The Carroll School Corporation had its first confirmed case of H1N1 last week.

Superintendent John Sayers made the announcement at the Oct. 20 school board meeting. He said the news came earlier that day.

Sayers said Carroll’s absenteeism had been running five to six percent, but he doesn’t expect that to last.

Maintenance supervisor Tom Allbaugh said every effort has been made to keep the schools as sanitary as possible.

“We have hand sanitizing stations in every classroom, and we disinfect door knobs and desk tops every night,” he said.

Board member Michelle Simmons commented that fall break (which was last Thursday and Friday) came at a good time to help keep down the spread of the flu.

Sayers pointed out that a second informative letter about the H1N1 virus went home to parents, and the advisory is also on the corporation’s web site. The basic guideline for children returning to school after an illness is 24 hours after symptoms have stopped.

Budget

The board adopted the advertised 2010 budget of $10,922,969. The state is responsible for the general fund and the special education preschool fund. The final budget, after all information is in from the county and state, is typically lower than the advertised budget. Also adopted were the three-year Capital Projects Plan and the 12-year Bus Replacement Plan.

As part of the bus replace- ment plan, the board will advertise for (two or more) new buses for 2010. Sayers said the bid opening will be Jan. 14.

Cell phone violations

Jr.-Sr. High School Principal Charles Huckstep reported on cell phone violations after the new policy went into effect Aug. 20. Prior to the new policy, there were seven first-time violations. After the establishment of the policy, there have been 24 first-time violations and four second violations. Of the 24, 22 phones were confiscated for five days. Two students refused to hand over their phones, resulting in three days in-school suspension for each student. For second violations, the students’ phones were confiscated for 10 days.

New courses

Huckstep also presented his recommendations for course changes and new courses for next school year.

Among the new proposed offerings are two Project Lead the Way courses, Medical Interventions (in the Biomedical course series) and Biomedical Innovation (in the Biomedical Science series). Huckstep said each course would receive $15,000 from the Department of Workforce Development.

Two other recommended courses are Music Theory and Composition and a combined course called Accounting and Business/Management. Other curriculum changes were noted in the Business Department.

The vote on the high school offerings was 4 to 1, with board member Dave Lambert opposed. The Comet contacted Lambert for comments on why he voted “no.”

He said he has questions about the cost of the Project Lead the Way courses.

“We haven’t seen a financial report since we started,” Lambert said. He commented that the courses seem to be costing more than the grant money.

“I want to know where we stand – ahead of time,” he added.

He further explained that he has no objections to the courses if they are funding themselves and the corporation can offer them in addition to the other classes that the students need to take.

“If there’s enough money, then OK. But if there’s not enough money, then I don’t think we should offer them (PLTW courses),” he said.

In going over the corporation claims at the beginning of the meeting, board president Sam Zook also had questioned extra costs for Project Lead the Way.

“In the beginning there was seed money,” he said.

Now, besides the cost of training teachers for the courses, Zook said he sees a lot of money going into the program for equipment and supplies. He also asked for more accounting of the true costs of the courses.

Huckstep said no new staff would be needed for the new courses.

Although the board approved the recommended courses and changes, the offerings are contingent on course enrollment and budget considerations.

Eligibility report

Huckstep gave a report on students who lost eligibility for driving and athletics at the end of the nine weeks. He had also reported the numbers at the progress report (PR) time, which is midway in the grading period. Any student who had a failing grade at PR time lost eligibility, but could regain it if he or she did not have any failing grades at the end of the grading period.

At the end of the nine weeks, 18 students lost school driving privileges, compared to 20 at PR time. Nine athletes had failing grades both times.

Juniors improved the most, with a total of 23 failing students at PR time and 15 at the end of the nine weeks. The only grade level that increased in number of failing students was seniors, increasing from 10 to 13. Sophomores, freshmen, eighth grade and seventh grade all had two or three fewer students who failed.

Credit recovery

Teacher Jonathan Baker announced that nine students are enrolled in the new credit recovery program. The online program, called Odysseyware, allows students who have previously failed a course to recover the lost credit. A student’s Odysseyware grade will replace his failing grade. The purpose is to help students recover credits so they can graduate. Baker said students can only work on the recovery at school. The program just began this fall, and Baker said it might be December or later before any credits are actually recovered.

Sayers announced two new members on the corporation’s Long Range Planning Committee – teacher Tyler Sausaman and parent Laura Marley.

Technology committee

Members of the Corporation Technology Committee are: Charles Huckstep, Fred Schnarr, Judy McCracken, Roy Hufford, Kara Burrous, Carolyn O’Connell, Angie Veach, Kerry Yoder, Sam Zook, Vearl Turnpaugh, Mike Courtney, Trey Overholser, and Jill Griffin. Veach and Zook will be co-chairmen.

Stephenie Pencek was hired as a study hall aide, with a vote of three in favor, one opposed (Lambert) and one abstention (Zook).

Two fundraising requests were approved. One was for Carroll Winter Guard to sell restaurant discount cards. Proceeds will be used to help pay for contest fees, Indiana High School Color Guard Association dues, flags, uniforms, and transportation. Jodi Guise is the coach of Winter Guard, which is just starting up this year.

The other request was from Cougaretz, to provide a fundraising lunch at the Flora Community Club Craft Show on Nov. 21.

Announcements from the principals included the fall play at the high school (Nov. 13, 14, and 15), and Book Fair (this week) and Grandparents Day (Oct. 30) at the elementary school. Both schools are celebrating Red Ribbon Week (drug-free awareness).

Zook announced that negotiations with the teachers are under way.

Brian Walker of Barton- Coe-Vilamaa, Architects & Engineers, presented three options for phase three of the piping project, related to the chiller and where it will be located, and consideration of the boiler situation. An estimated construction cost of $578,000 was given for option one, which calls for a new pump room with chiller on a roof structure. The board will make a decision after Walker brings back cost estimates on the other two options.

Trip to Disney World

Band director Don Pettit presented information on a proposed trip for the marching band and color guard in April 2011. The threeday/ two night trip would include performing at Disney World in front of an audience and judges. Pettit said approximately 35 students would go, plus chaperones. Each student would pay his own way – approximately $502, which would include all necessary costs. The board made no decision on the trip, but will consider it at the next meeting.

The next regular board meeting will be Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.