Southeast School Board: Begle, Johnson and Schipp to retire at end of the school year

by Lisa W. Hoppenjans Ferdinand News

Between the three of them, they claim 115 years of experience in education.

At their meeting last night (Tuesday, February 5), the Southeast Dubois County School Corporation Board of Trustees reluctantly accepted the resignations of veteran educators Jeff Johnson (industrial arts and Project Lead the Way teacher at Forest Park – 36 years); George Schipp (elementary teacher and academic coach at Cedar Crest – 38 years; and Lee Begle, Ferdinand Elementary principal and corporation food service director – 41 years).

February is traditionally the month retirements are announced. Retirees must submit their letters of intention by January 1. Board members want plenty of time to seek replacements.

Those replacements will have some big shoes to fill.

Board members also:

• Approved $56,649.98 in claims and $5,607.60 in purchase requests.

• Formally accepted the resignations of Nate Hawkins as head boys basketball coach at Forest Park and Rachel Barnes as Junior High cheerleading coach.

• Formally appointed Jeff Litherland as interim head boys basketball coach, Phil Winkler as interim JV boys basketball coach, Aaron Sickbert as volunteer assistant boys basketball coach and Alicia Bullington as temporary instructional assistant at Pine Ridge Elementary.

• Accepted $100 from an anonymous donor for Ferdinand Elementary.

• Will allow Forest Park Basketball Club to use the Cedar Crest gym and all gyms at Forest Park for the AAU tournament February 22-24 and March 2-3; Forest Park Post Prom Committee to use the high school on April 20 and 21; and Schnellville Celebration Committee to use Pine Ridge Elementary the first Wednesday of each month for a committee meeting to write the town’s history.

• Approved field trips and professional leaves.

• Recognized Spelling Bee champs Elaine Schroeder from Cedar Crest and Skyla McKim from Forest Park Junior High, as well as junior high runner-up Danielle Wilmes.

• Made transfers to the Capital Project Fund to make up for Department of Local Government Finance budget cuts.

• Will purchase a copier for the Central Office from Hoosier Business Machines for $5,575. All transcripts from 1968 are stored at the Central Office, Superintendent Rick Allen said, and the copier will allow them to scan and store them electronically.

• Will have Astro Security of Schnellville install a security door at Forest Park for $4,000. The door will require all visitors to be “buzzed in” by office personnel.