Greencastle bus barn almost done

Monday, May 28, 2018

With the announcement of three new administrators dominating most of the attention at the June meeting of the Greencastle School Board, another big piece of news got lost in the shuffle.

Late in the meeting, Superintendent Jeff Hubble made an announcement that he and others had hoped he might make during first semester.

“I think I can now say the transportation center is finished,” Hubble told the board and residents in attendance.

Pending a few inspections and the actual move of the buses from their old Vine Street location to their new, larger home at Veterans Highway and Tennessee Street, Hubble’s announcement brings to completion a process more than three years in the making.

Even after a false start with a 30-acre property behind Woods Edge subdivision, the construction of the new facility was beset by delays including a shortage of electricians to do finishing work and slow-curing in the bus garage that delayed property treating to floors.

“Thanks to everyone who helped us make sure we did it correctly because we only build one every 73 years,” Hubble said, giving a nod to the 1940s-era garage the buses have occupied.

The old garage will remain in service for now, though, as summer bus cleaning will take place on Vine Street, with buses driven across town to their new home, with indoor parking for all, once they are cleaned.

Bus cleaning won’t be the only summer activity in the corporation, as the board also approved summer school faculty and staff including Greencastle Middle School teachers Kristien Hamilton, Jane Roberson, Denise Meyer, Alicia Cupp and Cassidy Holt; GMS instructional assistants Elizabeth Lucas, Cy Spencer and Melinda Short; summer school nurse Rhonda Kessler; and Tzouanakis summer substitute teacher and substitute instructional assistant Jennifer Miller.

Other summer school teachers were approved previously.

Other approved personnel items included:

• Jennifer Finnerty, transfer from GHS assistant principal to physics/earth space science teacher.

• Sheri Kendall, retirement as Deer Meadow instructional assistant.

• Resignations: Jana Boggess as GHS math teacher; Stephanie Hudson as Ridpath instructional assistant; Michelle Hunsicker as bus driver, Noah Kuchler and Vanessa Cory as custodians, Melissa Maginity as Tzouanakis and KIDS Program instructional assistant and Kyle Skirk as health/physical education department chair at GMS.

Skirk will remain a teacher.

• New hires: Raymond Gillinger as McAnally Center second-shift custodian, Blaine Johnson as KIDS program instructional assistant and Amanda Jellison as temporary summer feeding assistant.

• Extra-curricular: Annette Munoz approved as GHS boys’ tennis coach, Jessica Lenihan approved as GHS assistant volleyball coach and Anna Harmless and Samantha Call approved as GHS assistant soccer coaches.

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