SR gets new team bus
A new team bus will be arriving soon for the South Ripley School Corporation. Superintendent Rob Moorhead talked about the bus at the September meeting of the School Board of Trustees. The outside will have a wrap on it of SR colors and logos.
“The outside of the bus is the same as a 78 passenger yellow bus. We had budgeted for two buses in 2021 and we bought one yellow and one white. The team bus is a cross between a big bus and a mini bus. It will have the same type of seats that a mini bus has with a quantity of 40 seats,” Supt. Moorhead noted.
He further noted the seats in the bus will have a SR logo embroidered, be air conditioned, and have storage areas and LED lights under the bus. The superintendent noted, “The bus will be nice, but functional.” He said it will be managed by the Transportation Department and will also be available to use for school trips.
The Superintendent hopes that the bus will instill pride in the school and students with many groups being able to use it for various functions. He made it clear that this bus is not a Greyhound type bus, doesn’t have TV’s, carpeted floors or restrooms. Supt. Moorhead said he hopes the school board and community will celebrate the commitment for providing nice things for the students and also providing marketing for the school to help keep and attract new students.
Board member Jeff Cornett added to the conversation that when he attended a tournament a few years ago, many schools arrived in a bus painted or wrapped with their school names and spirit logos on the bus. “This bus will last a long time and will instill pride in our school and community.”
Personnel:
The board voted unanimously for:
• Chelsea McIntosh to fill the vacant full-time custodial position at the high school;
• Gloria Borgman will transfer from a part time Title I Aide position to full time Special Education Aide position;
• Theresa Shook-Elsa for the part time position in the elementary cafeteria;
• Angela Lannan to work in the elementary cafeteria;
• Lacy Edwards for cashier/kitchen help at the high school cafeteria;
• Julia Heidlage as Jr. High Robotics Team Lead Coach with assistant coach being Laura Beck;
• Olivia Miller as Mentor Teacher for first year teacher Hanna Speer; and coaching assignments for the 2022-23 winter seasons were all approved.
Resignations accepted were: Tonya Emery, Special Education, Shane Tompkins, varsity girls softball , Sarah Swinney, seventh grade girls basketball, and leaves of absence for Rebecca Westerfeld and Cindy Espelage.
In other business:
The school was awarded $30,000 from the Tyson Grant Fund to be used for sound system updates and improvement at the jr high /high school auditeria; also a special donation from Tanglewood Baptist Church of $500 will be used for medical supplies in the nurse’s office.
A $50,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for a School Resource Officer was announced with the monies also being used with a match to purchase updated bus cameras. Supt. Moorhead noted the school will begin employing off-duty deputies to fill in as substitutes when Officer Rodriguez cannot be at the school.
REMC Round Up Grant in the amount of $2,500 will go toward the Student Ambassadors program at the elementary school.
Band Director Ellen Fennell has been selected to be part of the America’s Band of Directors to march in the Macy’s 2023 Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC.
A lease agreement with Switzerland County YMCA was approved for the 2022-23 swimming season.
Approval was granted for the Teacher Evaluation Plan SY and Teacher Appreciation Grant Policy for 2022-2023. No revisions were made to either policy this year.
Editor’s Note: Information for this story came from unofficial minutes from the September meeting of the South Ripley Board of Trustees.
