South Putnam board approves superintendent search company

With Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt announcing that he will retire at the end of the 2020-21 school year, the South Putnam School Board will soon begin the search for his replacement.

During its regular meeting Wednesday evening, the board approved the hiring of Administrator Assistance, based out of Brookston, to assist with the search for and selection of the new superintendent.

“It’s one of those things (where) it’s pretty important that we get it right,” board member Craig Newby said in briefly explaining the services that will be provided.

He said the company would ensure that the search committee adheres to proper procedures, and also file the necessary paperwork and compile applications. Newby added that Administrator Assistance would help with “the right questions” and “the right things we need to be preparing ourselves for” with the process.

Newby said the advantage with hiring Administrator Assistance is that the company will provide a year of mentorship to the new superintendent, due to superintendents themselves being on staff. He noted that younger people seem to be coming into these positions.

“There’s a good chance we’re going to have a person with limited experience,” Newby said. “It seems like more and more when you look at who school corporations hire, they hire people with zero to five years of experience.”

In other business, the board also approved an interlocal agreement with the county allowing for CARES Act money to go to South Putnam. Bernhardt explained that the county has an excess it cannot spend, and the money would go toward purchases relating to COVID-19.

In general, CARES Act money has been allocated for items such as cleaning supplies and new desks.

In his monthly report Wednesday, Bernhardt also provided updates regarding South Putnam’s enrollment. He announced that the first count will take place on Sept. 18. With this in mind, he posited that the corporation would have between 25-30 fewer students compared to last school year.

He noted that the total count would include those online. Saying it is “an expense that is a concern,” Bernhardt said that as each in-class student is worth $6,000 -- per average daily enrollment (ADM) -- South Putnam would lose about $180,000.

This is still with the understanding that Indiana lawmakers have not yet ruled whether virtual students will be fully funded. They are currently alloted 85 percent of that money.

“We have to watch our expenses very close this year,” Bernhardt said, also noting that the school corporation incurs a $250 expense for every student enrolled in an online academy.

Bernhardt also provided that South Putnam had recorded one positive case of COVID-19. While he believed it was good that only one has been identified, he added that about 60 students overall have been sent home to quarantine.

“All things considered, I think things are carrying on much better than I was afraid they might,” Bernhardt said optimistically. “I want to certainly tell my administrators, nurses, my teachers definitely, that they’re doing a great job of taking a tough situation and making it good for the students.

“I’ll be perfectly honest: I’d much rather see everybody sitting in class learning every day,” he added. “I believe that’s the best way to learn, personally. But we’re doing a bang-up job providing an education for the kids that can’t be here or (have) chosen not be here.”

South Putnam’s Students of the Month were also recognized:

• Central Elementary School: Wyatt Bell

• Fillmore Elementary School: Gabrielle Schurtter

• South Putnam Middle School: Tessa Mullin

• South Putnam High School: Jarred Bunch

Schurtter and Mullin were unable to attend the meeting.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Retirement: Bruce Bernhardt - Superintendent (effective June 30, 2021);

• New hires:

Classified: Ralph Wilkinson - MS/HS custodian; and Dee Norman - bus driver;

Volunteers: Drew Bratcher - MS/HS volleyball; and JD Briones - MS/HS volleyball.

• Extra-curricular activities:

Fall coaches: Charles Sorrell - varsity football; Seth Hammond, Evan Bernhardt, Andrew Waters, Lane Hacker, Jordan Forquer - assistant football; Brandon Foxx, Josh Foxx, Alex Lupinski - middle school football; Brandon Welti - varsity cross country; Holly Cooper, Heath Pruitt - assistant cross country; Brian Gardner - coed middle school cross country; John Briones - boys’ tennis; Shannon Wright - girls’ golf; Rachelle Custis - varsity volleyball; Bethany Combs - assistant JV volleyball; Megan Moore - eighth-grade volleyball; Roshia Scott - seventh-grade volleyball

Winter coaches: Travis Turpen - varsity boys’ basketball; Austin Judy - assistant ninth-grade boys’ basketball; Seth Hammond - eighth-grade and seventh-grade boys’ basketball; Brian Gardner - varsity girls’ basketball; Jill Newton - assistant girls’ basketball; Ian Wallace - eighth-grade girls’ basketball; John Briones - seventh-grade girls’ basketball; Anna Kendall - coed swimming coordinator; Heath Pruitt - assistant boys’ swimming’ Zach Rayce - assistant girls’ swimming; Andrew Waters - wrestling; Pete Wilson - assistant JV wrestling

Spring coaches: Brandon Welti - varsity girls’ track; Holly Cooper - assistant girls’ track; Heath Pruitt - varsity boys’ track coach; Evan Bernhardt - assistant boys’ track; Jeff McKeon - varsity baseball; Gabe Burkhardt - assistant JV baseball; Mark Hamilton - varsity softball; RaeAnne Kimmel - assistant JV softball; John Briones - varsity girls’ tennis; Greg Dean - varsity boys’ golf; Alex Lupinski - middle school boys’ track; Roshia Scott - middle school girls’ track; Jessie McKean - middle school boys’ swimming; Annie Richmond - middle school girls’ swimming; Andrew Waters - middle school wrestling

Other activities: Amanda Wells - varsity cheer sponsor, middle school Student Council sponsor and ACA coach - middle school Spell Bowl; Cara Cash - assistant varsity cheer sponsor, drill team sponsor and special education coordinator/reviewer (secondary); Kathy Crist - JV cheer sponsor; Mellisa Murphy - middle school cheer sponsor and special education coordinator/reviewer (Central Elementary); Thomas Champion - band director and choral director; Jennifer Perrin - high school play director (two plays), middle school play director, National Honor Society sponsor, high school Student Council sponsor, Interact Club, and ACA coach - high school English; Samantha Jones - high school yearbook and middle school yearbook director; Cara Cash/RaeAnne Kimmel - junior class sponsor; Zach Love/Brian Gardner - senior class sponsor; Tracy Heet/Heather Nees - seventh-grade class sponsors; Amanda Wells/Brad Laney - sixth-grade class sponsors; Rachelle Custis - testing coordinator and website content manager; Amanda King/Lauren Flanders - high school and middle school FFA sponsors; Alex Lupinski - BPA/robotics sponsor; Heath Pruitt - MS/HS guidance counselor; Brian Gardner - MS/HS guidance counselor; Jill Newton - elementary guidance counselor; Theresa Doud/Anna Kendall - concessions directors; Brady Rhodes - high school Diversity Club; Laura Solano - Spanish Club; Tracy Heet - FCA sponsor, ACA coach coordinator and ACA coach - middle school science; Kenny Wells - elementary girls’ basketball; Justin Curts - elementary boys’ basketball; Leah Henry - ACA coach - high school social studies; Theresa Doud - ACA coach - high school science; Elaine Bye - ACA coach - high school math and ACA coach - middle school English; Holly Cooper - ACA coach - high school fine arts; Dorothy Hoffman - ACA coach - middle school social studies; Heather Nees - ACA coach - middle school math; Dorthy Hoffman/Tiffany Dickson/Theresa Doud/Jennifer Perrin/Natalie Hodge - MHS mentors; RaeAnn Kimmel,Dorothy Hoffman, Lauren Clampitt - special education coordinator/reviewers (secondary); Caitlin Downing, Mary Winters - special education coordinator/reviewers (Central Elementary); Shannon Lutes, Diana Meo - special education coordinator/reviewer (Fillmore Elementary); Ann Pruitt - Central/Fillmore Elementary choir; Cindy Evens/Susan Girton/David Mann - Central Elementary Spell Bowl; Ashley Wilson/Mary Winters/Josie Hacker - Central Elementary Math Bowl; Holly Frye/ Heather Perkins/Jill Newton - Central Elementary Student Council; Ann Pruitt/Annie Richmond - Fillmore Elementary Drama Club; Ann Pruitt/Emily Brinkman - Fillmore Elementary Spell Bowl; Diana Meo/Sue Pitts - Fillmore Elementary Math Bowl; Angie Clark - Fillmore Elementary Student Council; Mary Winters/Missy Smith/Ashley Wilson/Kelly Newby - fourth and fifth-grade FEET; Tammy York/David Mann/Lisa Gall/Mary Winters - fourth and fifth-grade drama; Shannon Lutes - Fillmore Recycle-Environmental Club

The next regular meeting of the South Putnam School Board is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in the South Putnam MS/HS Learning Center. The meeting will also be broadcast over YouTube.