Sayers explains 10-year plan at Fall Forum
Poorly attended
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

Carroll Superintendent John Sayers revealed the school corporation's 10-Year Facilities Plan at the Fall Forum Oct. 9 at the Deer Creek Community Center. The annual forum for parents and the community is sponsored by the Carroll PTO.

The board developed the plan, based on facility recommendations made by a committee comprised of board members, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members.

Sayers told the audience that so far, only eight years of the plan have been developed.

For 2008, the plan calls for installing new piping and boilers at the junior-senior high school, replacing cabinetry in the kindergarten wing at the elementary school, and developing plans and specifications for renovation of the science area.

Sayers said the 2008 plans will cost approximately $1.4 million.

He said the new piping is in anticipation of future installation of air conditioning at the school.

Parent Van Taylor said he thought preliminary plans had already been drawn up for the science renovation and that it was considered a top priority. He asked why that project won't be started in 2008.

Sayers responded that to include the science renovation would increase the total project cost in 2008 to around $7 million, and the board doesn't want to go into that much debt.

Projects for 2009 include: Install AC chiller at CJSHS, replace phone system, sand and surface high school gym floor, and recoat elementary gym floor.

The science renovation is projected to start in 2010. Also planned for that year is replacement of the outside sign at CJSHS.

The science renovation will continue in 2011.

Locker replacement and new carpet in the media center are both scheduled at CJSHS in 2012. Also that year will be a comprehensive study of traffic flow and upgrade of the lighting at CJSHS.

In 2013, plans call for revising the traffic pattern on the total campus and studying the pool and auxiliary gym for possible seating installation.

Depending on the outcome of the study, the pool and auxiliary gym project is slated to begin in 2014.

The pool/auxiliary gym project is set to continue in 2015, as well as parking lot resurfacing and sidewalk replacement and repair.

"There was some discussion of a sports field house, but the board thought $2 million could be better spent somewhere else," Sayers said.

Serving with Sayers on a panel were high school principal Charles Huckstep and assistant principal Fred Schnarr. Elementary administrators were unable to be present.

Schnarr said the ISTEP+ tests have been mailed to the state, and results are expected back in January.

The state has changed the ISTEP testing time from fall to spring, but Schnarr said next school year only, students will take the test in the fall and in the spring.

In his position, Schnarr said he usually sees students for negative behavior, tardiness, etc., so this year he started a new program. Teachers can now send students to the office for positive reasons. He said this could be for academic accomplishments, academic improvement, positive behavior, etc. Schnarr meets with the students and informs their parents. He said the program is similar to the elementary school's BRAG awards.

He said teachers were a little slow at first to write these referrals, but so far this year he has received about 20 positive referrals.

Taylor asked how many of the other kind of referrals he has received this year. Schnarr said he was estimating, but would say around 100 to 150.

Guidance director Kris Seward talked about the course description guide for students, and graduation diploma options. Beginning with this year's sophomores, the four kinds of diplomas will be: Core 40 with Academic Honors, Core 40 with Technical Honors, Core 40, and a regular diploma.

Seward said the minimum requirement for students to graduate, for the Carroll School Corporation and throughout the state, will be a Core 40 diploma, beginning with this year's sophomores.

Realizing that all students may not be able to achieve this, Seward said some students will be able to opt out of the Core 40 and still graduate with a regular diploma, which will not require as much math, science, or social studies.

Seward said students should look beyond high school to college admission requirements when considering what courses to take and what diploma to strive for.

Huckstep said six students have dropped out of school so far this year, for various reasons. He said some students have dropped out just because they turned 18 and have that option.

Sayers mentioned property tax replacement as one legislative issue affecting school corporations.

He announced that the corporation is in need of substitute bus drivers and that there should be cameras on every bus in a couple of months.

Both Sayers and board president Sam Zook commented on the governor favoring mergers of small school corporations. Contrary to the governor's viewpoint, Sayers and Zook both pointed out the economic advantages of small school corporations like Carroll.

Around 10 people attended the forum, counting Zook, Seward, one person from the press, and the PTO member who introduced the program.