Additional GCSC staff to receive raises

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Fresh off of granting significant raises to teachers for the first time in at least four years earlier this month, the Greencastle School Board on Monday increased compensation for other employee groups.

At the recommendation of Supt. Jeff Gibboney, the school board unanimously approved salary adjustments to the remaining employee groups.

“The goal was to settle our CBA and our contract agreement with our teachers first,” Gibboney said. “Now it’s time to handle the rest of our employee groups.”

Among those pay increases are:

• $4,000 raises to the assistant superintendent, director of special education, principals, assistant principals and athletic directors;

• A 4 percent raise for classified salaried employees;

• A 50 cent an hour raise to classified hourly employees;

• A $10 per day increase for bus drivers; and

• A new, increased pay scale for substitute teachers.

Notably, the new pay scale for subs features a $100 daily wage for retired GCSC teachers.

“They’re familiar with our buildings. They have a lot of expertise,” Gibboney said. “Hopefully that will fill some of that shortage and keep some of those people involved in our schools.”

Like with teachers, the pay increases will be retroactive to the beginning of the school year. During the financial report portion of the meeting, Gibboney noted this will make for increased payrolls when payroll numbers are reviewed next month.

In other business:

• Gibboney noted that a number of teachers will receive additional compensation thanks to the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) from the State of Indiana coming on Dec. 3.

A little more than $66,000 will be distributed among all GCSC teachers rated as effective or highly effective.

• The board approved the bus purchase plan for the 2021-22 school year.

Orders were placed for an 81-passenger MacAllister bus for $148,961 and a small, 14-passenger activity bus for $66,562.

By placing the orders now, the hope is that the vehicles will be ready for the 2022-23 school year.

• The board approved three donations, which included:

-$2,500 from the Putnam County Community Foundation to the Greencastle High school art department;

-$536.42 from Mary Allison Children’s Trust to Ridpath Primary School; and

-$4,200 from Mary Allison Children’s Trust to Deer Meadow Primary School.

• Recognized the November students of the month, who included Ben Staggers, Greencastle High School; Delaney Moell, Greencastle Middle School; Kayla Helmer, Tzouanakis Intermediate; Kallie Burnham, Deer Meadow; and Cora Shannon, Ridpath.

Also honored during recent GCSC board meetings were the September and October students of the month.

In September, these included Ali Hassler, GMS; Hudson Inman, Tzouanakis; Ella O’Hair, Deer Meadow; and Kowen Alspaugh, Ridpath.

Those honored in October included Haley Timcheck, GHS; Logan Wood, GMS; Phoenix Pingleton, Tzouanakis; Cori Brown, Deer Meadow; and Jager Berry, Ridpath.

• The board also approved a number of personnel items.

Resignations: Danielle Cummings as GHS instructional assistant, Shannon Cash as GMS math support instructional assistant; Michael Mitchell as Tzouanakis custodian; Ashley Hughes as Tzouanakis instructional assistant; Dawn Lindsay as Tzouanakis instructional assistant; and Niesha Lewis as Ridpath noon aide.

New hires: Dennis Weir as long-term substitute GHS life skills teacher; Mark Dickerson as transportation center maintenance/custodial assistant; Daniel Milner as transportation center mechanic; LeShan Fitzsimmons as GMS instructional assistant; Kelly Lewis as Tzouanakis cafeteria assistant; Joseph Haggard as Ridpath instructional assistant; and Ruby Massing as K-4 after school program instructional assistant.

Transfer: Kendra Green from GMS instructional assistant to GMS seventh-grade math support instructional assistant.

Substitutes: Kim Rossok approved as Tzouanakis substitute custodian and Chad Rodgers approved as substitute bus driver.

Extracurricular activities: Ben Wells approved as GMS PE/health department chairman; Courtney Smith approved as GMS social studies department chair; Morgan Asher hired as GHS music accompanist; Kaleb Camacho, Craig Whitaker, A.J. Jones, Rob York and Trevor Huber approved as GHS boys’ assistant basketball coaches; Ian Pingleton, Scott Hiigel and Jeremy Neeley approved as GHS assistant wrestling coaches; Sarah Beams hired as GMS head swim coach; Kimberly Tess Handy approved as GMS assistant swim coach; Samantha Call approved as seventh-grade girls’ basketball coach; Robert Johnson approved as eighth-grade girls’ basketball coach; Andrew Tirotta approved as GHS strength coach; and Susan Fidler approved as GHS winter and spring athletic event supervisor.

• With the fourth Monday of December falling during winter break, the board approved moving the December meeting to Monday, Dec. 13. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at GCSC Central Office, 1002 Mill Pond Lane.

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