Superintendent report positive for North Putnam

Saturday, August 20, 2011

ROACHDALE -- North Putnam School Corporation Superintendent Mary Sugg Lovejoy had a lot of positive things to say about changes within the school corporation.

As the board meeting started, Lovejoy applauded the school corporation for several reasons: It increased enrollment by more than 100 students from the past year, it enrolled a large portion of students online and made good use of its e-funding program to help students pay for textbooks and cafeteria expenses.

Lovejoy also said she had a productive meeting with parents during her Superintendent's Coffee at Roachdale Elementary meeting on Aug. 3.

"Parents are so powerful and they had so many wonderful suggestions," Lovejoy said. "Good things came out of that."

One of these suggestions resulted in the creation of a Community Council, consisting of parents, teachers, staff, administrators, school board members and community members, which will represent a variety of student concerns in the corporation.

Those interested in joining the council may attend the first meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in the high school cafeteria.

The school is also bringing back parent workshops. These workshops are meant to keep parents involved in school activities and issues. The first will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Bainbridge Elementary Media Center and will focus on Article 7 of the Indiana State Constitution regarding special education. Disability advocate Jill Summerlot will head the meeting.

Lovejoy also clarified a point later in the meeting regarding the rings purchased for North Putnam High School football team members and parents following last year's run to the state finals.

Lovejoy said former head football coach Greg Barrett had ordered the rings, but he had done so with the permission of former athletic director Jason Sims.

Board member Charlie Boller made a motion to write to Herff-Jones, the company that made the football rings, explaining the school's plight and confusion regarding the rings and asking for a donation back to the athletic program. The board unanimously approved the motion 7-0 and, following a motion by board member Oliver Haste, later assigned Boller to write and send the letter.

The board did not approve a measure that would have created a new volunteer assistant high school football coaching position.

The request to have Aaron Allee fill this position did not pass by a vote of 3-1 with three board members abstaining. Despite having more votes than the dissension, the majority of the board did not approve the action, which is why it failed to pass.

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