by Roy Taylor, Enterprise Correspondent

The Plainfield Board of Education unanimously approved funding requests for improvements at Central and Crystal Lawns Elementary Schools at its meeting Monday. Board member Joan Reed was absent.

Central School, described by the board as having the greatest need for physical improvement, was granted $35,000 for the summer projects. Crystal Lawns will receive $25,000.

Board Member Alan Litwiller said “This money will get the campuses off to a good start on improvements.” Board President Robert Smith added that at those two facilities, many more improvements will still be required in the future.

Requests for the summer improvements were made by members of the schools’ parent groups and principals at the Board of Education’s Building and Site Committee meeting June 12. The requests were then reviewed by the finance committee to determine what amounts were feasible to approve.

The $60,000 to be used for improvements at the two schools is money that has already been allocated, Smith said. The figure represents funding saved from previous construction projects, as well as interest earned from the construction fund over the last few months, he said.

Litwiller said the funding granted is in addition to any district staff labor costs. Volunteer participation will also be encouraged, he said.

Specific improvements to be completed with the funds will be decided upon by the building principals along with members of the parents groups, he added.

The Board of Education also has obtained “a ballpark figure” for the eventual complete renovation of Central and Crystal Lawns. The estimates are $2 million for Central and $1 million for Crystal Lawns.

In other action, the board approved a recommendation by the Transportation Committee to adjust the arrival and dismissal times of Plainfield High School and Indian Trail Junior High.

This recommendation was made in order to allow bus drivers more time in between junior/senior high routes and elementary school routes. During the past school year, elementary students often had to wait for late buses to arrive at their schools due to the lack of time between the runs, Transportation Committee Chairperson Doris Albright said.

New arrival and dismissal times are as follows: Plainfield High School 7:30 a.m., 2:20 p.m.; Indian Trail Junior High 7:45 a.m., 2:11 p.m.

The recommendation also stipulates that buses make no more than four stops in certain subdivisions, which should cut an additional five to six minutes off the trip times of the previous school year. Board Member JoAnne Schack added that the fewer drop-off points should not be an inconvenience to students because “kids in town have been walking farther for years.”

A third idea to give buses more time between the schools was eventually rejected. The original proposal, not recommended by the transportation committee, called for the extension of the elementary school day by 10 minutes. The change would have given the drivers more time, but would have cost the district an additional $10,000 over the course of the year for further elementary supervision during the day. The board turned down this option, with Schack adding “We are gaining 20 minutes, and if we can get by without spending an additional $10,000, let’s do it.”

Another significant issue agreed upon at the meeting was the retaining of Arbor Management to provide food service to Plainfield Schools. District 202 Director of Finance Steve Langert said the service provided by Arbor is “better procedurally as well as nutritionally” than the four other firms that bid for the service.

Langert also added that food warming equipment will be brought to the elementary schools for the first time this fall, and parents will be made aware of any changes as school begins.

Board Member Bess Eichelberger spoke up to clear the air on some rumors she had encountered in the past several weeks. According to Eichelberger, someone stated to several Plainfield School District residents that a developer planning to construct homes on Drauden Road had offered free land to the district, which was refused by the board. “This is most certainly not the case,” Eichelberger said, with Litwiller adding “I can’t remember a single time when the board has turned down free land.”

Superintendent Dr. Dave Stanfield said the land had been offered for sale to the district, but the cost was too high.

Eichelberger also said she has encountered residents of District 202 who are afraid their neighborhoods will be de-annexed from the Plainfield School District, and their children forced to attend schools in other districts. According to the board, this also is untrue. Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Dr. James Waldorf said it would be “almost impossible” to change school district boundaries.

In other business the board:

Approved a five-year contract with Xerox Corporation to upgrade copiers at all district buildings;

Approved a lease agreement with D’Arcy Oldsmobile for two new driver’s education cars every 90 days or 3,000 miles for $250 per month.

The board met in closed session to discuss site acquisition, personnel, litigation, and collective negotiations. The board returned to open session and approved: -Hiring 14 teachers for positions throughout the district;
-Hiring Shandra Nelson as Central School Secretary;
-Appointment of John Cepela to Assistant Principal at Indian Trail Junior High School;
-Resignations of Christina Torres, Central elementary teacher, and Jennifer Foster, Plainfield High School math teacher;
-The 5+5 program retirement of Edward Jones, District Fine Arts Department Faculty member; and
-A four percent salary increase for confidential secretaries and support staff at the district office.