The board approved the rainy day fund resolution, as presented. This resolution will allow using the 2013 rainy day funds for the lighting project and reimbursing the rainy day fund with 2014 capital projects money. The funding is available in the 2014 capital projects plan, but the project was moved forward one year to avoid a 5% to 10% increase in cost.

Under discussion items, contracts for the classified staff were reviewed and should be approved at the June 6 board meeting.

Superintendent Charles Mellon led a discussion on results of the legislative session that relate to public education. It was pointed out that the public should not be misled when they hear that public education received a 2% increase in the 2014 budget. This is not per corporation across the state. West Central is projected to receive 0.3% or roughly $16,000 more than last year. Mellon said a most disturbing action by the legislators was the $91 million loan forgiveness to charter schools that were not successful and had to close. This amount of money could have equaled a 1.5% increase in the budget for public school corporations throughout the state. The superintendent noted taxpayers will probably not hear much about this in the news.

The Affordable Health Care Act continues to be discussed as school officials await further guidance from the IRS and federal government in meeting the letter of the law.

Under action items, the board approved the following resignations, as presented, at the end of the current school year: . John Phillips, teacher and varsity baseball coach; Bryan Heimlich, varsity basketball coach; and Cheryl Boop, Cooperative School Services.

The board approve the employment of Doug Salyers as an eight-hour custodian at the elementary school for the 2013-14 school year, as presented.

Approval was given to the revised three-year technology plan, as presented.

The school board meeting dates for 2013-14 were approved, as presented.

The board approved the renewal of the student accident insurance plan with Student Assurance Services as presented for the 2013-14 school year.

The board voted to make no increase in the school breakfast and lunch prices for the 2013-14 school year.

Under report items, middle/high school principal Don Street reported West Central placed second in the annual Midwest Conference Math Contest. Special honors go to the Algebra 2 team of Ashton Barkho, Alan Kaeb, Thomas Putt, Mickayla Wenzel and Grace Whited for their second place finish. The Precalculus team also finished second, and those team members are Joey Cortez, Hunter Holliday, Rodney  Pelsy, Trevor Putt and Courtney Troxel. The Algebra 1 team of Bryan Bathke, Winston Leman, Cody Wireman, Cassie Wuethrich and Macy Young finished third. The Calculus team finished fourth and consisted of Sarah Becker, Spencer Holliday, Evan Kaeb, David Putt and Austin Trent. The members of the Geometry team were McKenzie Kopka, Vanessa Murray, Jerod Putt, Autumn Wireman and
Savannah Yerion.

West Central also had many top 10 individual awards. Evan Kaeb was the fourth-place award winner in Calculus. In Algebra 2 Alan Kaeb received the fifth-place award, Grace Whited received the eighth-place award and Mickayla Wenzel received the ninth-place award. In Pre-Calculus Courtney Troxel earned fifth-place and Trevor Putt earned seventh-place. Teachers Mrs. Harter, Mr. Heimlich, Mrs. Kruger, and Mrs. Reinhold were recognized for all of their work with the students.

West Central placed third overall in the Midwest Conference Writing Contest. As a team, they placed first in Junior Short Story, first in Senior Poetry, third in Junior Exposition, and third in The Senior Challenge Category.

Individually, West Central had two first-place winners: Mesha Masters in Senior Poetry and Savannah Yerion in Junior Short Story. Others who placed included Alan Kaeb, second in Junior Short Story; Vanessa Murray, fifth in Junior Short Story;  Alex Tauber, fourth in Junior Exposition; Alan Kaeb, sixth in Junior Exposition; Mckenzie Kopka, eighth in Junior Poetry; Austin Trent, seventh in Senior Exposition; Steven Sewell, ninth in Senior Exposition; Courtney Troxel, 10th in Senior Exposition; Joey Cortez, third in Senior Poetry; Mesha Masters and Cameron Owens, sixth in The Challenge Category; Courtney Troxel and Cali Fairchild, seventh in The Challenge Category; and Steven Sewell and Austin Parish, 10th in The Challenge Category. Teachers Mrs. Hierlmeier, Mrs. Jungels, Mrs. Saxon, and Mr. Wenzel were also recognized for all of their work.

It was announced that the following West Central Students received awards at the Pulaski County Celebrating the Arts exhibit: High School Painting: Sydney Cole, first; Tyler Nedza, second; Rebecca Semrau, honorable mention. High School Drawing: Mikalya Young, first; Jackie Frye, second and third. High School Sculpture: Cali Fairchild, first; Jackie Wettstein, second; and Alex Tauber, honorable mention. Their teacher is Mrs. Minkert.

The high school student council talent show is scheduled for Friday, May 3 at 1 p.m.

The Jasper County Drug Free Council will present a program to seniors at 10:50 a.m., Friday, May 10 . Prom is Saturday, May 11. National Honor Society induction will begin at 6 pm., Monday, May 13, and the Senior Awards program will start at 7 p.m.

Elementary principal Dan Zylstra reported that the students in grades 3-5 are currently taking the online ISTEP+ test. The Department of Education has extended the testing window to May 17 due to technical difficulties. Also, the elementary school will be completing its end-of-year benchmarking for grades K-5 shortly, which will give administrators and teachers a clear indication of how much students have grown this year.

The school’s art instructor, Lisa Zeyen, submitted artwork from elementary students in a county-wide art show and a few West Central students placed. The school also held an English Language Learner Awards Ceremony May 1 to celebrate the growth of our English Language Learners. Field Day will be May 15 for grades K-1, May 16 for grades 2-3, and May 17 for grades 4-5. The  Accelerated Reader Party will be Tuesday, May 21, and the elementary awards assembly will be Wednesday, May 22, the last day of school.

The elementary staff used its Thursday mornings this month to learn how to use some educational websites and software, review Common Core standards and their implications for teaching reading, completed some end-of-year work with student learning objectives, and reviewed our 2012-13 school improvement plan.

The board honored the school corporation’s “Students of the Month” as follows: Kane Keil at the elementary school, Bryan Bathke at the middle school level, and Mercedes Nine from the high school.