December 18, 2019

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018

6:30 p.m.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING



MINUTES


Present:  John Adams, President; Alice Gillis, Vice President; Adam Williams, Secretary; Trent Fox, Member; Darin Gullion, Assistant Superintendent; and Reece Mann, Superintendent


Absent:  Lance Engle, Member


  1. CALL TO ORDER


At 6:30 p.m. Board President, John Adams, called the meeting to order.


Special Note: Mr. Adams informed everyone Mr. Engle could not be in attendance due to his children performing in the Albany Christmas Program.



  1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE



  1. AMEND AGENDA


A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Trent Fox to amend the agenda, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.



  1. MINUTES


A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Trent Fox to accept the minutes of the business meeting and executive session held on Tuesday, December 4, 2018.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.



  1. FINANCE


  1. A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to accept the list of vouchers, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. Purchases over $7500:


A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (item 1):


  1. Property/Casualty Workers’ Comp Insurance Renewal


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the reduction of 2018 Appropriations, as presented. The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR


Amy Lewman, Principal at Royerton Elementary School, stated last night they had their Christmas Program at Emens and it went off without a hitch.  She thanked their music teacher Adrianne Henderson and Kenna Fisher who helps with the Rockers program. Ms. Lewman stated every year she thinks it can’t get any better and it does every single year.  She stated the kids put a lot of time and effort in and it was very well received. She got a lot of positive compliments from parents who stopped to talk on their way out. Ms. Lewman is very grateful for the PTO who was gracious enough to provide them with a luncheon today so tired teachers didn’t have to worry about packing their lunch after last night.  She informed everyone Royerton is receiving donations towards the Robotics program and she’s grateful for our community and people who sponsor and assist with the program. She informed everyone on January 26th, they are hosting a Robotics meet at Royerton and are excited to bring all the kids together and have a wonderful experience.


Chris Conley, Principal at Delta High School, stated they had their Band/Choir Concert last Monday night at Emens and it was well received.  He thanked the board for their commitment to technology with Chromebooks and being 1:1. He informed them they are in the middle of finals and a parent called stating her son was going to miss because he needed a crown put on.  Mr. Conley contacted the teacher who stated it was no problem because the final is on Canvas and he can take it anywhere. Mr. Conley stated they also completed ISTEP+ two weeks ago and students had their own Chromebooks. He stated they can put them in any room and can accommodate and accomplish testing in the most efficient way possible.  He thanked the Board and Central Office for their commitment to technology. He stated they probably hear comments about being 1:1, but not about Canvas, which makes testing much easier during final exams for teachers and students.


Amy Larrabee, Director of Special Services, stated she wanted to piggyback off of Mr. Conley’s comments regarding technology.  She informed everyone they received Smart Boards and iPads for their special education classrooms. She said if you ever get a chance to stop in one of those rooms, it’s amazing to see the communication that is being used through iPads and Smart Boards.  They have students who are non-verbal who can communicate through an iPad and it’s amazing. She thanked everyone for this technology.



  1. NEW BUSINESS


  1. Certified Staff


  1. None.


  1. Classified Staff


A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (items 1-2):


  1. Resignation of Julie Brown, Tech Trainer/Data Administrator at Central Office, effective January 4, 2019.


  1. Resignation of Michael Burns, School Bus Driver, effective      December 20,2018


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items 3-7):


  1. Recommendation to employ Grace Witt as an Instructional Assistant at Delta High School effective January 7, 2019, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.


  1. Recommendation to employ Jordan Parsons as an Instructional Assistant at Albany Elementary School effective January 7, 2019, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

  2. Recommendation to employ Timothy Anderson as a Non-route/Substitute Bus Driver effective immediately, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.


  1. Recommendation to reduce hours of Lisa Thomas, Instructional Assistant at Delta High School, effective January 7, 2019.


  1. Recommendation to reduce hours of Adrienne Jones, Instructional Assistant at Delta High School, effective January 7, 2019.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. Extra-Curricular

A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (item 1):


  1. Resignation of Doug Fant, Performing Arts Coordinator at Royerton Elementary School, effective immediately.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (item 2):


  1. Recommendation to employ Allison Dotson as a 6th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2018-19 school year.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. Conference Requests/Field Trips


A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the following (items 1-3):


  1. Adrianne Henderson requests permission to attend the IMEA Professional Development Conference to be held on January 17, 2019 at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne, IN.


  1. Lindsey Thompson and Greg Kile request permission to attend Best Practices Showcase to be held on March 20, 2019 at the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, IN.


  1. Kim Kemper requests permission to attend the School Transportation Association of Indiana 45th Annual Conference to be held from        June 24, 2019 through June 26, 2019 at the French Lick Springs Hotel in French Lick, IN.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. Information and Proposals


  1. Superintendent


  1. A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve Performance Evaluations, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the Continued Services Agreement to pay Julie Brown at a rate of $25.00 per hour from January 2019 through October 2019, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. Mr. Mayo, OMS, informed the Board about DMS Construction.


  1. Mr. Mann informed the Board about the 2019-20 School Year Calendar-1st Reading.


  1. Mr. Mann informed the Board about the following fundraisers:


  1. Karen Kirtley, FCCLA, requests permission to sell Little Caesar’s pizza kits/products from January 8, 2019 through January 22, 2019, as presented.  Proceeds go towards State Leadership Conference projects and attendance.


  1. Jennifer Conti and Sue Terry, RES/Center Chapel, request permission to hold a Clothing Drive from January 21, 2019 through January 25, 2019, as presented.  Proceeds go towards the clothing pantry at Center Chapel.


  1. Teresa Schwer and Kelly Green, Royerton Student Council, request permission to sell Smencils from February 7, 2019 through February 14, 2019, as presented.  Proceeds go towards the purchase of a Buddy Bench.


  1. Teresa Schwer and Kelly Green, Royerton Student Council, request permission to sell heart-shaped lollipops from February 8, 2019 through February 13, 2019, as presented.  Proceeds go towards supporting Student Council’s efforts in helping charities and hosting special events and convocations for Royerton Elementary School.


  1. Steve Wuthrich, Delta Boys’ Golf Team, requests permission to hold a Snap Raise Fundraiser from April 1, 2019 through April 30, 2019, as presented.  Proceeds go towards golf apparel and golf balls.


  1. Assistant Superintendent


  1. Use of Facilities:


A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the following (items 1-2):


  1. Heidi Knuckles, Delta Jrs Volleyball Club, requests permission to use the Delta High School gymnasiums from January 7, 2019 through May 1, 2019 to hold practices for club volleyball, as presented.


  1. Lachelsa Krofta, American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Delaware County, requests permission to use Delta High School and Delta Middle School on June 8, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. to hold the Delaware County Relay for Life, as presented.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following (items b-c):


  1. Request for Royerton Elementary School to accept a donation in the amount of $500.00 from various sponsors, as presented.


  1. Request for Albany Elementary School to accept a donation in the amount of $100.00 from an anonymous parent, as presented.


The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams to approve the request for the Food Service Department at Eaton Elementary School to surplus items, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.


  1. A motion was made by Adam Williams and seconded by Trent Fox to approve the Food Service Procurement Plan, as presented.  The motion was approved 4-0 vote.



  1. LETTERS/NOTES



  1. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Trent Fox – Mr. Fox stated it’s good to see everyone this evening.  He stated it’s finally nice to see the OMS presentation.  He’s really excited about the prospect of what that will do for the middle school.  He stated the high school is getting a revamp right now and we are thankful we have the means and ways to do these things for our students and staff.  He hopes everyone enjoys the holiday season and time away with family and friends.

Adam Williams – Mr. Williams thanked everyone for coming.  He had the opportunity to go to the middle school and high school band/choir concert and enjoyed it.  He appreciates the hard work it takes and is thankful our schools have the opportunity to do these programs.  He thanked Julie Brown and stated 30 years in the changing and evolving world she has immersed herself in shows the diverse knowledge she has.  He greatly appreciates what she has done for our school district. He thanked everyone for the donations. He stated giving even $5 may not seem like enough, but it helps in so many different ways and he greatly appreciates what people do for our corporation.  He appreciates the OMS presentation and looks forward to what that can do at the middle school. He appreciates all the hard work behind that.

John Adams – Mr. Adams concurred with his fellow board members.  He stated anytime we can improve school safety, it’s a big deal and we don’t take it lightly.  He’s thankful we’re in a position to address the need and thanked all those who helped put the OMS presentation together.  He thanked Matt for being here and presenting so they can move the process forward. Mr. Adams thanked Ms. Gillis for being on the board the past four years.  He stated he had the privilege of meeting Governor Mitch Daniels who told him one of the worst jobs is being a school board member because it’s a heartless, thankless job.  Mr. Adams disagrees with him and stated it does take extra time and effort to make sure you are staying as current as you can on the issues facing education today. He stated a lot of people don’t want to do this, but Ms. Gillis did.  She stepped up and has done it with pride and a conviction. Mr. Adams stated he’s heard many times from our patrons if there’s a function going on, you’re going to see Ms. Gillis around somewhere. He thanked her for stepping up and giving it her best over the past four years and doing all she can to move our corporation forward.  He thinks we’re a better school because she’s been a part of it and he appreciates all the time and effort she’s put in. He stated Richmond Schools had an incident not long ago. He thanked our administrators because they are the first line of defense. He stated if you hear something, say something because it’s important for our school.  If you want to question something, it’s okay. He would much rather have it checked out and be nothing than be something. Mr. Adams stated Richmond has been a little heavy on his heart. Situations like that seem as if they are happening closer and closer to home and thank goodness for the response from law enforcement and everyone involved that the situation wasn’t worse than what it could have been.  

Alice Gillis – Ms. Gillis thanked Mr. Adams.  She gave a huge thanks to Julie Brown who’s been a friend of hers for a long time.  She stated Ms. Brown visits the pumpkin patch every year and is a good person and employee for our corporation.  She congratulated Cody Brelage on the Lily Scholarship. She thanked Mr. Conley for connecting her with Cody a few years ago to sing at a 4-H beef show because he is a tremendous kid.  She’s thrilled he received the Lily Scholarship because it’s not an easy thing to do. Ms. Gillis is very proud of him and stated it speaks well for DelCom. She congratulated the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams for doing well and stated the new pavement at Eaton is fantastic.  Ms. Gillis stated it’s with much sadness she says goodbye to her seat on the school board. She has thoroughly enjoyed her connection to education for 45 years. She stated it has been an honor and privilege to serve on the DelCom School Board and has certainly been the capstone of her career in education.  She thanked Mr. Mann, Dr. Gullion, Ms. Davis, Mr. Conley, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Schmaltz, Ms. Lewman, Mr. Blakely, and all principals and administration who have always been very cordial to her. She stated some patrons may think since she’s a school board member they can ask her for things, but she hasn’t had one single person ask her for anything. She thanked all administrators for always helping her if she had a question.  She’s tried not to be special and doesn’t believe she is. She stated the faculty has never treated her other than as a patron, never recognized she was on the board, or expected anything out of her and she feels good about that. She’s always felt appreciation for what they do on the board. Ms. Gillis stated it’s been a great run and she had fun. She’s very sad to leave the board and thanked everyone.



  1. FUTURE MEETINGS


  1. A Board of Finance Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 8, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.


  1. A regular meeting for the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, January 8, 2019 immediately following the Board of Finance Meeting.



  1. ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Trent Fox and seconded by Adam Williams and Board President, John Adams, adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m.



December 18, 2018



JOHN ADAMS                                               __________________________


ALICE GILLIS                                                   __________________________


ADAM WILLIAMS                                          ___________________________


TRENT FOX                                                      ___________________________


LANCE ENGLE        ___________________________