Mark Perkins
DANVILLE — Danville’s interim school resource officer will remain with the district another year, superintendent Jason Snively said at Monday’s board meeting.
The board approved a memorandum of agreement with the Danville Police Department at its monthly meeting. The police department will continue to contract out an officer to serve as a full-time school resource officer. Snively said that Lt. Mark Perkins, who stepped in earlier this year following the resignation of SRO Rene Joris, would likely serve as a full-time SRO for the 2019-2020 school year.
The school will pay $15,000 to the village, which will be used to pay part of Perkins’s salary. The rest of Perkins’s salary will be paid by the village.
School board member Charles Bratton expressed concern ... that having an officer in the schools would financially strain the police department. Danville Police Chief Dan Weckesser assured him it was worth it.
“It’s my opinion that the best place one of our officers can be would be a school,” said Weckesser. The chief expressed hopes that police presence in schools will encourage students to avoid drug use and other criminal activity, as well as provide a safe adult role model that kids can go to for support and guidance.
“If we can help a kid with some small aspect of their life, we can and we do,” he said. “Sometimes you can do different things to help these kids without bringing law enforcement into it.”
Weckesser stated that students have come to Perkins with information the department may not have gained otherwise, but that they try to use law enforcement measures as a last resort.
In terms of limited staff, Weckesser indicated that the village council has approved additional funding for the department and he is looking to hire two part-time police officers.
In other business, elementary principal Tara Bond and kindergarten teacher Daniel Williams briefed the board on the benefits of Into Reading, a literacy program they hope will further challenge elementary students.
“We noticed that there was a high level of academic rigor that was associated with it,” said Williams. “It kind of seemed like the curriculum we were using wasn’t pushing our students far enough.”
Bond and Williams said that a curriculum committee reviewed various options and prefer Into Reading due to its strong reading and writing components, authentic story texts, small group tools and teacher resources. Handwriting is part of the program, which will eliminate the need to purchase handwriting books. Bond said teachers have been receptive to the proposed curriculum.
“Teachers have asked for the professional development to be this summer,” said Bond. “They’re coming in for free to learn this curriculum. That’s how dedicated they are.”
The board authorized the purchase of a six year subscription to Into Reading for $96,371.25.
Snively touched on the district’s voluntary transition to standards-based grading, which will begin next year with teacher training. This approach will seek to grade students solely on their understanding of the material being taught as it aligns to state standards. Students will be evaluated on their performance and accuracy, with factors like punctuality and attendance no longer having a bearing on grades.
“It will be a change in culture,” said Snively. “No longer are you getting, for lack of a better term, ‘fluff’ grades at the end of the day.”
Instead of docking grades, teachers will be urged to issue detentions or withhold recess as a consequence of turning in assignments late. Implementing this grading philosophy throughout the district will be a gradual process of about three years, Snively said.
Mickley reviewed the five year forecast, which takes into account renovations district officials want to make to the high school in the coming years as well as a small increase in teacher salaries.
Board member Paul Stover mentioned that he is frequently asked why Danville still charges its student athletes a pay-to-play fee since the district’s finances have improved.
Snively pointed out that while the district does pay for transportation, coaches salaries’ and much of the athletic grounds maintenance, other costs like equipment and officials’ salaries are paid for by the athletic department, which has experienced a decrease in income.
“The athletic department is really self supported for the most part by admissions,” said Snively.
Snively and board member Carolyn Addair noted that these fees don’t typically stand in students’ way, as certain community members are dependable sponsors for student athletes in need.
The board also approved:
•A $300 donation from Knox County Foundation to support PBIS and a $400 donation from the Knox County Pork Council to support the FFA.
•An amended school calendar for the 2019-2020 school year with five two hour delays to provide professional development time for staff.
•The 2019-2020 student and student-athlete handbooks.
•Approve a lease from the Village of Danville for the Village Park to host athletic events from Aug. 1 to Dec. 1.
•A $462.00 3-year agreement with Century Link for Fiber + Internet and Trunk Servicing to update district phone lines.
•A $7,337.50 contract with Strategic Solutions for Professional Services and Imaging Software for Fiscal Year 2020.
•A bus bid from Ohio CAT for the purchase of one 78 passenger school bus for $87,107.
•Various employee contracts.
