GCSC looks to approve opiate OD antidote

Nearly 1,400 Hoosiers were killed via drug overdose in 2016.

At 548 more overdoses reported than 2008, the state has seen a 40-percent increase in drug-related deaths in less than a 10-year period.

With this in mind, there’s no wonder as to why the Greencastle Community School Corporation (GCSC) would adjust one of its policies in preparation for such an encounter with an overly-intoxicated drug user on its property, whether it be a student or otherwise.

As with all policies and resolutions, the GCSC five-member school board must follow due process and administer a “first reading” at least one month before the proposed policy or resolution can be officially adopted and implemented.

With first reading of “NEOLA Policy 5330, Use of Medications” taking place Monday during GCSC’s latest public session, school officials look keen on adopting the policy upon second reading next month.

“This policy grants us (the ability) to seek a prescription for, and authorize, the school nurse or other designated corporation employees to administer, when-and-if necessary, narcan or any other Overdose Administration drug,” Superintendent Jeff Hubble said Monday. “The Indiana Administration of School Nurses says all other designated corporation employees are to be trained on drug overdose response and treatment.”

Although the policy’s approval is necessary before administering narcan (Naxolone), Hubble said the corporation has been gathering the antidote for some time.

“We have already acquired the prescription and the nurses have narcan in their buildings to administer to the students, staff members or other visitors on our campus,” he added as he reiterated his recommendation for approval.

“So they have the prescription and they have the drug?” board member Denise Sigworth asked.

“Correct,” Hubble replied. “In fact, before this became part of (Monday’s) recommendations, we’ve had that for the past year.”

GCSC’s expected approval in September would make the corporation the latest school in Indiana to prepare for an overdose using the narcan antidote.

Last year Indiana State Police began selling doses of the antidote in both syringe and nasal-spray forms at $40 per dose, less than half the cost of buying it over-the-counter. The state’s response to the rising number of heroin overdoses comes in the form of a drug-prevention plan, unveiled in 2016, that includes purchasing more than 8,000 doses (2,700 syringes and 5,400 nasal sprays) that it plans to sell to entities such as GCSC and Kroger (the only entity that currently sells narcan in Putnam County).

Though Indiana has seen a 300-percent increase in heroin-related deaths between 2010-15, narcan (Naloxone) boasts nearly 100 lives saved.

In other business:

• Night School was approved for the 2017-18 school year with teacher Doug Hudson again ready at the helm. All together, Hudson’s credit-recovery classes helped 82 students in 2016, including seven who would not have graduated if it weren’t for the recovery program.

• The Crisis Plan for the high school was approved, prompting the other schools within the district to do the same. However, for obvious reasons, this plan cannot be published.

• The creation of Bond 2017-B was approved. This bond will be in the range of $3.6 million to be spent on various purposes.

• An overnight trip to Nashville, Tenn., was approved for the choir.

• Two DSLR cameras were accepted as part of a donation from Huber Foundation.

• The board approved the hiring, transfer, termination, resignation, retirement and volunteer services of several employees Monday. They were:

Certified: Krista Grimes, hired as kindergarten teacher at Deer Meadow; and Mary Mann, hired as long-term substitute teacher for Lindsey Siegert (FMLA) at Deer Meadow.

Classified: Marcia Simmerman, resignation as cafeteria assistant at GMS; Wesley Stone, resignation as cafeteria assistant at GMS; Tim Sutherlin, resignation as lead custodian at McAnally; Whitney Hill, resignation as instructional assistant at Tzouanakis; Sarah Quasebarth, resignation as instructional assistant at Deer Meadow; Amy Coons, resignation as secretary to the principal at GHS; Amanda Rady, resignation as instructional assistant at Tzouanakis; Derek Lehr, hired as second-shift custodian at GHS; Haley Trueblood, hired as assistant-lead custodian at McAnally; Ken Mathews, hired as second-shift custodian at GMS; Tricia Knight, transfer from second-shift custodian at GHS/McAnally to second-shift custodian at GHS; Ronnie Bumgardner, transfer from interim-lead custodian at GHS to lead custodian at GHS; Rhonda Hughes, transfer from substitute cafeteria assistant to cafeteria assistant at Deer Meadow; Rachel Beck, hired as cafeteria assistant at Deer Meadow; Laurie Ferguson, approved as secretary of transportation; Matthew Cavaness, hired as second-shift custodian at GHS; Michelle Reece, hired as cafeteria assistant at Tzouanakis; LeShan Fitzsimmons, hired as instructional assistant at GMS; Rachel Neumann, hired as instructional assistant at Tzouanakis; Blaine Johnston, approved as certified nursing assistant at Tzouanakis; Jamie Smith, hired as special services secretary at Central Office; Melanie Cope, hired as instructional assistant at Deer Meadow; Jennifer Dickey, hired as instructional assistant at Deer Meadow; Rebecca Arnold, hired as secretary to the principal at GHS; Samantha Jones, transfer as substitute bus driver to full-time bus driver; Brandi Baxter, hired as long-term substitute for Julie Papoccia (FMLA) at Deer Meadow; and Joshua Mills, hired as second-shift custodian at McAnally.

ECA: Rob Ford, resignation as assistant football coach at GHS; Rayleigh Haussin, approved as volunteer assistant volleyball coach at GHS; William Dibble, approved as volunteer assistant girls’ soccer coach at GHS; and Kyle Gibbons, approved as volunteer assistant football coach at GHS.

Substitutes (all hired): Susan Berenz, Mary Mann, Brandi Baxter, Vincent Aquirre, Jessica Mitchell (nurse), Amanda Rady and Ashtin Ford.

• The next regularly-scheduled public session for GCSC is slated for Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the administrative offices, located at 1002 Mill Pond Lane.