School board names five to Tax Study Commission
By KAREN BITNER Echo Pilot

After beginning their Thursday evening meeting with a personnel related executive session, Greencastle-Antrim School Board's first action in open meeting was a unanimous vote to renew the contract of Greencastle-Antrim Education Foundation Director Ginny Lays for another three years. Board members expressed appreciation to Lays, who was present at the meeting, for her grant-writing efforts that have brought millions of dollars in grant and scholarship funds to the school district.

During the celebration time later in the meeting, member Dan Fisher told fellow school directors that Lays' continued work on behalf of the district was something to celebrate. "Ginny is full of energy and a breath of fresh air," he said, describing with emphasis her endeavors as "way into the district."

After the board approved her contract, Lays briefed the board on the Foundation's ongoing "Brick campaign" which aims to raise money for stadium updates at the high school. "I have a bunch of bricks I've been carrying around in my trunk," Lays told the board, offering to sell some to anyone at the meeting who was interested. She noted that $6,000 worth of bricks have already been sold and expects sales to pick up as the school year progresses and during Old Home Week next summer.

In other personnel matters, the board accepted resignations from elementary LTS teacher Kimberly Timmons, middle school personal assistant Kimberly Lesky, and primary noontime aide Maria Wolford. The board also granted a request for a one-year leave of absence to Greg Musser, who serves as assistant coach for the high school cross country and track and field teams.

The transfer of Deena Kirkwood from middle school seventh grade math teacher to sixth-grade math teacher was accepted. In addition, the board approved salary adjustments for 10 teachers who earned masters' degrees or a different credit level, including Catherine Bercaw, Amber Bostick, Ronda Fearer, Susan Frederick, Yvonne Garland, Ellen Kirkner, Amy Layton, Molly Mason, Kim Muller and Lesli Shuman.

Professional staff appointments included Virginia L. Hartman as English as a second language teacher, Melissa Heath as elementary learning support teacher and Duane Wolff as middle school seventhgrade math teacher.

"At will" employees approved for the 2006-07 year included Vicki Baker, Kathleen Hartman, Nicole Morningveg and Juanita Wilson, all of whom will serve as personal assistants or aides in the elementary and primary schools. The board also approved appointments for supplemental staff including Robert DeGrange as high school cross county co-assistant coach, Barbara Harnish as primary and elementary dental hygienist, Andrea McCauley as high school cheerleading co-advisor, Malcolm McCoy as high school marching band co-percussion instructor, Colleen McCray as high school cross county co-assistant coach, Jason Small as high school hall monitor, Jessica Thomas as high school cheerleading co-advisor and Marci Stover to serve as chairperson to both the middle school language arts department chairperson and the district English Department.

In his report, Business Manager Richard Lipella recommended that the board approve five individuals to the 2006 Greencastle-Antrim School District Tax Study commission effective Sept. 14. The list had originally contained seven names, but had to be amended after one proposed member was found to have a relative who worked for the district, not allowed under the terms of Act 1, which mandates the Tax Study Comission for each school district. Since the terms of Act 1 require that the commission have five, seven or nine names, another name had to be deleted from the list to bring the number down to five. The five commission members who were approved were Kermit Hicks, Jack Huffman, Daniel Jordan, Scott Palmer and Bob Schemmerling.

The purpose of the commission is to advise the school board on formulating a proposed referendum question regarding whether to base future school funding on increases in either earned income taxes or personal income taxes. Under the provisions of Act 1, the commission can only advise the board, and the school board may choose to reject the commission's proposal and write its own. When completed, the proposal will be voted on in a public referendum next year.