MUNCIE, IN - With the realignment of administrative duties of three previous positions at the Anthony Administration Building, the Muncie Community Schools Board of School Trustees was able to reduce one administrative position at its board meeting Tuesday.
Through central office reorganization, Tuesday’s decision allowed for the elimination of the position of Director of Educational Technology and Gifted and Talented. Board members February 12 approved the combining of the positions of Director of Professional Development and Gifted and Talented as well as combining the position of Director of Information Systems and Educational Technology. Ermalene Faulkner will assume the duties of Director of Professional Services and Gifted and Talented, as well as facilitate the English as a Second Language Program (ESL) and Steve Brookbank was named Director of Information Systems and Educational Technology.
Mrs. Faulkner has served as the Director of the Gifted and Talented Program and has led the corporation’s technology efforts since 1999. Mr. Brookbank has been the director of Information Systems (formerly Director of Data Processing) since 1987.
In other reorganization efforts. Jo Ann McCowan, Director of Vocational Education and Extended Services, was named Director of Secondary Education and Vocational Education. Dale Basham, associate principal of Southside High School, will serve as the Director of the Muncie Area Career Center and Extended Services.
Warner VanFleet, Director of Instruction/Elementary, will also assume the duties of Title I program administrator. DiLynn Phelps, Director of Alternative Education and Diversity, will assume a twelve-month position and serve as hearing examiner for all proposed student expulsions and act as principal of the secondary-level summer school program.
At the secondary level, Chris E. Smith was named principal of Central High School effective July 1, 2008. Mr. Smith has 12 years of experience as a public school educator. He was an administrator at Randolph Eastern before coming to Muncie. He served two years as an assistant principal at Southside High School and one year as an assistant principal of Central High School prior to being named principal at Northside Middle School. According to the recommendation from the search team, Mr. Smith “has proven he can direct staff, make good decisions, and work through difficult situations.”
Following a recommendation regarding the transfer of the students at Washington-Carver to four adjoining elementary schools by Supt. Marlin B. Creasy, the Board voted to move forward with the transfer of Washington-Carver Elementary K-5 regular education students to other MCS elementary schools. Self-contained Special Education classes from Washington-Carver have not yet been assigned for 2008-2009.
Determining the numbers of students assigned to other schools resulted from numerous discussions on how best to move the school’s 254 students, studying the receiving school’s enrollment capacity, transportation, safety issues, and natural boundaries (i.e. railroads and White River). Based on current school enrollment, student transfers for the 2008-2009 school year will involve the move of 137 students to Garfield Elementary, making its projected fall enrollment 428 at an 83 percent building capacity, 102 students to South View Elementary for an enrollment of 535 leading to 76 percent capacity, 26 students to North View Elementary for a projected enrollment of 342 at 80 percent capacity, and 9 students to Longfellow Elementary, upping the fall enrollment to 320 students where the recently renovated building would be at 84 percent capacity.
In personnel matters, TJ Fauquher was named Head Baseball Coach at Southside High School, and Jon Palmer was named Head Boys’ Golf Coach at Central High School.
The Board approved Kindergarten Round-up for Wednesday, April 23.
Donations were accepted as follows:
Children’s Clothing Mitchell Ron Parsons (Fundraiser) $200.00
Bottled Water Garfield Marsh $120.00
Cash (for Student Activities) Garfield College Avenue UMC $ 95.00
Training Equipment MACC Eaton EMS $500.00
Cash (for Scholarship) MACC Central IN Old Car Club $500.00
Cash (for Athletics) Southside Dale Basham $ 40.00
Cash (for SMAC) Southside Dale Basham $100.00
Cash (for Choir) Southside Karen Huff $150.00
Cash (for SMAC) Southside Rebecca Thompson $ 50.00
Cash (for SMAC) Southside New Hope Missionary $100.00
Baptist Church
Cash (for Honor Society) Southside Dale Basham $100.00
Microwave Oven Central Michelle Sebastian $ 50.00
Cash (for Athletics) Central Lori Linton $500.00
Pencils Longfellow Kids Hope USA $ 30.00
Nathan Smith, Northside Middle School, son of Board Member Kevin Smith and wife Jennifer, was recognized by the board after comments by Northside Middle School Principal Chris Smith who reported that Nathan had been recently appointed to attend the Summer 2008 Global Young Leaders Conference. The conference is a unique leadership development program that brings together outstanding young people from around the world to build critical leadership skills in a global context. Nathan will attend the Global Conference in Vienna, Budapest, and Prague July 5-17.
The board also recognized nine-year-old Dylain Kelly-Hennis who, because his grandfather was affected by cancer several years ago, decided to raise money for “Relay for Life.” Dylain is the youngest co-captain for a relay team in Delaware County and has currently raised over $1800. Recently, the Director for “Relay for Life” wrote a letter to the Indiana House of Representatives to ask for special permission for Dylain to be recognized for his efforts. Although children being recognized must normally be 17 years old, permission was granted and on February 5, 2008, Dylain traveled to the Indiana State House with his family to be recognized. Dylain had the opportunity to speak with Representative Jack Lutz about his efforts to pass a bill supporting “Smoke Free Indiana” and a bill that would insure that people who have suffered with cancer and as a result, have lost body parts, be able to get prosthetic devices through their insurance companies.
Because the previous Muncie Community Schools two-person bid committee recently lost one member through the retirement of Bill Reiter, former Director of Facilities, the Board named Lon Sloan, Administrative Assistant/Business Office, and Don Holderman, Director of Facilities, to join Mark Burkhart, associate superintendent/treasurer on the new bid committee.
Dr. Creasy gave a report to the public explaining the Instructional Review by the Council of Great City Schools (October 14–17, 2007) which was a direct result of Muncie Community Schools entering into the Executive Leadership Program for Educators at the University of Virginia in association with the Wallace Foundation. As part of the review, the visiting Strategic Support Team identified strengths and areas of concerns by talking to various groups of the corporation’s demographics including administrators, teachers, students, community and board members.
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