Jennings County school board approves consent agenda, pre-K continuation and $50 weekly fee for non‑voucher families

The Jennings County School Corporation board approved a slate of routine and program actions during its regularly scheduled meeting. Items approved included the consent agenda, continuation of three pre‑K sites, a $50 weekly pre‑K fee for families who do not qualify for state vouchers, staff and coaching appointments, supplemental pay tied to an early literacy grant, several donations, library board appointments, budget transfer appropriations and a memorandum of understanding for student teacher placement.

The package of votes was introduced across multiple agenda sections. Board members voted by roll call for each motion; roll‑call responses recorded Mary Lynn Woodford, Pat Sullivan, Amy Pettit, Travis Shepherd, Cheryl Miller and Earl Taggart as voting “Yes” on each recorded motion where roll call was taken.

Why it matters: the pre‑K decisions and supplemental pay carry day‑to‑day program implications and modest budgetary effects. The $50 weekly fee applies only to families who do not qualify for CCDF or On My Way pre‑K vouchers, and the certified/classified supplemental pay is tied to the district’s 2024 Early Literacy Achievement grant.

Key actions and outcomes

- Consent agenda: Motion to approve carried (mover: Earl Taggart; second: Travis Shepherd). Roll‑call: Woodford, Sullivan, Pettit, Shepherd, Miller, Taggart — all “Yes.”

- NEOLA policy adoption (new law policies): Approved (mover: Mary Lynn Woodford; second: Cheryl Miller). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Indiana Department of Education transfer deadline (IDOE): Board set the deadline for accepting new students as the last student day, identified for the 2025–26 school year as May 21, 2026. Motion carried (mover: Travis Shepherd; second: Cheryl Miller). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Data accountability presentation: Tabled. District staff reported potential errors in data received from the Indiana Department of Education and asked the board to table the presentation until corrected data are released. (No formal adoption of the presentation; item recorded as tabled for a later meeting.)

- Pre‑K program continuation: Approved continuation of three pre‑K sites at Brush Creek, North Vernon and Sand Creek elementary schools for the 2025–26 school year, with the potential to add North Vernon Elementary if enrollment supports it. Motion carried (mover: Earl Taggart). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Pre‑K program fee: Approved a $50 per week fee for families who do not qualify for CCDF vouchers or On My Way pre‑K vouchers, intended to help the program remain sustainable and cost neutral. Motion carried (mover: Mary Lynn Woodford; second: Cheryl Miller). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Professional staff career increment stipends: Approved career increment (master teacher) stipends for three certified employees — Billy Ballinger, Jessica Hall and Kevin Smith — for the 2025–26 through 2029–30 school years. Motion carried (mover: Travis Shepherd). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Certified supplemental pay resolution: Approved a resolution to allow certified supplemental pay funded by the 2024 Early Literacy Achievement grant. Motion carried (mover: Cheryl Miller; second: Mary Lynn Woodford). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Support staff recommendations: Approved hiring/appointments including Terina Bullard as Jennings County Middle School cook and Aaron Martin as Jennings County High School assistant track and field coach. Motion carried (mover: Cheryl Miller; second: Travis Shepherd). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Classified supplemental pay resolution: Approved the classified portion of supplemental pay for the 2024 Early Literacy Achievement grant. Motion carried (mover: Travis Shepherd; second: Mary Lynn Woodford). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Donations: Accepted donations including $500 from Harmon Construction to the high school men’s volleyball club; $150 from Martin Rea to the high school men’s volleyball eSports team; and a $2,000 microgrant to Scipio Elementary (for teacher Viola Davis to purchase a ViewSonic board). Motion to accept donations carried (mover: Mary Lynn Woodford; second: Cheryl Miller). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Transfer appropriations (budget): Approved updated time frames and transfer appropriations for the major budget category (item continued from the prior meeting). Motion carried (mover: Travis Shepherd; second: Cheryl Miller). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Library board appointments: Approved the reappointment of Jeff Green to a four‑year term and the appointment of Jessica Floyd for an additional one‑year term on the County Public Library Board of Trustees. Motion carried (mover: Travis Shepherd; second: Earl Taggart). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Memorandum of understanding with Western Governors University: Approved an annual MOU for student teacher placement with Western Governors University. Motion carried (mover: Cheryl Miller; second: Mary Lynn Woodford). Roll‑call: all members recorded “Yes.”

- Adjournment: Motion by Earl Taggart to adjourn carried by roll call.

Items for follow up or later action: the board tabled the data accountability presentation pending corrected IDOE data; an E‑rate uninterrupted power supply (UPS) vendor award to 5 Star was discussed as an informational item and will return for formal approval at the next meeting.