A trip to the previous Delphi Community School Corporation’s Web site could be a daunting task to navigate from one school’s site to the next. As of eight weeks ago, the corporation site has a new look and finding information about each individual school’s activities and staff is much easier, according to high school technology teacher Laurie Kinzie.

Kinzie explained the changes on the corporation-wide site to the Delphi Community School Board at a meeting Monday night. She said a company was hired to create similar templates for each school building which brought a uniform look to all building sites.

“All the pages have the same look now,” she said. “The new look is a way to better communicate with our parents and the community.”

Kinzie said some of the school buildings have begun to integrate pod casts on their individual pages. Sports departments can list game and player scores along with practice schedules and other team activities. Each school’s page offers short biographies of staff and teachers plus daily announcements for parents and others who want to know what is happening in each school building.

Superintendent Ralph Walker said the program cost was $9,000 with a significant discount which reduced the final cost to roughly $3,000.

“I think this is a good investment for the corporation,” he said.

Kinzie said it was now easier for families who may want to move to the area to learn about the school corporation in a uniform and easy manner. She said the address is the same at www.delphi.k12.in.us.

Band trip

The high school marching band, plus the pom squad, will travel to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., March 16-21, 2011, just before spring break. Band director Jay Dennison said getting permission for the trip early allows students to save toward the $739 needed for each traveler.

Dennison said students have fundraisers to make travel money and the organization chosen for travel arrangements and accommodations offers a payment plan, which can be accessed online, beginning next spring. He said field trip grants are also available from corporations.

Dennison said the ratio of chaperones to students is one to ten. He explained the company contracted for travel arrangements has door-to-door chaperones, which is desirable for this sort of trip.

The band will march down Main St. in the Magic Kingdom with no other band. Dennison said three bands would march in the same day, but separately. He said the band’s marching music will be played on the Magic Kingdom public address system without interference from other bands, which will make the appearance a special occasion.

Other business

Walker warned board members that the corporation could see a significant funding reduction in 2010 due to property tax circuit breaker tax credit and lower property assessments from the decline in home values. He further explained that a decrease in state funding is expected due to the shortfalls reported in state revenue.

“However, we could survive a year and a half before we get desperate,” he said.

Corporation health insurance will be handled by Centric HRM, which will include a “mirror” plan to last year’s. Walker said there was no change in benefits however the plan offers a cashback component for wellness. Enrollees will pay 5.6 percent less for premiums than last year.

“We’ve been very healthy as a group,” Walker explained. “It’s great insurance.”

Walker announced a savings of $186,000 from the general obligation bond for school renovations. He recommended some of the funds be utilized for renovations on the middle school stage wall for $12,425, which was approved.

There will be no school from Dec. 19 to Jan. 4 for Christmas Break.

The next board meeting will be Jan. 11 at 7 p.m.

A resignation or retirement was accepted from Camden aide Jennifer Hahn, middle school instructional aide Elizabeth Tra- han, and sixth grade boys basketball coach Jason Patterson.

Employment approved

Middle School - Stephanie Mayhill, cook; and Barry Stone, sixth grade boys basketball coach.

High School - Kameron Banes and Joe Fassnacht, assistant wrestling coaches; Jeff Bieghler, assistant varsity softball coach; Jimmy Arion, Lisa Cook and Tony Rouhier, volunteer assistant softball coaches; and Ashley Brodar and Jamie Shockley, junior varsity assistant softball coaches.