Board considers improvements at Cloverdale Schools

CLOVERDALE — Following recent updates to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, extensive building improvements at Cloverdale Schools are waiting in the wings.

Being effective fiscally and construction-wise to address the most pressing issues was the main point Monday evening for the Cloverdale School Board. Even so, options were open for the estimated $2 million endeavor.

Speaking to the project’s scope, Maintenance Director Eddie Byrnes proposed improvements for each school building. Among those he deemed immediate and tenable included updating door security throughout, remodeling the bathrooms at Cloverdale Elementary and replacing tile at the high school and middle school.

The other improvements looked at included repairing concrete cracks to the exterior of Cloverdale Middle School, updating the nurse station at Cloverdale High School and replacing all exterior doors at the elementary school. However, Byrnes said these could be done outside of the project.

For his part, Matt Schumaker of Stifel Financial Corp. reported that the project will not affect the local tax rate at 31 cents. Essentially, this is because current debt is falling off, thus allowing for new payments to be added in the future.

Not incurring the project, Cloverdale Schools’ debt would drop off significantly from about $1.6 million in 2023 to about $500,000 in 2025. The goal, Schumaker said, is to keep the tax rate stable, but to give flexibility over the longer term. The debt service, though, is one component to the overall tax rate along with operations.

Schumaker cautioned that assessed values influence tax rates year to year, and that the assumption was made that Cloverdale’s would increase 0.80 percent from 2024-26. Conservative assumptions include a five-percent interest rate and a four-percent growth quotient through 2028.

“I know that is somewhat counterintuitive,” Schumaker said about operations causing the tax rate to increase if the assessed value does not. “What you do control is the debt service tax rate.”

The current parameters of the project mean $1.85 going toward the actual hard and soft costs, with a “worst-case” estimate being six percent for the interest rate. An estimated tax rate impact at 32 cents does not account for the debt falling off.

With these considerations, the board passed adopted a resolution supporting the project. Additionally, another was to approve the issuance of the general obligation (GO) bonds, with another for the corporation to reimburse itself for initial needs.

The bonds are not expected to be sold for several months.

In other business:

• With Missy Carrell opposing, the board approved a memorandum of understanding with the Town of Cloverdale and South Putnam Schools for a part-time school resource officer.

The officer would cover both school corporations, with it being stated previously that they together would cover 50 percent of the SRO’s costs. The memorandum has been approved at South Putnam. Carrell did not state her reasoning for her vote.

• The board approved a pair of requests regarding personnel for Cloverdale Elementary’s expanding pre-K and Pre-Clover programs. One was for a part-time secretary to be moved to a full-time position, while the other was to approve one coordinator, three full-time instructors and four instructional assistants.

“And we’re happy to have more if we need more,” Board President Vivian Whitaker said for her part about the approvals.

• The board approved one-year extensions for all administrators. Supt. Greg Linton noted that these will be added to the current addendum of salaries and benefits.

• The board approved agreements with the coordinators for food service, transportation and maintenance.

The board also recognized Cloverdale Schools’ Students of the Month: Kason Parrish (Cloverdale Elementary School), Blake Atkerson (Cloverdale Middle School) and Chloe Meek (Cloverdale High School).

The board in turn recognized Teachers of the Month with Tara Regnier-Baugh (Cloverdale Elementary School), Taulbee Jackson (Cloverdale Middle School) and Heather Clingan (Cloverdale High School).

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• New hires: Aleksey Green - CHS head cross country coach; Eddie Byrnes - CHS head wrestling coach; Seth Geiger - home school adviser/AEP; Holly Ford, Debbie Atwood and Abbie Kenworthy - summer help/transportation; Robin Hallam, Seth Geiger and Brenda Mowery - summer custodial/painting help; Sandra Thomas - bus driver; and Christian Frye - Cloverdale Middle School principal;

• Resignations: Amanda Hutchison - corporation nurse; and Debbie Morgan - cafeteria worker; and

• Volunteers: Morgan Trivett - CHS volunteer girls’ basketball coach; and Kyle Thomas - CHS volunteer boys’ basketball coach.

Mike Rightmyer was the only board member absent at the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale School Board is set for Monday, June 12 at 7 p.m. in the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Office near Cloverdale High School.