The Jennings County School Corporation board approved a package of professional and support staff recommendations and authorized staff to fill urgent vacancies through Aug. 7 to ensure staffing for the start of school.

Board actions at the meeting included unanimous votes to approve recommended hires, accept several donations and to authorize administrators to fill positions without further board action before Aug. 7.

Professional staff appointments approved included Holly Boswell (Sand Creek Elementary teacher), Nicole Creech (Hayden Elementary principal), Ashley Heindel (Jennings County Middle School girls cross-country coach), Jill Stoner (Jennings County High School girls cross-country coach), Lily Arnhold (Norford Elementary teacher, pending hiring requirements) and Madeline Buffington (Jennings County High School English teacher, pending hiring requirements). The motion to approve the professional staff slate was moved by Travis and seconded by Mary Lynn; the board voted 7-0.

Support-staff and extracurricular appointments approved included Samuel Ernest (assistant boys football coach), Shane Howard (assistant boys football coach), Trey McAdam (assistant boys football coach), Chelsea Staples (high school administrative assistant to the principal), Nathaniel Staples (high school boys cross-country coach), Ashley Whitaker (middle school assistant girls volleyball coach) and others listed by district staff. One custodial termination (Larry Marksbury) was recorded. The motion to approve the support-staff recommendations was moved by Mary Lynn, seconded by Pat, and carried 7-0.

Trustees also approved specific tutor appointments connected to a recent grant (Abby Capes and Jennifer Ertle), several donations to high school student funds and the class of 2025, and authorized the administration to fill positions without board action prior to Aug. 7; that authorization passed 7-0 on a motion by Pat and second by Mary Lynn.

Several of the hires were explicitly marked "pending hiring requirements" by staff, and the board recorded those conditions when it moved the approvals. The actions taken were formal votes recorded on the public minutes.