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MENTONE - With all the required standardized testing, the Block 4 class schedule was a concern at Tippecanoe Valley High School.
Monday, TVHS Principal Michael Overmyer requested the school board change the class scheduling to a seven-period day schedule beginning with the next school year. The board approved the change.
Overmyer told the board it was a tough decision to make the change. "We were split almost 50/50," he said about the staff and school improvement team vote on the schedules.
The improvement team probably will look at some alterations with the seven-period schedule, Overmyer said, to get some things in there "we think are pretty neat," including remediation.
One of the hurdles the school will have to face with the scheduling change is textbooks.
"For a couple of years, we may have to be creative in how we do textbooks," Overmyer said. He said they will have to double the number of books TVHS has because they only have half of what they need now with the Block 4 schedule. In Block 4, not all the students are taking classes like English and math at the same time. With a seven-period schedule, all students will be taking those classes all year round.
"There's just no possible way we are going to be able to buy that many books," said Overmyer.
A report on the high school building project was provided. Dave Mankowski, Skillman Corp., said, "We're working our way through the building and working our way out the door," said Mankowski.
The auditorium seats are in, the stage refinishing is next week. By the first of the year, he said the auditorium and stage area will be close to completion.
"Our goal for project completion is near the end of January," Mankowski said, though they had hoped it would have been the end of December. "Exterior wise, we're just about done."
Concerns about the light fixtures were addressed and a recommendation on them to the board will be presented at the January meeting.
In other business, the school board:
• Announced Jan. 18 is the first day to file for the 2006 school board election and Feb. 17 is the last day to file. Seats up for election currently are held by Rod Eaton, Mark Wise and Bryan Murphy.
• Reappointed Jim Mitterling to the Akron Public Library Board; approved Ashley Ramsey as an assistant seventh grade girls basketball coach at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
• Approved four Reading Recovery teachers to attend a conference in Chicago Jan. 19-20.
• Announced the next three school board meetings will be Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m., Burket Educational Center; Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., TVMS; and March 13, 7:30 p.m., Mentone Elementary School.
