New NPHS course descriptions approved

ROACHDALE — Students at North Putnam High School will have more classes to consider moving forward. However, adding them does not mean they will be offered next school year.

This is the caveat that Principal Jason Chew gave the North Putnam School Board during its rescheduled regular meeting Tuesday evening with his request to add several new courses.

Last December, the board approved a list of course descriptions for the 2021-22 school year. Chew said then he would come back with additional courses to satisfy the Next Level Programs of Study (NLPS), which has been rolled out by the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet.

These courses include Psychology, Sociology, Topics in History, Food Theory and Nutrition, Culinary Arts, Principles of Hospitality, Principles of Human Services, Relationships and Emotions, Disability Services, Hospitality Management, Intermediate Photography and Advanced Graphic Design.

Also included as potential courses are Principles of Construction Trades, Construction Trades: General Carpentry and Construction Trades: Framing and Finishing.

Principle courses are being emphasized through NLPS, which is aimed at improving the quality of career and technical education (CTE) courses. However, this has complicated the syncing up of classes offered between schools and the Area 30 Career Center.

Chew told the board that there was a need to gauge interest in them from students, with 12-to-15 students per class being optimal.

With this in mind, the board approved adding the proposed courses to the high school’s schedule.

In other business:

• The board heard comments from community members supporting Athletic Director Roger Busch. No specific issues were made clear. However, some referenced North Putnam having had multiple athletic directors, while others praised Busch’s handling of events.

Due to overflow, some attendees were asked to convene in the library before the start of the meeting.

• The board approved summer programs for North Putnam High School. Chew stated these will be different this year as no on-site option will be offered.

• The board approved a transition from the DOS platform of the Komputrol financial software to an Excel or web-based version. The move would take place through Boyce Systems and be a one-time cost of $52,100.

Superintendent Nicole Singer added that information would be housed on the cloud instead of in-house servers. The hope is the transition will be done before the corporation begins building its budget next year.

• The board approved an agreement with Huntington Bank to serve as the school corporation’s pay agent for handling bonds and securities. It was stated that Tri-County Bank & Trust had resigned in this capacity.

The board also recognized eighth-grade social studies teacher Scott Spencer as North Putnam’s Teacher of the Month.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

New hires: Chloey Barnett - Roachdale Elementary instructional assistant; Cassie Higgins - Roachdale Elementary instructional assistant; Angela Brown - Bainbridge Elementary instructional assistant; Bonnie Osborn - NPMS Homebound instructor; Haley Weaver - NPHS guidance counselor; Logan Glassburn - NPHS ag instructor; Clifford Byers - custodian; Shawn Miller - NPHS assistant softball coach; Ryan Burress - NPHS head football coach; Dan Fouts - NPHS assistant football coach; Cameron Brothers - NPHS assistant football coach; Michael Murphy - NPHS assistant football coach; Brian Jeter - NPHS assistant football coach; Fred Shorter - NPHS assistant football coach; Brandy Dickson - NPHS head volleyball coach and boys’ club volleyball coach; Ashley Rust - NPHS assistant volleyball coach; Jenny Heron - NPHS assistant/ninth-grade volleyball coach and boys’ club volleyball coach; Michelle Spencer - NPHS assistant volleyball coach; Christie Summers - NPHS assistant volleyball coach; Kalib Lawrence - NPHS boys’ club volleyball coach; Earl Hall - NPHS girls’ head golf coach; Allison Everman - NPHS girls’ head soccer coach; Kyle Morgan - NPHS boys’ head soccer coach; Scott Spencer - NPHS boys’ assistant soccer coach; Lukas Haworth - NPHS boys’ and girls’ head cross country coach; Kevin Lutes - NPHS boys’ and girls’ assistant cross country coach; Nikki Riggle - NPMS assistant softball coach; and Skylar Clifford - NPMS assistant softball coach;

ECA: Kirstin Mindiola - NPHS musical: choreography;

Leaves: Pat Inman - bus driver; and Kate Skirvin - NPHS ag teacher;

Transfer: Dennis Gray - full-time bus driver (from substitute bus driver).

Board member Ron Spencer was absent, with Rachel Mandeville joining virtually. Corporation Attorney Darren Chadd was also present, while Corporation Treasurer Tanya Pearson was not in attendance.

The next regular meeting of the North Putnam School Board is scheduled for Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. in the large group instruction room at North Putnam High School.