The Eastern Pulaski School Board members approved a resolution to move from a recognized fiscal year budget to a calendar year budget.
Superintendent Dan Foster explained the school corporation is one of two school corporations in the state that operate on a fiscal year budget which is from July 1 to June 30. All other school corporations in the state follow a calendar year budget which is from January to December.
According to Superintendent Dan Foster, six days have been missed and it appears that one day will need to be added to the end of the school year in order to make up all of the days missed. One missed day was made up in a built-in snow day in January while one will be made up in a built-in snow day scheduled yet this month and another one in April. Two days were previously waived by the State.
The board members will discuss this issue, summer school classes, the adoption of the calendar year budget, and the purchase of iPads and cases during their meeting Wednesday in the Distance Learning Lab.
The Eastern Pulaski School Board learned that the official Average Daily Membership student count was 1,233. That is an increase of 43 students to the corporation. The board was happy to hear that statistic as state funding follows the student and the corporation will be getting some extra operating funds this year.
The Eastern Pulaski School Board did formally approve a recommendation to withdraw from the Midwest Athletic Conference. Eastern Pulaski now joins eight other schools in the area in making that decision.
That count has not been released, but Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman stressed that student count is important as funding follows the student.
The Eastern Pulaski School Corporation will soon have a new superintendent in place. Dr. Robert Klitzman retired June 30th but stayed on in an interim capacity until his replacement is hired. Klitzman tells WKVI news that August 23rd will be his last day. The board will conduct a public hearing on the new superintendent’s contract during their Monday, Aug. 12th board meeting. State law requires a hearing be held, but Klitzman says the candidate will not be identified by name. The board will then meet in executive session, with a formal hiring decision scheduled during a special-called meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The board members voted to hold two meetings next week to discuss a proposed contract for a new superintendent. The board will be holding negotiations soon.
Current Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman announced his retirement in March and will leave the corporation after his contract expires June 30. He has been at the helm for the past 26 years.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman stated that one class will be P.E. for high school students.
“They can have that credit completed during the summer in a fashion where they have three and four hour blocked time,” explained Klitzman. “With just a little imagination and creativity, you can see how much more things that opens up and that you can do with that block of time.”
Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman explained that the corporation will be applying for Title One and Higher Ability federal grants.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman said this is always the high point of the entire school year.
Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman advised that the board tabled his request for the contract extensions at this time.
To qualify, the students had to score in the upper percentile in the ISTEP+ exam. Superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman told the school board Monday night that this is the second year in a row that the school has earned this distinction.
“Being a 4-Star School is the highest distinction that the Department of Education bestows on a school,” explained Klitzman. “It’s an earned one based on our data performance. We’re very pleased. We feel excellent about our approach in our reading programs and how we emphasize Instruction Day and focus things. We’re very proud of our teachers every day.”
“She has decided that this year is absolutely the last of it,” explained Klitzman. “She tried to retire last year and we twisted her arm and she came back. Another reason that she’s so firm that this is her last year is her husband, Brad Moore, is retiring.”
“We had a very nice $500 donation from Re/Max Real Estate,” said Klitzman. “For those of you who don’t know or may not remember, the Helping Hands is a program that we use to help students that are in need of assistance either in their cafeteria balance or in their textbook usage.”
Tom Bonnell, owner of TNS Recycling, had constructed canvas tarps that were donated to the school which are being used with the baseball and track programs as well as the fine arts department.
“It’s a great time to have PE,” explained Klitzman. “With a three-hour block, you do so many more things. You don’t have to worry about the class bell ringing after 50 minutes and you don’t have to worry about getting sweaty and going into an algebra class, which kids don’t like necessarily. It’s in the summer, it’s in the morning and you get it over with.”
A sharply divided Eastern Pulaski School Board accepted veteran superintendent Dr. Robert Klitzman’s retirement request during a crowded special-called meeting last evening. Last week Klitzman announced his intention to retire after 26 years with the corporation, citing the “shaky” 4-3 vote to extend his contract an extra year. School board newcomer Deke DeMarco cast the tiebreaking vote in favor of the contract extension after a lengthy and apparently contentious executive session last week. He also cast the swing vote in favor of accepting Klitzman’s retirement request. Fellow newcomers Rhonda Heims and Terri Johnston and longtime Klitzman critic Joe Cunningham also voted to accept. Veteran board members and Klitzman supporters Larry Beach, John Kwiatkowski and Mike Tetzloff cast their votes in opposition of accepting Klitzman’s retirement and criticized the new board members for their knee-jerk reactions. Several teachers and community members spoke in support of Klitzman. They noted that the school system is among the best in the area both academically and financially and questioned what the board members hoped to gain by going in a new direction. Klitzman will remain on the job until his contract runs out at the end of June.
Klitzman said his decision to retire was based upon previous board votes on his one-year contract renewals the past couple of years.
