ND school board votes to not pay arrears for sewage dispute

Lindsay Owens, Washington Times-Herald, Ind.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 18—ELNORA — The North Daviess School Board voted Monday night to not pay arrears to the Town of Elnora for a sewage dispute.

At the March board meeting, North Daviess Superintendent Jodi Berry said the town billed the school for arrears from August 2021 to January 2023 totaling more than $21,800, calculated by the industry standard after the corporation learned it had overpaid $40,000 to the town in 2019, 2020 and part of 2021.

The arrears, which the school corporation is not legally bound to pay, totally more than $21,800.

The bid for just over $1.34 million from Taber Owens Construction to complete work on outdoor athletic facilities was also approved. The project, which will improve drainage at many of the facilities including football, softball and baseball, add additional sidewalks, improve bleachers, and upgrade fencing among other things, will take place in the summer.

Athletic director Brent Dalrymple said spring sports were underway and North Daviess had hosted events the last nine days including the HBCA All Star basketball game on Sunday afternoon.

Dr. Barry Stone, director of curriculum and technology, said work continues on curriculum calendars and getting those aligned with state standards and other benchmarks. Stone also said data from iRead is embargoed but school staff is already working on getting remediation set up for students who may need it. ILearn also started this week and Stone mentioned a couple of teachers at the elementary had mentioned they felt for the first time their students really had a fighting chance on the test.

Stone is also working on a grant for the School Violence Prevention Program. That grant would be up to $500,000 with a cost share of 25%. The grant money could be used for bus cameras, new doors at the elementary, safety film for windows and doors, emergency notification and reunification software and bus radios among other things.

In other business, Stacey Simmons was approved as the corporation administrative assistant and deputy treasurer. The retirement of Scott Helms who has served as elementary physical education teacher since 1995 was approved as well as a maternity leave for Kaitlin Stoll.

The resignations of kindergarten teacher Davi Dyal and high school science teacher Aneesa Gillum.

The welding department will also be receiving new equipment after a $55,188 purchase from Indiana Oxygen Company for welding machines and other welding necessities was approved.

With Casey Armes leaving the bus business, the corporation approved the purchase of two buses already used on North Daviess special education routes. The 2014 bus will be purchased for $12,000 while the 2020 bus will be purchased for $60,000.

Much like other schools in the area, North Daviess students will be out of school on April 8, 2024 but now students will head back to class on August 8 instead of August 9.