Barr-Reeve approves insurance, other agreements

Dec. 23--Thursday night marked the final meeting of the year for the Barr-Reeve School Board but that didn't mean the agenda was light. The board approved the renewal of the corporation's health, dental, life and long-term disability insurance, as well as the 2017-18 school calendar, among other things.

Superintendent Travis Madison said the corporation used third-party administrator Dunn and Associates to negotiate with insurance companies.

"It's a flat renewal," Madison said, adding that the increase over last year was about one percent but that slight increase would not be passed on to employees. "We're going to leave the benefits the same as last year and the premiums will also stay the same.

Madison said the community will see few changes between the current school calendar and the 2017-18 calendar.

"We have a lot of dates that correspond with this year," said Madison, adding that even though Indiana High School Athletic Association moved the dates of the volleyball sectional, fall break will stay the about the same. "We're going to leave fall break alone because it marks the end of the grading period. We'll still start back the second week of August and get done before Memorial Day."

There will be one major change to the schedule though. The class of 2018 will hold its graduation ceremony at 11 a.m. instead of in the afternoon.

Madison said high school principal Jeff Doyle researched other area graduation times and moving Barr-Reeve's to the morning meant fewer conflicts with other corporations.

"We also reached out to parents about the change and there weren't many negative reactions," Madison said.

In other business, the board named Debbie Duvall as the new middle and high school study hall aide. Duvall previously served as the library aide and helped in the cafeteria as a cashier. Madison said the corporation will also be working with NEOLA to update the policy manual and handbook. With several changes coming at the state and federal levels, working with the company will not only help to more efficiently update the policies but will also give those documents an online presence. Board member Ron Boyd said many other corporations use the outfit to help with their handbooks.

With corporation treasurer Mary Lottes retiring next week, Madison asked the corporation to sign a separation agreement with the long-time treasurer, as well as enter into an agreement that would allow her to be compensated for assisting incoming treasurer Tamara Swartzentruber with some of the duties.

"Some of these things we only do once a year so it's hard to show someone how to do it," said Madison. "We want to get reports done timely and accurately and Tamara is a quick study but we'd like to have Mary available to help if needed."

Should the services of Lottes be needed, she will be compensated $45 per hour, a rate Madison said was half the rate of paying someone unfamiliar with the corporation to help.

The board also entered into an agreement with Madison to help pay for his dissertation courses at Oakland City University where he is working toward his doctorate. Madison has paid for all his other doctorate-level schooling but asked for the corporation to pay for the final courses.

"It would be no more than $6,200 and I should be finished in the next year to 18 months," said Madison adding the coursework would be completed on his own time and he would pay for textbooks and mileage.

Madison also told the corporation that should he leave, he would pay back the money based on how many years he stayed after completing his doctorate.

"If I left next year I'd pay back 100 percent. If I left the year after that, it would be 75 percent and so on," he said. "This is so the school gets a return on it's investment."

Mike Jones was also named the new girls softball coach.

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