Administrator and non-certified salaries, and final changes in the school handbooks were decided at the June 16 Carroll School Board meeting.

All administrator and noncertified salaries for 2009- 2010 will remain the same as they were for 2008-2009.

The wage for students hired by the corporation for summer work was increased from $7 an hour to $7.50 an hour, effective July 1. The vote on the increase was four in favor, with one board member, Rick Eller, abstaining.

Substitute teachers' pay was increased from $55 per day to $65 per day. Superintendent John Sayers said this is the first increase for substitutes in eight years.

The board approved student handbooks for the 2009-2010 school year.

Valedictorian, salutatorian

One of the handbook changes, effective with the Class of 2012, is that the valedictorian will be the student with the highest GPA after eight semesters, and the salutatorian will be the student with the second highest GPA. The top two students must have attended Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School during the four semesters of their junior and senior years. No other criteria will be considered. Administrators say that simplifying the criteria for the top two rankings should result in a single valedictorian and a single salutatorian, effective with the Class of 2012. In the rare case that there is a tie in GPAs for valedictorian, then there will be multiple valedictorians and no salutatorian.

Driving privileges

A new policy added to the handbook has to do with academic eligibility for driving privileges - not just for athletes, but for all students. A student driver must have passing grades in all classes. Grades will be checked at the progress report date - four and a half weeks into the grading period. Students who are failing in any class will not be allowed to drive to and from school (during the school day) until the grade is brought up. A student who is failing but has a passing grade by the end of the nine weeks will be allowed to drive again. Board president Sam Zook later explained to the Comet that board members agreed in a work session that if they approved the policy, there would be specific remediation available to help students bring up grades in their failing classes.

Bullying

Extra wording was added to the elementary handbook to be in agreement with the junior senior high handbook on the subject of harassment/bullying. One of the added paragraphs says, "Any type of harassment/bullying is strictly forbidden and (depending upon the seriousness) will receive disciplinary consequences. Students who believe they are the victims of such harassment should report it immediately to school officials."

Sayers announced that the corporation received federal stimulus money for Title I summer tutoring, which will begin July 20. This is for Title I students only. The elementary school's regular Jump Start tutoring program will not be held this summer.

Personnel

Katie Seward resigned as business teacher at the junior-senior high school, and Kerry Yoder was hired as business teacher. Also hired was Lindsey Martin, as a first grade teacher.The board extended the 12-month contract of vocational agriculture teacher Steve Keown, from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010.

School improvement plans

School improvement plans (per Public Law 221) for the two Carroll schools were presented to the board. Annually required by the Indiana Department of Education, the plans include a description of the school and its curriculum, state testing results and other data, and steps that will be taken to improve academic skills. The plans will become effective June 30, and can be viewed on the corporation website after that date.

Also available on the web-site will be a calendar listing approved school fundraisers for next school year.

The board approved the purchase of a second mobile computer lab at a cost of $15,831. The labs-on-a-cart are used by Project Lead The Way classes and other classrooms all over the building.

Amanda Schneckloth will be the instructor for an evening Red Cross lifeguard training course from June 29 through July 3 at the Carroll High School pool.

Flora Pony League will use the high school baseball diamond for games June 23-27.

Sayers pres.-elect, IAPSS

Board member Michelle Simmons congratulated Sayers for being the president-elect of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. The next regular board meeting will be July 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the elementary school conference room, with a work session before the meeting, beginning at 1 p.m.