Carroll to borrow $800,000 for AC

Carroll School Corporation will advertise for a general obligation bond to pay for the chiller installation project at Carroll Jr.- Sr. High School.

Bids for this latest phase of the air conditioning project are due back Feb. 9, and the board will award the contract at its second meeting of the month, Feb. 23.

Superintendent John Sayers asked for permission to advertise for the loan at last week’s board meeting, Jan. 26. He said the loan amount will be $800,000, to be repaid through the corporation’s debt service fund.

The school has had two piping phases leading up to the chiller project. Work on the project is expected to start over spring break. Target date for completion is the first week in August, just in time for the beginning of school.

Sayers reported that committees from both schools have met and discussed cost cutting measures. The cut in state funding for 2010 was first expected to be around 3 percent, which would have been $195,000 for Carroll. Sayers said Carroll’s shortage turned out to be $300,000, which is closer to 5 percent.

The board will have a work session prior to the next meeting to talk about the financial situation and how to deal with it. Board president Sam Zook said a cost cutting plan will be in place soon.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Sayers said, “but we have some grass roots effort and have some ideas already.”

1-on-1 reading assessment Carroll Elementary reading specialist Kathy Shuler told the board about a new testing program called Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). It’s a one-on-one standardized test where Shuler, or another trained teacher, listens to a child read aloud from a set of DRA books. The assessment includes a checklist of things to look for – fluency, phonics, reading mistakes, etc. Children in the older grades also answer written questions on the book, to test for comprehension.

Shuler said they had a trial run of the test at the beginning of the school year, and the test will be given again in April or May. She added that the DRA test can be given at any time for new students or referrals.

The test determines an independent reading level. Shuler said students who are reading at similar levels are grouped together for instruction.

Sayers said this is an added assessment for the purpose of improving reading ability.

“Our goal is for all students to read at grade level,” he said.

Principal Carolyn O’Connell added that if students are not reading at grade level, the small group intervention targets instruction to those students.

The board approved having an aerial infrared roof survey done at the high school, to see if there is heat loss through the roof. This was also done a few years ago. Sayers said the cost would be $3,770 or $3,000 if someone else does it at the same time.

The board will purchase two new school buses from Midwest Transit Equipment, the lowest bidder. The unit cost is $73,711. The corporation has one bus to trade in, reducing the cost of one of the buses to $67,211. Actual cost will be less, after deducting $350 each for not having a white roof and deducting $500 each for not having tinted windows.

The board approved vision insurance for all employees through VSP. Sayers said vision insurance already was approved two years ago, through the ISTA, but it is no longer offered through the association. He said the new rates actually went down slightly. The corporation’s annual contribution is $110.24 (each), whether the plan is single, employee plus one, or family.

The board made a change in the employee handbook in regard to job-related injuries. The new wording states: “Absence due to injury on the job will not be charged against the individual employee’s sick leave after the employee has been absent from work for seven consecutive working days, and the Board will pay the difference between the salary and benefits received under Workman’s Compensation not to exceed 60 days.”

Sayers said the wording brings the policy in line with corporation practice and with Workman’s Compensation guidelines. The policy was effective immediately.

It was announced that Matt Benner will replace Kara Burrous on the Technology Committee.

The board meetings this month have been changed from the regularly scheduled dates. The next meeting will be Monday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Administration Building. The second meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m.