Clarksville board approves personnel and fundraising requests, accepts $4,000 firefighters’ gift and hears collections update

The Clarksville Community School Corp. Board of Trustees approved routine personnel and program items, accepted multiple student fundraising requests and acknowledged a $4,000 donation from the Clarksville Professional Firefighters Local 2594 at a special session that opened into a planning meeting.

Dr. Bennett presented a personnel recommendation asking that Ronnie Lamont be transferred to the lead maintenance position, saying the district believes "he has the skill set and the credentials and will do a nice job." The board moved, seconded and approved the personnel report unanimously.

The board also approved fundraiser requests from Clarksville Elementary School (a spring fling on April 14 with entry by donation of new socks for Saint Mark's clothes closet), a CHS Key Club Krispy Kreme certificate sale in April, a CHS tennis "serve-a-thon" March 16–April 26 and a retroactive candy-gram sale at Clarksville Middle School. Dr. Bennett said staff will chaperone events and proceeds will support student activities.

During the meeting Michael Bloom, president of Clarksville Professional Firefighters Local 2594, and treasurer James Stedman presented a $4,000 check. Bloom said the union’s annual golf scramble funds donations the union makes to community programs and that organizers were "very excited this year... to present a check for $4,000." Board members thanked the firefighters and described the gift as welcome support for food-bag and student-program efforts.

Kelly Glover briefed the board on the small-claims and collection process for student fees, describing the district’s notification schedule (initial notices in December, follow-up in January, collection activity starting in February and a March hearing date) and explaining payments are accepted up to and on the hearing date. She reported that entering February the district’s total past-due balances were "roughly $20,000," with about $15,000 initially referred for collections; she said balances had fallen to $16,448 and that about $12,000 remained referred. Glover also said the district collected "almost $819,000 in fees in the last 2 months," a figure she presented without supporting documents at the meeting.

Dr. Allred reviewed updates to the student and athletic handbooks tied to the district’s online registration process and noted language changed to reflect a new state law on cell phones in schools. The board approved the handbooks as presented. The technology director submitted a detailed surplus equipment list (including Lenovo ThinkBooks, HP ProBooks, multiple Dell models, Chromebooks, iPads, monitors, access points and other items); the board discussed expected resale value and approved the surplus request.

Dr. Bennett also previewed upcoming items: an ISBA spring meeting on April 16, Community Night at the high school on March 12, a staff reunification drill, and a bond hearing next week that will include votes on an amendment to lease documents and resolutions approving bond issuance and related appropriations. Board members congratulated Coda Mendelik, a Clarksville High School senior named a Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, and praised recent facility work as the meeting closed.

The board took all recorded routine votes as unanimous and adjourned the meeting. The board did not vote on the bond-related resolutions during this session; those items were announced for action at the next meeting.