Two parents from the Delphi Community school district addressed the Carroll School Board at its April 17 meeting.

Mark Justice from Liberty Township and Shawn Ashby from Jackson Township said they were each speaking for themselves, and were not at the meeting to represent others in their townships.

Justice said he doesn't have children in school yet, but he is looking ahead for a better educational environment for his children.

"It appears that Delphi is more interested in athletic facilities than educational programs," he said.

Justice said if Carroll would be open to accepting students from the Burrows and Camden areas, it could be a business opportunity for Carroll and could mean higher ISTEP scores and lower tax rate for the parents of those incoming students.

He added that in talking to other parents, they are concerned about the cost of tuition if their children went to Carroll.

Ashby said there are approximately 220 to 270 students K- 12 in Jackson and Liberty Townships.

He said adding 250 children could bring in a million dollars to the corporation.

Ashby asked the board members if they were interested enough to at least look into the matter.

"If not, there is no need in doing any more leg work," he said.

Carroll superintendent John Sayers said he wanted to make it clear that the school corporation is not soliciting nor recruiting any students from another school corporation.

He said he has read about the reorganization of the elementary schools in the Delphi school corporation, but he doesn't have any first-hand knowledge about it.

"It would be more appropriate for the two school boards to talk or the two superintendents to talk," Sayers said.

"It's my understanding that it would begin with a referendum process on the local level," Sayers continued. "Then we'll talk about it."

Both Sayers and Ashby said the process would be subject to legal interpretation.

Board president Sam Zook said there needs to be information gathering, and discussions with involved parties before any decisions are made.

New athletic director

Also at the meeting, the board hired a new athletic director, Shaun Rose, at a starting salary of $50,000. He will come to Carroll from Clinton Prairie, where he is an elementary physical education teacher. Sayers said Rose will officially begin July 1, but he will be paid for an additional 20 days so he can get started as early as possible.

Teacher Judy Downham will retire at the end of this school year. She began teaching at Carroll in 1976.

Resignations announced were Gail Stout, LAJSSC aide, and Janice Johnson, bus driver.

Ed Geheb was appointed as an additional member of the corporation's 10-year facilities plan committee.

Armstrong Well Drilling's quote of $21,969.45 was accepted for boring at the site of the new softball and soccer complex and doing a horizontal bore to the high school.

Maintenance supervisor Tom Allbaugh said the shot put area has been put back on the field, thanks to equipment loaned by board member Dave Lambert and farmer Maurice Robeson.

Focus on reading

Kathy Shuler reported on her activities as reading specialist for Carroll Elementary School. A classroom teacher for 35 years, this was her first year as reading specialist. The position was created last year and implemented this year to promote reading, improve standardized testing scores, identify students needing help, and determine how best to help them. Shuler works with teachers, aides, and students to accomplish these goals.

This year she has focused primarily on K-3, but plans to expand her efforts next year to fully include grades 4-6.

Some of the programs she's involved with are Reading Counts, Reading Is Fundamental, and Read Across America Day. She has developed a listening library, leveled reader library, and a website for parents called Reading Connections.

She's involved with data collection, interpreting test results, and making remediation recommendations. She also does tutoring and model teaching in the classrooms.

Shuler said she networks with reading specialists in other schools and shares information with Carroll teachers.

"We want to be sure that kids are reading at their reading level," she said. She expects to see steady progress over time.

Conference requests

The following conference and field trip requests were approved:

Don Pettit, Aspiring Principals Conference, April 22-23 in Greenwood.

Susan Briggs, Gifted & Talented Coordinators spring meeting, April 24 in Lafayette.

Fred Schnarr, The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation Conference, April 25 in Indianapolis.

Andrea O'Brien, "We Must Bear Witness: Teaching the Holocaust in Indiana Classrooms," April 25 in Indianapolis.

Gary Duff, Susan Abbott, and Linda Harrold to take math teams to participate in the annual Hoosier Heartland Conference Math Contest at Lafayette Central Catholic High School April 25.

Cindy Reinke to take FCCLA students to the District 5 meeting May 1 in Indianapolis.

Don Pettit to take all bands to Kings Island May 12.

The next board meeting will be May 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Administration Building.