Published: June 12, 2009 01:48 pm      

West Clark lays out plan for stimulus money

Board also to consider purchasing up to $100,000 in property

The West Clark Community Schools board decided Thursday night how to spend nearly $700,000 in stimulus funds after a 3-2 and 5-0 vote on the two separate proposals.

The first, which includes $238,000 for Title 1 use, will go toward funding instructional coaches that will focus on data from student testing results to help teachers refocus instruction in an effort to improve student performance.

The second, totaling $457,206, is set aside for special needs expenses. So, West Clark will use those funds to pay salaries and other expenses that they normally pay out of its general fund for special needs program. That will free up that same amount for technology updates, including new mini-computer labs, projectors, interactive white boards, laptops and more. Denise Bessler, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said that this is an allowed way to use the money.

“[The stimulus money] gives us a boost to implement some of the things we wanted to do anyway,” Bessler said.

Before voting no on the first part, board member Brian Hurst said he felt coaches were being expected to do too much with too little time.

After the meeting, Doug Coffman, who was the second nay vote, explained his reasoning.

“I just felt like there should be other options to consider,” Coffman said, adding that it’s a lot of money to put into one program.

Bessler said that program will be able to have lasting effects long after the stimulus money is gone, since teachers will still have the knowledge they gained from the coaches. In a report she presented to the board, it showed that federal Title 1 money received in the future would go toward continuing this program on a smaller scale.



BUYING LAND

The board unanimously approved a motion to survey land adjacent to the future Early Childhood Development Center so it may consider purchasing the 28-32 acre lot.

Superintendent Monty Schneider said at about $3,000 an acre, the board would likely pay $90,000 to $100,000 for the additional land.

“I think we’re land poor at West Clark,” Schneider said. “Any time we get an opportunity to purchase property adjacent to a school, I think we should do it.”

He added that the land is low-lying, so it may serve as good practice fields. Basham said it would also work well as a bus compound.

Schneider said he will come back to the board with the final configuration and price for the school board members to vote whether or not to purchase it.



FOOTBALL IMPROVEMENTS

The board decided to reject all bids received for the renovations needed for the Silver Creek High School football field.

The board wanted to fix drainage issues, bring in better lighting, create locker rooms, build bleachers and more.

Board members agreed that they just didn’t have the money to pay for what the bids came back at.

The board asked Larry Timperman, with Michell Timperman Ritz Architects, to join the recently formed football committee to help come up with a design that could save costs, such a bleachers that could later be renovated to include locker rooms underneath it.

• The next school board meeting is set for 7:30 p.m., on July 8. It was moved from following the normal schedule of being on the second Thursday of the month to Wednesday due to a school board conference in Indianapolis that conflicts with that Thursday.



WHAT IS TITLE 1?

• Title 1 is the largest federal-aid program in K-12 education. Serving more than 150 million children nationwide, the program helps provide additional support in reading, writing and mathematics. Since 1996, the Title 1 Distinguished Schools program has honored Title 1 schools that demonstrated exceptional progress in either sustained student achievement or closing the achievement gap.

— Indiana Department of Education