GCSC board honors retiring staff members

Thursday, June 11, 2009

With the school year now over, the Greencastle Community School Board opened Wednesday's meeting by honoring its nine retiring staff member for their years of service.

Darlene Biddle, Jim Church, Kathy Jones, Vicki Montgomery, Eve Stark, Jon Stark, Margo Thomas, Stan Ward and Vicky Williams all called it quits at year's end, with anywhere from three to 34 years of service to the corporation.

Dr. Robert Green presented those in attendance at the meeting with a token of the corporation's appreciation.

A number of financial issues were before the board Wednesday, including the presentation of bids for tax anticipation warrants. The bids were for loans to cover three different funds until the late tax draws arrive in August or September.

The board accepted First National Bank's rate of 1.99 percent for the loans. The money borrowed will go to capital projects ($1,373,000), transportation ($477,000) and debt service ($1,852,000).

Green told board members the state handling the general fund has made it unnecessary to borrow money for that fund any longer. He said its loans should be paid of by month's end. He also expressed hope for the other funds.

"I'm hoping that by the end of this calendar year we'll be loan free, period," he said.

Green also reported to the board the findings that the incorrect tax rates being published this spring in the Banner Graphic were due to an error on the part of GCSC, not anyone with the county.

"We looked at that and looked at that. It turned out it was our rates that caused those to be published," Green said. "I've made it clear to county officials it was our error. I wish it wasn't. We're putting safeguards in place to ensure it doesn't happen."

Although the board originally approved the correct rates, they passed a resolution for additional appropriations to the 2009 budget to ensure the correction of the mistake.

The board also approved a request for $40,000 from the rainy day fund for early retirement reimbursement.

Board members approved the school's student transfer policy after discussing it at length. Although cost for tuition has not yet been determined by the State Board of Accounts, the transfer policy establishes guidelines for students wishing to transfer into the school district.

Academic and behavioral records are among the criteria administrators will consider when applications for transfer come in.

Green reported that capital improvements are limited this summer, but include replacement of computers whose leases are up, placing smartboards in every elementary classroom, replacement of concrete steps that lead to the high school parking lot, replacement of middle school PE lockers and replacement of the floor in the middle school locker rooms and some high school restrooms.

Among the 21 personnel items were the resignation of Vicki Tedlock as Deer Meadow kindergarten teacher and the hiring of Jennifer Brodar as middle school guidance counselor and Ryan Keller as high school biology teacher.

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