Cloverdale school board approves 2019 budget, SRO memorandum

CLOVERDALE -- In what was a productive and efficient meeting, the Cloverdale Schools Board of Trustees went forward with two major votes concerning its budget and school safety Monday evening.

Without much discussion and with full support from each member, the board approved the adoption of the proposed budget for the 2019 school year. The board also approved a capital projects plan, as well as a school bus replacement plan.

The board also approved related improvement plans for the elementary, middle and high schools. CCSC superintendent Greg Linton said that these plans were required by the state, and that they would guide school officials in further decisions regarding future upgrades and development.

In another move addressing school safety, the board also approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cloverdale Police Department with regard to providing a school resource officer (SRO).

Linton provided that there has been an ongoing conversation with CPD about having an SRO posted at the schools, and that the department has been supportive of the measure. The MoU would establish the duties of the SRO at Cloverdale Schools and the agreement with CPD.

Board President Vivian Whitaker asked if the SRO’s duties would be in effect as of the board’s approval. Linton said they would not be immediate, but that the memorandum would lay out a plan for the future.

Board member Joe Mann also made some amendments to the language of the MoU, saying that they were needed to clarify the expectations of the school corporation regarding the SRO’s employment. The memorandum was approved with these changes.

CHS Principal Sonny Stoltz also spoke before the board with information regarding the presence of the Indiana State Police (ISP) at the high school. He said that ISP had requested the wrestling room for training purposes, and that the school would benefit from the extra security they provided.

Stoltz also provided an update on the morning power outage at CHS. He said that the school was working on partial power Monday morning, and that full power was restored after a transformer needed to be replaced before 1 p.m. that afternoon.

The board also recognized the students of the month from all three schools. Fourth-grader Alexis Mann was recognized from Cloverdale Elementary School, sixth-grader Sierra Kelley from Cloverdale Middle School, as well as Tori Combs from Cloverdale High School.

Additionally, the board approved the following personnel changes:

Employment:

• Maria Skiles - CHS biology teacher;

• Kathy Salter - CMS seventh-grade teacher replacement; and

• Tracy Young - CHS instructional assistant

Maternity leave:

• Chelsey Meluch - CHS biology teacher

Coaching:

• Jim Spencer - CHS interim head volleyball coach

Volunteers:

• Elizabeth Spencer - CHS volunteer Assistant volleyball coach; and

• Haleigh Spencer - CHS volunteer volleyball coach

Resignations:

• Kent Bass - CHS head varsity baseball coach; and

• Katie Fulkerson - CMS eight-grade girls basketball coach

The CCSC Board of Trustees’ next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8 at the Arthur C. Johnson Administration Building in Cloverdale.