North Putnam board disagrees over pay increases

Monday, October 12, 2020

ROACHDALE -- Administration at North Putnam Schools will now get to see increases to their base salaries. However, two of them did not have complete support from the North Putnam School Board.

During its regular meeting last Thursday, the board individually approved $1,200 pay increases for North Putnam’s principals and assistant principals. These also included Athletic Director Roger Busch and Director of Operations Terry Tippin.

The latter were not unanimous, though. Board Vice President Dustin Osborn voted against Tippin’s pay increase. However, Obsorn and board members Travis Lambermont, Mark Hoke and Amber Greene all opposed Busch’s, and thus this motion failed.

In the same vein, the board approved a $750 increase for the uncertified employees in the Central Office. Lambermont abstained in this vote, as his wife April is the administrative assistant.

The board was divided on administrative pay increases in May, when it considered them along with individual one-year contract extensions. Board members expressed concern about a dramatic reduction in enrollment due to COVID-19 -- and thus less funding.

The board approved Tippin’s limited term contract during its regular June meeting, while Busch was later entered into a revised contract that stipulated him as an at-will employee.

In other business:

• The board approved the adoption of the 2021 budget, as well as authorizing any reductions to it as may be stipulated by the Department of Local Government and Finance (DLGF) when it is reviewed.

• The board approved for North Putnam to be involved in a film project that will highlight students, staff and the school-community at large. With the approval, the development stage of the project will be under way.

• The board approved an agreement with the Putnam County Commissioners for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money to go toward masks, hand sanitizing stations and water bottle filling stations at North Putnam.

The board also recognized Bainbridge Elementary kindergarten teacher Julia Nesbitt as North Putnam’s Teacher of the Month.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• New hires: Brittany Herd - Bainbridge Elementary Inclusion instructional assistant; Mary Lee Rippy - Roachdale Elementary Homebound instructor; Daniela Henshillwood - Roachdale Elementary Title I teacher; Brian Jeter - assistant high school football coach; Roger Busch - third-grade girls’ basketball; Lynn Buescher - fourth-grade girls’ basketball coach; John McCarty - fourth-grade girls’ basketball coach; Justin Judy - fifth-grade girls’ basketball coach; Jay Burdine - fifth-grade girls’ basketball coach; Craig Franklin - assistant high school boys’ basketball coach; Shawn Flora - assistant ninth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Greg Lyons - assistant high school boys’ basketball coach; Todd Huff - third-grade boys’ basketball coach; Chris Daigle - third-grade boys’ basketball coach; Nick Miller - fourth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Larry Claycomb - fourth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Jeremy Windmiller - fifth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Mark Osborn - fifth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Kelly Windmiller - fifth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Amy Davies - eighth-grade girls’ basketball head coach; Terri Daigle - seventh-grade girls’ basketball head coach/softball head coach; Morgan Smith - assistant eighth-grade girls’ basketball coach; Bronwyn Spencer - assistant seventh-grade girls’ basketball coach; Ryan Burress - assistant boys’ and girls’ swim coach; Adam Logan - assistant high school boys’ and girls’ swim coach; Andy Thomas - middle school head swim coach; Wes Richardson - assistant middle school swim coach; Kim Thomas - assistant middle school swim coach; Dillon Binnion - assistant middle school/high school wrestling coaches; Colin Smith - assistant middle school wrestling coach; Jared Allgood - assistant middle school/high school wrestling coaches; Michael Murphy - middle school head wrestling coach; Robert Helderman - eighth-grade head boys’ basketball coach/assistant baseball coach; RJ Batchelor - assistant eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach; Bryant Pestoff - assistant middle school baseball coach; Cameron Brothers - assistant high school baseball coach; Jason Monnett - middle school baseball head coach; Jason Woodall - assistant middle school baseball coach; Andrew Hardy - middle school golf head coach; Jacob Bender - assistant middle school golf coach; and Kayla Kocher - middle school girls’ track head coach;

• After-school tutoring: Valerie Lenihan - Roachdale Elementary after-school tutor (Grade 1); Heather Conner - Roachdale Elementary after-school tutor (Grades 2 and 3); and Brooke Layton - Roachdale Elementary after-school tutor (Grades 4 and 5) (ALL October-November; seven weeks, two times per week);

• ECA: Dustin Bond - major production technical director; and Linda Gjesvold - major production art director;

• Leaves: Beth Waterman - Roachdale Elementary Principal and Cheryl Crosby - Roachdale Elementary teacher;

• Resignations: Millie Smith - Roachdale Elementary health aide/instructional assistant and Amy Certain - middle school director of guidance.

Board member Darrell Wiatt and legal counsel for the corporation were not in attendance.

The next regular meeting of the North Putnam School Board is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19 in the large instruction room at North Putnam High School.

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