South Putnam getting ready for new school year

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The South Putnam School Board is gearing up for the school year, which is set to begin in just over two weeks. During its monthly meeting, the board discussed several routine issues such as petroleum bids, lunch prices as well as the student transfer deadline.

As is done yearly, the board put out to receive bids for petroleum. Like most years, it decided to wait to purchase on the open market in hopes of receiving a cheaper price.

"We checked with the state board of accounts to verify that in fact we had to go through the bidding process and they told us we absolutely did before we could lock in prices on a market day," Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt. "What I would recommend right now is that we reject all bids."

The board had recently received two bids. However, as of Monday morning the price had decreased significantly from the time the bids decreased significantly from the time the bids were received.

"I would suggest probably only locking in two loads," board member Wes Hacker said. "I think this fuel is going to drop some more. We went through a four-week cycle where it went down then we had a week or two where it went up. Now, we're going back in the cycle where it's going back down and I think it's going to go down even more."

The board approved to reject all bids as well as the purchase of two loads of petroleum.

Like many area schools, South Putnam was recommended to raise its lunch prices. However this year, prices will only be affected at

the high school/middle school levels.

The increase will be five cents, raising the price from $2.55 to $2.60. Both breakfast and milk prices will remain the same as well as all elementary school lunch prices.

"The elementary typically by guidelines have less food served and that's why we aren't raising the elementary prices," Bernhardt said.

Adult lunch prices will also be raised from $3.20 to $3.25.

Finally, Bernhardt once again came before the board to discuss the issue of student transfer deadlines. Due to the changes in count days and funding that were made last year, corporations have the right to set a deadline for student transfers.

Many area schools set a deadline just after the first count day during the fall. However, South Putnam chose to not set a deadline last year and it agreed once again to not set any restrictions.

"Last year we decided not to set a cutoff date for transfer students or to limit the number accepted," Bernhardt explained. "The thinking behind it is, in particular, now that funding comes twice a year, that setting a cutoff date in the first place would prevent us from gaining additional students, which would prevent us from gaining additional funding from the state. We have not had any of our grade levels have any issues with number of students that we have."

It was also noted that there is plenty of space to not set a limit for such things and the board agreed.

Bernhardt also came before the board to discuss the recently completed Central Elementary gravel lot.

With the work now complete, Bernhardt noted that the originally quoted price was nearly $600 more than what they thought due to the use of extra rock being needed to make a wider turn for the buses to fit along with the addition of some draining pipe.

The board approved Bernhardt to write a prewritten check to Clark Brothers Excavation for the final total of $28,812.88 as opposed to having them wait until the next meeting as the invoice was only received a few hours prior to the meeting.

In other business:

* The board approved the resignation of study hall aide Lisa Schroer, the termination of high school food service workers Sharon Fellows, Cathy Eads and JoAnn Johnson as well as the hiring of high school athletic trainer/secretary Katelyn Patberg and part-time food service worker at Fillmore Elementary Norma Nauman.

* The board also approved the hiring the following new coaches, Brian Baker-Watson as the high school assistant football coach, Derek Dean as the junior varsity football coach, Brandon Foxx as a middle school football coach, Kevin Metz as the girls' golf coach, Kristin Hendrich as the varsity volleyball coach, Samantha Ricks as the assistant volleyball coach, John Briones as the eighth-grade volleyball coach, Jenny Boesch as the seventh-grade volleyball coach, Shawn Alspaugh as an assistant boys' basketball coach, Samantha Ricks as an assistant girls' basketball coach, Dana Collins as the girls' basketball elementary coordinator, Coen Weiler as an assistant boys' and girls' swimming coach as well as Brady Rhodes and Coen Weiler as an assistant baseball coaches.

* The board approved a 25-cent increase in textbook rental fees for each elementary grade level. The new prices will be, kindergarten at $88.28, first-grade $103.16, second-grade at $87.43, third-grade at $77.96, fourth-grade at $77.84 and fifth-grade at $71.34.

* Bernhardt also noted that although both the fitness center at the middle/high school as well as the bathrooms at Central Elementary are well under way, it is unlikely that they will be done by the time school begins. However, it is expected that at that time both projects will be nearly finished and will be on the finishing touches stage at that time.

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