GCSC almost fully staffed for new year

With the start of school year barely two weeks away, the Greencastle School Corporation is almost at full staffing levels.

The corporation is just one teacher — a middle school special education position — from full staffing for the 2018-19 school year, Superintendent Jeff Hubble told the school board during its monthly meeting Monday.

Reaching that point required the hiring of six new full-time teachers as well as one long-term substitute.

The new teachers include math teacher Malinda Mann and biology teacher Amy Coons at Greencastle High School, Alexandra McKinney as sixth-grade special education teacher at the middle school, Jacob Hopper as fourth-grade teacher at Tzouanakis Intermediate, Jenna Lewis as kindergarten teacher at Ridpath Primary and Laura Minor as first-grade teacher at Deer Meadow Primary.

Additionally, Alyse Hurst was hired as a long-term substitute at Tzouanakis, to cover the first two months of the year for Caitlyn Downing’s maternity leave.

A pair of these moves represented quick turnarounds, as Hopper replaces Jessica Stockton, whose resignation was accepted on Monday, and Hurst replaces Courtnay Maccarone, who resigned without ever teaching at Tzouanakis because she accepted a full-time job at a different school.

The new faces aren’t just showing up in the classroom either, as Monday was Lisa McCoy’s first meeting as a school board member, following her appointment in June by the Greencastle City Council. Her four-year term will expire June 30, 2022.

McCoy, a former teacher in the corporation, took the oath of office Monday afternoon prior to the meeting.

With the beginning of a new school year coming, the board was set to reorganized, but stayed the course of last year, retaining Mike White as president, Dale Pierce as vice president and Bill Tobin as secretary.

Also reappointed were Jayme Barber as corporation treasurer, Kellie Romer as deputy corporation treasurer and Denise Smedley as extracurricular activities treasurer.

Attorney Robert Rund of Lewis & Kappes was also retained.

In the coming year, the board will continue to meet at the corporate office, 1002 Mill Pond Lane, at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month.

Exceptions include November (Thanksgiving week), December (Christmas day), March (spring break) and May (Memorial Day), when the board will meet on the third Monday.

In other business:

• The board passed a resolution to advertise for bids for the sale of the former bus barn on Vine Street.

With the new transportation center now operational, all school property has been moved out of the old buildings.

The building has already been appraised twice, though school administrators are keeping those numbers private.

Bids will be opened on Aug. 17 or 18, with school officials looking for a minimum of the average of the two appraisals.

• The board accepted a $60,950 bid for Pro Track and Tennis to resurface the tennis courts at Greencastle High School.

Hubble said the school advertised for bids, receiving two, and that this was the lower of the two.

The work will cause a disruption to the upcoming boys’ tennis season, as work is set to begin in late August and continue for three weeks.

Hubble said athletic director Doug Greenlee and coach Annette Munoz are working to move home meets during this time to away venues. Additionally, the athletic department will attempt to work with the Greencastle Parks Department in order to practice at Robe-Ann Park during that time.

Hubble advised that the work is overdue on the tennis courts, but could not be performed until unexpended funds were found available from a 2007 bond issuance.

“There was one of the six courts that we could not even use for the last two years for fear of a student being hurt,” Hubble said.

• Munoz, who also serves as the GHS band director, got another piece of big news in that the band’s April trip to Orlando, Fla., was approved unanimously.

• The high school athletic department received a $10,000 donation from Hendricks Regional Health.

• The board approved several other personnel items, including:

- Sandra Holmes hired as Tzouanakis custodian.

- Resignations: Angel Cavaness as Deer Meadow custodian, Candice Childress as Tzouanakis lead custodian.

- Transfers: Cindy Lowes from GMS custodian to substitute custodian, Raymond Gillinger from McAnally custodian to Tzouanakis lead custodian.

- Substitutes: Megan Tesmer and Cheryl McCammack as substitute bus drivers, Meghan Morales as substitute teacher.

- Maternity leave for GHS teacher Diana Divine effective Nov. 3-Dec. 21.

- Nicole Dearinger and Debra Sabin approved as summer maintenance painters.

- Extracurriculars: Rob Worman hired as GMS head football coach; Mark Hernandez, Tom Hamilton and Ben Monnett hired as GMS football assistant coaches; Devin Clar hired as GHS assistant football coach; Cody Mitchell hired as GHS assistant boys’ soccer coach; Colin York approved as GHS volunteer assistant boys’ basketball coach; Jed Fajt, George Munoz, Terry Ross and Sean Ramey approved as GHS volunteer assistant boys’ tennis coaches.

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An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the meeting times for the coming year. The school board will meet at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month.