'Neola Policies' in the works for Greencastle schools

During its monthly board meeting Monday at Greencastle Middle School, the Greencastle School Corporation introduced, for potential adoption, a new set of policies already utilized by nearly 70 percent of schools nationwide.

Having been placed on second reading after Monday's unanimous first reading approval, these Neola Policies dictate issues ranging from items as small as definitions and bylaw functions to career and technical education programs.

According to its website, neola.com, the Neola corporation "provides school districts with a complete service for developing and updating board bylaws, policies, administrative guidelines, procedures, forms, staff handbooks and student handbooks in electronic and printed form."

Superintendent Dawn Puckett expounded on the 23 policies during her presentation, reading through a list of each item which covered everything from definitions to commercial activities and naming rights.

"It is money well spent for us to stay on top of this," Puckett said. "There's no excuse for not knowing now."

Some policies that stand out from the rest include those concerning conflicts of interest. Puckett said that, thanks to these new policies (as they pertain to the administration, professional staff, support staff and vendors), employees and board members cannot accept gifts when the person giving the gift has an interest in any issue the board may be considering.

"It doesn't, in any way, negate a teacher's ability to accept a gift from a child for the holiday season or anything like that," Puckett said. "They only cannot accept gifts from an entity -- that is, a financial business."

Within the new handbooks, sections will cover: definitions; functions; memberships; conflicts of interest; audio, video and digital recording of meetings; career and technical education programs; corporation-sponsored clubs and activities; recording of IEP team meetings and case conferences; employment of personnel for extracurricular activities; termination and resignation; school relationships with governmental agencies; suspension and expulsion of students; school discipline; purchasing and finances; vendor relations; animals on corporation property; food services; and advertising, commercial activities, sponsorships and naming rights.

In other news

* The board granted permission Monday for Puckett and Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Hubble to begin seeking appraisals to purchase property in order to relocate the current bus garage on Vine Street to an area more suitable for weather protection (i.e., an indoor parking garage or roof) and bus traffic.

"We need to either expand or upgrade our transportation facilities," Puckett said, adding that it will hopefully be within the city's limits. "We currently don't have a meeting space for busing employees, which is required by law -- we need an updated mechanic's and flood-stage area ... the mechanic's area has a pit in the ground that makes it hard to get in to ... the buses stick out the back of the building because they're now longer than our facilities -- it's not necessarily the best working environment."

Separately, the 2016 Bus Replacement Plan was unanimously approved. This plan concerns the potential purchase of two new buses and the finances behind replacing transportation vehicles throughout the school year.

* August total expenditures amounted to $1,450,182.03, allowing Greencastle to remain in the "black" with more than $7 million in reserve.

* The board unanimously adopted the 2016 Capital Projects Funds Plan in the amount of $3,162,539. Despite asking for the same amount last year, the school only received $2,223,437. Puckett and the board are "hoping for more" this time around.

* A reduction resolution was passed in the form of the Rainy Day Fund to protect unused funds for future use.

* The board adopted the 2016 Budget Transfer Resolution, a plan that's passed yearly and ensures that the treasurer has the authority to transfer funds to allow for expenditures in 2016.

* The Tax Neutrality Resolution, a code that requires a separate fund's levy be reduced by 100 percent in order to fund developments, was passed. Puckett noted that this is a state-enforced code that would bind the board to its actions.

* A contract with Cornerstone, a speech and pathologist center in Indianapolis, was extended.

* The board declared several items to be of no further value to school, including multiple chairs, a desk and two large television sets that were used for school news and weather.

* A Safe Haven Grant agreement has been applied for, which would provide $3,798 (matched by the district) in grants.

* A donation in the amount of $500 was accepted on behalf of the Tzouanakis Intermediate cross-country team from Matt and Margo Hertenstein.

* A donation from DePauw University's school of music was accepted on behalf of Greencastle Middle School. The donation consisted of a baritone saxophone, a bass guitar with amp and a "throne" (or stool) for the school's drum kit.

* The ACE Plan for the 2015-16 school year was approved and adopted, which concerns clarity in steps taken regarding any information relayed to parents.

* Several new hires and resignations were approved Monday. These include:

Resignations

Sydney Marvel, speech language pathologist at Deer Meadow; Courtney Morgan, cafeteria assistant; Tim Parrish, part-time custodian; Michelle Skillern, bus driver; and Fayne Custis, second-shift custodian.

Hires/Transfers

Tammy Bacon, RTI coordinator and home liaison at Deer Meadow; Hannah Mitchell, approval for maternity leave at Tzouanakis Intermediate (effective Oct. 10, 2015 to Jan. 4, 2016); Kieran Clapp, approval for maternity leave at Ridpath Primary (effective Jan. 5 to March 11, 2016); Jessica Faust, temporary fifth-grade teacher for Hannah Mitchell (FMLA) at Tzouanakis Intermediate; Lauren Woodsmall, speech language pathologist at Deer Meadow; Virginia Kuchler, cafeteria assistant; Andra Guyer, noon aide at Greencastle Middle School; Janet Pawelczyk, cafeteria assistant; Tim Sutherlin, second-shift custodian; Elizabeth Bluemle, bus driver; Vincent Sly, part-time custodian; Beth Anderson, substitute teacher; Abigail Wilson, substitute teacher; Chris Hudson, substitute teacher; Heather Owens, substitute teacher; Lara Inlow Shields, substitute teacher; Kortney Hutchison, substitute teacher; Courtney Middleton, substitute bus driver; William Shuee, assistant football coach at GHS; Matthew Welker, boys' junior-varsity basketball coach; Margaret Walters, girls' freshman and junior varsity basketball coach; Charles Pingleton, wrestling coach at GHS; Kent Menzel, boys' and girls' swimming coach at GHS; Mark Jedele, assistant boys' and girls' swimming and diving coach at GHS; Steve Moses, seventh-grade boys' basketball coach; Denise Meyer, assistant swimming coach at GMS; Dessa Frank, head swimming coach at GMS; Rob York, volunteer boys' basketball coach at GHS; Kaleb Fleming, volunteer assistant coach for boys' tennis at GHS; Bobby Hopper, volunteer cross country coach at GMS; Nathan Lewis, volunteer boys' and girls' swimming and diving coach; C.J. Shields, Outing Club sponsor at GMS; and Alisa Isaacs-Bailey, Student Council sponsor at GMS.

The next Greencastle School Board meeting will take place on Oct. 19 in the Ridpath Primary cafeteria at 7 p.m.