Bobbie Washburn Ruhnow Correspondent
After receiving 30 applications, and conducting intensive interviews, Brad Schuldt, CCHS superintendent, recommended hiring Kelly Pulliam as Culver’s Middle School principal.Pulliam will be replacing George Irvin who will be retiring at the end of the 2008 school year.
Pulliam, who resides in Caston, Ind., began her career as a special needs teacher in Porter County, Ind. in 1982 after graduating from Indiana State University in Terre Haute. She continued in the special education area until accepting a position as principal with Vantage Pointe Learning Center and Logansport Juvenile in Logansport, Ind in 2004. A Juvenile Justice system, curriculum development programs are for the sixth through 12th grades.

In 2006, Pulliam accepted the position of principal at the Council Oak Jr. Sr. High School/Camp Summit in South Bend and LaPorte. Her duties at this Juvenile Justice school include monitoring special education, monitor for the South Bend Juvenile Education Department, and developing the curriculum for the sixth through twelfth grades. Pulliam noted the requirements of the program include meeting all Indiana DOE requirements.
In other business, the board approved Summer School Remediation dates of July 21 to August 1. Albert Hanselman, high school principal, said he would be inviting 60 students from the Freshman through Junior year to participate, but anticipated fewer would attend. SS Remediation courses are not mandatory.
The board approved handbooks for the Middle School and High School with relatively few changes and also approved the summer school athletic program. Chris Kline, board member, said there were a few patron concerns about the number of weekly programs and the cost of gas for parents who need to transport their children to the activities. Board member, Ed Behnke, suggested carpooling might be an option.
Middle School textbooks were approved for Language Arts. Irvin thanked the patrons who served on the textbook committee. He noted only books from an approved list from the Indiana DOE could be considered without an approved waiver. Textbooks on Speech and Journalism could be selected from any publisher.
Schuldt gave the board a graph reflecting the increase in diesel fuel for buses from 2005 to the present. In 2005, fuel was a $1.50 a gallon and the price has doubled to 2008 to $3.00. To further illustrate his concern, he told the board that in 2005, the overall cost of fuel was $80,000; to date in 2008, the cost of diesel fuel is $140,000. Natural gas prices are approximately 15 cents lower than the NIPSCO rate, Schuldt reported. Thanks to treasurer, Tom Bendy’s, efforts in joining the natural gas consortium, a substantial savings has been realized.
In answer to Chris Kline’s question about the old administration building, Schuldt said that despite several calls to the Boys & Girls Club president, no decision has been made. There is another non-profit group interested, Schuldt relayed to the board. A representative from Bowen Center has contacted him about the facility. Board members agreed a final answer from Boys & Girls Club should be made by the next board meeting.
A final decision on renovation of the Elementary School gym will be made after presentations by two firms interested in the project. The former employee of OMS who made the original presentations and costs, has joined another firm. Cost analysis and plans will be considered and presentations made at the next several board meetings.
Board members congratulated Irvin on his fine record of instituting the Middle School concept at Culver and wished him well on his retirement. Along with noting his fine singing voice by George Wentzel, Marilyn Swanson jokingly told him he would “be far busier in retirement than you are now, and just think, you can actually run for a school board position at Triton.”