JACKSON CENTER — The Jackson Center Local Board of Education was thanked by a longtime employee during its meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. The meeting was recheduled from Monday, Feb. 15, becauze of the weather.
Lora Clinehens wanted to personally thank the board for their support over the years as she will retire at the end of the school year after teaching for 28 years.
The board accepted donation of $350 from Tom and Darlene Woolley fir the Athletic Fund.
In other business, the board:
• Renewed the Preschool Education Contract with the Shelby County Board of Developmental Disabilities for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years.
• Approved an early graduation application for Audrey Ashford provided all requirements are fulfilled.
• Entered executive session to discuss the employment of public employees.
• Accept the certified staff resignation due to retirement of Lora Clinehens effective at the end of the school year. The board thanked Clinehens for her dedication and support of the school district and kids, both inside the classroom and often beyond, throughout her long career at Jackson Center. Roll call.
• Accepted resignation of classified staff member Bart Smith due to retirement, effective at the end of the current school year. The board thanked Smith for his support of the school in his maintenance role for many years and also as a coach and mentor to kids for a majority of those years.
• Accepted the Amounts and Rates as determined by the budget commission and authorizing the necessary tax levies and certifying them with the county auditor.
• Approved the financial report as presented. Information was presented on initial steps being taken to refund (refinance) the 2001 bond debt as well as a study to potentially do the same with the 2015 bond debt in a couple of years. The purchase of the house and property adjacent to the school at 210 S. Main St. was completed and efforts are being made to prepare the home as a potential rental until future plans call for otherwise.
Superintendent Bill Reichert informed the board that the district has used all five allotted calamity days and should others be necessary, they will occur with remote learning provided by the staff. Also provided was an update on the pre-work being done for the potential construction of a concessions/storage/bus building near the new track. Freytag & Associates Inc. engineering firm will begin the process of getting estimates to establish the initial engineer’s estimate in route to creating building specs which can be used for the bid process. There is no official timeline for the building at this time. Additionally, quotes are coming in to have both the softball and baseball field fences painted.
The next board meetin will be Monday, March 15, 2021, at 7 p.m.
