S-OCS to hire two new principals

The Spencer-Owen Community Schools Board of School Trustees met on May 14 for their first of two regular meetings.

Board president Derek Morgan, vice president Deana Stickels and members Mark Rogers, Chad Cooper, Rick Smeltzer, Lizz Bixler and Jack White were all present. Superintendent Andy Cline and attorney Christine Bartlett from Ferguson Law Office were also present.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Owen Valley High School (OVHS) students Sean Goss, Maui Tilo Da Silva Gomes and Victoria Simmerman. Cline gave each student a certificate and a chocolate chip cookie from Crumbl.

Rogers moved to approve the consent agenda, which included financial reports, claims, minutes from the April 9 regular meeting and executive session, principal reports and director reports. Cooper seconded the motion, which passed unanimously 7-0.

Chad Smith was then recognized with the You Make a Difference Award. Smith, who is a teacher at OVHS, was nominated by principal Robert Boltinghouse for his efforts in launching the school’s second student-run business, Colonial Cup.

The board also had a presentation from McCormick’s Creek Elementary School’s (MCES) High Ability Student Presentation.

Wendy Ward, a student at MCES, was also recognized for receiving the National Math Stars Award, which is given to students whose iLearn Math scores are within the top two percent for the state.

Under old business, the board considered a request to approve a policy revision to PO 7510 Community Use of School Facilities. White moved to approve the request, with Rogers seconding. The motion passed 7-0.

The board then considered two field trip requests together. The first was an overnight field trip for the MCES Student Council on May 15 to Hoosier Alley, Domino’s Pizza and an all-night stay at MCES. The second was for an international educational field trip for OVHS FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences) students to the Dominican Republic in June of 2028. Bixler moved to approve the field trip requests. White seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Next, the board considered three donations and approved them together. The first donation was for $1,000 from Jean Trull to the OV Backpack Buddies program. The second donation was for $5,000 from the Owen County Community Foundation (OCCF) and $4,101 from Owen County Wrestling Club Corp. for wrestling mats at Owen Valley Middle School (OVMS). The third and final donation was for $1,705.04 from OCCF for the payment of completion of the summer Emergency Medical Technician Course at Bloomington Ivy Tech for an OVHS student. Rogers moved to approve the donations, and Stickels seconded. The motion passed 7-0.

The board also approved requests for the following:

• Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Application for Jake Steinmetz;
• an agreement for Food Services Management 2026-2027;
• 2026 summer school staff;
• a title change from Grounds Keeper to Maintenance for position control #12719; and
• permission to pursue the Hoosier AI & Workforce Collaborative Grant Consortium.

The board also had a first reading (waiving the reading of the policies out loud) for the following policies for NEOLA Volume 38, Number 2:

• 0100 Definitions;
• 0151 Organizational Meeting;
• 1220 Employment of the Superintendent;
• 1662.01 Threatening and/or Intimidating Behavior Toward Staff Members;
• 3139 Staff Discipline;
• 3142 Cancellation of a Teaching Contract;
• 3362.01 Threatening and/or Intimidating Behavior Toward Staff Members;
• 3430 Leaves of Absence;
• 4150 Disciplinary Actions;
• 4362.01 Threatening and/or Intimidating Behavior Toward Staff Members;
• 5111 Determination of Legal Settlement and Eligibility for Enrollment of Students Without Legal Settlement in the Corporation; Proof of Indiana Residency;
• 5136 Personal Communication Devices;
• 5136.01 Personal Electronic Equipment Other Than Personal Communication Devices;
• 5310 Health Services;
• 5840 Criminal Organizations and Criminal Organization Activity;
• 7420 Hygienic Management;
• 7541 Electronic Data Processing Disaster Recovery Plan; and
• 8305 Information Security.

The board also approved the following personnel items together:

Resignations

Mike Robison, Patricksburg Elementary School (PES) principal.

Ellie Rising, Gosport Elementary School (GES) second-grade teacher, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Julie Orman, Spencer Elementary School (SES) fifth-grade teacher, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Robert Siscoe, OVHS 29-hour custodian.

Morgan Robbins, SES instructional assistant.

Marissa Strunk, OVMS severe/moderate instructional assistant.

Damon Adams, varsity assistant football coach.

Sarah Coleman, SES kindergarten teacher, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Sarah Fox, GES first-grade teacher, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Chana DeMoss, SES cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Hannah Marlett, SES cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Rebecca Reynolds, MCES cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Lillian Pruitt, MCES instructional assistant.

Taylor Jerrell, OVHS inclusion instructional assistant.

Aaron Siek, OVMS assistant football coach.

Dianna Hansen, OVHS cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Robert Hansen, OVHS cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Joshua Orman, OVHS cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Danny Sparks, OVHS cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Madesyn Bonds, MCES instructional assistant, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Christine Rice, MCES instructional assistant, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Fred Lingle, OVMS 29-hour custodian.

Noel Gillenwater, OVHS biology teacher.

Donna Walden, OVMS cook, at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.

Retirement

Wesley Galloway, MCES head custodian.

Leaves

Gabriella Corder, kindergarten teacher at GES, 15-day leave from Aug. 5 to 28.

Jennifer Zigler, guidance counselor for OVMS, from Aug. 22 to Oct. 9.

Roy Seibert, head custodian for PES, intermittent leave from April 16 to July 10.

Nicholas Julian, inclusion teacher for OVMS, FMLA from April 11 to May 17.

New hires

Casey Ulinski, second-grade teacher at MCES.

Samantha Etzler, sixth-grade teacher at MCES.

Cheyenne DeMoss, cook for SES.

John Garrison, OVHS MTSS instructor.

Savanna Robinson, OVMS digital tech teacher.

Stacey Wheeler, OVMS math Academic Super Bowl coach.

Terminations

Jeff Eaves, S-OCS grounds maintenance.

The motion was made by Cooper and seconded by White. It passed 7-0.

Bixler made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Smeltzer and passed unanimously.