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154TH YEAR ISSUE NO. 41 $1

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2014

Cost-cutting at S-D means closing a school

SOCCER AT SUNSET

North Dearborn shuttering comes with four options

2021 (all but the high school,) he said a new elementary building centrally located to accommodate all Sunman and Bright area students could be built at that time. By Chandra L. Mattingly “It would just be trading one Staff Reporter debt for another,” and would cmattingly@registerpublications.com not impact S-D's total debt, he said. The new building would Of four cost-cutting options be centrally located, probably the Sunman-Dearborn School close to the high school, midBoard reviewed Thursday eve- dle school and intermediate ning, Oct. 9, only the school. one which would proWilliams explained vide three elementary the need to do someschools received pubthing: from a $1.1 millic applause. lion general fund cash Option D as presentbalance earlier this ed would involve closyear, the general fund ing North Dearborn is projected to contain Elementary and reonly $400,000 by the configuring Sunmanend of the year. Dearborn Intermediate “If things don't go School as a k-5 school. any better, then we Bright and Sunwill be in the man elemennegative cash taries would balance in be k-5 schools 2016,” he said. instead of k-4 as The general fund they are currently, is used for salaries, and Sunman-Dearbenefits, property inborn Middle School surance, utilities and would house grades supplies. 6-8. The option would mean a reduction of five teaching positions and S-D is facing dropping enwould save the corporation $349,715 immediately, interim rollment, as are schools in 62 superintendent Dr. John Wil- other Indiana counties where liams told the board and about student age (5-20) population is falling, he said. Over the 150 people attending. Several folks speaking dur- past five years, S-D enrolling public comments praised ment has dropped by 283 stuNorth Dearborn Elementary's dents. Meanwhile, state funding performance and staff, however, and asked why potential per student has gone down savings for option D would be $515.37 in the same five years. That's now a reducless than two other options. Oldest of the corporation's tion of over $1.9 million per six school buildings, NDES school year for S-D. And that would be closed under all four basic grant is per student, so scenarios presented Thursday S-D funding already is down night. It is the only building due to decreased enrollment, definitely not affected by an just 3,758 this fall. Enrollment outstanding bond, though Sun- for the 2015-2016 school year man Elementary might also is projected to be 3,710, and qualify as such, Williams said. for the following school year, That must be determined by a 3,610, adding up to 180 fewer students. lawyer. Board member Michael If a building has an outNorman asked what effect the standing bond, it must be paid in full as soon as a building is proposed options would have on class size, and what the closed, explained Williams. According to a recent build- current class size is. Williams ings inventory, NDES also said an average class size of needs about $1.7 million in 25 was used to create the scemaintenance and updates over narios. The current average the next five years, not count- class size is around 20, varying computer and technology ing by grade and school, he said. updates, he said. Lyness asked why Option D The other options: wouldn't involve more teacher ■■Option A: Close NDES, direductions, as in Option B, vide students between Bright and Sunman elementaries. and thus higher savings. WilImmediate savings of liams said the reductions were $349,715, reduction of five based on what was done to accommodate class sizes. For teaching positions. ■■Option B: Close NDES, move instance, getting all the fourth fourth grade to S-DIS, making graders together in the interBright and Sunman elementa- mediate school would result ries k-3. Immediate savings of in more consistent class sizes $699,430, reduction of 10 and fewer teachers. But he would review the numbers, teaching positions. ■■Option C: Close NDES, move he added. Moving sixth graders to the all third, fourth and fifth graders to S-DIS; make BE and SE middle school is doable but k-2, and S-DMS 6-8. Savings of not ideal, with one result being $419,658, reduction of six crowding for awhile, he said. That would ease as smaller teaching positions. Using a Powerpoint projec- age groups move up, however. Later, Norman asked if the tion, Williams showed poscorporation went with Option sible district dividing lines for D, would it be possible to students going to BE and SE under the k-2 and k-3 options, move eighth grade into the based on balancing the number high school. Williams said that of students those ages. Then, would be easier than moving explaining most of the bonds both seventh and eighth into on S-D schools come due in See COST, Page 8

The Drop

JIM BUCHBERGER/The Journal-Press

A spectacular sunset in St. Leon is the backdrop for the East Central Lady Trojans Class 2A soccer sectional champtionship 2-0 win over Batesville. The sectional win puts the Lady Trojans at 14-2-2. The No. 22 state-ranked Lady Trojans will host their regional against Bloomington South Wednesday, Oct. 15. For more sectional soccer action see SPORTS Page 6.

Police seek info after Good Samaritan robbed Staff Report Tuesday morning, Oct. 7, between 6:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m., a Good Samaritan was robbed on Ind. 1 in Dearborn County, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Noel Houze, public information officer. According to ISP Master Trooper Ben Bastin, a 53-year-old Brookville man was northbound on Ind. 1 on Dover Hill just north of Cook Road when he noticed a bright red, early 2000s Chevrolet Impala was stopped on the side of the roadway and a white male approximately six feet tall, medium build with a beard wearing blue jeans and a black jacket was waving his arms as if he were in distress, said Houze. The victim, believing the person

Couple face multiple drug charges Staff Report Late last Friday morning, Oct. 10, Indiana State Police arrested two Ohio County residents at their Pleasant Ridge home on multiple drug charges, said Sgt. Noel Houze, ISP Information Officer. The arrest was the result of a year-long investigation by the Indiana State Police Drug Enforcement Section into the distribution of drugs in both Dearborn and Ohio counties. Arrested were 45-yearold Patrick W. Hill and 44-year-old Kimberly A. Hill. The couple was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center where they are currently being held without bond on multiple felony narcotics dealing charges, said Houze. Persons arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

© REGISTER PUBLICATIONS, 2014

may have been involved in a crash or having car trouble stopped to render assistance. As the victim approached the man, another white male came from the weeds on the side of the road and struck the victim over the head several times with a blunt object until the victim fell to the ground, said Bastin. The suspects demanded cash and the victim’s cell phone. The victim complied and the suspects broke the phone and gave it back to him then made their escape with the victim’s money, said Bastin. Indiana State Police are requesting any information from motorists who may have been traveling Ind. 1 last Tuesday between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. who may have seen the suspect vehicle, said Houze.

The victim said the vehicle had an Indiana In God We Trust plate but wasn’t able to get the numbers. He also said both males were in their late 20s or early 30s. The Indiana State Police would also remind motorists to be cautious about getting out of their vehicles for stranded motorists especially in remote areas. If you encounter a motorist you believe may be in distress call 911 and give a description of the vehicle and what it was that made you feel they were in distress as well as a location and allow police to respond to provide assistance, added Houze. Anyone who may have information is urged to contact the Indiana State Police at 1-812-689-5000 or 1-800566-6704 (within Indiana only).

G’dale: expanding city office space; chicken change doesn’t fly By Chris McHenry Contributor Greendale officials hope to be the successful bidders when the retail building adjacent to Greendale Utilities on Ridge Avenue comes up for auction at a sheriff’s sale later this month. Council member Vince Karsteter suggested the one story building could easily become part of a city government campus and would provide much needed new office space for the clerk-treasurer and mayor. Those offices are currently located on the second floor of the Police Department on Ludlow Street. The office is not only severely over crowded, but also is not ADA compliant. City Manager Steve Lampert will arrange for a structural engineer’s inspection as well as an environmental study of the property, which at one time was a gas station. Mayor Doug Hedrick and City Attorney Richard Butler were appointed to offer the bids at the auction. In other action at the Wednesday, Oct. 8, Council meeting, members decided to leave the city’s livestock ban ordinance as it is, instead of changing it to allow for a few hens to be kept as pets. Earlier this year the Shawn Snyder family was found to be in conflict with the ordinance because of some hens kept as pets by their daughter. At that time the Snyders requested that the ordinance’s ban on chickens be changed to “roosters,” allowing them to keep their hens. But councilman Walter Wilson, delegated to study the question, recommended the current ordinance be retained as is. He said he had talked to 40 residents about the proposal, and 34 of them were opposed to the change.

INSIDE TODAY

OBITUARIES.......................3

Council spent almost an hour going over details in a proposed new personnel policy handbook. The new policy will be approximately 60 pages long, compared with the current two page document. Clerk-treasurer Joey Lynch explained the new policy has been compiled with the help of a labor attorney and that most of the additions are in order to meet Federal requirements. Much of what is in the new policy has already been practiced in Greendale but has never formally included in the policy. At the suggestion of Linda Cromer the proposed new policy will be submitted to the local union for comment. Halloween will be officially celebrated Friday, Oct. 31, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a rain date the following day provided Aurora and Lawrenceburg also have a rain delay on that date. The Dearborn Highlands Arts Council was awarded $2,000 which will enable them to win a matching grant of $7,000 from the Indiana Arts Commission. No one appeared to speak at a public hearing concerning Greendale’s proposed $4,564,768 general fund budget for 2015. Lampert had good news for the Board of Works concerning the former Greendale landfill. The first of three tests for methane in the area proved negative after extensive venting had been installed. If the next two tests are also negative, the landfill will be officially closed. It has not been used in about 20 years. A title search of a house on Tanner Avenue that has a storm sewer running underneath it turned up an easement for the project in 1938, long before the area was subdivided and homes built. The question of who would be responsible

See G’DALE, Page 8

SPORTS..........................6-7

2010-11: 4,036

2014-15: 3,758

Numbers falling

WEATHERforecast

Today: High: 68 Low 54

Wed: High: 60 Low: 51

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