Superintendent Charles Mellon said after the meeting that school staff have already made some changes to conslidate tasks and avoid duplication among the support staff in the middle and high school offices, and further changes will be studied. He added that the school is looking to return to the traditional seven-period school day which should also ease logistics.

Mellon also noted that financial projections indicate the school stands to lose another $350,000 to its budget next year, due to cuts in state funding, discontinued grants and continued declines in enrollment.

In other business, the board approved a resolution allowing $203,000 from the Capital Projects Fund to be moved to the Rainy Day Fund to compensate for the unforeseen utility rate increase to begin in 2012.

Discussion took place concerning the new utility rate increase and how that will affect the school corporation, and especially the wind turbine project. It appears “Net Metering” will be the better process compared to “Feed-in Tariff” that was in the original plan. Net-Metering will allow the school corporation to use the energy it produces and to "bank" any extra energy for future use, instead of selling it.

The utility increases are mainly electrical, Mellon explained. The school uses about $250,000 in electricity during the school year. The state allows the fund transfer, as approved by the school board, which will ease the school corporation's ability to pay the higher utility bills.

"The good news," Mellon said later, "is that the structure (for the school's new wind turbine energy system) should go up next week." The project has experienced several construction delays.

Also under discussion items, principal Don Street announced that the West Central Schools Educational Foundation will host the annual chicken and pork dinner on Jan.  27, prior to the basketball game with Winamac. Dinner will be served from 5 to 7 p.m.

It was also reported that Street and the high school staff are organizing a “Parent as a Partner” program. The program is designed to allow time for discussion between parents and school staff concerning school issues.

Superintendent Charles Mellon presented figures showing the amounts of the final 2011 tax collection from each county.

An update was given on the wireless internet connection at the schools.

The board was informed that the 2012 budget will not be available from the Department of Local Government Finance until after Feb. 1.