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SYRACYSE - In the past few years, Wawasee Director of Finance Jim Evans told the school board Tuesday, the school corporation has tried to find ways to purchase natural gas cheaper.
With the price spikes lately, a number of schools have decided to join together to form a purchasing cooperative for natural gas. The goal of the North Central Energy Cooperative is to save the corporation money and avoid those price spikes.
Evans said the school board needed to approve a resolution to allow Wawasee to join the cooperative on a one-year trial basis. If the end result is positive, Wawasee can renew it.
Concord, Wawasee Superintendent Mark Stock said, is the administrative agent for the cooperative.
Evans said in the past, Wawasee purchased its natural gas on its own. Last year, informally, Wawasee joined with other schools to purchase natural gas. Then it was decided to take that purchasing group one step further and form the cooperative for more purchasing power.
In the past, natural gas was bought at a fixed price. Through the cooperative, natural gas will be bought at 5 cents over the New York Mercantile Exchange price. Evans said they hope to save money two ways in this manner. First, they cut out the middle man. Secondly, they buy the natural gas when it's cheap and then use it when prices go up.
As many as 20 schools may be a part of the cooperative. "I anticipate quite a bit of interest," said Evans.
By unanimous vote, the board approved the resolution to join the cooperative.
In other business, the Wawasee School Board:
• Heard from Stock that the school corporation is looking at stiff increases in health insurance for employees if the trend continues, and that schools can expect at least a 15 percent increase.
• Heard the water damage from a recent storm at Milford School is in excess of $18,000.
• Heard Aug. 17 is the first day of school for students.
• Recognized the 2004 retiring teachers, who together have more than 106 years of experience, including: Wawasee High School assistant principal David Matz, 31 years; Suzann R. Bricker, hearing impaired teacher, 17 years; Karen S. Belcher, 22 years, kindergarten, Syracuse Elementary School; and Terry A. Iden, 36 years, WHS, language arts.
• Recognized Wawasee graduate Anthony Argentino, state runner-up in the 110 meter and state champ in the 300 meter hurdles. A photo of Argentino will be displayed permanently at the high school. Argentino is Wawasee's 11th state champion and first male track and field athlete.
• Accepted a Dekko grant of $1,540 for the Wawasee Academy to assist in the project, "Learn All You Can, The Way You Can." The money will be used to buy books, videotapes and audiotapes for required reading projects.
• Accepted a $2,800 donation from Lance's Supermarket to the Wawasee High School theater department.
• Approved a contract to hire Nancy Nelson for the General Educational Development program in the fall.
• Approved the employment of Teri Marlowe, temporary contract, language arts, Wawasee Middle School, full-time; Daryl McMullen, corporation mental health therapist; Randy Lerch, WHS math teacher; Joan DeHart, temporary contract, grade two, Milford School; Susan Scheidt, corporation speech language pathologist, part time; Virginia Coleman, band/chorus teacher, Milford School; and Kristen Records, temporary contract, language arts, Wawasee High School, part time.
• Approved contract language for teacher retirement/severance buyout.
• Approved renewing coaching contracts for two years for Kem Zolman, WHS head girls basketball coach; Joe Rietveld, WHS head football coach; and Phil Mishler, head boys basketball coach.
• Approved the resignation of Rebecca Moss, WHS language arts teacher.
Members of the Wawasee School Board present Tuesday were Dallas Winchester, Marion Acton and George Gilbert. Not present were Brian Dawes and Mary Lou Dixon. The regular meetings are at 7 p.m. in the administration building, Syracuse.
