Book prices on rise for Cloverdale Schools

CLOVERDALE -- Many schools experience price increases this time of the year, and Cloverdale Community Schools is no exception. The Cloverdale School Board approved several price increases during its regular Monday meeting.

The new textbook and rental fees are: $112.67 (kindergarten, up $8.33); $110.93 (1st grade, up $9.79); $101.23 (2nd grade, up $7.79); $124.09 (3rd grade, up $2.10); $118.44 (4th grade, up $6.10); $140.45 (5th grade, up $16.13); $152.94 (6th grade, add $10 each for band and choir, up $23.95); $160.99 (7th grade, up $28.20) and $182.73 (8th grade, up $46.99).

High school prices vary based on the courses a student takes.

The $20 to $40 increase in prices at the middle and high school covers the cost of new science textbooks at all three buildings and a new health textbook at the middle school, also approved by the board.

“Previously, students in grades K-2 did not have an adopted science textbook,” Cathy Ames, director of curriculum and instruction, said in a press release. “Supplemental materials were used to teach the academic standards. To help promote and increase the needed support for our science curriculum, it was decided that a new science textbook program would be adopted in all elementary classrooms and would be continued through the middle school. This program will help to support our science curriculum and will give our students a stronger set of science skills needed for the ISTEP+ test.”

Of the new health book, she said, “It has been approximately 10 years since CCSC has adopted a health book for grades 5-8. CCSC felt is was absolutely necessary to adopt a new book that accurately supports the Indiana Academic Standards in health, and one that articulates the middle school health curriculum.”

The board approved the usual 10-cent increase in breakfast and lunch prices, bringing current prices to: $1.45 (student breakfast), $2.85 (student lunch), $1.85 (adult breakfast) and $3.60 (adult lunch).

“The federal government requires a minimum charge by local school districts that meets their standard, that keeps pace with the amount of the federal reimbursement that we receive for free and reduced lunches,” Superintendent Greg Linton said. “In order to meet that federal mandate, it’s a requirement of our school district to increase those prices by 10 cents.”

The board approved a rate increase for the preschool program from $7 per day ($35 per week) to $10 ($50). With 30 students, the $3 increase is expected to bring in an extra $15,300 and still remain competitive.

“Cloverdale Community Schools provides a full-day preschool program at a fraction of the cost of other programs,” Katina Wetter, a preschool teacher who wrote the proposal, said. “This rate increase will help offset the costs associated with running the program.”

Before the rate increase, Cloverdale Schools offered the lowest price for the most instructional time. After the increase, the program will remain $40 less than the cost of New Pathways in Greencastle, but $20 more than Deer Meadow’s program (also in Greencastle; offers half-days Monday-Friday).

In other developments:

-- Claims: The board approved claims at a total of $780,382.04, a decrease from last month of $80,646.41 and an increase from the year’s average of $12,665.12.

-- Owen County Public Library: The board approved appointing Emily Haltom a trustee to the Owen County Public Library. In July, Haltom will take over for Eunice Vincent, who has served for 16 years (the maximum allowed).

-- Personnel: The board approved the following personnel report:

-- Hire: Angie Ranard, Meganne Stepp, Megan Puckett, Krysta Grimes and Megan Schroeder (CES summer school teachers); Tyarra Clark, Melinda Walker, Jackie Ramsay, Cindy Gamble and Sheri Wahl (CES summer school instructional assistants); Amy Bates (CMS instructional assistant); Chris Kaufman (CHS ag teacher/FFA adviser), Audrie Grimes (English summer school teacher), Andy Tyler (social studies summer school teacher) and Karl Turk (P.E. summer school teacher); Jake Stipanovic, Holly Ford, Debbie Atwood, Jamie Porter and Wes Porter (summer part-time transportation); Denis Flory (substitute bus driver) and Taylor Jones (summer part-time groundskeeper)

-- Retirement: Kim Rich (third-grade teacher)

-- Resignation: Lauren McHugh (CHS media center)

-- Family/Medical Leave: Susan Smith (fifth-grade teacher)

-- Comments: “I would like to publicly thank Kim Rich for her many years of service as a teacher here at Cloverdale Community Schools,” Superintendent Linton said. “What an outstanding teacher and clearly someone who loves kids. We had our (AdvancED) district accreditation a few months ago, and their private exit interview with Cathy (Ames) and I, they kept talking about one teacher whose classroom they were in that hit every mark perfect on the rubric. It was Kim. We really appreciate the work that she’s done over the years, touched a lot of lives. It’s definitely helped Cloverdale Elementary be a great school.

“I’d also like to thank Lauren McHugh. She has done a very good job in the media center at the high school.”

-- Policies: After the second reading, the board approved Volume 29, No. 1, bylaw 0100 and policies 7540 to 7540.02 technology.

-- Students of the Month: May Students of the Month were Zepha Caldwell (third grade), Jeremy Hess (eighth grade) and Haley Maners (sophomore).

The next Cloverdale School Board regular meeting will be June 12 at 7 p.m. in the administration building.