The Independent-News, Volume 114, Number 40, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 2 March 1989 — Page 10

10

- THE INDEPENDENT NEWS - MARCH 2, 1989

JOHN GLENN SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES ESTABL ISH A QUORUM The Board of Trustees of the John Glenn School Corporation met on February 21. 1989 at ':3O pm in the library of the Walkerton Elementary School with Mr Hostetler. Mr Miller. Mrs Craft. Mr Ludwig. Mrs Stedman and Mr Millar in attendance Mrs Beem was unable to attend the meeting TTie superintendent and nine ob servers were also in attendance The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was recited to begin the meeting APPKOV! MINI H S Following a motion be Mr Ludwig, seconded by Mrs. Sted man. the Board voted six to zero to approve the minutes of the February ’ 1989 meeting as presented. APPROYF CI AIMS President Hostetler stated that the members of the Board were concerned about the number of claims that were being presented to the Board for approval on the night of the meeting rather than the Friday prior. Corporation treasurer Mrs. C arol Beem explained to the Board the procedures that she used to determine which claims should be presented on short notice. These included such items as pavroll. contractual obligations and invoices w here a savings could be accomplished by timely payment. Dr Smith explained that such claims fall into three categories. The first is those claims which must be paid, such as payroll or contractual obligations and utility bills; secondly, are discretionary claims which can accomplish a savings when paid on short notice; and thirdly, discretionary claims category of claims is largely made up of reimbursements to individuals for out-of-pocket expenses. Mr Miliar stated that the Board should not be asked to approve any claims for which they have not had notice prior to the meeting and those which are in the "must” category described above. Mrs. Craft stated that the Board should consider claims on short notice if they could result in a savings to the Corporation. Following further discussion among the Board members, Dr. Smith stated that he would like to have direction from the Baord regarding how to handle such claims, but that if the Board was not prepared to give such direction at this time that it was not a pressing problem. Board members should consider their opinion on this matter and be prepared to direct the superintendent and the Corporation treasurer on the payment of claims policy at the next Board meeting. The Board members agreed to that procedure Following a motion by Mr. Millar, seconded by Mr Miller, the Board voted six to zero to approve claims numbered 2’o through 372 as presented. RECOGNITIONS Walkerton Elementary School principal Manlvn Lightfoot requested that the Board recognize parent ( onnie Medich for her voluntary sponsorship of the boys cheerleaders at Walkerton Elementary girls basketball games Mrs Lightfoot also asked that first grade teacher Pam Walz be recognized f<»r her recent presentation of a program to the l<xal Elementary Principals Association John Glenn High School principal Mike Shuler recognized senior Troy Petry for receiving a first place rating in marimba at the State Solo and Ensemble Band <on test He also noted that the varsity boys basketball tram had recently won its second straigth Northern State f (inference title Mr Shuler announced that Mrs Barbara Osowski will be honored this spring by the Indiana Girls Coaching Association for her 20 years service to the coaching pro session Finally, it was noted that

senior Todd King was recently named to play in the North South All Star Football Game which will be played this summer. Todd is the first John Glenn High School ftxHball player to be so honored. Trey Middle School principal Dick Reese recognized ScholasticArt winner Trish Bottorff for her gold key. Jenny Oke for an honorable mention, and Cinda Marks (last year an eighth grader at Drey Middle School) for her honorable mention. He also noted that I ance Saul s design has been chosen for the Urey Middle School yearbook cover and that seventh grader Steve Snell has been selected by WNDU Channel 16 to receive tickets to the Notre Dame-DePaul basketball game as a part of the For Kids Sake" program. North Liberty Elementary School principal Brent Kaufman asked the Board to accept the gift of a 28 inch laminator from the North Liberty Elementary School P I A. Following a motion bv Mr Ludwig, seconded bv Mrs. Craft, the Board voted six to zero to accept the P.T.A. gift. 01 D BUSINL SS A Walkerton Elementary School Project Update: The Board received copies of the February 16. 1989 financial statement for the Walkerton Elementary School Building Corporation. Dr. Smith noted that there is 524.793.56 still owed to construction contractors, $82,747.97 outstanding in other construction services. and $53,736.73 in interest earned for total project funds still unexpended of $161.278.26. He also noted that the Building Corporation is still waiting for a reply from DeMotte Masonry 's attorney as to settling a dispute concerning substandard quality of work. B. 1989-90 School Calendar: Dr. Smith presented the Board with two calendar options that are recommended by the JGSC/JGEA Discussion Committee. He noted that the calendars are identical with the exception of the scheduling of parent-teacher conferences during the month of November. The manner in which parent teacher conferences may be scheduled within the school year is an issue in the Indiana State Legislature. Calendar Option A utilizes a method currently permissible under Indiana Department of Education regulations. Calendar Option B utilizes a method which has been introduced into the state legislature for approval. The Discussion Committee believes that Option B is the best method for scheduled parent - teacher conferences and that the Board should adopt the calendar on an either or basis dependeing upon the final action of the state legislature. Dr Smith recommends that the Board solicit public comment bv publicizing the proposed calendars prior to the next Board meeting. Upon review of the Discussion Committee's recommendation and public input, the Board should adopt a 1989-90 school calendar. C 1989-90 School Times: Board president Hostetler asked for each Board member to respond to the proposal by Dr. Smith to shorten the students’ instructional day. The rationale includes student fatigue (which leads to less quality teaching and learning time), long total days for bused students, a need for increased parent teaaher contact time, and a need for increased teacher curriculum coordination time. The John Glenn Schools exceed the state daily time requirements by at least 30 minutes in the elementary schools, 35 minutes in the middle school, and 45 minutes in the high school. Board members responses includ cd that they do not believe the decrease to be in the best interest of students, that the long student dav should be addressed only by student busing changes, (hat more de mands arc bring placed upon the school curriculum, that state requirements have increased the number of school days so the daily

time should not be decreased, and that the instructional day is already too short. Mr. Hostetler stated that his position from the outset of this discussion has been unchanged against the decrease in the student day and that the consensus of the Board is not to adopt the proposed change, therefore the matter is closed. Dr. Smith responded that much time and effort has been put into studs of this issue by the professional staff. The administrative and teaching staff feel that a change should be made to increase the quality of student instructional time. Although the staff appreciates the consideration that the Board has given to this issue, it feels that the Board is wrong and that it should listen to the advice of its professional educators on this issue. MW BUSINESS A IRS Code Section 89: Dr. Smith reviewed his investigation into the intent and the impact of the IRS Gode Section 89. He also submitted a letter to the Board from the law frim of May. Oberfell Ac Lorber in which John H. Peddycord. Board attorney, is a partner. T he letter advised the Board of two major requirements which can best be satisfied by the investigation of a tax attorney and a certified public accounting firm. The letter also advised the Board that since Section 89 carries significant financial penalties to the School Corporation for noncompliance and potential increased tax liabilities for Corporation employees, that "it is essential that action be taken to comply with it”. The superintendent also noted that a campaign has been mounted asking the U. S. Congress to modify or repeal this section of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 However, it appears unlikely that those efforts can be successful prior to the time in which the School Corporation must be in compliance. Dr. Smith estimated that it would take $2,000 to $3,000 of fees to conduct the appropriate investigations to bring the School Corporation into compliance. and he therefore requested authorization to proceed. Following a motion by Mr. Millar, seconded by Mr. Ludwig, (he Board voted three aye (Mr. Miller, Mrs. Stedman, Mr. Hostetler) to three nay (Mrs. Craft. Mr. Millar, Mr. Luwdig) to authorize the superintendent to proceed with the investigations as described above. The motion failed for a lack of a majority. It was noted by those members voting against the motion that they wished to wait to see if efforts to repeal Section 89 are successful before they authorize the investigations. B John Glenn Educational Association To Bargain: The Board received a letter front Mrs. Cathy VanDuyne. president of the John Glenn Educational Association, re questing that the Board initiate the bargaining process for a successor agreement. The letter suggested that the Board negotiation team and the Association team first agree upon a mutual starting date. Dr Smith explained that both the Board and the Association understand that many of the items pertaining to negotiations cannot be addressed until the Indiana State legislature has ended its session on April 30 of this year. Mr. Millar suggested that the Board schedule an executive session for the purpose of discussing strategies with respect to collective bargaining. C North Liberty Elementary School And Urey Middle School Climate Audit Reports: Urey Middle School principal Dick Reese and North liberty Elementary School principal Brent Kaufman reported to the Board regarding climate audits that were conducted in their buildings during January. Thev explained that a team of peer educators from other school corporations visited each building to in terview students, staff, patrons, parents and Board members Following each visit the climate audit team submitted a written report to each principal and his staff for

review. Both reports noted that the instructional climate at each building is very positive. The reports also contained helpful suggestions to assist the staff in their school evaluation and improvement efforts D. School Lunch Report: Carol Beem, Corporation treasurer, submitted a report to the Board for the period covering August, 1988 through January . 1989. She noted that the overall lunch account is in excellent condition with a January 31 balance of $6,454.25. The Board asked Mrs. Beem to convey their thanks to the School Corporation head cooks and staff for their efforts. E. Financial Statements — January 31. 1989: The Board reviewed financial statements from John Glenn High School. Urey Middle School. North Liberty Elementary School and Walkerton Elementary School. They found all accounts to be in satisfactory condition. I he Board also received two different formats of the Corporation financial statement. Dr. Smith and Mrs. Beem explained that due to improvements in the financial statement printout, that the normal photocopy version would be more difficult to read. They recommended that the Board use a direct printout in lieu of the photocopy version. The Board members agreed. Dr. Smith noted that the improved financial statement will be more valuable to the Board, but it is too early in the calendar year to detect any trends in Corporation accounts. F. North Liberty Elementary School Stage Curtain: Mr. Kaufman. principal at North Liberty Elementary School, explained to the Board that the 25 year old stage curtain in the gymnasium had deteriorated beyond repair He re quested that the curtain be re placed because that facility is used for so many school and community events. Following a motion by Mrs. ( raft, seconded by Mrs Stedman, the Board voted six to zero to ap prove the purchase of a stage curtain for the North Liberty Elementary School from the Decorating Den of North Liberty in the amount of $3,595, fully installed. The funds for the curtain are to be taken from the cumulative building fund. G. Copy Machine Report: The Board received copies of a report detailing the expenses for copying for the years 1986, 1987 and 1988. Lt was noted that the School Cor poration operated 12 copying ma chines at a total cost during 1988 of $24.’3’.68. This represents less than one half of one percent of the total general fund budget. Re pair costs totaled $7,953.03 which is down approximately SI,OOO from the 1986 total. Toner costs were $6,357.95 which is down approximately s’oo form the 1986 total. Paper costs were $10,426.70 which is up approximately $3,800 from the 1986 total. Overall copy costs arc up approximately SI,BOO from the 1986 total. Dr. Smith explained that repair and toner costs had gone down during the three year period due to more efficient utilization of the copying machines and improved purchasing practices for toner Paper costs have gone up dramatically because there is a significant shortage of paper in the United States which has caused paper costs to rise approximately 50% in (he pas( one to (wo years. Mr. Millar suggested that since a number of (he Corporation copy machines have hern in operation for quite a few years, that the Board should plan to begin a replacement program. Other Board members agreed and Dr. Smith re sponded that he would prepare budget projections accordingly . H Resignation: Following a motion by Mr. Millar, seconded by Mr. Ludwig, the Board voted six to zero to accept the resignation of Mrs l>enisc Brooks as a Corporation physical education teacher. Il was noted (hat Mrs Bnxiks is

currently on maternity leave and has chosen to stay home to rear her new son rather that return to her teaching position next year. Dr Smith praised Mrs. Brooks for her service to the School Corporation and expressed the hope that she will someday return to teaching. I. Conference Report: The Board received a written con ference report from Mrs. Cindv Wagoner, assistant band director, regarding her attendance at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clin ic. NEXT MEETING DATE The Board of School Trustees will meet in special open session or Tuesday, February 28, 1989 at 7:30 p.m. in the library of John Glenn High School. The purpose of tin meeting is to conduct a discussim session regarding current and pro jected extracurricular policies. Immediately following the spt. lal open sesson Tuesday. Februar. 28. 1989. the Board of Scho< Trustees will meet in executive session for the purpose of discus sing strategies with respect to col lective bargaining. I he Board of School Trustees w >| meet in regular open session or Tuesday. March 14. 1989 at 7:3< p.m. in the librarv of Urcv Middle School. The previously announced March ’ regular open session has been moved to the March 14. 1986 date Duc to scheduling conflicts dur mg the School Corporation's spring break, the Board will meet ir regular open session on Thursdav March 30. 1989 at 7:30 p.m. in a location to be announced. Duc to scheduling conflicts during April and May. the Board will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month rather than the normal first and third Tucsdav Specific times and locations shall be announced at a later date. In the month of June, the Board will return to its regular meeting dates on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the Board, following a motion by Mrs. Craft, seconded by Mrs. Stedman, the Board voted six to zero to adjourn at 9:30 p.m. SPEAK AT BREAKFAST MEETING FOR FARMERS Senator Joseph Zakas (R) and Representatives Richard Mangu> (R) spoke to local farmers at a breakfast meeting last week in South Bend and alleged that parti san bickering in the House due to the 50-50 split has created precon ceived maneuvering which results in a slowdown of decision making in the State House. According to Mangus, the surg< of an unprecedented number of bills has frustrated the conscier tious lawmakers. "It means wi have to prioritize”, said the repre tentative. Senator Zakas touched on his ar nexation bill which would give th> people living in the area mon power in the dispute. He als> brought up reassessment situations w hich may develop. "Three areas of legislation need mg your action”, said Mangus, art "funding for agricultural researd at Purdue, the reassessment of real estate property and the bills which have been introduced that will cause property tax increase.” Despite their limited time, the lawmakers answered numerous questions directed to them on mat ters of concern to the farmers This meeting was sponsored bv the St. Joseph County Farm Bur eau, and was conducted by Albert Lichtenbargcr, state legislative di rector. LET CONTRACT BID Ilie Indiana Department of Highways director Christine Letts, has announced the follownu contract has been let in our area In Marshall County bridge *otk on a deck replacement and widen mg of U. S. 31 over the Yell*’* River. 0 9 mile north of U. S hi Due to be completed bv Nosembi ’ I and traffic will be maintained