The School Board of Trustees will meet on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. There is an Executive Session at 6:30 p.m., the regular meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., and immediately following the regular meeting, there will be a Board of Finance Meeting (approx. 7:45 p.m.).
Executive Session
During the year it is often necessary to meet in executive session because of the nature of the business. Statute limits the reasons that Boards can meet like this. Personally, I try to keep the number of these sessions at a minimum. This month we will meet on pending litigation, which is one of the legal reasons the board can meet like this.
Board Meeting
At this month’s meeting, we will welcome Gary Cook to the Board. Gary comes to the Board with experience in the Indiana House of Representatives and as the former Mayor of Plymouth. This wealth of experience will help make Gary an excellent Board member.
3.1 The first agenda item is Focus on Learning: Two Plymouth High School students will give a demonstration of their award winning robot. The two sophomores have been competing independently the last two years and hopefully will be the start of a high school program next year that will be available to other students.
3.2 The next item is to Permission to Seek Bids for Renovations. Recently, the Board authorized refinancing the 2004 bonds. That action resulted in reducing the interest rates from 4.6% to 1.35%. Ultimately, the action also reduced the last 7 years payments by $99,000.00 a year. It also created a construction fund of 1.7 million dollars. The proposed renovations will be 1) to create large group learning rooms at Lincoln and Riverside, 2) to turn the old auto shop area into classrooms, and 3) to remodel the Service Center. Renovations are proposed to begin in May of 2013 and conclude in August of 2014.
3.3 The third item is a yearly requirement to have the Board and Administrators sign Conflict of Interest Statements. By statute this has to be done each year. Specifically, the reason for these forms would be issued because of a workplace or a family member who works at the school.
3.4 The Board will consider January 21, 2013 as a snow make-up day for the day we missed in November due to fog. It has been past practice to make up days in the order in which they are scheduled. Since January 21st is the first make-up day listed, I will recommend that this will be the make-up day.
3.5 For this item, I will ask the Board’s Permission to Seek a Contract with a Security Consultant. After the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, I feel compelled to bring in an outside consultant to examine our safety plans and make recommendations for increased security. While I will try to bring someone in as soon as possible, I will probably wait until the end of the legislative sessions to make any major changes. The safety committee will meet this week and will make recommendations for minor changes to the safety plan or identify areas of the safety plan that are not being followed with fidelity.
3.6 Mrs. Kandi Tinkey will ask the Board to approve the Temporary Warrants that were advertised in December. If you remember from December, temporary warrants allow us to borrow money so that we have the cash flow to meet payroll and pay vendors. Cash flow is an issue at the school because we only get money from the state once a month and from the county twice a year.
3.7 The last business item will be to Consider the 2013 Classified Conditions of Employment and Pay Raises. The conditions of employment for classified staff are approved every year at the first meeting. A pay raise of $.40 per hour for 9-month employees and $.50 per hour for 12-month employees will also be considered. In order to qualify for this raise, an employee must have worked 120 days from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
Board of Finance Meeting
During the Board of Finance Meeting, the Board will receive reports on investments, consider a resolution to make payments, and approve the current corporation credit cards.
Executive Session
During the year it is often necessary to meet in executive session because of the nature of the business. Statute limits the reasons that Boards can meet like this. Personally, I try to keep the number of these sessions at a minimum. This month we will meet on pending litigation, which is one of the legal reasons the board can meet like this.
Board Meeting
At this month’s meeting, we will welcome Gary Cook to the Board. Gary comes to the Board with experience in the Indiana House of Representatives and as the former Mayor of Plymouth. This wealth of experience will help make Gary an excellent Board member.
3.1 The first agenda item is Focus on Learning: Two Plymouth High School students will give a demonstration of their award winning robot. The two sophomores have been competing independently the last two years and hopefully will be the start of a high school program next year that will be available to other students.
3.2 The next item is to Permission to Seek Bids for Renovations. Recently, the Board authorized refinancing the 2004 bonds. That action resulted in reducing the interest rates from 4.6% to 1.35%. Ultimately, the action also reduced the last 7 years payments by $99,000.00 a year. It also created a construction fund of 1.7 million dollars. The proposed renovations will be 1) to create large group learning rooms at Lincoln and Riverside, 2) to turn the old auto shop area into classrooms, and 3) to remodel the Service Center. Renovations are proposed to begin in May of 2013 and conclude in August of 2014.
3.3 The third item is a yearly requirement to have the Board and Administrators sign Conflict of Interest Statements. By statute this has to be done each year. Specifically, the reason for these forms would be issued because of a workplace or a family member who works at the school.
3.4 The Board will consider January 21, 2013 as a snow make-up day for the day we missed in November due to fog. It has been past practice to make up days in the order in which they are scheduled. Since January 21st is the first make-up day listed, I will recommend that this will be the make-up day.
3.5 For this item, I will ask the Board’s Permission to Seek a Contract with a Security Consultant. After the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, I feel compelled to bring in an outside consultant to examine our safety plans and make recommendations for increased security. While I will try to bring someone in as soon as possible, I will probably wait until the end of the legislative sessions to make any major changes. The safety committee will meet this week and will make recommendations for minor changes to the safety plan or identify areas of the safety plan that are not being followed with fidelity.
3.6 Mrs. Kandi Tinkey will ask the Board to approve the Temporary Warrants that were advertised in December. If you remember from December, temporary warrants allow us to borrow money so that we have the cash flow to meet payroll and pay vendors. Cash flow is an issue at the school because we only get money from the state once a month and from the county twice a year.
3.7 The last business item will be to Consider the 2013 Classified Conditions of Employment and Pay Raises. The conditions of employment for classified staff are approved every year at the first meeting. A pay raise of $.40 per hour for 9-month employees and $.50 per hour for 12-month employees will also be considered. In order to qualify for this raise, an employee must have worked 120 days from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.
Board of Finance Meeting
During the Board of Finance Meeting, the Board will receive reports on investments, consider a resolution to make payments, and approve the current corporation credit cards.
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