North Putnam board approves boiler purchase, GO bonds

ROACHDALE — As various repairs throughout North Putnam Schools are being planned, an emergency purchase of equipment for North Putnam Middle/High School is now under task.

On a recommendation from Director of Operations Terry Tippin, the North Putnam School Board declared a statutory emergency and approved the purchase of new boilers for the joined schools at its regular meeting Thursday evening.

The board passed a resolution for the emergency as permitted under Section 36-1-12-9 of the Indiana Code, which stipulates that local governing bodies can contract for work without advertising for bids or quotes. This is as long as two quotes have been procured at the time of the declaration.

The declaration notes that Tippin determined that five boilers have or will fail by winter. Specifically, he stated that two have completely failed, though it was previously determined that they altogether would last until 2027.

As such, Tippin recommended both a quote from Enviro-Max for $515,463 and another from EMCOR Services Shambaugh for $392,333.

While the Enviro-Max quote’s installation time was estimated at five weeks with a lead time of three-to-five weeks, EMCOR’S quote stated an installation time of two-to-three weeks with a lead time of two weeks.

The declaration provided that the time from ordering them to their delivery could take up to eight months due to supply-chain hindrances.

“We can’t wait eight months; we knew we were having issues with them,” Tippin said, relating that it was hoped the boilers could hold. “We just don’t have any guarantee that we’re gonna have good, solid heating for our learning environment.”

Considering the price difference and the delivery and installation timelines, as well as the potential of a 25-percent price increase come January, the board approved to go with EMCOR’s quote.

Noting there would be some lag time waiting on some parts there, Supt. Nicole Allee said EMCOR, currently working on heating and cooling improvements at Bainbridge Elementary, could roll its staff to NPMS/NPHS around fall break.

Allee added that the boilers would come out of the Rainy Day Fund, in that the cost would be reimbursed by the school corporation as an expense, though unplanned, in and of itself.

This related to action the board also took with regard to improvements throughout the corporation. Present for this were bond counsel Kristin McClellan of Ice Miller, Luke Bruggeman of Stifel Financial Corp. and Belvia Gray of Baker Tilly.

With McClellan leading the body though the process, the board held a public hearing on a proposed $3.66 million-maximum project. Allee said it is based on the facility study that found needs including new paving, tiling replacement, new kitchen equipment and replacing doors.

“Things add up pretty quickly, and they are things that we would have difficulty addressing all of them, or more than one or two of them, with our Operations Fund,” Allee said.

With an aim to maintain the current tax rate with assessed values having gone up, McClellan advised that bonds have be sold at least by Thanksgiving. Otherwise, they are to come with a five-percent interest.

As such, the board approved resolutions for the issuance of general obligation (GO) bonds, which are backed by an entity’s credit and taxing ability, rather than relying on potential revenue with a given project.

Besides resolutions declaring the project and utilizing them, the board approved the GO bonds as additional appropriations. It also passed a resolution for the school corporation to reimburse expenses from the bonds.

In other business:

• With no comments offered, the board conducted a public hearing on North Putnam’s 2023 budget. The budget is set to be adopted at the board’s regular meeting next month.

Details on the budget were reported in coverage of the board’s meeting last month when Corporation Treasurer Tanya Pearson presented it.

• In an action related to the budget, the board approved the corporation’s capital projects and bus replacement plan.

• The board approved a general plan for improvements across all of the schools in the corporation.

The board also recognized seventh-grade social studies teacher Holly Richardson as the Teacher of the Month.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• New hires: Megan Cluggish - NPHS instructional assistant; Adrienne Clampitt and Jenna Livingston - Roachdale Elementary instructional assistants; Brandi Polster and Amber Brown - bus drivers; Kristen Jordan - NPMS/MPHS choir teacher (temporary contract); Vince Brooks - NPHS boys’ basketball head coach; Ronnie Campbell - NPHS boys’ basketball first assistant (JV head) coach; Tim Tillotson, Jon Day and Greg Lyons - NPHS boys’ basketball assistant coaches; Anthony Rossok - freshman boys’ basketball coach; Curtis Lawrence - NPHS girls’ basketball first assistant (JV head) coach; Kelly Windmiller and Krystal Parker - girls’ basketball assistant coaches; Haley Weaver - freshman girls’ basketball coach; Andy Thomas, Jacob Bender, Kim Thomas and Alyssa Chew - NPHS boys’ and girls’ swimming and diving assistant coaches; Kevin Lutes and Matthew Couch- NPHS girls’ track and field head coaches; Brent McColgin - NPHS boys’ track and field assistant coach; Kerry Roussey - NPHS softball head coach; Bronwyn Spencer, Chris Brewer and Shawn Miller - NPHS softball assistant coaches; Chris Geeser - NPHS baseball head coach; Cameron Brothers, Jackson Kendall and Anthony Rossok - NPHS baseball assistant coaches; Justin Judy - eighth-grade girls’ assistant coach; Brent Conner - eighth-grade boys’ basketball head coach; Andrew Thomas - NPMS swimming head coach; Lynn Buescher - NPMS volleyball assistant coach; and Dan McMurtry - Roachdale Elementary cross country coach;

• ECA: Dan McMurtry - Roachdale Elementary yearbook sponsor/Student Council sponsor; Carolyn Huffman - Roachdale Elementary Spell Bowl coach; and Heather Conner - Roachdale Elementary Math Bowl coach;

Mentor teachers: Alyssa Chew (for Michael Laplante); and Jennifer Gibbs (for Angela Moore);

• Leave: Cheryl Crosby - Roachdale Elementary teacher (effective Aug. 8 through Jan. 2, 2023);

• Resignation: Jennifer Graybill - NPMS/MPHS choir teacher (effective Aug. 19);

• Retirement: Kathy Fenwick - Bainbridge Elementary custodian (effective Sept. 6).

With Pearson and member Eric Oliver absent, the board joined Allee, Tippin, Corporation Attorney Darren Chadd and Administrative Assistant April Lambermont for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the North Putnam School Board is set for Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the large group instruction room at North Putnam High School.