Delaware Community School Corporation

DELAWARE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023

6:30 p.m. 

EATON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MINUTES

Present:  John Adams, President; Lance Engle, Vice President; Alice Gillis, Member; Darin Gullion, Assistant Superintendent; and Greg Kile, Superintendent

Absent:  Valerie Alexander, Secretary and Jacob Case, Member

1. CALL TO ORDER

At 6:31 p.m. Board President, John Adams called the meeting to order.

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

3. AMEND AGENDA

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to amend the agenda, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

4. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR 

No comments were received.

     

5. UPDATES FROM PRINCIPALS/DIRECTORS

CONSENT AGENDA

A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the following under Consent Agenda:

6. MINUTES

Accepted the minutes of the business meeting held on Monday,                 December 4, 2023 and the special meeting on December 11, 2023.

7. FINANCE

1. Accepted the list of vouchers, as presented. 

8. NEW BUSINESS

1. Certified Staff

1. None.

2. Classified Staff

1. Resignation of Brian Meadows, Custodian at Delta High School, effective January 5, 2024.

2. Resignation of Jessica Moon, Custodian at Delta High School, effective December 12, 2023.

3. Resignation of Ryan Leen, Latchkey Assistant Supervisor, effective immediately.

4. Resignation of Grace Dimond, Latchkey Assistant Supervisor, effective December 18, 2023.

5. Recommendation to employ Noah Henry as a Technology Technician effective December 19, 2023, pending successful completion of all           pre-employment testing.

6. Recommendation to employ Mariah Prybis as an Instructional Assistant at Eaton Elementary School effective January 3, 2024, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

7. Recommendation to employ Julia Lambert as a Food Service Cook at Royerton Elementary School effective December 19, 2023.

8. Recommendation to employ Benjamin Lang as a School Bus Driver effective January 4, 2024.

9. Recommendation to employ Autumn Troxell as a Food Service Cook at Delta High School effective December 19, 2023.

10. Recommendation to employ Susan Barker as a Food Service Cook at Delta High School effective December 19, 2023.

11. Recommendation to employ Amy Ward as a Food Service Cook at Delta High School effective December 19, 2023.

12. Recommendation to employ Wynona Rushing as a Food Service Cook at Delta Middle School effective December 19, 2023.

13. Recommendation to transfer Chyanne VanNatter from a Latchey Aide to a Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Royerton Elementary School effective        December 18, 2023.

14. Recommendation to transfer Carley Kitchens from a Latchey Aide to a Latchkey Assistant Supervisor at Albany Elementary School effective           December 18, 2023.

15. Recommendation to employ Brandon Lake as a Custodian at Delta High School effective immediately, pending successful completion of all         pre-employment testing.

3. Extra-Curricular

1. Resignation of Paul Ashcraft, 7th/8th Grade Head Baseball Coach at Delta Middle School effective immediately.

2. Recommendation to employ Tyler Gilland as a 7th/8th Grade Head Baseball Coach at Delta Middle School effective for the 2023-24 school year.

3. Recommendation to employ Robert Twilley as an Assistant Boys’ Track Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2023-24 school year, pending successful completion of all pre-employment testing.

4. Recommendation to employ Jillian Evans as an Assistant Varsity Softball Coach at Delta High School effective for the 2023-24 school year.

4. Conference Requests/Field Trips

1. Lance Brand and Greg Kile request permission to attend the CyberTAP Ransomware Awareness Meeting to be held on December 15, 2023 at Purdue Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, IN.

2. Robyn Brown, Debbie Carmichael, Rae McGuire, Emily Tinkle, Jerry Mendenhall, and Bethany Davis request permission to attend the UFLI Work Day to be held on February 22, 2024 at Delta Middle School.

3. Michelle Alley, Kelly Green, Melodee Motsenbocker, Maggie Neckers, Carrie Cooper, and Larry Cicotte request permission to attend the UFLI Work Day to be held on February 27, 2024 at Delta Middle School.

4. Robyn Brown, Debbie Carmichael, Rae McGuire, Emily Tinkle, Michelle Alley, Kelly Green, Melodee Motsenbocker, Maggie Neckers, Bethany Davis, Jerry Mendenhall, Carrie Cooper, and Larry Cicotte request permission to attend the UFLI Work Day to be held on February 29, 2024 at Delta Middle School.

5. Ashlyn Carlton, Kendra Clements, Lindsay Roberts, Casey Rodgers, Lisa McKee, and Julie Marshall request permission to attend the UFLI Work Day to be held on May 2, 2024 at Delta Middle School.

5. Use of Facilities

1. None.

The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

AGENDA

9. FINANCE

1. Purchases over $5000:

A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the following (item 1):

1.   Transfinder OP $5,700.00

(Annual Technical Support and Upgrade)

The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

2. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the Wabash Valley Education Center Contract, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

3. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve Portland Insurance Coverage and Premiums ($229,462), as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

4. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the 401(a) Plan, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

10. NEW BUSINESS

1. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the Superintendent’s Contract, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

2. Certified Staff

1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the recommendation to employ Melinda Coleman as a Teacher at Albany/Eaton Elementary Schools effective January 3, 2024.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

3. Classified Staff

1. None.

4. Information and Proposals

1. Superintendent

1. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the In-person Instruction Plan, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

2. A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the DHS wrestling overnight trip, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

3. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the authority to pay claims and hire, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

4. Board President Recognition.

5. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve Board Policies- 2nd Reading:

F225: Fundraising and Crowdfunding

F325: Debt Management Policy

F350: Reserve and Liquidity Policy

H250: School Library Material Removal Request Procedure

The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

6. Superintendent Kile informed the Board about the following fundraisers (information only):

1. Lynde Bratton, DHS Cheer, requests permission to collect donations at boys’ basketball games, as presented.  Proceeds go towards Boosters.

2. Lynde Bratton, DHS Cheer, requests permission to hold a cheer clinic on January 31, 2024, as presented.  Proceeds go towards Boosters.

1. Assistant Superintendent

1. Donations:

A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle to approve the following (items 1-2):

1. Request for Delta High School to accept the donation of $100.00 from Sandy McReynolds.

2. Request for the Food Service Department to accept the donation of $989.00 from Aaron and Chelsea Smoot, as presented.

The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

2. A motion was made by Lance Engle and seconded by Alice Gillis to approve the request for the Food Service Department to surplus items, as presented.  The motion was approved 3-0 vote.

11. LETTERS/NOTES

12. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS

Alice Gillis – Ms. Gillis thanked Mr. Kile. She stated she has been back on the Board now for a year and she sees this as a very good thing.  She stated he has his fingers in everything and he has done a marvelous job leading this corporation. She complimented Mr. Kile by stating he does a super job by being the pulse of the corporation and she thinks he does a super job with this.  She also thinks Mr. Adams does a super job with the Board and stated he leads with integrity and truthfulness, and does an all-around good job.  She thanked Ms. Wilder for letting them be at her building today.  She welcomed all new hires and wished them luck.

Lance Engle – Mr. Engle concurred with Ms. Gillis. He thanked Ms. Coleman for her service over the years, wished her good luck with her new gig, and stated she will do a good job. He welcomed Ms. Prybis and Mr. Henry. He stated Mr. Kile’s contract is just a formality as far as he is concerned. He stated Mr. Kile is doing a fine job and he appreciates the way he has kept us moving forward. He stated he had big shoes to fill and Mr. Kile stepped right in and just kept on going.  He commented it was a pretty seamless transition and he appreciates that. He informed Mr. Adams he enjoys every board meeting and every time they get together. He stated he learns something new from him every time. Mr. Engle stated he’s glad Mr. Adams has been Board President the past several years and he appreciates all he does. He hopes everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

John Adams – Mr. Adams gave a shout-out to Ms. Wilder for her hospitality at letting them be at Eaton tonight. He stated Mr. Kile stepped up to the plate when they asked. He stated Mr. Kile has been there, he is accessible, he has communicated, and he is doing all the things that great Superintendents do.  He commented even though he is a little young in the years sitting at the seat, the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated is vast. He greatly appreciates his leadership and is glad to have the contract done so they can move on to other things and he’s glad they could make that happen. He thanked the new hires for coming and the new hires who couldn’t be here tonight. He thanked Ms. Coleman for her years spent at DelCom.  He stated lots of people are hiring, but they chose our family and he greatly appreciates that. He informed everyone they received a note and it talked about our district and it makes you feel good to know that you had a hand in making the decisions. He stated it is not easy and it shouldn’t be easy. He stated for those who have been on the Board for a while and have tried to steer this corporation in the right direction, to get notes like that, it makes us proud that we get to sit up here as a Board and make the decisions we make. He thanked everyone who is doing a great job from the administrative team on down. He stated he couldn’t be more proud of the district that we are in because we are in good shape. He thanked everyone for the kind comments on being President of the Board and stated sometimes it is an everyday job. He stated donations are greatly appreciated and it was awesome of Chelsea and Aaron to donate to our kids and also for the donation to the high school. 

13. FUTURE MEETINGS

1. An Organizational Meeting and Board of Finance Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 8, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.

2. A regular meeting for the Board of School Trustees is scheduled for Monday, January 8, 2024 immediately following the Organizational Meeting and Board of Finance Meeting.

14. ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Alice Gillis and seconded by Lance Engle and Board President, John Adams, adjourned the meeting at 7:02 p.m.

December 18, 2023

JOHN ADAMS               

LANCE ENGLE

VALERIE ALEXANDER 

ALICE GILLIS

JACOB CASE