After weeks of wrangling over how to approve change orders for the high school project, the Warsaw School Board voted unanimously Monday to just have the entire board approve them.

As of May 30, the total amount of change orders for the project is approximately $130,000, including some of the change orders the board approved last night, according to Warsaw Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott. Some of the change orders were add-ons, while others were subtractions from the total amount.

At the May 16 school board meeting, the board voted to allow board member Dan Robinson and Warsaw Schools maintenance director Greg Schroeder to approve change orders up to $15,000. Any change orders over that amount must be brought before the full school board. But board member Deb Wiggins disagreed with the motion and investigated whether that was legal.

During the May 23 school board meeting, Wiggins said the resolution approved by the school board May 16 had to be rescinded because it is in conflict with Indiana Code 36-1-12-18(a). "The resolution as adopted gives this board's fiduciary responsibility regarding change orders to two individuals and the state's statute clearly mandates that the approval and signing of change orders is the responsibility of the board," she said.

Wiggins made a motion authorizing school board president Ron Yeiter and local legal counsel Max E. Reed to prepare for the board's review at the June meeting a policy or resolution for approving and signing change orders that follow state code. The process, according to her motion, must provide a process for the review of change orders between scheduled board meetings that "maintains the integrity of the board's fiduciary responsibility. It must allow for conditional approval on change orders, between board meetings, so that no unnecessary delay in the school building project is caused."

Yeiter presented the requested resolution Monday. However, school board member Dan Robinson had a problem with the second and third part of it, while Wiggins disagreed with the first part.

"I don't think the way the draft is drawn up is in a condition to be presented to the board yet," said Reed.

Robinson made a motion to table the resolution. But then board member Cathy Folk, to expedite the process, and to have resolution to the issue before the high school project is finished, made a motion to have the entire board approve all change orders.

Robinson seconded the motion and it was approved.

Later in the meeting, the board approved 14 change orders with a net value of $107,345.22 (included in the approximate $130,000 total) and the board will meet again Monday at 6 p.m. to review more change orders.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved the resignation of Edgewood Middle School assistant principal Skip Smeltzer and the employment of Jon Lippe as EMS assistant principal.

• Approved seeking a secure figure on renovating the Leesburg Elementary School second story for more classroom space. Scott said the estimated cost is about $57,000.

• Approved the purchase of two 66-passenger buses with handicap lifts from Kerlin Motors for $146,506.

• Approved the hiring of the following teachers: David Robertson, fifth grade, Harrison; Jessica Sheets, first grade, Harrison; Valerie Hutton, second grade, Leesburg; Lydia Bledsoe, second grade, Eisenhower; Mandy Duncan, first grade, Leesburg; Sarah Kindig, kindergarten, Leesburg; Krishna Snyder, fourth grade, Madison; Kristopher Hueber, fifth grade, Madison; Shannon Brown, sixth grade, Eisenhower; Barb McCollom, math, WCHS; and Ryan Sincroft, English and journalism, WCHS.

• Heard a report on the math map scores from assistant superintendent Sandra Hess. She said the scores at the elementary schools rose dramatically. The testing tests student achievement on the state standards and allows comparison of the students from year to year.

• Heard a report from Hess on nursing services. This was the first year a registered nurse was in each school building. In 2005, there were 51,260 health room visits by students, up from 44,573 in 2004.

• Heard Elizabeth Harkness, WCS treasurer, is retiring after more than 25 years of service with the school district. Efforts are being made to fill her position, with a recommendation to the school board expected by the July meeting.

• Approved the 2005-2006 textbook rental charges, including: kindergarten, $62; first, $114; second, $106; third, $115; fourth, $97; fifth, $117; and sixth grade, $119. [[In-content Ad]]