After the meeting, Edison said, “I’m really excited. I know there is a lot of work to do.”
Regarding the recent bomb threats at the school,  a parent of a LaVille student, Pam Urbanski handed Ort information she said she had gathered concerning how bomb threats should be handled. She said, “Recent bomb threats were not handled correctly.”
Several other parents voiced their opinions on how the threatening situations were handled also. Wayne Spaich asked, “When will parents be notified (of threat)? Why were we not notified; why did we not get a letter?”
Ort said, “We did find some errors in our procedures.”
Another parent also shared a concern. She said, “Parents should always be the first ones notified. We didn’t know there was anything going on until we saw the TV trucks, dogs and a SWAT team.”
Ort said, “That’s where we messed up the last time.”
Ort went on to explain that there are two different emergency numbers to be used. He said one of them goes to the police and fire department and the other number goes to the departments, but can be monitored by the media, as well.
LaVille Elementary Principal John Farthing told the board that the crisis plan will be revised this summer.  The board requested that Farthing and Jr.-Sr. High School Principal John Arnett work together to formulate a plan.
Urbanski asked if parents could be involved in the plan. The board agreed that a committee should be formed that could include parents; however, they did not designate committee members during the meeting.
Another main topic at the meeting was regarding the results of the culmination of the remonstrance petition drive concerning a $19.6 million building and renovation project were noted for the record. Ort said the certified petition results ended with 1,781 votes in favor of the building project and 1, 313 against.
George Moffett, who was active in gathering signatures against the project said, “You’re proposing to give a contract to Hebard & Hebard.” He then questioned what type of financial obligation the school corporation would be under if they entered into a contract.
Attorney Michael Derucki, representing the law firm that serves as the school’s legal counsel, briefly reviewed the stipulations that are in the contract. Derucki said, “We have had extensive negotiations with Hebard & Hebard and their counsel.”
Derucki indicated that the contract has provisions built into it.
Ken Hebard of the architectural firm said the scope of what his firm would be completing was presented at the 10-28 hearing. He said they would only be working on Phase I at this point. He explained that they had not received any payment for any of the work that they have done so far, although they have been meeting with the board for at least one time each week for the last year. The firm also held a number of public meetings on the project.
Hebard said Phase I, which is a schematic design phase, would cost 15 percent of the total contract amount or $156,000. Hebard enumerated a long list of necessary site planning steps and studies that would have to be done.
Brad Skillman of the Skillman Corporation clarified the need for the design. He said, “The next question the DLGF (Department of Local Government Financing) will be asking is if a schematic design been completed.” Skillman made it clear that without the design, the DLGF would not consider the project.
Skillman said, “There had to be a successful petition in favor of the project first.”
Ort said, “This is really no different than building a house.”
He then explained that a banker will need to see plans first and then could turn down a loan or finance the project.
It was also noted that the plans would be the property of the school corporation whether the project moves forward at this time or not.
Hebard said, “You owe us nothing at this point.” He said their fees would be based on a fixed basis. When asked by the board how many hours the firm had already used, Hebard said approximately 1,000 hours.
The board approved moving forward on a vote of 5-0.
Hebard & Hebard will have to have the majority of the plan completed before the board appears before the DLGF in July.
There will be some changes in the LaVille Jr.-Hr. School Student Handbook for the 2008-09 school year, according to Assistant Principal Chuck Phillips. Phillips said some of the changes concern the attendance policy. He said the handbook will now include excused, verified and unexcused absences. Verified excuses would be those reported by parents. He said the policy will allow seven absences per semester.
He said they hope to boost attendance as high as possible. “The goal is to have more accountability.”
Phillips said they are looking into a credit recovery program that would allow students to make up any credits that they lost.
The revised handbook will also contain language concerning dress codes. Phillips said they clarified some things like the “visibility of things that shouldn’t be visible.”
When asked by a board member about the wearing of flip-flops, Phillips said, “We don’t want to take the individuality of the students away. Flip-flops will be allowed.”
He was also asked to speak on the use of cell phones. Philips said the policy will state that cell phones have to be in a locked locker or in a locked car. Students will not be allowed phones in the classrooms. He said, “In today’s society, it would be hard to take all phones away.”