A longtime administrator with the Hillsboro City Schools had her contract non-renewed by a unanimous vote following a lengthy executive session Wednesday during a board of education meeting.
Kathy Hoop most recently served as principal of the school district’s alternative school and over the years had served in several other principal positions within the district.
Superintendent Jim Smith said Hoop was at the end of a three-contract and that her position had been eliminated. He said Hoop had been with the school district for 21 years.
Smith, who made the recommendation to the board to not renew Hoop’s administrative contract, said he could not go into the reasons why, but said it was primarily because her position was discontinued.
Shortly into a long agenda for meeting, the board entered into an executive session that lasted nearly two hours. Later in the meeting board member Doug Ernst made a motion to approve Smith’s recommendation. That move was seconded by board member Larry Lyons. The board then voted 5-0 to approve Smith’s recommendation on Hoop’s contract.
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously approved the following administrative contracts: Kim Beam, middle school principal, two years; Michelle Beumer, curriculum, three years; Dave Dietrick, athletic director, one year; Kyle Haines, high school assistant principal, two years; Mendy Hamilton, special education director, three years; James Rhoades, intermediate principal, two years; Susan Rhoads, special education supervisor, one year; Alicia Sellins, curriculum, three years; Joe Turner, high school principal, two years.
Earlier this year the board hired former high school assistant principal Tim Davis as its new superintendent. He will take over that position after Smith retires on July 31.
In other news, the board approved a recommendation to revise the middle school principal’s contract from 250 days to 230 days.
The board also approved an adjustment to the 2017-18 school calendar. Smith said school next year will now start one day later on Tuesday, Aug. 15. The same vote also eliminated the one-hour early dismissal for students the school had observed the last few years on Wednesdays due to teacher meetings. Smith said he felt the meetings could be incorporated into the regular work day and that the change should make things more uniform for students’ parents.
During his superintendent’s report, Smith said the fence surrounding the tennis courts is down and that Cox Paving has been at the site. The school plans to repair the four current tennis courts and add two new courts. The board also approved a purchase for lights at the tennis courts at a cost of $68,000. Smith that figure is just for the hardware for the lights, and does not include the paving work or wiring, etc. for the lights.
The board also approved three technology project purchases: a replacement purchase of 300 Dell laptops computers at a cost of $499 each including a four-year warranty that covers dropping them, the purchase of 125 Dell Workstations for Core computer labs at a cost of $439 per tower, and the replacement of two routers at the elementary school at a cost of $60,982, with a $42,000 reimbursement.
Smith said the laptops are for the teachers, who are currently using computers that are five to six years old with many of them not functioning properly.
The board also approved a long list of other contracts including the following supplementals: Nancy Coulter, National Honor Society; Jenna (Jeff) Horick, musical; Joni Layne, senior class adviser; Melanie Pitzer, freshman, sophomore and junior class adviser, student council and yearbook adviser; David White, musical; Kayla Wilson, drama (fall play); Nathan Boatman, boys varsity golf; Zach Cowan, middle school football; TJ Crowder, middle school football; Nichole Dickey, varsity volleyball; Michael Eakins, middle school volleyball; Chad Fields, assistant football; Samantha Gallimore, middle school volleyball; Brad Haithcock, assistant football; Tayler Hauke, middle school assistant cheerleading for football and basketball; John Hern, assistant tennis; David Hilliard, varsity girls golf; Jenna Horick, high school assistant cheerleading for football and basketball; Nathan Horne, assistant football; Kirsten Juillerat, assistant volleyball; Bruce Miles, varsity basketball and open gym coordinator (boys); Ben Miller, assistant football; Glenn Moberly, varsity girls basketball and open gym coordinator (girls); Katie Moberly, assistant girls soccer; Jack O’Rourke, varsity football; Ben Pence, middle school football; Jeremy Ratcliff, varsity girls soccer; Nathan Rutledge, middle school football; Adam Schelling, assistant boys soccer; Dan Snapp, assistant boys soccer; Larue Turner, varsity girls tennis; John Weber, varsity boys soccer; Sarah Weisner, Quick Recall adviser; Alyssa West, assistant girls soccer; Shannon Yochum, high school varsity cheerleading, football and basketball.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.
