DCSC board dismisses teacher to accommodate administrator
By Kevin Schnepp Staff writer

Delphi Community School Corporation Board of School Trustees cited reduction in force (RIF) as one reason for dismissing first-year middle school social studies teacher Thomas Murfitt during its Monday night meeting. Murfitt will be let go at the end of this school year, but would be first asked to be hired back if a position for which he was qualified opened in the school district.

Another reason provided by DCSC Superintendent Ralph Walker was that an administrator, later discovered to be athletic director Vince Burpo, asked to be re-assigned as a teacher. Burpo was recently named high school head football coach. Walker explained administrators are licensed as teachers and are part of the seniority chain.

"Now we have an extra teacher," Walker said.

Walker explained the move had to be made according to rules of seniority and was not based on Murfitt's capabilities.

"This is not a reflection on Murfitt's teaching abilities," he stated. "It is merely a reduction in force because we cannot afford to spend an extra $40,000 on a teaching position that we currently do not need."

According to Delphi Community Teachers' Association Vice President Lori Schwarzkopf, Murfitt is a very good new teacher and is popular with students. She read a letter of opposition against the move before the vote and offered an option to the board which would allow Murfitt to keep his job.

Schwarzkopf said Burpo's teaching license included physical education and suggested he be moved to that department where there was "a need." That move, she advised, would have allowed Murfitt to keep his teaching position.

"It is extremely unfair to RIF a teacher early in his career," she told the board moments before the deciding vote was cast.

During public comments, MOP Squad member Sharon Milburn stated she was disappointed with the decision. She said tenure should not be the sole basis for such moves, especially when it involved someone's unemployment.

New assistant principal

Delphi Community Elementary School will have a new assistant principal, former Camden teacher Joe Brown, beginning March 3.

Walker said he left the position open for one year to "see how the budget was" before he filled former assistant William Trueblood's spot.

"We have the money and the need," he said.

Board member Melinda Rossetter asked for further explanation. Walker said there was an urgent need to help struggling primary grade students and it was the time of year for principal Bill Shidler to attend several state-mandated conferences.

Patron Everett Snoeberger said he thought the position was eliminated to save money and felt it might not yet be prudent to fill it.

President Robert Resler said the position was never removed from the budget and since no one filled the role for a year the board did save some money.

DCMS policy revised

Changes to the Delphi Community Middle School discipline and attendance policies brought before the board by principal Robert De La Rosa were approved after a wording amendment. Rossetter asked the words "per semester" be added after rules regarding the number of absences students could have.

De La Rosa explained some students' families did not have the resources to go to a doctor. He said the policy should be broadened to "fill holes" such as that and other issues.

Other adjustments addressed tardiness, classroom discipline and classroom management.

Other business

An annual contract with Power Consulting to provide professional staff consulting for $8,500 was approved.

The board voted to bring Barnes and Thornburg on as bond counsel. Walker said the firm would only be paid if a renovation project was approved.

Resler said an agenda item concerning playground equipment at the elementary and early childhood centers would be addressed at the next regular meeting.

"Things came up," he said. "We will remove this for further consideration."

Patron Shawn Ashby asked about corporation policy manual updates. He said the copy available on the corporation Web site was either incorrect or changes approved were not made. Secretary Shelly Will explained the online manual was not the updated version and should have been removed.

Resler said NEOLA, the firm hired to help update the policy manual, would charge $6,000 per year to provide a digital version for the site, so the updated manual will not be available online at the corporation's site.

Classified staff approved for employment were: Deborah Buffenbarger, middle school custodian; Jon Clear, volunteer assistant high school track coach; Ashley Brodar, volunteer assistant high school softball coach; Gayle Conner, volunteer assistant high school girls' tennis coach; Jimmy Arion, volunteer high school softball coach; and Steve Bun, volunteer assistant high school softball coach.

The board will hold a public forum Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school commons. A regular board meeting will be held at 7:30.