North Putnam board approves staff pay increases

ROACHDALE — As part of a meeting in which North Putnam’s COVID guidelines were amended, the North Putnam School Board also approved staff pay raises Thursday evening.

The board first considered pay increases for administrative staff, in which Board Vice President Mark Hoke proposed to table them and consider them in more detail. This motion, however, failed with Board President Travis Lambermont and members Amber Greene, Ron Spencer and Joanie Knapp opposing. Greene then motioned to approve the increases as presented, with the previous vote being reversed and passed as such.

With Lambermont abstaining, the board also approved to add $1.50 to non-certified hourly positions. It was noted that this raise fulfilled an adjusted pay scale. The board also essentially approved a $6 raise to the base rates for regular bus drivers. This adds up to about $1.50 more per hour.

The final raises recommended and passed were setting substitute teachers and substitute bus drivers at $10 a day. Hoke made the motion in recommending that the raises be $10 instead of $5. Lambermont also abstained on this vote.

In other business:

• With holding two public hearings led by Ice Miller’s Kristin McClellan, the board approved four separate resolutions related to the planned improvements at Bainbridge Elementary School.

The board approved two resolutions related to the building corporation overseeing the selling of bonds to fund the project. The first authorized the lease of a portion of the school to cover them, as well as for the building corporation to authorize the project’s bonds and assigning construction bids.

After holding a public hearing on the action, the board also approved a resolution allowing for additional appropriations of approximately $4,940,000 to cover the proceeds for the bonds.

The final resolution was to approve providing financial information related to the bonds and the project to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• The board approved faculty stipends under Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding. It was noted that the collective bargaining agreement recently ratified between the board and the North Putnam Classroom Teachers Association stipulated that they had to be employed by Sept. 1.

• The board approved a resolution for Corporation Treasurer Tanya Pearson to transfer an amount of the Education Fund not exceeding 15 percent to the Operations Fund. Superintendent Nicole Allee noted that this was a yearly resolution meant to cover expenses unspecific to student instruction.

• The board approved a request by North Putnam Middle School Principal Bucky Kramer to move forward with organizing a student trip to Washington, D.C., in spring 2023.

The board also recognized North Putnam High School mathematics teacher Michelle Spencer as North Putnam Schools’ Teacher of the Month.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• New hires: Sara McIntire - NPHS instructional assistant; Jessica Tarr-Ajibade - Bainbridge Elementary after-school remediation teacher; Terri Barnhart - Bainbridge Elementary after-school remediation assistant; Pamela Detro - Roachdale Elementary instructional assistant; Earl Hall - NPHS boys’ golf head coach (spring 2021-22); Kevin Lutes - NPHS girls’ track and field head coach (spring 2021-22); Dan Fouts - NPHS girls’ track and field assistant coach; (spring 2021-22); Matthew Couch - NPHS boys’ track and field head coach (spring 2021-22); Brent McColgin - NPHS boys’ track and field assistant coach (spring 2021-22); Chris Geeser - NPHS baseball head coach (spring 2021-22); Cameron Brothers and Robert Hensley - NPHS baseball assistant coaches (spring 2021-22); Shawn Miller - NPHS softball assistant coach (spring 2022); Eric Vaughn - fifth-grade girls’ basketball coach (winter 2021-22); Laren Sanford - NPHS wrestling assistant coach (spring 2022); Raven Lewis - NPHS boys’ volleyball coach (spring 2022); Dave Fuhrman - NPHS wrestling assistant coach (winter 2021-22); and Jon Day - NPHS boys’ basketball assistant coach (winter 2021-22);

• ECA: Staci Parent - teacher mentor for Lisa Costin; Jill Vandivier - teacher mentor for Maliha Kheiri; Kris Rambis - teacher mentor for Breanna Shafer; Char Coffman - teacher mentor for Jaci Meredith; Jeanine Peterson - teacher mentor for Bronwyn Spencer; Shannon Kinkead - teacher mentor for Elizabeth Arnold; and Jenny Neureiter - teacher mentor for Sumer Ramsey (all Bainbridge Elementary); Heather Clingan - FFA; Vince Brooks - NPTV fall, winter and spring (after-school); Michelle Spencer, Kristy Lippencott and Kate Skirvin - NPHS teacher mentors (multiple positions); and Amanda Kramer - NPMS National Honor Society;

• Leave: Ryan Burress - NPHS teacher (effective Nov. 17);

• Resignations: Amanda Storm - NPHS instructional assistant/lifeguard (effective Nov. 12); Lukas Haworth - NPHS co-ed cross country head coach (effective Oct. 27); and Wendell Barrett - Bainbridge Elementary custodian (effective Nov. 20);

• Termination: Bailey Proctor - Roachdale Elementary instructional assistant (effective Oct. 29)

With Pearson not present, Allee and the entire board were joined by Director of Operations Terry Tippin, Corporation Attorney Darren Chadd and Administrative Assistant April Lambermont.

The next regular meeting of the North Putnam School Board is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the large group instruction room at North Putnam High School.