SPCSC board approves the hiring of teacher, coach

The South Putnam School Corporation board handled several personnel matters Monday night during the regularly scheduled meeting.

During the personnel report, the board approved a 5-0 vote of the resignations of high school English teacher Melissa Knipp effective July 9, high school science teacher Malinda Mann effective Aug. 14, high school industrial tech teacher Phil Williams effective Aug. 2, and high school speech/English teacher Windi Hornsby effective July 17.

Hornsby is also resigning from her position as the coach of the high school boys and girls swim teams, the junior high swim team, and the junior high English academic team.

Also tendering their resignations are high school varsity softball coach Allan Rains effective July 23 and high school secretary Candy Booe effective July 3.

The board approved 5-0 the hiring of two high school staff members. Troy Burgess was hired to teach physical education and Brian Gardner was hired to be the interim varsity boys basketball coach.

The board also approved the employment of Guy Gaston and Jim Samsel for sewage treatment plant operators at the high school and at Reelsville, and the recall of three rifed teachers. These teachers were Deanne Blankenship, Carolyn Schoettmer, and Brian Gardner. Superintendent Bruce Bernhadt told the board that he would later notify these teachers of the recall.

In other business, the board:

--Nominated and approved the following members for officer's positions. Howard Bowen as president, Mike Rissler as vice-president, Steve Cash as secretary, Becky Samsel as treasurer, and Terri Beasley as deputy treasurer.

--Approved to keep the board meetings for every third Monday of the month for the 2006-07 school year except for the following two days: Jan. 16 and Feb. 20.

--Approved five to zero to reject all petroleum bids and purchase on the open market.

--Approved five to zero to accept the dairy bid from Handy's Dairy and to accept the bid from Klosterman Bakery.

--Approved five to zero to add physical education class to the high school GPA calculations.

--Approved five to zero to advertise for the purchase of two passenger buses. These new buses will come with cameras and will complete the fleet.

--Approved five to zero the purchase of teachers and classified workers remaining 60 days of sick leave.

--Adopted a calendar for the proposed budget. On Monday, Aug. 9, the board will have a special meeting to review and approve the proposed budget for publication. On Wednesday, Aug. 23, the proposed budget will be published for at least 10 days prior to a public hearing. On Wednesday, Aug. 30, the proposed budget will be published a second time at seven days after the first and at least three days prior to the meeting. On Wednesday, Sept. 6, the board will hold a special meeting for the public hearing of the proposed budget. On Monday, Sept. 18, the board will hold a regular meeting to adopt the proposed budget.

--Approved five to zero to increase the student lunch price to $2.25 and the adult lunch to $3.00. The price of milk has not increased.

--Approved four to one to hiring an aide to fill in the position of secretary over at the high school.

--Approved four to zero, Cash absented, to donate the Arnold family donation to the South Putnam School Community Foundation, the scholarship fund.

--Learned from Bernhadt that the state will be giving Indiana schools the money that was owed to them.

--Killed the motion of not allowing new board members to receive insurance through the corporation.

Present at the meeting were Beasley, Bernhardt, Cash, Wells, Rissler, Bowen and Dale Mendenhall. Not present was Samsel.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for the third Monday of the month, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. in the music room of Central Elementary. The meeting is open to the public.