School administrators meet with Michael and Lawson

An Education Roundtable was held Monday with Rep. Nancy Michael and Sen. Connie Lawson meeting with area superintendents Bruce Bernhardt, Carrie Milner, and Area 30 Career Center Director Lora Wood.

Also in attendance was Nancy Wells, vice president of the South Putnam School Board.

The meeting was sponsored by Putnam County Farm Bureau Inc. and hosted by Steve and Patti Cash, vice president and secretary of the county Farm Bureau.

Keegan Poe, Farm Bureau field man, was also in attendance to add Indiana Farm Bureau's message on their 2010 legislative priorities. Steve Cash, who also serves as secretary on the South Putnam School Board, introduced some of the current bills of interest including Senate Bill 77, which would refund the state's schools for interest money expenses incurred from the need for temporary loans due to delayed funding.

Two bills concerned with assessed value are also being watched, Senate Bill 28 introduced by Lawson and House Bill 1004 sponsored by Reps. Grubb, Pearson, and Steuerwald.

Other areas of discussion were the Department of Education's and governors' decreases in funding for universities and also its affect locally on the Area 30 Career Center's Adult education funding.

Concerns are that those same cuts will be made at the public school level.

Other concerns were the "Race to the Top" program, professional development credits and the state's withdrawal of the Mentor Program.

Lunch was served in Area 30 Career Center's Ivy Room by Mary Birt and her Culinary Arts students.

The legislators will be back in the Farm Bureau boardroom for the legislative update sessions to be held on Jan. 16, Feb. 20 and March 20 at 8 a.m.