Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
MENTONE - Each year, the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. discusses and negotiates teaching contracts for upcoming years, and those that may have fallen behind. And often, teaching contracts do fall behind, resulting in teachers beginning their jobs with no contract in place. Board members decided Monday to focus more time on eliminating this problem.
The teachers' contract for the upcoming school year was approved by board members Monday, along with the teachers' contract from the past school year, already one year late.
"We're not only approving this year's contract," board member Tom Weaver said, "but a contract that's already a year behind."
Weaver said he wants the contracts to run a lot more smoothly than they have in the past. He said he hates to have teachers working without a contract.
Weaver asked board members to focus on formulating a process with timelines to make sure teaching contracts are ready before teachers start working. He also asked board members to brainstorm on ideas to speed up the contract process. Weaver said he doesn't want to spend so much time negotiating contracts in the future because it takes away from time that could be spent teaching students.
In other business:
• Board members approved hiring Marve Retzer as Mentone Elementary School principal and Earl Richter as the new Tippecanoe Valley Middle School principal.
• Burket Elementary School principal, Mary Ann Irwin, updated board members on the status of air-conditioning in the school.
"We are fully, classroom-wise, air conditioned as of today," Irwin said Monday. She said all involved, including custodian William Gagnet, "worked very hard (and) it's truly appreciated."
Brett Boggs, Akron Elementary School principal, thanked the custodians for their hard work during the process.
"They worked as a team," Boggs said. "They've been real good to work with."
Boggs also said custodians' hard work to get the school ready for the upcoming school year was greatly appreciated.
• Board members approved hiring Sherry Austin as Burket secretary/treasurer, Lena Ball as Burket part-time custodian, Darlene Drudge as Tippecanoe Valley High School secretary/receptionist, Tina Carter as special education instructional assistant at TVHS and Jennifer Harper as TVHS special education teacher.
• Board members accepted a grant award from Dekko for $2,000.
• The board approved a lease for the Kosciusko County Head Start/Cardinal Center Inc.
• Board members approved a grant from Connect 2000 for $10,000.
• Board members accepted resignations from the following people: Paula Meyer, Burket reading recovery; Amber Boyles, Burket special education; Karen Shelley; Amy Stearley, Akron teacher; and Doug Jacobs, TVMS principal.
• Accepted TVMS teacher Bill Patrick's retirement.
• Approved Jill Runkle as a member of the Akron Library Board.
• Approved TVHS cheerleaders to attend an out-of-state competition at Cedar Point, Ohio, over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-4. Cheerleading coaches Sherry Bays and Laurie Carlin will chaperone the trip and the cheerleader fund will pay for competition registration. Each girl will pay her own park entry fee and overnight expenses.
• Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget Aug. 21, a regular board meeting and budget adoption Sept. 11, a school board training retreat from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 18, an ISBA school board officers' conference in Indianapolis Aug. 26 and an ISBA fall conference in Indianapolis Oct. 2-3.
The Tippecanoe Valley School Board comprises: president Rod Eaton, David O'Brien, Hal Hoffman, Tom Weaver, Mark Wise, Daniel Kramer,and Sherry Adams. Superintendent is Dr. Karen Boling.
