Greater Jasper School Board meeting – August 27

The Greater Jasper School Board met on Monday night.

Advertised Budget Hearing

The school board held a hearing for the 2013 corporation budget. No comments were heard from the public.The total advertised budget is $35,829,056, with $16,015,914 estimated to raised in local taxes. The budget will be adopted Sept. 17 and sent to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance for approval.

Athletic Department Report

JHS Athletic Director Andy Noblitt  reported a “Ride and Drive Event” with Sternberg Chrysler Center and Dodge that netted $5000 in donations.

Jasper High School Athletic Supporters and Boosters were invited to test drive Dodge vehicles in exchange for a $20.00 donation to the high school’s athletic department.  The Jasper High School Athletic Department received $5000 to offset transportation expenses incurred by the Jasper Wildcat athletic teams.

Noblitt thanked the community for the support and thanked Sternberg Chrysler Center and Dodge for providing the resources to make the event happen.

Ireland Youth Sports

The board declined a request by the Ireland Youth Sports League for an additional $6000 for overages in construction of the new building that was completed this past spring.

Ireland Youth Sports president Myron Schmitt appeared before the Board for a second time after he was told in a previous meeting that the board would consider what actions they might be able to take to help cover about $10,000 in overages. The board already put in $10,000 and was reluctant to put in any more due to having too many projects of their own that need to be funded.

Superintendent Dr. Tracy Lorey told Schmitt if there weren’t so many educational programs and improvements the corporation was paying for the answer may have been different.

Tenth Street School

Assistant Superintendent Bob Hacker informed the board they spent over $142,000 on 10th Street School renovations that included a new moisture control system for the basement. Now, Hacker says that they discovered that the roof most likely will need repairs over the 5th grade wing due to separations in the seams of the roof which is allowing water to enter the roof substructure. The estimated cost will range between $40,000 to $50,000.

Work Release Volunteers help with school projects and save money

During Hacker’s report on Tenth Street School he acknowledged the tremendous savings the school corporation had realized through the use of the volunteers from the Dubois County Work Release Program.

The inmates worked on major landscaping and renovation projects at the school buildings in the district. Hacker says the work release program has been a cost saving venture, but it also has benefits from the workers themselves.

The work release inmates worked with school board member Bernie Vogler, “Mr. Hacker and I have worked together to organize it. Either he or I is there when they are working,” he said. “Heck, I have met some really neat people. We’ve helped them get jobs after they got out.”

Voegler said on the Tenth Street School project they had about 30 people in the program. Another 15 helped with preparing the football field. Vogler stated many of these individuals have great talents and skills and were able to complete the projects with little supervision. “They did the sign at the Cabby O’neill Gym. I was just there,” Vogler said.

School Board President Nancy Habig presented Dubois County Corrections with a certificate of appreciation for the program. Work Release Supervisor Tammy Lampert accepted the certificate for the department.

Lampert thanked the Jasper School Corporation for the opportunity to take part in the program. “It’s a win-win situation, they (inmates) are providing service hours, which saves you money, they are developing job skills, they are developing pro social and positive relationships,” she said. “They get to hear ‘job well done’. What that does for them can’t even be put into words.”

Dr. Lorey stated the inmates have volunteered countless hours to many projects that Greater Jasper Schools could not have accomplished without the inmates’ help.

Work release volunteers have worked on Jerry Brewer Alumni Stadium, Cabby O’Neill Gymnasium, Ruxer Field, Tenth Street School and Fifth Street School.

Vogler stated the inmates must be employed before they can volunteer for the program. “So, they are doing this work in their outside of their regular jobs.”

Hacker stated inmates are regulated to not come into contact with any students of the school corporation at all times.