Phase II of CCSC improvement project complete

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale School Board met for its monthly meeting Monday evening, during which it heard an update on the now completed drainage project as well as a received a brief update on the corporation's ISTEP scores.

Project manager Dan Sulkoske was once again on hand to update the board on the status of the drainage project, which began in June and is now officially compete.

Sulkoske informed the board that 100 percent of the basin and storm sewer work has been completed as well as the improvements to the subgrade and asphalt on the north end of the school grounds and new fencing. The retention pond is also completed and is working as it should.

"Everybody has told me that it seems to be working pretty good," Sulkoske said of the new drainage improvements. "I talked with the coaches out there and they have not noticed the pools of water and things like that. It's working properly."

Throughout the project, Cooper Excavating along with Sulkoske found many issues which will need to be addressed as soon as possible.

"The one thing we did discover walking through this process is that there are other areas in need of attention," Sulkoske explained. "They're critical in nature."

Sulkoske explained that there is currently a section of sidewalk

along the high school that is angled toward the building rather than away from it. Thus, there is water coming into the building. It was also noted that there are various places that are in desperate need of resurfacing along with a drain, which has no known use at this time, that has collapsed.

"The pipe is probably old along there," Sulkoske said. "It's going to continue to be a maintenance situation. You don't have the foot traffic along there, which is good, but we took a closer look at that and it just has collapsed."

Not knowing where the drain goes to or comes from, the corporation will be taking a closer look at its function in the coming weeks. It will also be putting some safety measures in place to make sure the area is well concealed to avoid any risk of injury from the community.

Superintendent Carrie Milner also advised the board that she has asked Sulkoske to obtain some estimates on fixing the various asphalt issues around the high school.

"Those are probably our most next urgent areas," Milner said. "It may not be a project that we address until Spring, but if we know what dollars we are looking at it we can start planning for down the road."

Kathleen Glaser also came before the board to discuss the corporations recent ISTEP scores, which she found to be a very strong showing of what Cloverdale is capable of.

ISTEP PASSING PERCENTAGES

Grade 3

Language -- 91.6 percent passed

Math -- 84.3 percent passed

Grade 4

Language -- 84.3 percent passed

Math -- 88.3 percent passed

Grade 5

Language -- 93.7 percent passed

Math -- 92.5 percent passed

Grade 6

Language -- 81.3 percent passed

Math -- 71.7 percent passed

Grade 7

Language -- 78.6 percent passed

Math -- 77.9 percent passed

Grade 8

Language -- 77.6 percent passed

Math -- 74.1 percent passed

Glaser noted that as a corporation the average for ISTEP in language was 84.4 percent and 80 percent in math, which she believes is a great score for Cloverdale. However, there is more work to be done. The high school also had a very strong showing with 87 percent passing algebra, which is up 16 percent from last year. Glaser also added that 74 percent of high school students passed English 10 as well.

"Students understand that you have to pass math to graduate, you have to pass English to graduate," Glaser explained. "Biology you just have to take it and it really doesn't virtually affect you, 20 percent passed. I see this every year. I saw it when I was at Eminence. The numbers range from 20-25 percent."

Overall, Glaser said that there were some very slight drops, but believes that the corporation is heading in the right direction and hopes to improve on scores this year.

In other business:

* The hiring of Mark Couch as a bus driver along with Jarrod Duff as the high school varsity baseball coach and after school weigh room supervisor for the winter, Jim Spencer as the varsity softball coach, Andy Tyler as the high school after school weight room supervisor on Monday and Wednesday, Greg Thomas as the high school weight room supervisor on Tuesdays and Thursday, Kurt Kyle as the eighth-grade football coach, Natasha Archer as part-time food service as well as Tim Wilkes and Taulbee Jackson as volunteer middle school football coaches.

* The board also approved the resignation of Brian Knapp as the varisty softball coach.

* The board approved the resignation of Jared Briles as an elementary school physical education teacher, David Petty as a middle school sixth-grade teacher, Jennifer Segner as a high school special education teacher and Leslie Pennington as a high school instructional assistant.

*The maternity leave of Ag teacher Tiffany Douglass was approved along with the reassignment of Joel Kennelly as transportation coordinator.

*Milner also advised the board that it needs to appoint a new board member for the Owen County Public Library Board. The corporation is now looking for applicants to fill that position. Meetings take place the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m.