Although Delphi Community School Corporation’s graduation rate is at least 90 percent, steps were taken at the Monday night board of school trustees’ meeting to enhance that number by initiating “Crossing,” an alternative school program. The initiative is designed to fit the needs of struggling students and includes a self-paced curriculum utilizing technology.

Middle school principal Kyle Trebly explained that the program, first conceived and implemented in Goshen in 2003, uses four core areas of focus:

• Academics – the program is state accredited by the Indiana Department of Education and accountable for ISTEP scores with a curriculum which addresses mental, physical, social and spiritual areas;

• Character – addressed daily in the program during Family Time where students discuss life issues related to Biblical principles, training students to deal with adversity as an opportunity to build character;

• Leadership – the academy has two levels which meet biweekly in which students create service learning projects and make decisions for the campus; and

• Careers – students develop a career path as a component of the high school curriculum.

According to a program hand-out, expectations of students include an 80 percent mastery in all subject areas, community service by all students, students clean the campus including bathrooms, and students must attend regularly and earn credits.

Trebly said the program could be “a way to solve the drop-out rate.” He said possibly three schools, Delphi, Carroll and Lewis Cass, would combine to form one campus and could take up to two years to initiate.

“We’re just in the looking stage right now,” superintendent Ralph Walker said.

The board formally voted to pursue the program. Board member Bill Trueblood volunteered to help research program potential in the community.

State funding shortfall

Walker reported the State of Indiana’s financial support for DCSC will fall short of the 2009 level by $306,589.84. He said one solution could be to allow the current cash balance of $484,879.01 to diminish, money from the Rainy Day Fund could be used to bolster the budget, or money raised for a fourth school bus could be transferred to the Rainy Day Fund for utilization in the general fund.

“I’m not overly concerned right now,” Walker told the board. “We will have to deal with it as we go along. However we are in a much better place than some other school districts with approximately $775,000 in the Rainy Day Fund right now.”

Walker said one variable in the equation is the money expected from the fall property tax settlement from the county. He said the funds have yet to arrive. Walker reported that he calls the courthouse every day to check the status of the expected revenue.

Walker also reported that he is concerned the corporation will suffer financially when five math intervention aides, hired for two years using federal stimulus money, are no longer with the corporation. He said they could apply for unemployment compensation which would stress the corporation budget.

Race to the Top

The board did not support a recommendation by Walker to approve a partnership agreement with the state to possibly participate in a grant program which would focus on education improvement. Walker described the program as “very prescriptive” and said it would include teacher pay raises based on merit and accountability. Walker said the corporation could opt out of the program in April after learning more of the details involved.

The superintendent said the Delphi Community Teachers’ Association declined to approve the measure and the Indiana State Teachers’ Association Uniserve Director advised schools to not participate. The motion to approve the agreement with the state by Nick Cronk did not receive a second and the motion died. Melinda Rossetter and Jim Garrison were not present.

Other business

Trueblood requested a detailed written report from all administrators and certified staff, who are attending a Florida Education Technology Conference this week. He said he wants to know which workshops they attend and the outcome of them as he noted that, although the conference was scheduled to begin Jan. 13, most of the staff was already in Florida by Jan. 11.

Walker said he wanted patrons to know that the corporation is still using textbooks. He said the public perception is that laptops are replacing all textbooks and that is not correct.

When asked by Trueblood why contents of board packets, which are considered a public record by the Indiana Code, are labeled “confidential,” Walker said he instructed the labeling for the protection of board members.

He also said although the Comet received board packets in the recent past, he was advised by Dave Emmert, legal counsel for the state school board association, that those requests should be in writing and names of individuals recommended for employment with the corporation should be withheld from the public prior to the date of employment.

The next meeting will be Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.