South Madison board swears in members, elects officers and approves compensation plan

The South Madison Community School Corporation Board of Trustees on an organizational agenda swore in four newly elected members and elected a slate of officers, set its regular meeting schedule and approved board compensation for 2025.

At the start of the meeting Judge Angela Werner Sims administered the oath of office to the four members being sworn in. President John Lord was elected board president after a nomination and second; Mark Thompson was elected vice president and Buck Evans was elected secretary. The board also appointed an assistant secretary by motion and vote.

The board selected the meeting schedule identified in the packet as option B for the coming year. On compensation, the board approved a compensation package consistent with Indiana Code 20-26-4-7 and the board’s bylaw that allows elected board members to receive $2,000 annually for service plus a per diem of $150 for board meetings and $75 for committee meetings, as presented in the motion.

The board approved officer and position appointments listed in the packet, including naming Penny Myers as school corporation treasurer and Connie Jones as assistant treasurer. The president and other trustees took turns volunteering as representatives to a range of liaison roles and advisory committees (athletic council, alternative school program, area vocational, industrial technology, vocational agriculture, vocational business, family and consumer sciences, safety and security, the Interlocal Special Education Board representative and the redevelopment commission representative).

The board conducted the slate of votes by roll call during the meeting and approved the motions on nominations, meeting schedule, compensation and appointments. Those procedural approvals were presented and adopted as part of the organizational agenda.

The board president closed the organizational portion of the meeting and moved the agenda to reports and routine business.