SP board approves routine items

In an approximately 20-minute session, The South Putnam School Board approved normal requests for trips, savings and surplus during its monthly meeting Wednesday evening.

In a normally routine item on the agenda, the board heard from Dean of Students Brady Rhodes on an upcoming domestic trip for underclassmen to Puerto Rico.

Rhodes said the trip will take place during spring break in 2021, at the same time upperclassmen will be traveling to Europe. He also said traveling to Puerto Rico involved a Spanish-language component. Both trips will be handled by EF Educational Tours, which ensures that the itinerary may be changed due to unexpected difficulties.

The domestic trip will be led by social studies teacher Leah Henry and Spanish teacher Brandon Kinnaird. As would be the case for the upperclassmen trip, students will also be given the opportunity to work to cover individual trip expenses.

The board approved this trip along with others that were considered.

Board members also approved a request by Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt to transfer savings of about $53,000 from the teacher retirement fund into the education fund to be used for necessary expenses. The request follows a recently passed House Enrolled Act which stipulates that savings be moved.

The board also approved to surplus outdated laminating machines at Fillmore Elementary School.

In his report, Bernhardt said that South Putnam had gotten off to a good start, and that students, faculty and staff had settled into their normal routines. He also reminded the auctioning off of the Reelsville property would take place in the MS/HS Learning Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.

The board also recognized South Putnam’s first Students of the Month. Kindergartener Sophia Lake came from Central Elementary School, fifth-grader Peyton Dooley represented Fillmore Elementary School, eighth-grader Naomi Sunderman represented South Putnam Elementary School and senior Moriah Coward was honored by South Putnam High School.

Board members also approved the following personnel report:

• Resignations: Bethany LeBlanc, MS/HS English teacher; Robin Austin, MS/HS food service (part-time); Jennifer Tomaw, Central Elementary instructional assistant; Kyle Hutchison, Central Elementary custodian; and Brenda Hazlett, Central Elementary instructional assistant;

• Termination: Marcy Young, MS/HS nurse;

• New hires: Casey Rossok, Central Elementary instructional assistant; Christa Stone, MS/HS instructional assistant; Laura Williams, MS/HS food service (part-time); Michelle Jordan, MS/HS custodian; Bethany Combs, MS/HS nurse; Emily Dobson, MS/HS English teacher; and Ian Wallace, eighth-grade girls basketball.

The next regular meeting of the South Putnam School Board is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the South Putnam MS/HS Learning Center.