Superintendent encourages coffee talk

Friday, September 17, 2010

BAINBRIDGE -- Superintendent Mary Sugg Lovejoy wants to have coffee with parents and community members, she announced at Wednesday evening's monthly school board meeting.

She has plans for a series of "Superintendent Coffees" to share coffee and soft drinks so those interested can voice their concerns and questions about the North Putnam Community School Corporation.

"The purpose is to visit informally to discuss concerns, ask questions, and give me an opportunity to know some of the parents and patrons of the district," Lovejoy said.

The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 and Feb. 10, 2011 and 8 a.m. Nov. 11 and April 7, 2011 at the district's Central Office. Meeting times will also be posted on the district's website, www.nputnam.k12.in.us/

Lovejoy also reported on the outcome of the first in a series of attendance center committee meetings held earlier this month.

She said the committee discussed three main topics: the idea of visiting schools that have already made use of the concept of attendance centers, looking into research about the effectiveness in grouping students in such a way and discussing a district-wide survey about the issue.

The committee, made up of school board members Andy Beck and Jackie Simpson, assistant superintendent Kevin Emsweller, Bainbridge Elementary School principal JoEllen Cook, Roachdale Elementary School principal Scott Spencer, teacher representatives Jeanine Peterson from Bainbridge and Jonathan Shannon from Roachdale; and Parent Teacher Organization representatives Breanna Miethe from Roachdale and Dana Young from Bainbridge, plans to meet again within the next week or so, Emsweller said.

Emsweller also provided the student-to-teacher ratios for each grade at both Bainbridge and Roachdale elementaries for the purposes of making a decision about the attendance centers. The average class sizes were found to be as follows:

Bainbridge: kindergarten -- 15 to 1, first grade -- 14 to 1, second grade -- 17 to 1, third grade -- 19 to 1, fourth grade -- 24 to 1, fifth grade -- 22 to 1.

Roachdale: kindergarten - 17 to 1, first grade - 19 to 1, second grade - 16.5 to 1, third grade - 18.5 to 1, fourth grade - 25.5 to 1, fifth grade - 23 to 1.

Plans are also moving forward on renovation and construction projects across the district.

The board approved Keusch Glass out of Jasper, Ind. with a bid of $141,225 to repair the windows windows at both North Putnam Middle School and Roachdale Elementary School and Carter Lumber for the roofing project at North Putnam High School.

The board also unanimously approved the renovation of the existing baseball diamonds at Roachdale Elementary School as well as the structures at Bainbridge Elementary baseball/softball fields.

Representatives for both baseball diamond projects were not present at the meeting, but Lovejoy expressed her gratitude for their efforts.

"Both projects rep how special our community is and how it has come together to do things for our schools," she said.

In personnel news, Joe Ban, Brandy Dickson, Jesse Harper and Mark Lehr were approved as volunteer assistant swim coaches at the high school, and Craig Franklin's resignation as eighth grade head basketball coach at the middle school was accepted.

The board also approved Lori Baker, Jana Brothers, Andy Cottingham, Marsha Davidson, Rick England, Wesley Richardson, Warren Rush and Jessyca South to assist with McCormick's Creek trip in their position with Sixth Grade Outdoor Experience at the middle school.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the North Putnam Community School Corporation Board of Trustees will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the Central Office Board Room (300 N. Washington, Bainbridge).

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