Pay increases, additional approprations approved at CCSC

CLOVERDALE — The Cloverdale School Board approved separate pay increases, as well as additional appropriations toward Cloverdale School’s online academy, at its regular meeting on Monday.

Said increases will include 6.5 added percent for all classified employees as well as bus drivers. Meanwhile, the administrators’ increases will reflect the same benefits as teachers as far as their base pay.

“All the pay increases are very close, if not right on, what was given to the teachers on a percentage basis,” Board President Vivian Whitaker noted.

Board member Mike Rightmyer abstained from the first vote, due to his spouse being a classified employee.

“I’d like to thank the board for its consideration and approval of pay increases for all of our employees,” Supt. Greg Linton stated. “You’ve got a lot of grateful employees for that, and just appreciate your support in that.”

With a hearing held but the need actually explained beforehand, the board also approved additional appropriations in two funds. While $1 million was set for the Operation Fund, $3.2 million was marked for the Education Fund.

Clearing up confusion with an inquiry by a community member, Linton stated that the corporation’s online academy has generated greater revenue than expected. In essence, the additional appropriations are meant to cover increased expenditures as such.

“Basically, we’re asking for the authority to spend an additional $4.2 million that we already have on hand,” Linton explained as to this not being expected when the current budget was set.

Linton noted that additional appropriations are not local taxpayer dollars, but money by the state in terms of enrollment. He added that 1,456 students statewide are enrolled in the academy.

In other business:

• The board formally adopted its annual agreement with the Cloverdale Education Association. Linton noted that negotiations were perhaps set in record time with two short meetings.

“I think that the goal from the very beginning was to meet someplace reasonably in the middle,” Linton said before the approval, “and I think both sides did that to get what we feel like’s a good settlement for both sides.”

• The board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Indiana Counties Tax Refund Exchange and Compliance System (TRECS). The program allows users to intercept state income tax refunds to reclaim outstanding debts, including school lunch debts.

The board also recognized Cloverdale Schools’ Students of the Month: Aimee Knight (Cloverdale Elementary School), Zeke Frye (Cloverdale Middle School) and Paisley Meyerrose (Cloverdale High School).

Cloverdale Middle School teacher Tori Maldonado was also recognized as the Staff Member of the Month.

With a special presentation, Linton and the board also recognized community members Pat Dorsett and Rebecca Roach. Both planted and then maintained a flower garden in the district’s nature park during the spring and summer.

“I thought, you know, we are so blessed to have such good people living so close to the school district, and caring about what the school district looks like,” Linton commented.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Employment: Holly Watkins - CES medical paraprofessional; Tammy Hudelson - CES paraprofessional; Jonathan Weaver - CHS part-time custodian; Ronald Lyon - substitute bus driver; Keera Monnett - CES instructional assistant; Todd Rightmyer - CMS assistant wrestling coach; and Braden Bottorff - eighth-grade boys’ basketball;

• Maternity leave: Jessica Suthard-Fidler - fifth-grade teacher;

• Resignations: Grace Leonard - CES medical paraprofessional; and Dawn Tucker - Knoy 21st CCLC director;

• Volunteers: Kristen Kukman - CHS girls’ basketball volunteer; and Kiersten Wade - girls’ varsity basketball volunteer assistant coach.

In a separate action, the board also approved adding an instructional assistant at Cloverdale Middle School. Principal Christian Frye provided in a request to the board that the aide was needed for additional support.

Executive Secretary Heather Stokes joined Linton, Whitaker and the rest of the board for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale School Board is set for Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Office near Cloverdale High School.