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by Katie Wagner
Students will attend school until June 10 this year, rather than June 16.
The Smith-Green Community Schools Board of School Trustees held a special meeting on Monday and voted on make-up days to shorten the school year.
Due to snow and ice cancellations, students would be required to attend until June 16 to meet the 180 day requirement imposed by the State of Indiana. After parent, student, staff and community input was taken into consideration, the Board approved Saturday, March 26, Friday, April 1, Saturday, April 30, Friday, April 22 and Saturday, June 4 as make-up days to avoid attending school after graduation. The June 4 make-up day will only be used if another day of school is cancelled.
“Our district is trying to be proactive and think outside of the box,” Board President Tanya Young said. “We are trying to do what is best for everyone.”
Superintendent Steve Darnell said he understands that some students will have conflicts with the days and suggested that parents work with building administrators to find a solution to the conflicts.
“We’ll be flexible through this situation,” Darnell said.
Boardmember Cathy Petrie questioned the percentage of students who would be in attendance on the make-up days, asking if a certain percentage of students must be in attendance for the make-up days to be valid. Darnell explained that no set percentage is required, and after talking with building administrators, they all felt that attendance would be comparable to or higher than if students were required to attend June 13-16.
In other Board news:
A formal hearing of the cancellation of Kitrina “Kit” Unverzagt’s permanent teacher contract took place at the special March 14 board meeting. Unverzagt, an SGCS art teacher since the 2000-01 school year, received notice on February 18, 2011 that the Board was considering cancellation of her permanent teaching contract and would vote on the matter at the March 21 meeting. Superintendent Darnell explained the reason for cancellation of the contract was “other good and just cause” and explained that the cancellation was not about job performance, but rather a reduction of force.
During her ten years with the district, Unverzagt was employed through a 4/7th teaching contract, meaning she taught four out of seven periods of the day. Previously teaching middle school art, Unverzagt worked as a paraprofessional for an academic intensive needs program for most of the school day during the 2010-11 school year and taught art to one 7th grade student daily. She was paid as at professional teacher rate for 4/7 of the day and at the paraprofessional rate for the remainder of the day.
Based on projections for next school year, CJSHS Principal Austin Couch said the district would need only six periods of art for junior and senior high levels combined. Six periods constitute one full-time art position. CJSHS currently employs one full-time art teacher, Shanna Fleetwood, and employs Unverzagt part-time. Fleetwood has been with the corporation for five years.
Darnell sought guidance from Indiana School Board Association General Counsel Dave Emmert who said based on national case law, a 4/7th teacher can only bump another 4/7th teacher with less seniority. Case law says that school corporations do not have to carve up a 7/7th (full-time) teacher’s classes to satisfy the 4/7th teacher’s contract, even if that part-time teacher has more seniority. Darnell also assured the Board that the decision to terminate Unverzagt’s permanent contract was legal and within the realm of board responsibility.
“If the district had two full-time art teachers, we would follow the seniority procedure,” Darnell said in his closing statement, “but it is not a comparable position. It is different. If the positions were comparable, Mrs. Fleetwood would be riffed, but the positions are different.”
Roni Enbry and Rod Ellcessor, representatives for Unverzagt, argued that the riff policy outlined in the SGCS Master Teacher Agreement was violated in this case.
In explanation, Unverzagt has ten years of service with the district, while Fleetwood has five years. Regarding seniority, the contract does not state that a part-time teacher is in a different category than a full-time teacher, and if two permanent teachers have comparable evaluations, the teachers will be released by length of contract alone.
Darnell said authority to eliminate positions lies with the School Board, but Ellcessor said the contract states that riffing takes precedence over the authority of the school board.
Churubusco Teacher’s Association (CTA) bargaining Chairperson and CJSHS teacher Terry McManama served as a witness in Unverzagt’s defense.
The board will formally vote on the termination of Unverzagt’s contract at the next board meeting.
At the March 7 Board meeting:
CES Principal Shellie Miller presented first grade teacher Linda Smith as Teacher of the Month. Smith, who is in her 29th year with SGCS, is highly regarded by her peers and is dedicated to her students. “She is nurturing and looks at each child as an individual,” Miller said.
The Board voted 5-0 to approve the non-renewal of nonpermanent teaching contracts for the following individuals: Deanna Elzey, Shelly Frisch, Troy Gaff, Linda Greene, Paul Sade and Charmaine Studebaker. Darnell explained that the exact number of students and courses has yet to be determined for next school year so it is in the best interest of the corporation to non-renew the aforementioned contracts to protect the corporation’s assets. Board President Tanya Young said several quality people were listed for non-renewal, which makes her job as a board member difficult. “I hope if we are able to, we can bring them back,” she said. “If things change or opportunities allow, I hope those individuals will be considered.”
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the administrative building.
by Katie Wagner
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Students will attend school until June 10 this year, rather than June 16. The Smith-Green Community Schools Board of School Trustees held a special meeting on Monday and voted on make-up days to shorten the school year.
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