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Carmichaels Area approves superintendent’s retirement

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CARMICHAELS – Carmichaels Area School Board officially accepted the retirement notice Thursday of Superintendent Craig Baily, who has served the district for 34 years, the last eight as superintendent.

Board members thanked Baily for his loyalty and dedication to the district and its students and applauded after the motion was approved.

Baily said he has “mixed emotions” about leaving the district. “This has been one of my major life goals: to make sure the children of our area are educated,” he said, following the meeting.

“I’ve had a very rewarding career at Carmichaels,” Baily said. “I’ve enjoyed every aspect of it.”

Baily started in the district as an elementary music teacher. He also served as an assistant band director and an elementary school principal. His retirement is effective June 27.

The board in August voted to realign the administrative staff in preparation for Baily’s retirement. One change was to appoint John Menhart, who was then the junior-senior high principal, acting assistant superintendent, apparently to position him to succeed Baily as superintendent.

In other business, the board discussed a timetable for awarding bids for the junior-senior high school renovation project.

The board scheduled a special meeting for 7 p.m. Jan. 30 when it will review the project budget and authorize the architect, Hayes Design Group, to solicit bids for the work.

The board also moved its regular February meeting to 7 p.m. Feb. 13, at which it will consider approving the submittal of its next required planning document to the state to receive state reimbursement for the renovation project.

Bids for the project are expected to be opened March 6 and contracts awarded by the board at a meeting March 25.

The district plans to begin renovations on the junior-senior high this spring. Work will first start with the construction of a new cafeteria, which will not involve displacing any classrooms.

At the end of this school year, the junior high portion of the building will be turned over to contractors to begin work. Next school year, while the junior high is under renovation, mobile classrooms will be used for classes that can’t be accommodated in the high school.

Baily reported preparations for the project are proceeding smoothly. Greene County Planning Commission is expected to approve the plan Feb. 3. Surrounding property owners will be notified by registered mail that the planning commission will be considering the project that day.

He also reported the district will not have to receive a mining permit for about 2,600 tons of coal that must be excavated from the area near the underpass where the new cafeteria will be built.

A power plant that burns waste coal near Seward has agreed to take the coal, which will save the district money. The other option was to truck the coal to a landfill, which Baily said, would be quite expensive.

Maintenance supervisor Dave Franks reported he has worked with the technology department to make sure computer equipment will be functional when the junior high is closed, priced small storage containers for furniture and cabinets and had a radon test completed in the junior-senior high. Radon levels were well below the required limits, he said.

Technology coordinator Mark Batis reported he is investigating an initiative under which students will use their own smartphones, tablets or laptop computers for school work during the school day.

Other districts have begun implementing this approach because of the cost of providing all students with individual computers.

Batis said he plans to conduct a survey using the district’s one-call system to call all students’ homes to learn how many students have smartphones, tablets or laptops. He said he also will develop a policy that will have to be approved before students begin using their own equipment in the school.

The board hired Kara Sullivan as a paraprofessional for kindergarten and first grade and appointed Mary Lisa Dohanich drama coach and Joanna Walker, drama coach funded by the boosters’ association.

It was announced the district will hold a winter make-up day Monday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

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