North Clay Board Adopts Athletic Policy

North Clay school board members Thursday adopted an athletic policy for the coming school year.

After amending the proposed policy to eliminate "high" from the guidelines, the measure was approved 4-2 with members Simmons and Smith voting No. The "high" was in reference to high school career in relation to first and subsequent infractions. The policy now reads "school career", which will include all grade levels of athletics districtwide.

The Board approved a bus driver handbook and discussed issues regarding transportation, with the inclusion approved of a checklist for cleaning the inside of buses by the drivers. Also, the issue of an unauthorized person in attendance at 8th grade promotion exercises was tabled until further notice.

The Board agreed to pursue bids to repair and re-seal the parking lots and roads on district grounds; and agreed to pursue a possible co-op agreement for high school softball with the Clay City school district. The athletic director will contact Clay City personnel to see if there is interest in pursuing an agreement, and will contact IHSA and Midland Trail Conference officials.

Also Thursday, the North Clay board:

--hired DeeAnn Hronec as fulltime bus driver

--hired Whitney Hill as band and music teacher

--hired Ann Lane and Kris Jennings as nine-month custodians

--hired Arnita Fender as high school secretary

--hired Jason Lewis as athletic director and transportation secretary

--recalled paraprofessional Stephanie Simmons and granted the administration to hire paraprofessionals as needed

--accepted the resignation of Jay Walker as high school assistant baseball coach

--hired Kim Adair as junior high assistant girls basketball coach

--grant the administration authority to hire personnel as needed before the August meeting

--increased the bus driver rate of pay for substitute bus drivers to $14.50/hour and added $1.55 to each bus driver wage rate that is scheduled for pay in the 2014-15 school year.