Action: Noblesville High School course additions
What it means: An effort to provide more opportunities for NHS students to take AP courses and tests. Classes include AP Spanish language, AP Spanish literature and culture, AP French language and culture, AP German language and culture, AP macroeconomics, biomedical innovations (Project Lead the Way), engineering design and development (PLTW), advanced manufacturing I, merchandising and Spanish for heritage speakers. Executive Director of Learning Annetta Petty said the two PLTW courses are capstone courses that complete four-year sequences in pre-engineering and pre-biomedical studies. Advanced manufacturing I continues the program in manufacturing and logistics and merchandising and is a companion course to the marketing and entrepreneurship class.
What’s next: The 10 new AP courses will be available for students in 2014-2015.
Action: Construction update
What it means: Jerry Rolfson of Performance Services, Inc. said the past month has been spent on intermediate design meetings. “We’re getting very close to having everything 100 percent finalized,” he said. Construction trailers were brought to the NHS Main Campus on Sept. 16 and construction fencing was setup on Aug. 18. On Sept. 19 the temporary main entrance by the gymnasium went into effect. Work at the NHS Freshman Campus still has a few hurdles before it can begin prep work like the main campus.
What’s next: Rolfson said it will be approximately two more weeks before “any real work on sites begins.”
Action: Teacher contract for 2013-2014 school year
What it means: Supt. Libbie Conner said effective and highly effective rated teachers will receive $500 on their base salary – equivalent to a 1 percent raise. In addition to $250 stipends for exemplary attendance and accumulating professional growth points, Conner said the district has $1.3 million in grant money from the state to pay its high performing teachers. Conner said there was no raise in health insurance costs.
What’s next: The teacher’s union ratified the proposal on Sept. 12 prior to the school board meeting. It was finalized with the board’s approval.
Action: Balanced calendar for 2014-2015 school year
What it means: Next school year’s calendar has one major change from this year – school will be closed on President’s Day (Feb. 16). Assistant Supt. Steve Stephanoff said it was a long stretch from winter break to spring break and the traditional day off was reinstated. Next year’s two-week breaks are: Oct. 13 through 24, fall; Dec. 22 through Jan. 5, winter; and March 30 through April 10, spring.
What’s next: The first day of school is Aug. 4 and the 2014-2015 school year ends on June 3.
Action: Farm leases
What it means: Noblesville Schools is looking to standardize its farm land leases and terms. The district owns four properties of tillable land of eight, 24, 25 and 75 acres.
What’s next: Officials plan to collect bids and bring them back to the school board at the October meeting.
Action: Course name changes
What it means: In order to comply with the DOE’s approved course titles, two NHS business dept. course titles must be changed. Accounting II: financial services will simply be financial services and advanced business. College credit business 101 will be principals of business management.