Randy MitchellThe Allen School Board Held Its Regular Monthly Meeting Monday And Addressed Many Issues During Administrative Reports. Administrative

The Allen School Board held its regular monthly meeting Monday and addressed many issues during administrative reports. Administrative

Administrative Reports

Administrative reports were delivered by Superintendent Jeff Hiatt and Athletic Director Chad Colbert. Colbert spoke first about football and the fact that the school system didn’t need to enact COVID-19 protocols.

“We’re just wrapping up football season and we didn’t have to deal with any COVID protocols or restrictions or anything like that,” he said.

Colbert indicated the absence of protocols had a positive impact on game attendance and concession stand revenue.

He also spoke about the upcoming basketball season.

“I’ve spoke to a few other athletic directors in our county, and as of right now, no one is saying anything about anyone having to wear masks, or any types of checks at the door,” Colbert said. “As of right now, I have not seen anything in writing for like a COVID protocol for attendance or anything like that, so, as of right now, I think we’re in the clear. But that may change next week because I think we’ve already been experiencing a few people out of school this past week with COVID.”

Colbert said he has a demo with a company concerning online athletic paperwork -- such as enrolling -- and that that may be the direction in which the school system goes.

He indicated the previous online system, Wen-GAGE, was not good.

The new company -- Rank One -- might be more user friendly, he said.

Colbert said he talked to the salesman for the new gym scoreboard, and the salesman believes the delivery of the new scoreboard will be delayed by two weeks. The original delivery estimate was early December.

“We’re going to try and follow up with him to see if the items they already have, we’re going to see if they can start sending those to us rather than waiting and getting everything all at once,” Colbert said. “We were hoping to get it by our first home game, but it’s probably going to be after the first of the year now. That’s kind of where we’re at now.”

Board Vice President Kelly Hurt questioned Colbert about the 2021 football season, asking about the win/loss record -- 2-8.

“I know it’s the first year, and we had to start somewhere, but have y’all kind of sat down, rehashed, kind of game-planned how you’re wanting to move forward next year, and things you’re want to work on yet?” Hurt asked.

“I plan on having evaluations and meetings with both football and our cheer coaches this week,” Colbert said.

Board President Jami Rinehart asked about concession fundraising.

Colbert said for fundraising, he is going to order some Allen apparel -- such as hats/caps -- and sell them out of the concession stands.

“I think that’d be great,” Rinehart said. Hurt agreed, “I do too,” he said.

Colbert said they would begin by selling hats, and, if that goes well, he will order more types of apparel.

Jeff Hiatt

Hiatt began by speaking about drug issues at the school, and drug testing.

“We’re not stupid, we know we got drugs up here,” Hiatt said.

Colbert said compared to this time last year, it’s a complete 180, as far as drug problems at the school are concerned.

“I think we’re doing a good thing,” Colbert said.

Hiatt said drug tests are random and the students know it could happen at any time and indicated that that is helping curb drug use.

“Our new police chief had mentioned that he’s going to start bringing the drug dog up here randomly,” Hiatt said. “We’re just trying to keep it (drugs) out of here.”

Colbert said the drug problem at the school is drastically different than what it was even last year.

“50% of what it was?” Hurt asked. “Way more than that,” Colbert responded.

Hiatt said they’re still having issues with vaping, however.

Hiatt also spoke about illness.

“We’ve been floating along fine,” Hiatt said. “This day a year ago is when we had to shut down for two weeks before Thanksgiving. Today, we’ve been cruising along, we had some positive cases last Friday, and then today we had four that the principal told me about in the junior high and high school, and then we had three in the elementary, so that’s seven active cases with the students.”

And, like the rest of the country, the school system is dealing with inflation.

“So inflation is still hitting us, everything is expensive,” Hiatt said. “Everything is high, which means we need to continue to be tight, and as frugal as we can.”

Hiatt said the south side of the new gym was recently paved, and the west side was due to be paved November 9.

“So our plan on that south side, we’re going to put some signs up and stripe it and paint it,” Hiatt said, “and that’s going to be our bus parking, not our parent parking.”

Hiatt said in the past two years, visiting players and coaches had to park behind the gym in the dark and cross a dark parking lot, and some of which didn’t feel it was safe.

Hiatt indicated another problem with people parking on the south side was when extended cab and double cab pickups would park on the south side, the vehicles would stick out into the street.

Hiatt said the west side will be striped and painted and have handicap accessible parking.

“But it’s going to clean up that corner, and make our gym look good,” Hiatt said, “It’s going to make the town look good. It’s going to keep that gravel dust from getting tracked (into the gymnasium).”

Hiatt mentioned that a group of FFA students recently made a trip to Indianapolis and competed in horticulture. He said 13 students attended the competition and placed in the silver group. All of the groups of students -- of which there were many -- placed either gold, silver or bronze.

“Of course you know my thing with these trips, the kids are going to remember these trips when they’re our age,” Hiatt said. “So it’s about what they did up there, the competition is great, but they get to go somewhere, a big town, far away from here, and spend time together. So that’s stuff you can’t put a price tag one. So it’s pretty cool.”

Hiatt said the school system’s Thanksgiving dinner will be on the Friday before Thanksgiving Break.

“That’s been kind of a mess, to be honest,” Hiatt said. “We were having a hard time getting food in, believe it or not. There’s a shortage of everything. We were able to get our turkey order early, I don’t know if we’ve actually got it yet, they’re telling us we got it, but I mean there was a couple of days where I actually considered canceling the Thanksgiving dinner. But I think it’s a neat deal where parents get to come up and eat with their kids, especially the elementary kids to spend that day.”

Consent Agenda

The board approved the consent agenda, which included the minutes of the October 11 Regular Meeting; the fiscal year 2021- 2022 Purchase Orders and Encumbrances: General Fund numbers 191 through 201 ($57,595.55); Child Nutrition Fund number 39 ($498); Building Bond Fund number 3 ($455,100); Treasurer’s report; Activity Fund report; Fundraisers (Concession); and the 2022 Calendar Year Board Meeting Dates and Payroll dates.