By HOLLY GASKILL
The Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District board has unanimously decided to continue pursuing the possibility of a school safety referendum.
In December, the district partnered with Policy Analytics to study the district’s current and projected tax base. The results determined the district could pursue a referendum with a tax rate ranging from 0.0429 percent to 0.0858 percent, yielding between $250,000 and $500,000.
These funds would be used to support the cost of three school resource officers and their related equipment, a mental health counselor and his or her related equipment, and an automated alert system for each building.
By moving forward, Superintendent Brad Yates specified the board was not giving their permission to pursue the referendum on the ballot but rather to pursue further information about the needs of the district and the legal possibilities.
School board president Bruce Holland, who served as BHMSD’s SRO for 18 years, stated he believed it was a worthwhile discussion.
“There were multiple times when we could have used, at the minimum, at least one more (SRO),” Holland said. “There were times we had to call uptown to get resources to come out and deal with matters at the school. When there’s one of you and 1,700 people, that was my biggest frustration because I couldn’t always be where I needed to be when I was needed.”
“When you stop and look at it,” Holland said, “our corporation is the largest single core collection of the population during daytime hours in the whole city.”
Additionally, Holland asked if guidance counselors were currently able to support the district in offering mental health services. Yates responded that, while guidance counselors serve in that capacity as they’re able, the bulk of their position serves in other capacities.
Yates also noted that the possible addition of a referendum would continue the support resources made available by a recently received $133,000 counseling grant.
Julie Thompson, the board’s secretary and the chief administrative officer/chief nursing officer at the Bluffton Regional Medical Center, said she sees a growing need for mental health resources.
“It’s a great thing to be looking at, and I hope the community can understand,” Thompson said.
Yates said he would provide an update at the board’s March 13 meeting but added he was unsure how quickly further counsel and information could be available.
Board member Mike Murray also updated the board on recent legislation under consideration at the Statehouse, including House Bill 1428, which may require board members to identify with a political party. Murray said he had spoken with Rep. Matt Lehman, and Lehman was against the bill.
Additionally, another bill proposes the tax levy attached to a student living in one district to follow them to their chosen district. Yates said BHMSD receives more students than it loses, so this would theoretically not harm their budget. However, based on how it would impact other schools, Yates said he’s not in favor of the bill.
Murray said he is attending a statehouse panel next week and will report back to the board. Yates added that he is attending a legislative luncheon for school administrators to speak with members of the General Assembly.
Separately, Yates notified the board that upgrades to the HVAC systems are slated for spring and summer breaks to avoid disruptions with school and programs. However, work in the high school weight room will overlap with athletic training, and the athletic department is working on finding alternative options.
In other news:
• Two teachers have submitted their notice of retirement — first-grade teacher Becky Stotlar, who has taught for 36 years, and special education intense intervention teacher Mary Fogwell, who has taught at BHMSD for 12 years.
• Resignations were accepted for kindergarten teacher Alexandria Forte, choir teacher Jack Mellen, and eighth grade social studies teacher Kane Stellar — all effective at the end of the academic year.
• The following teacher employment recommendations were approved: Alyssa Burchett as a high school science teacher, Alexandra Thomas as eighth grade science teacher, Ashlee Xayyachack as sixth grade mild intervention teacher beginning in the 2023-24 school year, and Jake Amstutz as an elementary yearbook adviser for the remainder of the year. Employment recommendations were also approved for Melissa Dillman as elementary custodian, Eric Sowder as a bus driver, Madiysn Fenstermaker as a part-time pre-K special education assistant, Caleb Geimer and Robin Hartman as substitute teachers, and Tanya Bluhm as a substitute nurse. The board also announced its intent to employ an elementary general education instructional assistant.
• The following employment recommendations for sports were accepted: Spencer Schwartz as high school girls tennis coach, Dharma Dynes and Ashlee Xayyachack as assistant girls tennis coaches, Chad Grieser and Huntinger Cunningham as middle school diving coaches (each with a half stipend), and Adam Atkins as middle school golf coach. The following volunteers were also accepted: Caleb Geimer for middle school boys’ swimming, Ryan Thomas for middle school wrestling, and Robert Vanderkolk, Hunter Cunningham, Spencer Schwartz, Ashlee Xayyachack and Dharma Dynes for middle school tennis.
• Internal transfers were also approved for Jacob Summers from teaching college and career prep to eighth grade social studies teacher, Neely Bultemeier from elementary general instructional assistant to elementary secretary, Adam Shively from elementary custodian to middle school custodian and Ashley Bowling from elementary special education instructional assistant to elementary Title I instructional assistant.
holly@news-banner.com
