Greencastle Schools bond sale will fund $750,000 in improvements

While proposed upgrades to the science wing at Greencastle High School will have to wait another year, Greencastle Community Schools is forging ahead with a bond sale that will mean $750,000 in other improvements.

On Monday, the Greencastle School Board approved the preliminary resolution on a general obligation bond.

A general obligation bond uses equity the corporation has built up rather than collateral.

With the money, school administrators hope to fund a number of projects across the various buildings of the corporation.

Among these are technology and communication upgrades including a new district phone system to replace the outdated current system, as well as new computer servers.

Keyless entry and card reader systems will also be installed at Tzouanakis, Ridpath and Deer Meadow.

Other proposed projects include: middle school gym floor and bleacher replacement, public address systems for the high school and Ridpath, tuck pointing at the high school and Deer Meadow, multiple pieces of floor cleaning and maintenance equipment, concession stand plumbing, Tzouanakis library lights, water heaters at the middle and high schools, a pool heater at McAnally, an east side roll-up door at McAnally and replacement of district radios.

In her monthly report, curriculum director Jennifer French gave a brief overview of the corporation’s performance on ILEARN and NWEA testing.

While the ILEARN results in particular are not where anyone, French included, wants to see them, she added her voice to the chorus around the state saying the standards were set unrealistically high in the first year of the new test.

French emphasized that State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick has been vocal in her call to have a hold harmless year while the state adjusts to the new testing.

Superintendent Jeff Hubble added that McCormick is not the only one.

“The state board of education and the governor have also made similar statements,” Hubble said. “That will not be determined until Organization Day at the legislature.”

Organization Day will take place in November.

The NWEA testing painted a better picture, with only fourth and fifth grade math scores falling below national averages.

French also showed Greencastle testing scores as compared to other schools in the county.

“Why is the purple (Greencastle) score so much lower?” board member Brian Cox asked.

“That is why we’re here,” French said.

French, still in her first few months on the job, said the process of improving performance will come in four steps — collect data, draw conclusions, prioritize needs and develop action plan.

“Year one, that is my goal,” she said, “to walk through that entire process.”

In other business:

• Hubble announced the corporation and the Greencastle Classroom Teachers Association had reached a tentative agreement earlier on Monday.

The teachers had not even been notified, so no formal announcement was made, but Hubble made sure to thank those who were part of the negotiations, including teachers association representatives Kristien Hamilton and Logan Kuhne, school board members Bill Tobin and Mike White and principals Emily Johnson and Scott Weltz.

• The board approved a pair of donations to schools.

Gobin United Methodist Church donated $600 to the Tzouanakis Tiger Packs program, which sends a backpack of food home with children in need on Friday afternoons.

Walmart Distribution made a $2,000 donation to Deer Meadow Primary for its Roaring Readers program. The money will help purchase books that are prizes on family reading night.

• The board approved a number of personnel items:

- New hires: Deborah Brading as Tzouanakis special services teacher, Norma Wallace as Tzouanakis custodian, Dale Moore as Tzouanakis custodian, Ashlee Weiler as GHS instructional aide, Alisa VanGilder as GHS Instructional aide, Tina Pitts as Ridpath instructional aide, Angela Lee as Ridpath noon aide, Hannah York as Deer Meadow instructional aide, Donnette Williams as 21st Century Community Learning Center nutritionist and Gabriella Mazzone, Kristi Dinn, Emma Houston, Onyekachi Ezem and Leia Zoll as 21st Century Community Learning Center instructors.

- Resignations: Tiffany Thompson as Tzouanakis special education teacher, Janice Heavin as Deer Meadow media center aide, Bethany Ford as Deer Meadow instructional aide, Janet Mellinger as bus driver, Rebecca Arnold as GHS secretary and Denise Meyer as GMS swim coach.

- Termination: Cody Whitney as Deer Meadow instructional aide.

- Transfer: Kelly Wetterman from Deer Meadow Title I instructional aide to special education aide and Julie Hartman from Ridpath instructional aide to Deer Meadow instructional aide.

- Substitutes: Doris Collins and Janet Mellinger as substitute bus drivers and Bill Wallace as substitute teacher.

- Extra-curricular activities: Angie Weeks–Deer Meadow robotics sponsor; Holli Hill– Deer Meadow Be Nice Be Kind sponsor and GMS volunteer cheer coach; Melissa Ames– Deer Meadow Be Nice Be Kind sponsor; Emily Johnson and Jamy Whitaker–Ridpath student council sponsors and Movement Club sponsors; Kim Whited–Ridpath Movement Club sponsor; Tonia Dibble, Courtenay Hayes and Jenna Lanham–Ridpath Be Nice Be Kind sponsors; Kathryn Dory–GMS band director, choral director, summer band sponsor, musical director, music department chair and Tri-M sponsor; Amy Robinson–GMS publications sponsor, science activities coordinator, art department chair and art club sponsor; Cassidy Holt-Spencer–GMS publications sponsor and ELA Academic Super Bowl sponsor; Alisa Isaacs–GMS drama performance sponsor; Stacie Stoffregen–GMS science activities coordinator, science department chair, science fair eCyber Mission sponsor and science Academic Super Bowl sponsor; Ben Wells–GMS social studies chair; Denise Meyer–GMS ELA department chair; Jane Roberson–GMS math chair and Academic Super Bowl math sponsor; Erin Blaydes–GMS health/PE chair; Amy Weliever–GMS technology chair and robotics club sponsor; Amy Howard–GMS special services chair; Jessi Koosman–GMS student council sponsor; Amy Berry–GMS French club sponsor; Erin Brown–GMS jump rope club sponsor; Daniel Summerlot–GMS sixth-grade online Science Bowl sponsor; Kristien Hamilton–GMS Math Counts Sponsor; Melissa Knipp–GMS Spell Bowl sponsor; Courtney Smith – GMS social studies Academic Super Bowl sponsor; Lisa Duggan, Elizabeth Timberman and Jamey Landry–GMS intramural volleyball sponsors; Cody Mundy–GHS volunteer intern for athletics; Kevin Kendall–GHS girls’ assistant basketball coach; Craig Whitaker, Rob York and Colin York–GHS boys’ assistant basketball coaches; Ian Pingleton–GMS head wrestling coach; Samantha Call–seventh-grade girls’ basketball coach.