South Putnam asking state for one-day waiver

Monday, March 26, 2007

If all goes according to plan, students in the South Putnam Community School Corp. will get out of school this year before Memorial Day.

SPCSC Supt. Bruce Bernhardt told the BannerGraphic that the corporation had recently filed a waiver with the Indiana Dept. of Education in order to eliminate one of the school days on the 2006-07 calendar.

Severe weather conditions put the county in a state of emergency for several days in late February. Bernhardt said the corporation did not have school one day the week before the extreme weather forced four cancellations.

On Wednesday, he said the corporation had applied for the waiver because of the countywide emergency during the winter storm.

The school board gave Bernhardt permission to seek the waiver Monday.

Corporations are required by the DOE to have students in attendance for 180 days in a school year. But if the waiver is granted by the state, South Putnam will only attend 179 days of school this year.

Bernhardt told the BannerGraphic Wednesday his primary reason for applying for the waiver was so that seniors would not have to come back to school for one more day following graduation.

South Putnam is scheduled to have its graduation day on May 26, and students would not attend school following that day. However, if the state does not grant the waiver, students would have to attend school on May 29, one day after Memorial Day.

"(The DOE does not) always approve them," Bernhardt said."But they look at the circumstances.

"Since this was a countywide emergency, the odds are good. We don't want the seniors to have to come back after graduation."

Bernhardt said the South Putnam district is not the only county corporation applying for the waiver, saying he was told that the North Putnam Community School Corp. was also applying for the waiver.

He added he was not aware if Cloverdale or Greencastle were planning to apply.

"But I'm sure (the DOE) will receive these from all over the state," he said.

Meanwhile, the board approved hiring Brian Gardner as the full-time high school varsity boys' basketball coach after he spent the entire 2006-07 season coaching on an interim basis.

"Brian stepped up and took over on pretty short notice," Bernhardt said.

Gardner took over for Kyle Brewer, who resigned at the conclusion of last season. The Eagles were 3-18 this year.

In other business, the board:

-- Recognized seventh-grade student Kaylin Yon, eighth-grade student Shelby Combs, freshman Victoria Ridgeway, sophomore Tabitha Arnold, junior Shannon Egold and senior Heath Pruitt as Students of the Month.

-- Approved the retirement of bus driver Sam Allen.

The board meets regularly on the third Monday of each month. Its next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 16.

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