Area 30 Board reorganizes, sets meetings

As Area 30 Career Center gears up for a new school year, its interlocal board of directors set its officers and meeting dates for 2022-23 at its regular meeting Tuesday morning.

South Putnam Supt. Corey Smith, Cloverdale Supt. Greg Linton and Eminence Supt. Wesley Hammond were approved as the board’s president, vice president and secretary, respectively. Smith took over from North Putnam Supt. Nicole Allee.

The board also approved Cindy Burnham, Brianne Bumgardner and Michelle Cooper of Lewis & Kappes as the board’s treasurer, deputy treasurer and legal counsel, respectively.

Meanwhile, the board also approved continuing to hold its regular meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. The meeting slated for Tuesday, Aug. 9 was changed to Thursday, Aug. 11 due to the prior being the first day of classes.

In other business:

• Executive Director Chad Nunley said enrollment at Area 30 stood then at 330 students, and that this was 25 down from the target number. He noted that both additions and drops generally occur in the first two weeks of school.

Registration for programs is set for Tuesday, Aug. 2 at Area 30 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

• The board approved both student and staff handbooks for the 2022-23 school year. Nunley said only a couple of courses were adjusted, and that dates were changed and some language was clarified.

• The board approved for Area 30 to submit for local, state and federal grants for the school year.

• Nunley and the board briefly discussed lunch prices for students. The idea was that prices could be set at the pre-2020 rate, as lunches were provided free through a federal Covid program from 2020 to now.

However, Hammond, Linton and Smith said their school corporation’s prices would have to be adjusted, while Supt. Jeff Gibboney said Greencastle’s would be at the 2019-20 rate. Meanwhile, increases at North Putnam were recently approved.

• The board approved hiring Kasey Wyeth as a part-time Adult Education instructor. Nunley said this is a new position that would be supported with grant money, while another part-time instructor is now working fewer hours.

Though new Asst. Director Sharon Bone was absent, Nunley, Burnham and the entire board were present for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Area 30 Board is set for Thursday, Aug. 11 at 9 a.m. in the Old National Trail boardroom.