Cloverdale board addresses masks, re-entry

CLOVERDALE — With it being clear that parents had provided feedback, the Cloverdale School Board addressed their concerns about the start of school Monday evening.

While a re-entry plan was touched on last month, Superintendent Greg Linton and Board President Vivian Whitaker mainly spoke on expectations when it comes to masking up.

Masks will be optional for students inside school buildings. However, a mandate from the Indiana Department of Health still requires them to be worn on school buses. This is because they are considered close quarters.

The statewide mandate for wearing masks on public school properties expired on June 30. Besides the bus mandate, school corporations were then given local control on setting restrictions.

With the aim being to start school “as normally as possible,” Linton said the board was in agreement in not approving the re-entry plan until next month. With this, he asked for parents to be patient as potential changes are taken into account.

Whitaker also addressed a rumor on social media about checking if students are vaccinated and being discriminatory. She adamantly said that this would not be done.

In other business:

• The board approved employment agreements for Cloverdale Schools’ food service and transportation directors, as well as those for bus drivers.

• Kevin Livingston of EMCOR Construction Services Midwest gave a brief update of building renovations, including electrical, HVAC, restroom and carpet upgrades, currently going on in the school corporation. The whole project is slated for completion in December.

• The board opposed the recently amended interlocal agreement between the four Putnam County school districts and Eminence and Area 30 Career Center. The new agreement is based on average daily membership (ADM) of each district and how many students each sends.

Whitaker provided that the vote did not reflect on Cloverdale Schools’ participation in or support of Area 30, but rather that the school corporation was at a financial disadvantage with the new funding model.

• The board approved a recommendation for Cloverdale’s Pre-K program to be a full-day one, as opposed to a two-and-a-half-hour one. The program would be on alternating schedules, with three days on Schedule A and two on Schedule B. Staffing will not increase, and the monthly cost to parents will not change.

• The board approved a job description for the assistant principal at Cloverdale Middle School as also being Cloverdale Schools’ virtual school instructor. The position will be held by Christian Frye, who was an administrative assistant prior to earning a principal’s license.

Frye will oversee virtual instruction in-house instead of it being through the Edmentum Learning Environment. This will be a cost savings to the school corporation with revenues from Tech Trep being taken into account. Stipends will also be paid to teachers for the in-house virtual instruction.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Resignations: Madison McDonald - seventh-grade science teacher; Megan Schroeder - CMS special education teacher; Susan Fidler - CHS math teacher; Greg Thomas - CHS health and physical education teacher; and Jamie Thomas - kindergarten teacher;

• Reassignment: Christian Frye - CMS assistant principal/virtual school director; and Katina Wetter - fourth-grade teacher;

• Employment: Katelyn Myers - CMS/CHS agriculture teacher/FFA sponsor; Troy Greenlee - CHS math teacher; Carolyn Hall - CMS special education teacher; Tyler Lotz - CHS health and physical education teacher; Quinn Albright and Kirsten Vaughn - kindergarten teachers; Brittany Pyles - CMS instructional assistant; and Alesha Pattison - CES/CMS cafeteria (part time);

• Coaching:

— Hires: Wade Warren - CHS head wrestling coach; Jamie Steffy - CHS girls’ golf coach; and Ken Schnepp - CHS co-ed cross country and girls’ track coaches;

— Volunteers: Debbie Steffy - CHS volunteer girls’ golf coach; and Tyler Lotz - CHS volunteer football coach.

Along with Linton, the entire board was present for the meeting. They were joined by Corporation Deputy Treasurer Lynn Lotz.

The next meeting of the Cloverdale School Board is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Office near Cloverdale High School.