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GCSC to add ag program in 2024-25
Greencastle Community Schools has an eye toward rebuilding an agriculture program for the first time in decades.
During the monthly meeting of the Greencastle School Board, Asst. Supt. Becky McPherson noted the planned return of an ag program next school year.
“We will be bringing ag back to GCSC. We’re excited about that,” McPherson said.
The corporation is taking applications for its open middle school/high school ag position.
“The plan is to grow the program in the middle school and get that feeder program there,” McPherson said. “That way, in the next two to three years, we’ll have a strong foundation for the high school and also getting our GCSC chapter of FFA.”
The push to return ag to GCSC after at least 30 years isn’t a new discussion to McPherson, as she began the dialog with Supt. Jeff Gibboney when she came to GCSC as middle school principal in the fall of 2022.
“Mr. Gibboney and I have been talking about it since I started last year as a middle school principal,” McPherson said. “Coming into Putnam County, I was surprised that we at Greencastle didn’t have an ag program. I just sort of assumed that.
“Last year as principal, I started researching, asking, ‘Could we do that? What would it look like?’” she added.
As assistant superintendent, McPherson said she made it a goal to add an ag program, noting that it’s a way to serve a certain demographic of kids who are already involved in 4-H and would also benefit from ag programs and FFA.
The corporation has worked with Putnam County Extension 4-H Youth Educator Mark Evans on developing a plan for the ag program.
“He’s very passionate about this, and he’s already worked with some of the teachers here at Greencastle,” McPherson said of Evans. “He pointed us toward some good resources.”
She noted that there have already been applicants for the new position, and interviews are likely to commence soon.
With another nod to the importance of career and technical education, McPherson also noted that the Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) programs at Greencastle Middle School and Greencastle High School will be operational with the recent hire of two JAG specialists.
Carson Brown will serve Greencastle Middle School, along with Rachel Crosby at Greencastle High School.
Beginning this week and next, respectively, Brown and Crosby will be working with the building principals and doing some training with the program.
A national non-profit organization, JAG is administered at the state level by Indiana Workforce Development and Vincennes University. Locally, Greencastle joins Cloverdale and North Putnam in having a JAG program.
It was, however, the first school in the state to add such a program at the middle school level.
At the high school level, JAG’s focus is on developing career readiness, life skills and post-graduation activities. For middle schoolers, meanwhile, it will help the younger students prepare for their next step — success in high school.
“Our program is up and running. We’re excited,” McPherson said.
In other business, the board:
• Approved a supplemental payment agreement for early literacy. This money came from a Department of Education disbursement and was divided among teachers in kindergarten through third grade who provide instruction in literacy.
• Approved a rate agreement with Everwise Credit Union of 5.06 percent. Supt. Jeff Gibboney noted that early last year GCSC approached various financial institutions about earning interest on investments.
With a rate around four percent from Everwise (formerly Teachers Credit Union), the school was able to add a significant amount of interest earnings to its Education Fund. The rate increase of about one percent should increase the yield for the coming year.
• Approved the high school girls’ tennis team for an overnight trip to Floyd Central High School on April 5-6.
• Approved a 10-year lease with Metronet on the fiber that connects the various campuses of GCSC. The service comes at a rate for $1,650 a month, with a cost to the school of $495 after government reimbursement.
Gibboney noted that there have been some issues with the current provider, Windstream, and that the deal with Metronet comes at a significant savings.
• Granted permission to declare some kitchen equipment surplus. Upgrades to the GHS kitchen have rendered some of the equipment redundant. While some has been shifted to other kitchens in the corporation, Gibboney noted that some of it can be sold to other schools now that it has been declared surplus.
• Accepted a pair of donations: $2,500 from the Putnam County Community Foundation to Tzouanakis Intermediate School and $600 from the Mary Allison Children’s Trust to Deer Meadow Primary School.
• Learned that work will soon be performed on the bleachers of Harbison Stadium.
During the fall, board members had inquired about adding handrails due to the steep incline of the bleachers. However, Gibboney explained on Monday that in order to make such an update, other changes often have to be made to bring facilities up to current code.
In this case, that also means widening the aisles from 40 inches to somewhere between 40 and 48. The original bid received on this set the price of widening the aisles and adding the rails at around $50,000. Gibboney said another vendor was found for approximately half that price, so the school is moving forward. The idea is to have the work done before April, in time for track and field season, but Gibboney said material delays may be a problem.
Board President Mike White, who brought up the topic, was pleased with the news.
“I think that’s money well spent. There have been a lot of near misses of people getting hurt there,” White said. “Thanks to everyone involved.”
• Recognized the January students of the month: GHS - Trenton Bright, GMS - Mia Winters, Tzouanakis - Molly Carrington, Deer Meadow - Ezekiel Downing and Ridpath - Maddy Stewart.
• Approved the following personnel items:
Resignations: Chad Rodgers as GHS principal (effective June 30), William Green as substitute bus driver (effective Jan. 22), Taylor Robinson as Tzouanakis instructional assistant (effective Feb. 29), Randall Stump as GHS custodian (effective Feb. 14).
Hires: Desiree Baker as Tzouanakis special education teacher (effective March 25), Jordan Froderman as GMS homebound instruction special education teacher (effective Jan. 4), Amanda Highsmith as Tzouanakis instructional assistant (effective Jan. 29), Randall Stump as GHS custodian (effective Jan. 29), Kristy Murrell as GHS custodian (effective Feb. 15), Daniel Johnston as Tiger Cub Club after school student helper (effective Jan. 24).
Transfer: Tammy Nickell from GMS part-time custodian to GMS substitute custodian.
Leaves of absence: Derek Lehr as GHS head custodian (Jan. 31-Feb. 9), Jennifer Beck as bus driver (Feb. 5-12), Tracey Knuckle as bus driver (Feb. 2-9), Jody Cowger as bus driver (Feb. 22-March 1).
Substitutes: Substitute teachers William Wallace and Caroline Miller.
Extracurricular activities: Lyndie Plummer hired as GHS assistant varsity softball coach, Tonya Welker hired as GHS assistant track coach, Jamee Smoot approved as volunteer assistant girls’ seventh-grade basketball coach at GMS, Christopher Scott hired as volunteer baseball coach at GMS.