The newly appointed interim superintendent for Smith-Green Schools, Bruce Hippensteel, heard an earful when local resident Ellen Snyder read a statement at the opening of Monday night’s school board meeting.

Snyder prefaced the statement by telling Hippensteel that her husband was a principal many years and knew Hippensteel through a Manchester College association. “My family gives you a thumbs-up,” Snyder said. It was unfortunate that Hippensteel had to hear the concerns at his first meeting, Snyder said, but it could not be avoided. Hippensteel was appointed by the board five days ago.

Bruce Hippensteel

“At that time the teachers had been without a contract for over two years,” Snyder said.

I have talked to many teachers and staff members who said they are afraid to talk to each other,” Snyder said. “They said they have been harassed, bullied and intimidated. One said she was chastised (by administration) for being associated with the teacher’s association. One was forced to apologize - when she felt she had done nothing wrong - in order to keep her job.”

Snyder urged the school board - who is in the midst of a search for a new superintendent - to look for someone who who will look out for teachers, “who are the heart and soul of the educational process.”

“Look for someone who makes students and teachers the top priority. Look for someone who lifts up and doesn’t push down,” Snyder said. “Don’t choose someone who is interested only in power.”

“All (of this conflict and tension between administration and staff) has had to translate into a decline in student learning,” Snyder said. “This negativity must stop.”

No board members responded to Snyder’s statement.

Smith-Green Schools

Early Release Day

Wednesday, Nov. 19

Board president Tanya Young introduced Hippensteel, who said he had learned a lot about Smith-Green Schools in the past 48 hours.

Hippensteel was a West Noble superintendent for four years, a Hamilton superintendent for 10 years, a principal at Prairie Heights and a basketball coach and teacher in Huntington County.

“My job as I see it is to keep the train on the track and try to help as you proceed with a search for a permanent superintendent,” Hippensteel said.

Hippensteel said he has already met with many of the school staff and wants to open the lines of communication. ”
“I want to find out what the concerns are and I want to build on Smith-Green’s strengths,” Hippensteel told reporters after the meeting.

In other school board business:

• Claims of $536,364, including $247,537 in payroll claims, were approved.
• Jeremy Willson was appointed as a middle school principal designee to take charge in the absence of John Davis, CMS principal.
• The board accepted two grants, one for $1,000 from Wal-Mart for literacy training and one for ^00 from the Noble County Community Foundation for a Study-A-Country project.

Smith-Green Community Schools board of trustees have appointed Bruce Hippensteel as interim superintendent until they can find a permanent replacement for Carol Kaiser who resigned Nov. 1.

Hippensteel spent almost 25 years at Noble School Corporation and recently served as interim superintendent and financial director at Whitko Community Schools. Hippensteel will begin working a minimum of three days a week at $420 a day as needed.

Board members will meet Monday night. Following are the agendas for the regular meeting and the executive meeting which will follow.
Regular meeting

Monday, November 17, 7 p.m.
Board Room, Administrative Center
222 West Tulley Street, Churubusco,

1. Call to Order and Welcome of Visitors
2. Pledge of Allegiance & Spotlight on Success
3. Moment of Meditation
4. Action on Consent Agenda
A. Minutes
1. Regular Meeting, November 3, 2008
2. Special Meeting, November 12, 2008
B. Claims
5. Comments from Visitors
A. Community
B. Administrators
C. Board
6. Personnel
A. Resignations/Retirements
B. Terminations
C. Reassignments
D. Leave Requests
E. New Hires
7. Business
A. Action: Approval of Professional Leaves
B. Action: Approval of CMS Principal Designee
C. Action: Acceptance of Donation, Wal-Mart Foundation
D. Action: Acceptance of Noble County Community Foundation Grant
E. Adjournment
– Executive Session -
Monday, Nov. 17, immediately following the regular meeting

The Board of School Trustees will meet for the following purpose(s) in accordance with IC
5-14-1.5-6.1(b):

8. To discuss a job performance evaluation of individual employees. This
subdivision does not apply to a discussion of the salary, compensation, or
benefits of employees during a budget process.

10. To train school board members with an outside consultant about the
performance of the role of the members as public officials.

The Smith-Green School Board appointed Adam Skiles as acting superintendent at their meeting Monday night.

Board president Tanya Young was appointed to assist Skiles as the second signatory for documents that must be signed while the board begins its search for a new superintendent. Carol Kaiser resigned as superintendent Nov. 1.

Adam Skiles

The board is in the process of trying to find an interim superintendent to serve during the search and interview process.

Skiles also was appointed as a voting member of SEBT, the school insurance trust that Smith-Green is a part of.

In other school board business:

* Set June 5, 2009 as the graduation date for the senior class.

* Appointed the following winter coaches:

Girls basketball (all lay coaches) - Head coach, Jeff Sheehan; varsity assistant, Jim Fry; JV coach, Denny Beucler; eighth grade, Kregg Jones and Greg Blake; seventh grade, pending; sixth grade, Amanda Dice and Heather Lortie.

Boys basketball (all lay coaches except Brackmann) - Head coach, Michael McBride; assistant, Jody Herendeen; JV coach, Aaron Cripe, JV assistant, Justin Snyder; eighth, Andy Norris; seventh, Tim Herendeen; sixth, Phillip Brackmann.

Wrestling (all lay coaches except Riesen) - Head coach, Sam Reisen, assistant, Randy Driebelbis; second assistant (a paid position if the team has more than 25 wrestlers), Rick Hamilton; volunteers, Jake Riesen and Larry Thompson; middle school head coach, Joel Barrett; middle school assistant, Brad Knapp and Daymon Schinbeckler.

Cheerleading (all lay coaches) - Co-head coaches, Dawn Norris and Ashton Amber; middle school, Toni Poynter.

* Agreed to spend $12,755 to replace tables and chairs in the Media Center.

* Accepted a donation of tires from Shermon Gayheart that will be used to replace the tires on the band/choir trailer.

* A total of $384,677 was approved in claims, including $242,537 in payroll.

Watch this site for a special Teacher of the Month award as well as students who were featured on the November Spotlight on Success.

The Smith-Green Community Schools Board of School Trustees will meet tonight, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in the board room of the administrative center, 222 W. Tulley St., Churubusco.

Following is the posted agenda:

* Call to Order and welcome of visitors
* Pledge of Allegiance and Spotlight on Success
* Moment of meditation
* Teacher of the month
* Action on consent agenda:

a) minutes - regular meeting, Oct. 20, executive sessions, Oct. 29, 30;

b) claims.

* Comments from visitors, community, administrators and board.

* Personnel: resignations/retirements; terminations; reassignments; leave requests; new hires;

* Business; Approval of professional leaves, 2009 graduation date, 2008-09 winter lay coaches and to purchase CHS/CMS media furniture; Acceptance of donation of tires for band/choir trailer.

* Adjournment

Next regular board meeting – Monday, Nov. 17, at 7:00 p.m.

An uncontested race in one district, no candidate in another and two candidates will face off in a third district in the November race for Smith-Green School Board.

District 1 was held by Brandon Almas, who left this summer to attend law school. The Board appointed Mike Sturgis to that District shortly thereafter. No candidate has filed to run in District 1 and Sturgis has agreed to continue his position for a full term.

In District 2, which is currently being served by Robert Amber, no candidate filed. The school board will have to appoint a replacement when Amber vacates his seat December 31. Steve Edwards has filed his candidacy and will run unopposed in District 2.

In District 3, voters will vote for Adam Cartwright or Nick Uecker, both of whom live in
Green Township. Buscovoice.com had the opportunity to talk with both candidates about why they are running for school board and what they would bring to the board, if elected.

Nick Uecker

Uecker is the newest member of the Smith-Green Community School board of directors, after being chosen to replace Paul Bowser, who resigned suddenly in early June, citing personal reasons.

Board members voted unanimously at the July 7 board meeting to choose Uecker over three other candidates for the District 3 Green Township seat.

Nick Uecker

“There have been problems in the school system for the last few years,” Uecker said of his reasons for deciding to stay on the board and run for the Green Township seat. “I would like to be involved in getting things headed in the right direction.”

Uecker is employed at Havel Bros., a Division of Shambaugh & Son. He has an associate degree from Vincennes University in Conservation Law Enforcement as well as a 5-year electrical apprenticeship with Local 305 in Ft. Wayne.

He has been a Churubusco Youth League soccer coach, a Whitley County 4-H archery leader and a Churubusco United Methodist Church trustee.

“I’m a reasonable and concerned member of this community,” Uecker said. “And I would like to get continuity between the public, teachers, and administrators.”

Uecker said he has the ability to see all sides of the issues, and - with children in elementary, middle, and high school - a vested interest in the best education they can get.

The most important thing he would bring to the board? “The ability to listen and reason,” he said, adding,

“I would like to get everyone involved to work together and do what is best for the bottom line, our children’s education.”

Adam Cartwright

Cartwright says his top priority, if elected to the board, would be the students.

“We must have good teachers and administration and must have good communication skills, but the kids must remain the top priority,” Cartwright said.

“It’s very important that the school gets a fresh start with the hiring of a new superintendent,” Cartwright said.

An attribute he believes he could bring to the board would be the oversight to question and spend more wisely.

“I was at a board meeting where one board member brought up the fact - and it was obvious that no one wanted him to bring it up - that the board had spent more than a thousand dollars to have a booklet rewritten and none of them were really satisfied with the result, but they paid the bill anyway,” Cartwright said. “That’s just one example.”

“I have an issue with how they have handled money on the past - not personally - but as a board,” Cartwright added.

“Not everyone is well off, and now that the board has decided to charge each student for transportation
(for extracurricular activities), it’s hard on some parents,” Cartwright said. “I have four kids. If they each play one only sport, it would be over $80 in extra fees.”

“The same night they decided to charge the students the extra transportation fee - which is per sport or activity - the board announced the school was buying a house,” Cartwright said. “And they didn’t even try to offer less than the appraised value.

“It didn’t make sense.”

Cartwright lives in Avilla with his wife, Sara, who works at the school part-time in the medical office.
He is employed at Steel Dynamics Inc. in Columbia City and their four children attend Churubusco schools - in kindergarten, third grade, second grade and preschool.

Cartwright said he thought Churubusco had a lot of great teachers, but lost quite a few due to conflicts with administration.

“I would like to work together with everyone so that we’re all always fighting for power,”
Cartwright said. “Some of the teachers (still employed) are scared of losing their jobs if they speak out and they are just playing the game,” he added. “But this is not a game. It is real life.

“We have some really good teachers,” Cartwright reiterated. “But we also have a few bad ones. I would like to see the board evaluate every employee at the school on a regular basis.”

Cartwright said he decided earlier this year to run for school board.

“I’ve always wanted to help,” he said. “I would put kids first, taxpayers second.”

About Steve Edwards

Edwards said he is running for school board to impact the quality of education SGCS is known for.

Steve Edwards

“There was a time when we had superior schools in a supportive community (the school’s motto),” Edwards said. “Our community is still supportive to an extent, but our schools have suffered immensely.  The misgivings of a few well-meaning individuals took a grave toll on SGCS.”

What Edwards said he will bring to the board is the ability to respectfully disagree with issues that will not benefit SGCS – no matter what that may be.

“I will hold individuals accountable for ineffectiveness in their responsibilities to the students, parents and teachers of SGCS – no matter who they may be,” he added. “And I will shape policy with my fellow board members in a manner that is efficient and beneficial to the taxpayers, students and teachers of SGCS.”

Edwards is the assistant branch manager of National City Bank in Churubusco. He holds a B.S. degree in Business information Systems as well as an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University.

He has been Past Master of the Churubusco Masonic Lodge, a parent volunteer at the school including  career interviews and classroom teaching and chairman of Endowment Committee at Churubusco United Methodist Church.

Edwards cites his involvement in the school as a parent as the top qualification for serving on the school board. “I’m a parent concerned about our schools,” he said. “I also have several years business management experience in addition to my educational accomplishments.”

The top priority, given the events of the past few weeks, Edwards said, is hiring a superintendent.  “This is not going to be a quick fix and will take time to get the right,” he added. “We need the right person  with the right attributes for SGCS.  We don’t need to be in a hurry to just make an expensive mistake three years from now.”

Another priority is budget concerns and working as a board to correct the costly mistakes that were made over the past few years.  A parallel concern, obviously, is the staff relations and teacher retention.  In talking with some teachers and staff, teacher retention would not be nearly the problem it has been with quality relations with the staff, Edwards said.

Another priority is looking for alternate sources of funding as enrollment continues to decrease, along with state funding, Edwards said.

Edwards would like to explore the possibility of a Smith Green Education Foundation.  “Education Foundations are a growing source of funding not only for schools but for community organizations as well,” he said.

Edwards thinks the key to handling board concerns and problems of the past and future is to do so  head-on.

“It’s no secret that there have been tremendous struggles in the past and those are not expected to dissipate anytime soon,” he said. “All of us – the board, the parents, the community are in this together.  Parents need to be involved with the activities of the corporation, the board members must continue to be accessible to the community, and the corporation needs to act a responsible member of this community.”

“Honest and forthright communication and action on the parts of all of us crucial to make SGCS as successful as possible.”

The Smith-Green Community Schools Board of School Trustees will hold two executive (closed to the public) sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and Thursday, Oct. 30. Both will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the SGCS Administrative Center
222 W. Tulley St., Churubusco.

The Board of School Trustees will meet for the following purpose(s) in accordance with IC 5-14-1.5-6.1(b):
2.) For discussion of strategy with respect to any of the following:
     4.) To receive information about and interview prospective employees.

By Viv Sade

When I interviewed Carol Kaiser - superintendent of Smith-Green Community Schools - a few weeks ago, I had no idea how timely it would be. But since I procrastinated long enough, it has now become an exit interview.

A few days ago Kaiser accepted a position as superintendent of a school corporation in Lake County, effective Nov. 1.

Will she show?, I wondered as I entered Monday night’s board meeting.

Carol Kaiser

She did not.

The news media and some members of the public seemed somewhat deflated - what, no last words, no last quotes? She left without so much as an adios, amigos.

Not that I blame her.  A fresh start, new beginning, a move forward and all that other stuff. 

 The board president, Tanya Young, sat next to Kaiser’s empty chair and announced Kaiser’s resignation and wished her “the best in all of her future endeavors.”

“We have a great group of administrators who will step up and lead our school,” Young said. “We will get through this and will appoint an interim superintendent as quickly as possible.”

Young also warned that the pool of superintendents is not all that vast, so pickings will be slim and hiring another superintendent may take longer than most people realize.

When Kaiser came to Smith-Green over three years ago, she had 25 years experience in administration and five years as a principal.

Smith-Green School Board members, in front, from left, Tanya Young and Cathy Petrie; in back, Michael Sturgis, Nick Uecker and Bob Amber.

When I heard that Carol Kaiser had resigned, I quickly dug out my notebook to review my interview notes.

Kaiser was straightforward and frank, and opened up on all but two topics - this year’s graduation rate - she said there were not yet any firm statistics. But, she added, the numbers could “be better. ” The second issue was increased teacher turnover.

Kaiser did not think there was a problem with teacher turnover at Smith-Green.

I did not tell her that two of my children had experienced - in the past 5 years - a newly hired English teacher every year during all four years of their high school career.

“Teachers leave,” Kaiser said. “Overall teachers leave for a variety of reasons - for better pay or to be closer to home … it happens in all districts. Our statistics show that our teacher turnover is no higher than in other districts.”

Kaiser’s new three-year contract includes an annual base salary of $100,000 plus benefits. She told a reporter for the Times of Northwest Indiana that returning to Lake County is a coming home of sorts.

OK, so maybe it’s not just teachers who leave for better pay or to be closer to home.

When interviewing teachers, Kaiser said, “It’s a different world. We hire who we think can do the best job for our students, and don’t ask ’Will you stay with us forever?’”

The teacher’s contract was only recently settled after three years of uncertainty.  Asked about the air of mistrust and the tension between teachers and the administration that has permeated the halls of Smith-Green for the past three years, Kaiser responded: “Maybe some (teachers) left because the contract was in flux, but no one ever came to me and clearly stated a problem. If I did not know about it, how could I fix it?”

The Smith-Green administration, Kaiser said, was intelligent, respectful and open to meeting with anyone who wanted to share a concern.

“It’s hard to deal with this perception … without a face-to-face meeting. I wish the people starting some of these rumors would approach me,” she said.

Smith-Green has a lot of strong points, Kaiser said. “The students are very supportive. The community is very supportive. And, there are some very good, committed, long-term teachers here.”

When asked if it were true that school staff is unhappy because support staff salary increases were cut out entirely this year, Kaiser said this was another misconception.

“The non-certified staff received a one percent raise last year, and we’re still looking at (possible increases) this year,” Kaiser said. “We have had job cuts - we’ve had to restructure the bus routes because some bus routes were empty last year. The transportation fund is $130,000 in the red.”

Some of the instructional aides, Kaiser said, were paid for out of grants that had to be reallocated.

“This was portrayed as negative and it’s not true. It’s easy to say things to create an emotional and volatile environment, but the effect it has on Smith-Green Schools is harmful,” Kaiser said.

“If it’s the facts, that’s fair enough, but not when perceptions go unchecked - this is a disservice to our community and to our kids.”

The school board has their work cut out for them. And I don’t envy them. Hiring a new superintendent is no cakewalk - ask any board member who has been through the tedious and mind-numbing process.

My guess is there won’t be flocks of administrators showing up on Smith-Green’s doorstep, begging for a job. It will be tough, as President Young said, but the staff and students and school corporation will pull through. We’ve been through tough times before.

The main focus of the school and the community should be, well, the same as our former superintendent’s - a fresh start, a new beginning, a move forward and all that other stuff. 

Oh yeah, and the students. Let’s not forget the students.

The Smith-Green Community School Board of Trustees will hold an executive session Monday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m. for the purpose of training new board members.The Board of School Trustees will meet for the following purpose(s) in accordance with IC 5-14-1.5-6(b):

1. Where authorized by federal or state statute for discussion of strategy with respect to any of the following:

10. To train school board members with an outside consultant about the performance of the role of the members as public officials.

A new section of the Churubusco Elementary School playground will be accessible to all children, including those in wheelchairs, with walkers or with physical limitations, CES principal Nicole Singer told school board members Monday night.

Singer said she will apply for grants to cover the cost of the project - $57,150 from Service Supply Inc. - but needed approval before proceeding.

The needed monies will come from the school’s capital projects fund. The project includes new equipment and grounding or surface materials and gravel for drainage.

Amy Pyle and Linda Zurbuch were named Teachers of the Month in October. Both have been instrumental in the training and implementation of the school\'s new assessement tool, Acuity.

Singer also asked board members to approve free state tutoring services for students who need help with ISTEP testing. She said she needed board approval even though the school is mandated by law to offer the tutoring since it fell into the “school-in-improvement” category last year because of failing ISTEP scores. It was the third consecutive year the school fell behind in AYP ratings, Singer said, which caused the school to fall into the school-in-improvement category.

The monies for the tutoring program will come from Title 1 funding. Twenty percent of Title 1 funding must be used for tutoring, Singer said.

She added that the school has enough money for 23 students to be enrolled in the computer-based tutoring program. “I have 22 who have expressed an interest in the classes,” Singer said, “and 125 who are eligible.”

The program is managed by the Indiana Department of Education and no staff member of Smith-Green is allowed to participate in the tutoring program because of the school-in-improvement status, Singer said.

Julia Folland, a fifth grader, was honored in the October Spotlight on Success at a recent school board meeting. Julia is a kind and helpful student with a great attitude, according to her teachers.

Each student will be given a computer to take home during the program - which consists of 25 sessions two or three times per week, Singer said. The family does not have to subscribe to an Internet service, and needs only a land-based phone line to run the computer programs, Singer said. She hopes to start the program by the end of this month, she said.

In other business:

• Two teachers were honored as Teachers of the Month for their work on the school’s new assessment tool, Acuity. The teachers - Amy Pyle and Linda Zurbuch - have been instrumental in in the training and implementation of the new program, Singer said. Zurbuch has been the school psychologist for five years and worked many years as a teacher of students diagnosed with learning and cognitive disabilities. She said she has sincerely enjoyed each of her roles in education and always strives to make a difference in the lives of children. Pyle is a graduate of the University of St. Francis where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in education. She is currently working on obtaining her Master’s degree through Walden University.
• Julia Folland, a fifth grade student and the daughter of Jim and Pam Folland, was honored in the October Spotlight on Success. Her teachers say Julia is a very kind and helpful student with a great attitude. She is a strong academic student and is involved in Turners Jump Rope team, DaVinci’s Art Club and Soundmasters. She is also involved with dance and participates in dance competitions in northeast Indiana.

The board voted 4-1 to bring in an outside consultant - Educational Services Company - to make sure the school corporation is in compliance with federal regulations by January 1, 2009, regarding the teacher’s pension fund. On July 26, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service published final 403(b) regulations providing updated guidance on several administrative requirements. Those include:

• Plan documents—The IRS retained the requirement that all plans, including non-ERISA plans, must have a single plan document that describes the key characteristics of the plan and incorporates other documents as needed. In addition, the IRS will be providing a model plan for public schools prior to the effective date.
• 90-24 Transfers—Revenue Ruling 90-24 is repealed and replaced by the final regulations. The rules are modified to provide plan participants and plan sponsors with more flexibility than the proposed regulations. Detailed requirements will be in regulations to be issued by the IRS prior to the effective date.
• Catch-Up Coordination—Final regulations confirm that plan participants who are eligible for both the lifetime catch-up and the age 50 catch-up in the same tax year must first exhaust the lifetime catch-up before making an age 50 catch-up contribution.
• Plan Terminations—403(b) plans may be amended to add a plan termination clause.
• Universal Availability—The IRS underscored the responsibility of plan sponsor to offer a 403(b) to all employees, with few exceptions.

ESC estimated the cost of the consultation at between $3,000 and $6,000.  Adam Skiles, business and technology director, said ESC will provide guidelines to vendors, evaluate the responses and assist the corporation and the Churubusco Teachers Association in the selection of vendors for the plan.

Board member Cathy Petrie asked Skiles why the board was limited in their decision. “Aren’t there other companies who do this kind of thing?” Petrie asked. “Is this our only choice?”

Skiles said he did not know of any other companies except ESC and that the influx of new laws surrounding 403B regulations would make it a very time consuming job for the administration. “There are also IRS penalties if it is not done correctly,” Skiles said.

“So this is like hiring a clearing house and we’re the middle man?” Amber asked Skiles, who said yes.

“We’ve had this thrown in our lap and told we must decide tonight, which angers me,” Amber said. “I don’t like not having all the information” needed to make a decision.

An uncontested race in one district, no candidate in another and two candidates will face off in a third district in the November race for Smith-Green School Board.

In District 1, no notice of candidacy was filed before the deadline. But, the Smith-Green Community Schools Board of Trustees swore in Michael Sturgis on Sept. 15 to replace board member Brandon Almas, who resigned this summer.

Sturgis agreed to finish the rest of Almas’ term - which ends Dec. 31 - and to stay on for another four-year term since no candidate had filed to run for the seat.

In District 2 Steve Edwards will run unopposed.

In District 3, Adam Cartwright and incumbent Nick Uecker will appear on the ballot.

Watch this Web site in October for political profile interviews with the candidates.

From left, Jeff Royer, Travis Dangler and Michael Hall represented the Entrepreneurship class at the Sept. 15 school board meeting. The class is working on a retail store where the community and school can work together to increase school spirit and awareness, and consequently was chosen for the Spotlight on Success award. The class plans to open a store that offers Smith-Green Schools clothing and other such merchandise. Other class members include Alex Duncan, Brenan Herendeen, Sam Imbody, Brandon Johnson, Kristopher Kreager, Jade Rollins, Nicholas Tomei and Mark Tomlinson. The class is taught by Ben Jagger.

School enrollment is down for the third consecutive year, according to Carol Kaiser, superintendent of Smith-Green Community Schools.

At Monday night’s school board meeting, Kaiser announced that enrollment for the year is 1,226, down 24 from last year at this same time.

“This will result in a loss (of funding for the corporation) of $87,106,” Kaiser said.

“This is the third fall since I’ve been here that the numbers have resulted in a loss (of funding),” Kaiser added.

The enrollment was at 1,290 three years ago, and the declining enrollment has an effect in other areas, as well, Kaiser said.

Kaiser went on to say that there are two less administrative positions at Smith-Green since she came on board, which has resulted in a savings of $260,000 for the corporation.

“We must look at making cuts for financial reasons,” Kaiser said. “It’s not because we don’t care about the staff - we do - but we must continue to look at the financial (implications).”

Smith Township trustee Don Amber congratulates new school board member Michael Sturgis after swearing Sturgis in at the Sept. 15 board meeting. Sturgis replaces board member Brandon Almas, who resigned to continue his education and pursue a law degree.

Kaiser also noted that the school had a meeting with the trust company that manages the corporations’ insurance and benefit plans.

“We will be adding wellness programs” in the near future, Kaiser said. She added that claims were running at 91 percent for the year, which is ”a healthy percentage,” she said.

In other school board news:

• Approved claims included $11,698 in regular claims; $25,914 in prepaid claims; and $485,162 in payroll claims.
• The resignation of Naomi Woehnker, first grade teacher, was accepted. Woehnker resigned at the end of the 2007-08 school year. 
• New hires include: Loree R. Grimm as first grade teacher with a 185-day contract for the 2008-09 school year; and Elizabeth Sorg as a medical clerk in the school’s medical department. Sorg will be paid $10 an hour plus benefits and she will assist the two nurses who staff the medical unit. Board member Bob Amber clarified that the hiring of Sorg did not constitute three full-time people working in the medical office. With the part-time status of the employees, there will only be two working at one time, Kaiser said - a nurse and a clerk.
• The board approved the extended day and overnight field trips for all three schools for the 2008-09 school year. There has been some reduction in th
  

  Smith-Green School Board members, in front, from left, Tanya Young and Cathy Petrie; in back, Michael Sturgis, Nick Uecker and Bob Amber.
  e number of field trips, said elementary principal, Nicole Singer, and there were some field trips on the list that may or may not take place. “We looked over the list and consolidated where possible,” Singer said. Amber said he was glad to see the students’ cost - when applicable -  was very affordable. “Only eight dollars to go to Cedar Point is pretty reasonable,”  Amber said.
• The board formally adopted the proposed budget for 2009, along with the Capital Projects Plan and the Bus Replacement Plan. All are public record and any citizen can request a copy at the administrative office.

Story and photos by Viv Sade

The Smith-Green School Corporation Board of Trustees will meet Monday, Sept. 15, in the board Room of the Administrative Center, 222 W. Tulley St., Churubusco. The agenda is as follows:

Call to Order and welcome of visitors - Tanya Young, president;

Pledge of Allegiance and Spotlight on Success - CHS Principal Austin Couch and student(s);

Moment of meditation - Young;

Oath of office - new board member;

Action on consent agenda - Minutes - Regular Meeting, September 2, and claims;

Comments from visitors - ; administrators; board;

Personnel - A. resignations/retirements; B. terminations; C. reassignments; D. leave requests; new hires;

Business - A. Action: approval of professional leaves; B. Action: approval of 2008-09 extended day and overnight field trips; C. Action: adoption of 2009 budget funds, capital projects plan, and bus replacement plan;

Adjournment.

Next regular board meeting - Monday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.

The Smith-Green teachers are concerned about what they say is a lack of support from Smith-Green administration for the support staff who are employed at all three schools.

That was the opening sentence of a statement read to the board of school trustees Monday night by Keston Smith, co-president of the Churubusco Teachers Association, and Janet Thomas, co-vice president of the group.

“It is our understanding that the administration is not solidly considering compensation rates for these staff people and more job cuts are threatened,” Smith said. “The board’s stance is lowering morale and affecting the mission of teachers and that of the whole school corporation.

We teachers need committed and skillful instructional assistants, maintenance workers, administrative assistants and bus drivers,” Smith went on to say. “Job cuts and stagnant compensation undermine the quality of our schools. It is unconscionable for administrators and teachers to receive raises in this economy and the needs of the support staff fall in disregard.”

Adam Skiles, director of business and technology, said the corporation had already budgeted the funds that went toward settling the teachers’ contract, which was recently ratified. The teachers received a 1.75 raise in salaries along with insurance benefits in the new contract.

“We try to see that the staff is compensated accordingly,” Skiles said.

Superintendent Carol Kaiser also addressed Smith’s and Thomas’ statement. “We are looking closely at financing and we continue to do so,” Kaiser said. “We appreciate what everyone does, and we want to make an intelligent and prudent choice for our district.”

She added that last year - when the teachers’ contract was up in the air and had yet to be settled - that the support staff received a 1 percent raise.

“Schools are essentially people,” Smith said, “students, teachers, administrative personnel and those who support them. All require a just return for their work.”

Smith and Thomas said they and the other teachers in the CTA group recommended that the administration and school board re-examine the budget, especially the level of the monthly cash balance, and find room for salary increases for the support staff.

Serving as president of the CTA along with Smith is Mark Cheshire. Serving as co-vice president is Dan Hile. 

In other school board news:

• The school board voted 3-0 to appoint Michael Sturgis to replace board member Brandon Almas, who resigned this summer to pursue a law degree at Indiana University. The board interviewed two candidates - Sturgis and Paula Grawcock - in August. The term will expire December 31, but since no one has filed in the South District to run against Sturgis in the November election, he will go on to fulfill a four-year term beginning January 1, 2009.
  

  New head wrestling coach Sam Reisen
   Board president Tanya Young said the board had talked to both candidates about the possibility of continuing for another full term before the decision was made.
• Sam Reisen was hired as the high school wrestling coach for the 2008-09 school year.
• The board approved the reassignment of custodian David Fletter to first shift custodian/supervisor with an increase of $1 per hour.
• A family/medical leave was approved for middle school social studies teacher, Wendy Sieber. The leave began Aug. 14 and will continue to Nov. 7.
• Claims were approved as follows: regular claims, $133,588; prepaid, $2,458; payroll, $127,961; total, $264,007.

The Smith-Green School Board of trustees will meet Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. in the board room of the SGCS administrative center, 222 West Tulley Street, Churubusco.
The agenda is as follows:

1. Call to Order and Welcome of Visitors - Tanya Young
2. Pledge of Allegiance - Supt. Carol Kaiser
3. Moment of Meditation - Tanya Young
4. Action on Consent Agenda
     A. Minutes
          1. Special Meeting, August 18, 2008 (6 p.m.)
          2. Regular Meeting, August 18, 2008
          3. Special Meeting, August 25, 2008
     B. Claims
6. Comments from Visitors
     A. Community
     B. Administrators
     C. Board
7. Personnel
     A. Resignations/Retirements
     B. Terminations
     C. Reassignments
     D. Leave Requests
     E. New Hires
8. Business
     A. Action: Approval of Professional Leaves
     B. Action: Approval of 2008-09 Wrestling Coach
9. Adjournment

     * Public Hearing: 2009 Budget

     * Next regular board meeting - Monday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m.

Austin Couch, center, is surrounded by SGCS board board members who voted unanimously Monday evening to appoint Couch as the new principal of Churubusco High School. From left are Bob Amber, Cathy Petrie, Couch, Tanya Young and Nick Uecker.

And the new principal of Churubusco High School is … Austin Couch.

Couch is excited about the new opportunity. He lives in Fort Wayne and said he has had the opportunity to work in Fort Wayne, but Couch said he has never seriously considered changing school districts.

“Why would anyone want to leave Churubusco (schools)?” he asked. “It’s a great place to be.”

Smith-Green Community Schools board of trustees voted unanimously to appoint Couch at a special meeting held today, Aug. 25.

Couch began working at Smith-Green Schools in 1997 as a middle school English teacher. He was a team leader and  most recently worked as the principal of grades K-8. He also filled in for middle school principal John Davis as needed.

He is a graduate of the University of Georgia. After graduating, Couch moved to Indiana where he continued his education - student teaching and getting his master’s degree from IPFW in Fort Wayne in 2007.

Couch and his wife, Jennifer, have four children. Couch’s stepson, Joshua, is a freshman at IPFW, and he and Jennifer have three daughters, Alyssa, 8, Aubrey, 6, and Sydney, 3.

Jennifer Couch is a stay-at-home mother who is kept very busy with the four children, but has always been very supportive of his career, Austin Couch said.

“It would be very hard if she were not supportive,” Couch said. “But she has always encouraged me and been there all the way. She and I are both very excited about this new opportunity. I could not do it without her.”

Couch said he is looking forward and excited about working with the same staff he has been working with for many years.

“This is the school district where I grew up as an educator,” Couch said. “To see the growth is exciting. I really like it here, and this is what I want to bring to the new, young teachers - this excitement” about working and staying in Churubusco.

The Smith-Green Community Schools board of trustees will meet in a special meeting Monday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. to discuss the appointment of a principal at Churubusco High School.

Jerry Lange, assistant high school principal, had agreed to serve as interim principal until a replacement was found for Mark Snyder, who resigned after the 2007-08 school year.

The meeting will be held in the board room of the administrative center at 222 W.  Tulley St., Churubusco.

There was applause and there was relief, and it is definitely a step in the right direction, said Churubusco Teachers Association president Terry McManama after final approval was given to the teachers’ contract at Monday night’s school board meeting.

But already teachers are planning ahead for negotiations when this contract expires – in 2010.

Typically, negotiations begin the year before the contract expires, which means SGCS Corporation could be looking at less than a year before having to begin negotiations all over again.

“There is a large sense of relief,” McManama said. “But we will continue to work and take steps forward. Getting and maintaining a good insurance package is still a big issue.”

Teachers have been working without a contract after negotiations stalled and mediation efforts ground to a halt two years ago.

One teacher, who did not wish to be identified, said the settlement goes a long way toward easing some of the tension that had permeated the halls of Churubusco schools. But many remain wary of the obstacles that were created between the two sides in the first place, the teacher said.

One of the stumbling blocks was the health insurance benefit package offered to teachers, McManama said.

Teachers’ family coverage went from 46 percent being covered by the school corporation to 63 percent with the new contract, he said. “It meant a difference of $2,400 annually for family coverage.”

We wanted 70 percent, because we are still behind compared to what other school corporations offer their teachers,” McManama added.

Both sides have agreed to share any increases in health care coverage. “If it goes up five percent, then we will pay 2.5 percent and the corporation will pay 2.5 percent,” McManama said.

Other changes to the contract included 20 different language changes, a change to the way teachers’ salaries are determined for extra-curricular activities and salary increases for staff.

The increases vary according to seniority, but are retroactive for one year  – to the 2007-08 salary schedule, McManama said.

“We gave up one year of back pay as part of the negotiations,” he said.

In other school board business Monday night:

• Fall coaches were approved as follows:
• Boys/girls cross country - Head coach, lay coach, Jon Pelz.
• Middle school cross country – Head coach and lay coach, Amanda Dice; volunteer coach and lay coach, Tara Dice.
• Boys tennis – Head coach, Ben Jagger.
• Volleyball – Head coach and lay coach, Mark Bankson; Asst. coach, Breann Brown; JV coach and lay coach, Chris Holloway; freshman coach and lay coach, Megan Haines.
• MS volleyball – Lay coaches: Eighth grade, Kim Fulkerson; seventh grade, Kirsten Waterman; sixth grade, Mary Huelsenbeck.
• Football – Head coach, Lee Etzler; assistant coaches, Zach Dock and Todd Lortie; assistant and lay coaches, John Schmidt and Paul Sade.
• MS football – Head coach, Nate Wright; assistant and lay coaches, Ed Shearer, Duane Murphy, Mike Adams and John Petrie.
• The school accepted a $30,082 state assessment grant. Nancy Becker, school psychologist, said the grant monies will be used as reassessment tools to track students’ progress. The grant will also pay for training, teacher materials, scoring and some curriculum, Becker said. “This is a competitive grant,” Becker said. “and not that many schools received this  grant.” Becker said the state is now recommending that schools adopt an assessment plan for tracking students, but noted that recommendation will become a mandate in four years.
• A grant of $20,000 for the Indiana Early Intervention Program also was accepted.
• Personnel changes were approved as follows:
• Resignations: Greg Platt, elementary teacher, and Jamison Wilkins, high school teacher.
• Reassignments: Todd Lortie, transferring to CHS math, replacing Jamison Wilkins; Jennifer Galloway Bodnar, transferring to CMS math, replacing Todd Lortie.
• A family leave request for David Shearer, elementary counselor, was granted from Aug. 22-Oct. 4.
• New hires approved included: Jason Schwiebert, CHS science teacher; Robert Tomlinson, CES fifth grade teacher; Phillip Brackmann, CHS math teacher; and Erica Allen, CES extended kindergarten teacher.
• Claims  paid were as follows: regular, $95,124; prepaid, $9,765; payroll, $72,618; total, $177,507.
• In an earlier session prior to the regular meeting, the board interviewed two candidates to fill a board seat after board member Brandon Almas resigned to pursue his college education and a career in law. The decision will be announced at the next board.

Board meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of each month, but due to the Labor Day holiday, the next meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.

From left, teachers Mark Grove, Terry McManama, Liz Schemm, Deb Thomas and Mark Cheshire mingle after a school board meeting Monday during which the teacher contract was approved.

It’s been three long years of negotiations, but it looks as though the Smith-Green Community School Corp. and the Churubusco Teachers Association may have come to terms on the teachers’ contract.

Teacher union leaders and SGCS administrative representatives came to an agreement Friday, according to school board president, Tanya Young.

“It’s not final yet, but both sides are optimistic,” Young said.

Union officials will take the contract to teachers Thursday, who will hopefully ratify it Friday, Young said.

The final step is the school board’s approval of the contract at Monday night’s board meeting.

Both sides began meeting in negotiations three years ago, and teachers have been working without a contract after it expired two years ago.

It’s no secret that the stalemate has created an atmosphere of distrust and tension in the halls of SGCS. Several teachers have left SGCS due to the increasing tension between administration and staff, while students and support staff found themselves taking sides, adding to the already contentious atmosphere. 

“I am just so relieved” about the pending ratification, said a teacher who did not wish to be identified.

No details on the contract were available as of Wednesday morning.

Watch this Web site for continuous updates of this story.

CHURUBUSCO - The Smith-Green Community Schools Board of School Trustees will host an executive session Wednesday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m. in the board room of the Administrative Center, 222 W. Tulley St.

The Board of School Trustees will meet for the following purpose(s) in accordance with Indiana Code 5-14-1.5-6(b):

For discussion of strategy with respect to any of the following:

4. To receive information about and interview prospective employees. 

The Business Education Community Partnership of Churubusco invites the educators, community and business leaders to join in a free community breakfast Thursday, Aug. 14, from 8-9 a.m. in the Smith-Green Schools’ cafeteria.

This BEC Breakfast is traditionally held for school staff as they return to a new school year, and is hosted as a show of support from businesses, the community and school personnel . This is the tenth year for the event. This will be the first morning of scheduled activities for the teachers.

Megan Kelly, Director of Great Kids Make Great Communities, will speak on the “Say Yes to No” campaign.

“Please mark your calendar,” said Tanya Young, president of the SGCS Board of School Trustees and the BEC Partnership.

Young said the BEC plans to ask community leaders to participate as hosts at the breakfast, eating and meeting with the Smith-Green educators. Young hopes representatives of the community and areas businesses will plan to attend the event and show their support of school personnel.