CCSC Board adopts 2027 budget, celebrates student standouts

The Cloverdale Community School Corporation (CCSC) Board of School Trustees met Sept. 14, navigating a full agenda covering critical financial votes, policy readings, and community recognitions.

A key focus of the evening was fiscal management, highlighted by the unanimous approval of the proposed 2027 budget, capital projects plan, and school bus replacement plan. Recommended by CCSC Superintendent Dr. Stacy Mason, the approval included authorizing the submittal of Form 4 to the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) to request advertised levies for debt service, pension bond, and operational funds.

The board also unanimously approved a series of routine financial and administrative items. These included the formal adoption of the evening's agenda, alongside minutes from the Aug. 10 executive and regular sessions and the Aug. 24 public budget hearing. Additionally, the board approved financial reports and payroll details presented by Dr. Mason, accepted the 2026-2028 Title IV grant, and authorized various community donations supporting schools and the football team.

Board members also advanced the first reading of board policy volumes (36 #2 and 38 #2), July 2025 updates, and a June 2026 artificial intelligence update. They also handled routine personnel items, including hiring a homebound instructor, setting Clover Café student worker compensation, and approving transfer-in students, professional leaves, field trips, and staff hires.

The meeting reserved significant time to spotlight local achievements across the district. Cloverdale Elementary School (CES) students Kason Parrish and Liam Bernard were honored as Students of the Month, as were Cloverdale Middle School (CMS) student Zoey Bond and Cloverdale High School (CHS) senior Ryan Walker, who was celebrated for academic growth and extracurricular success. CES teacher Chelsea Beatty was recognized as Staff of the Month for her dedicated service to the district. In addition, students Orion Monnett and John Freeman were recognized as the Cloverdale Police Department’s Citizens of the Month for their positive attitudes and community service.

Dr. Mason later shared several updates on district activities as the autumn semester picks up pace. She noted that iLearn checkpoint testing is currently underway across the district, and College Go Week was rapidly approaching. The high school's Emerald Command Marching Band was congratulated for capturing a first-place victory at Brownsburg, and community members were invited to attend the upcoming one-hour "Coffee and Conversation" event on Oct. 7 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the CHS Clover Café.

In addition, the board approved the following field trip requests: the Emerald Command Marching Band visiting Brownsburg High School on Sept. 12; eighth graders traveling to Ivy Tech in Terre Haute on Sept. 18; the marching band performing at Noblesville High School on Sept. 19; the marching band at Southport High School on Sept. 26; seventh graders visiting the Putnam County Fairgrounds on Sept. 27; FCCLA students visiting the Innovation Center in Indianapolis on Sept. 29; chemistry and physics students visiting IU Bloomington on Oct. 9; the high school band performing at the Martinsville Fall Foliage Festival on Oct. 11; preschool students visiting Beasley's Orchard on Oct. 19; and first graders visiting the Terre Haute Children's Museum on April 8, 2027.

Additional personnel matters receiving board approval included retirements, resignations, and new employment. Under retirement, the board accepted actions for staff members. Resignations included Todd Rightmyer as CMS football coach. Employment actions covered various long-term substitutes, teachers, instructional assistants, and cafeteria personnel, including Ken Schnepp as CHS Spanish teacher, Sally Bush at CMS Café, Sherry Flory as part-time CMS Cafe staff, Lori Halloran as CMS sixth grade teacher, and Andy Tyler as CMS athletic director substitute.

Further employment approvals included Beth Ann Williams as CMS teacher long-term substitute, Roy Bowers as CMS sixth grade teacher, Reagan Ladd as CES instructional assistant, Jenna Lanham as Knoy teacher, Brian Siddons as CMS athletic director long-term substitute, Dana Sawyer as CES instructional assistant, Jean Raney as CMS cafeteria part-time four-hour worker, Jesse Hornaday as CHS special education classroom instructional assistant, and Wanda Thompson as CMS cafeteria part-time four-hour worker.

Coaching volunteers were also approved by the board including Damon Slaton as CHS boys’ basketball volunteer assistant, along with girls’ basketball volunteer assistants Kristin Kukman, Kiersten Wade, Kassie Wade, Veronica Carter, Autumn Halloran, Anna Linton, Paige Glassburn, and Emily Mann.

The Cloverdale School Board, which includes Vivian Whitaker, Katrina Lewis, Donna Fidler, Melissa Carrell, Emily Haltom, Joe Mann, and Mike Rightmyer II, is scheduled to convene for its next regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Building.