By GLEN WERLING
Southern Wells is growing.
“Our enrollment is kind of amazing,” said Gilbert “Gib” Crimmins from the consulting firm Administrator Assistance, filling in for vacationing interim superintendent Steve Darnell. He observed that it’s a testament to Southern Wells and the community that parents want to send their children to Southern Wells.
Junior/Senior High School Principal Kim Conner said that the high school enrollment at the start of the school year is up 20 students from last year and she expects one more to enroll Thursday. At the elementary school, Principal Cari Whicker reported that the enrollment has increased by 65 students over the enrollment number of a year ago. That’s more than a 10 percent increase in the size of the student body, she observed.
In other business, the board members granted corporation treasurer Lora Warner permission to advertise the Form 3 of the 2023 budget on the Indiana Government Gateway website — https://gateway.ifionline.org
The budget is for $11,074,232 of which $3,520,872 is to be raised through mostly local property taxes.
The Education Fund will be advertised at $6,239,648; the Operations Fund will be advertised at $2,947,587; the Debt Service Fund will be advertised at $662,854; and the Rainy Day Fund, will be advertised at $589,060. The Education Fund is funded entirely by the state.
The Post 2009 Exempt Operating Referendum Fund is $635,083.
Warner explained that she is basing these numbers on a very conservative net assessed valuation for the district of $437,230,004 provided to her by the Wells County Auditor’s office.
She added that the state will cut her numbers but she has to advertise for the most because once the budget is advertised, it can be reduced but it cannot be raised.
A public hearing on the budget is slated for the next regular meeting of the school board at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 13. If all goes smoothly, the budget will be adopted at the board’s Oct. 18 meeting.
Crimmins also informed the board members that he had attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Wells County Election Board and confirmed that the school corporation’s bid to renew it’s levy referendum fund will be on the ballot in the November election.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the referendum coming up,” said Crimmins. “This is crucial to continue the positive trajectory this school corporation is on right now.”
The referendum, Crimmins continued, is essential if Southern Wells is going to keep its commitment to small class sizes.
He also informed the board members that the work on updating the softball diamond has been progressing nicely. The new infield dirt is in and leveled and the outfield dirt is ready for seeding.
In other business, the board members:
• Approved a fund transfer to repay the temporary loan from the curricular materials fund to the Rainy Day Fund. The loan was made at the end of the fiscal year to keep the curricular material fund from ending the year in the red.
• Approved the following fundraiser requests: cheerleaders to hold a car wash to help pay for uniforms and mini cheer camp Sept. 17; cheerleaders to sell Gordy barbecue sauce during August and September; Business Professionals of America to sell gear and tumblers Sept. 1-Oct. 14; the BPA to sell Concannon’s pretzels and popcorn Oct. 10-29; the BPA Socks Sockathon Nov. 14-Dec. 19; the BPA to sell suckers on Wednesdays and Fridays outside of school; school athletic teams to do fundraisers through the Wings Etc. restaurant in Bluffton throughout the 2022-23 school year; the athletic teams to sell laundry soap; hat day and dress-up days sponsored by the athletic teams; fruit sales by the FFA Oct. 13-Nov. 10; the FFA Greenhand Chili Supper and Member Auction Sept. 20; Raider football card sales Sept. 18-25; Back to School Baking classes sponsored by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Aug. 22-26; the FCCLA to sponsor a food booth at the Montpelier Jamboree Sept. 1-3, a fall social Oct. 29, Board and Brush Nov. 16, a dodgeball tournament Feb. 22; and a plant sale March 1 through Oct. 23; the high school volleyball team to sell Raise Rightgift cards in November and March and to hold a clothing sale Aug. 17-23.
• Accepted two $200 donations to each the high school and elementary school to be placed in a fund to address the needs of children.
• Approved of having Kinum Collections of Indianapolis proceed with the next step in collecting delinquent textbook fees.
• Hired: Joshua Heim for art teacher at the high school; Elisse Huss as a kindergarten teacher, Alaina Denny as a third grade teacher and Shawna Neuenschwander as a fifth grade teacher; Andy Needler and Lyle Meece for transition camp bus drivers at their hourly rate; Lauren and Nikki Hamilton as full time bus drivers for the 22-23 school year; Kiann Palmer as a technical education bus driver for morning transport to South Adams; Taylor Hamilton as school nurse; Kaylee Reisen and Jen Meyer as instructional assistants in the elementary and Kathy Leuke and Brenda Rockwell as special education instructional assistants in the elementary; Cierra Hartley for 1/2 special education and 1/2 instructional assistant at the elementary; Tonya Capper and Brittany Klausing as cafeteria workers; Joel Roush as the varsity boys basketball head coach; Brad Johnson and Jacob Duncan as junior high football coaches; Ross Palmer as the boys varsity golf coach; Gary McFarren as an assistant cross country coach for both the boys and girls teams; Mark Gates and Cory Leas as junior high track coaches; Jackson Johnson as the livestock judging coach; Lisa Rhoton as an after-school tutor; Susan Coolman as a pianist; Annette Thompson as senior homecoming sponsor.
• Approved paying the following: Steve Linderwell and Isaac Collins for five extra days worked and Tracy Gentis for 10 extra days work.
• Approved raising the extra curricular activity bus driver rate from $12.45 an hour to $13 an hour. Transportation Director Jessica Killingbeck observed that the average pay for ECA drivers at school corporations around Southern Wells is $14.90 an hour. Board member Chad Roush proposed raising Southern Wells’ rate to $15 an hour. This was followed by discussion among the board members of how raising the rate to $15 an hour will impact the athletic fund. The board requested that Killingbeck investigate the impact of such a hike on the fund and report back to the board at its September meeting.
• Accepted the resignations of the following personnel: Craig Neuenschwander as a school bus driver; Lauren Hamilton as an aide; Whitney Powell as assistant softball coach; Caleb Sleppy as junior varsity boys basketball coach; and Mike Carter as seventh grade volleyball coach.
• Approved moving Jarod Brown from second shift custodian to third shift custodian.
• Approved of the annual updates to the teacher appreciation grant policy to meet the criteria required by the Indiana Department of Education.
• Changed the 2022-23 school calendar to show the correct date for Memorial Day.
• Approved of permitting the Dillman Church to host its BUDS (Boys Under Development) program at the school at 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday from September through April. According to the church’s website the purpose of BUDS is to develop “biblical discipline in our young men through honor, courage and commitment.”
• Approved attendance by Conner and Thompson to the Foster Success for Education conference.
• Approved the following field trips: BPA to Indiana State University Sept. 29; FFA to the national convention Oct. 25-30, to the FFA center in Trafalgar Oct. 7-9, to Porter County for the state soils judging contest Oct. 14-15, to Eastbrook High School for the area soils judging contest Oct. 1, to various soils judging contests Sept. 12-Oct. 10, to North Miami High School Sept. 24 for an area soils judging contest, to Huntington University Sept. 13 for the FFA District 6 kickoff, to Tippecanoe Valley High School Sept. 10 for a soils judging contest, and to various locations between Sept. 1-26 for soils judging practice; the FCCLA to the Henricks County Fairgrounds Sept. 28 for the Fall Rally, Columbus, Ohio for the National Fall Conference Sept. 11-13, the Hendricks County Fairgrounds Nov. 17-19 for state officers training; the eighth grade to Mississinewa War of 1812 Memorial Oct. 7.
glenw@news-banner.com
