MENTONE - Because distribution of property tax revenue is delayed this year, the Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. Board of Trustees Monday approved a temporary loan.
During a meeting at Mentone Elementary School, noting that an "emergency exists for the borrowing of money ... to meet expenses," the board approved a loan of $3.5 million to cover expenses of the corporation from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.
They based the loan amount on an estimated 2007 assessed valuation of $324,369,436.The $3.5 million will cover a general fund of $1.38 million, a debt service fund of $1.455 million, a capital project fund of $147,000, a transportation fund of $400,000, and a bus replacement fund of $118,000.
The loan will be repaid after the corporation receives its full tax distributions. Board members said they were disappointed by the situation, but all approved the resolution.
The board then approved a notice to bidders for tax anticipation warrants in relation to the loan. Sealed bids will be accepted at the school corporation's administrative offices or by facsimile transmission on June 11.
Several student groups were recognized by the board.
Coach Sally Bales introduced the Mentone spell bowl team, which placed second in recent competition. Students Elizabeth Shepherd, Taylor Trippiedi, Nicole Mikel, Nolan Sponseller, Casey Kromkowski, Lillian Egolf, Josh Petgen, Hanna Dalrymple, Gabe Harlan, Kaytlin Shilling, Gage Webb, Chelsea Kidd, LaShea Dawson-May and Kayla Shepherd were applauded for their efforts.
The Mentone math team also was recognized for receiving fourth place after a tiebreaker in their competition. Among the team are fourth-graders Chainey Zolman, Cody Demske, Nicole Mikel, Lauren Early and Bryce Zimpleman. Fifth-graders included Cyndi Stamberger, Logan Britton, Kelsey Eckert, Andrea Roesner, Nick Gamble, Josh Tucker, Angela Harness, Nathan Richie, Isaac Shewman, Robby Groom, Kelsey Ball, Tanner Neeley, Nolan Sponseller, Elizabeth Shepherd and Casey Kromkowski.
The 2006-2007 Mentone Student Council members were introduced by their sponsors, Misty Cripe and Marsha Scott. The student council includes fifth-graders Danielle Adams, Nolan Sponseller, Robyn Erklin, Johnny Witham, Casey Kromkowski, Jerica Long, Kelsey Eckert and Ben Shriver. In fourth grade are Lauren Early, Brice Adams, Tenaya Shull, Bryce Zimpleman, Cody Demske, Hannah Dalrymple, Jared Littlejohn and Hailyn Dunn. Bree McCane, Kevin Good, Molly Richie, Isaac Sponseller, Maddison Henninger and Neil Clampitt are the third-grade student council members.
Individual students recognized for personal academic achievements included Cassidy Cave, Brooke Danner, Maddison Henninger, Shay Merley, Josh Petgen, Bryce Zimpleman, Josh Tucker, Elizabeth Shepherd and Robby Groom.
Tippecanoe Valley School Corp.'s retiring teachers also were recognized. Priscilla Burdge is a fourth-grade teacher at Akron. Julia Teel is a fifth-grade teacher at Akron. Polly Finney teaches art at the middle school.
Bobby Adams and Christina Shaffer were approved for assistant football positions at Tippecanoe Valley Middle School, along with Samantha Stanek who was approved for an assistant track position.
LeAnna Bell was approved for the nurse position at Akron.
The board approved an elementary and middle school textbook adoption for 2007-2013. The textbook rental fees are set to cover textbook costs.
A grant of $10,000 was accepted from Fulton County Solid Waste District for tennis court bleachers.
Another grant of $8,000 was accepted from the Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation for infant simulators. The simulators will be used in high school courses educating students about parent responsibility and infant care.
Under old business, the board approved changes to the TVSC Elementary School Handbook for 2007-2008 school year. The changes, which include removing the athletic code to be presented separately, already have been presented to the teachers.
Curriculum Director Angie Miller led a presentation for the reader's workshop along with TVSC literacy coaches Karla Hayden and Kristen Horrell. The reader's workshop is being used in elementary classrooms at Akron and Mentone. The workshop focuses on moving away from regular textbooks and into real literature, Miller said.
Key components to the program are helping students learn real life skills such as procedures for communicating to one another, said Hayden. The workshop forces teachers to slow down and spend more time on major concepts, and to meet the needs of individual students. All teachers keep notes of their students' progress and the students write in journals about their thoughts on the book they've chosen to read.
"The kids are excited and all the kids read during reading time because the books are at their level and are mostly of interest to them," said Marge Sanders, a local teacher. "The kids really think deeply about each unit of study and different genres, too."
Julie Hall-Foreman, special education teacher, was approved for a half-time teaching position at the high school for the 2007-2008 school year.
Tippecanoe Valley school board members are Bryen Murphy, Dave O'Brien, Mark Wise, Hal Hoffman and Rod Eaton.
