Director Tammy Amor, Mariellyn Hill of Asbury Towers, Brad Johnson of Ivy Tech Community College, and Amy Doan of Old National Bank. Seated with the mayor is Ken Eitel of Eitel's Flowers & Gifts. Beginning at 8 a.m. and going until the roses are all gone, anyone can pick up a dozen free roses with the commitment of keeping one for yourself and, as a simple act of kindness and community, passing the other 11 to friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors or even total strangers. The roses can be picked up at the following sponsor locations: Eitel's Flowers & Gifts, Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Branch of Old National Bank, Asbury Towers Retirement Community and Ivy Tech Community College on the east side of town. The roses are free, but sponsors are asking for a donation of canned or dried food items for the Putnam County Emergency Food Pantry.

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale School Board unanimously approved its $15.8 million 2008 budget Monday night.

Board members had no questions for Superintendent Carrie Milner about the 12-page proposal and accepted it as-presented, including the $1.3 million capital projects fund and the $212,000 school bus replacement fund.

The capital projects money included $540,000 for building and equipment maintenance and $782, 000 for building acquisition and construction - with $200,000 slated for new building acquisition, construction and improvement.

Milner also suggested giving substitute teachers a pay raise commiserate with the increase fulltime teachers received this year.

The increase comes in an attempt to attract qualified substitutes in the face of rapidly increasing pay rates in adjacent counties, she said.

Whitlock said the board should adopt an even greater pay raise, $75 for licensed teachers and $65 for non-licensed teachers.

"I've had to try to find substitutes before and it's hard," he said.

The board agreed to visit the subject again next month, once Milner had done more research on pay for subs across the county.

Near the meeting's close, the board received Whitlock's resignation. Whitlock said he plans to step down at the end of the year because of personal and professional commitments. Members will vote whether to accept the resignation at their Oct. 8 meeting.

In other business, the Cloverdale Students of the Month were honored. They are third-grader Lindsey Davis, described as a focused classroom leader who is "eager to learn and always ready for a challenge;" eighth-grader Evan Smith, who teachers described as polite, and who is heavily involved in Future Farmers of America and 4-H and would like to play football at the University of Florida. Also honored was sophomore Courtney Mann, whom teachers described as a "model student" and "a pleasure to have in class." She is involved in many student organizations, including FFA and student council. She plans to attend college for an agriculture-related job.

The Cloverdale school board regularly meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at the administration building.