NEW PARIS — The National Trail Board of Education finalized new hires for faculty vacancies as well as accepted a donation to purchase iPads for their first through fourth graders during a meeting on Tuesday, July 28.
During the meeting, the school board approved the hiring of a first and fourth grade teacher to a one year limited contract. They also hired two world language club advisors, a high school yearbook advisor, a reserve softball coach to one year supplemental contracts.
They also accepted the resignations of a fourth grade teacher and the reserve girls’ basketball coach.
In other lines of business, the board approved the donation in the amount of $157,912 for the purchase iPads along with their cases and carts. It will work out to one iPad per student in third and fourth grade and six iPads per classroom for the first and second graders. The donation is for the first installment. The entire program is over five years and will cost around $400,000.
The purpose of the purchase is to employ a program called eSpark, that will allow teachers to easily cater instructions and learning based on each student’s need and abilities.
More information on the program will be discussed at the August board meeting, according to Superintendent Jeff Parker.
National Trail also received language arts test scores from the OAA, and the school had a 94 percent pass rate. This was above both the state and district pass rates, which were at 79 and between 81 and 84 percent, respectively. The other results are not expected to be available until between December and January.
The east parking lot has also been sealed, the football scoreboard installed, and the press box roof replaced. These maintenance items were all covered by insurance. The school roof is also scheduled to be done on time, with skylight and detail work currently being done. The roof has come in at or below budget, currently sitting at $4,422 below bid price. After the project is finished, it is expected to at least break even.
The board also approved the following items: The adoption of eDays alternative make-up plan; the purchase of a service contract with Learning Edventures Company for up to 65 days; the approval of staff handbooks for elementary, middle, and high school; the discarding of Adventures and Delight textbooks; approval of entering an agreement with the Preble County Educational Service Center for the services of the Preble County Professional Development Consortium; and the agreement with NTEA for the next two school years.
Trail’s board will hold a closed meeting for the superintendent’s summative evaluation and their 2015-16 goals on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Aug. 25, and will begin immediately following the board’s executive session, slated to begin at 5 p.m.
