After-school care at YMCA not feasible for all schools
After-school care is remaining at Sprunica and Van Buren elementary schools this year instead of moving to the Brown County YMCA, Superintendent Laura Hammack announced at the Aug. 3 school board meeting.
Only the after-school care programs at Helmsburg Elementary and Brown County Intermediate School are moving.
The reason is the corporation does not have bus transportation for Sprunica and Van Buren students to get to the YMCA, Hammack said. To get students to the YMCA would mean paying for extensions to existing routes, which is “much more significant” than what the corporation needs for Helmsburg and intermediate students, she said.
This change will be piloted for nine weeks to make sure the YMCA can financially support the program, Hammack said in July.
The change is being made to cut overtime pay in the school district. Most after-school care program directors are paraprofessionals who go into overtime after they work a full school day in a classroom, she said.
By allowing the YMCA to manage the programs for Helmsburg and intermediate school kids, the school district could save about $16,200 in overtime, she said.
Managing overtime was part of the $1 million in budget-cutting recommendations Hammack presented earlier this year.
Helmsburg students participating in after-school care ride a shuttle bus to the intermediate school, which picks up students there and takes them all to the YMCA. The program runs from around 3:15 to 6 p.m.
The YMCA after-school care program is not available to preschool students at Helmsburg; care had been available to them when it was housed at the school.
Parents will be charged the same amount for after-school care at the YMCA that they did when the school district hosted the programs, which is $5 per day, per child, or $4 for students on free or reduced-price lunch.
The YMCA is hiring the supervisor and the assistant for the program; families will pay fees and register for after-school care at the YMCA.
School board approves personnel changes
The Brown County School Board of Trustees approved the following Aug. 3:
- A route extension for Bus 25, owned by Marvin Brock, to be used as a shuttle between Brown County Intermediate School and the YMCA for the after-school care program, $20 per day additional pay, effective Aug. 9.
- A route extension for Wright Transport, Bus 23, at $25.20 per day, until the completion of the Yellowwood project.
- An updated contract between Brown County Schools and Aging and Community Services of South Central Indiana Inc. (Thrive Alliance) to provide meals for low-income senior citizens. The price of meals increased from $4.82 to $5.46 per meal, Food Service Director Jason Kirchhofer said. The program serves about 25 to 30 senior citizens a day at the Brown County YMCA.
- Correcting the pay rate of Van Buren Elementary School preschool teacher Monica Feikema to $15 per hour from $17 per hour.
- Transferring VBES principal Christy Wrightsman to BCS District Readiness Coordinator, effective Aug. 14. This position is funded with Regional Opportunities Initiative Inc. grant money.
- Separating Brown County High School Assistant Principal Angie Evans, effective July 28. This was not a termination. BCHS English teacher Charles Hutchins was transferred to replace her, full-time with benefits, $82,750, effective July 28.
- Separating VBES art/PE instructor Robert Newlin, effective immediately. This was not a termination. Thomas Planalp was hired to replace him, full-time with benefits, $15 per hour, working at SES and VBES. VBES before/after-school care director Heather Sawyer also was transferred to VBES art/PE teacher, full-time with benefits, $15 per hour, 7.25 hours per day, replacing Newlin.
- Separating VBES teacher Angeline Shirley, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating bus driver Mark Smith, effective July 19. This was not a termination.
- Separating bus driver Debra Hogue, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating bus monitor Barbara Brock, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating bus monitor Kevin Johnson, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating Sprunica Elementary School paraprofessional Amy Wach, effective immediately. This was not a termination. Megan McDonald was hired to replace her, full-time with benefits, $10.25 per hour, 7.25 hours per day, effective Aug. 7.
- Separating Helmsburg Elementary School bus monitor Karen Melahn, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating Brown County Junior High School academic team coach Erich Nolan, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Separating BCHS dance team coach Sindy Woolems, effective immediately. This was not a termination.
- Appointing SES paraprofressional Makenzie Thomas, full-time with benefits, $10.25 per hour, 7.25 hours per day, effective Aug. 7. She is a replacement for Jessica Spurgeon.
- Appointing SES custodian Dawn Van Wazer, full-time with benefits, $11 per hour, eight hours per day, effective July 31. She is a replacement for Donna Griffith.
- Appointing BCJHS cafeteria worker Jessica Oden, part-time with no benefits, $12 per hour Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; five hours per day, effective Aug. 3. She is a replacement for Kim Smoot.
- Appointing BCHS cafeteria worker Jennifer Thomas, part-time with no benefits, $10 per hour, Monday through Friday, five hours per day, effective Aug. 3. She is a replacement for Gina Coughenour.
- Appointing BCHS band director Matthew Finley, full-time with benefits, level B-0, $36,388, effective Aug. 7. He is a replacement for Nathanael Sudduth.
- Appointing BCHS guidance counselor Stephanie Quillen, full-time with benefits, level M-0, $39,446.30, effective Aug. 7. She is a replacement for Katherine Janowski.
- Appointing BCJHS Science Academic team coach Kady Lane, $684 stipend. She is a replacement for Erich Nolan.
- Appointing VBES coaches and sponsors: Bonnie Griffie, instructional leader, $2,226 stipend; Jayne Jones, high ability coach, $2,226 stipend; Makenize Duncan, instructional technology coach, $2,226 stipend; Cynthia Baughman and Emily Gaither, Math Bowl coaches, $279.50 stipends.
- Transferring bus monitor Deborah Johnson to special needs bus driver, full-time with benefits, $78 per day. She is a replacement for Mark Smith.
- Transferring SES paraprofessional Jessica Spurgeon to SES intense intervention assistant, full-time with benefits, $13 per hour, 7.25 hours per day. She is a replacement for Emily Jackson.
- Transferring BCHS cafeteria worker Jenifer Terry to BCJHS cafeteria worker, part-time with no benefits, $12 per hour, two days per week, six hours per day, effective Aug. 3. She is a replacement for Kim Smoot.
- Appointing BCJHS extra-curricular leaders: Bruce Koopman, math academic team coach; Kady Lane, science academic team coach; Michael Potts, social studies academic team coach; Sarah Cochran, language arts academic team coach and instructional leader; Amy Oliver, History Day sponsor and high ability coach; Michael Potts, We the People sponsor; Terri Whitcomb, National Junior Honor Society sponsor; Brad Baughman and Kevin Roush, Spell Bowl coaches; Mike Harmon and Roush, Student Council sponsors; Lane, Erich Nolan and Roush, Science Fair sponsors; Mary Pearson, band/choir/drama director; Tim Hebert, instructional technology coach.
- Appointing SES coaches and sponsors: Johanna Weinzapfel, high ability coach, $2,226 stipend; Sarah Roberts and Erika East, instructional team leaders, $1,113 stipend each; Brenda Krieger and Barbara Young, Science Fair sponsors, $434 stipend for Krieger and $447.50 stipend for Young; Krieger and Young, Science Bowl coaches, $279.50 stipend for Krieger and $288 stipend for Young; Rhonda VanWinkle, Math Bowl coach, $559 stipend; Alane Lovell and Lindsay Wheeler, instructional technology coaches, $1,113 stipend each; Dana Figg and Jaida Goldberg, Spell Bowl coaches, $288 stipend for Figg and $279.50 stipend for Goldberg.
