Harrisburg school system's Central Office closing due to environmental problems

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Harrisburg School Board is closing the Central Office due to environmental problems.

What began as an unpleasant smell in late spring has escalated to the point board members decided to move staff out of the building as fast as possible. The move will begin immediately and will probably take about three weeks. Staff will be dispersed throughout the district for the time being.

The smell is a combination of fecal matter and heavy petroleum, Superintendent Dennis Smith told board members at the October meeting. Core samples indicate the heavy petroleum is beneath the technology office, where the smell was first noticed in the spring. Heavy petroleum could include benzene, a known cancer-causing agent, which alarmed the district's insurance provider, Smith said.

The only logical reason for the petroleum and fecal matter to make its way to the surface now is the record rainfall and earthquake the county experienced last spring pushed the contaminants to the surface, Smith said.

The school district's architect, Ed Kerkhover, found a black substance coming through the walls in the basement. The architect cut away some and had it analyzed. It was determined to be creosote, Smith said. When Kerkhover took it to a lab, the lab technician wouldn't touch it and said Kerkhover shouldn't be handling it without protection, Smith said.

Six people who have worked in the building have had cancer and three have had lung diseases in the last 20 years, Smith said in a letter to state Sen. Gary Forby and state Rep. Brandon Phelps explaining the situation.

"Nobody is saying there is a connection, but it's enough to make you stop and think," Smith said last night.

The letter to Forby and Phelps asked for any help the two lawmakers can render in finding money for closing down the building and reaching a permanent solution for where to put the people who work there.

More exact core examples are expected on Nov. 24, but district officials and insurance providers decided there is enough evidence of a problem to act now. On Monday, Indiana Insurance told Smith the company is ready to open a claim and recommended getting out of the building. The school district's risk manager, Bill Ghent, concurs, Smith said. Smith met with Central Office staff Tuesday and they told Smith they were willing to stay in the building through Christmas break, when moving could begin. Board members decided not to wait that long.

"I wanted to shut the doors today," board President Todd Fort said.

The insurance claim will cover at least some of the costs of moving, but the sudden closure of the building will be expensive. Smith estimates it will cost $80,000 just to move the district's technology hub to East Side -- the logical place for such a move due to its central location and its closeness to the Central Office. But that cost can be delayed -- the equipment doesn't care about the air quality at the building, Smith said.

Board members decided to move people out of the building first and figure out a permanent solution to housing them later. The staff, which includes secretaries, technology coordinator Cindy Black, special education coordinator and others, will be moved to the high school. The sudden move, however, will crowd the available office space at HHS. Smith's next concern after getting people moved is finding space for them in the short term.

In the long term, the district has a few options for relocating the offices. The best case scenario is building a new building, probably at the middle school, Smith said. The next best possibility is a portable building at HHS, which is what most preliminary talk centered upon. Third, the district could absorb the staff permanently throughout the four existing buildings.

Building a new building will almost certainly require a referendum, unless the new construction is an annex to an existing building.

"We can't just haul off and build a building. The community has to support it," Smith said.

A portable building at the high school would most likely sit next to Building A. If a portable building ends up being the solution, Smith hopes to make sure the building doesn't look junky sitting next to a good school building, which met with the approval of the board and the audience.

Administrative shuffle

In a surprise move, the board named Karen Crank HHS principal and reassigned Smith back to exclusive duties as superintendent.

Smith stepped into the dual role of superintendent and HHS principal in May when former HHS Principal Jim Butler was reassigned to HMS and Crank was named assistant to the superintendent.

The move will be effective Dec. 1.

"I can't get it all done," Smith said.

"And now we have this thing with the Central Office.

"The two jobs are too much for me."

Smith will remain at HHS where he will be available to help Crank make the transition.

Smith expressed a desire early on in his tenure to be in a building with students rather than isolated at an office and still has that desire, he said.

No formal vote was taken, but the board plans to ratify the move at the December regular meeting.

HHS Foundation

Todd Bittle spoke with the board about setting up an HHS Foundation to raise funds and support district academics and athletics. Several alumni have agreed to be on the foundation's board, including Bittle, Julie Beal, state Rep. John Bradley, Max Daves, Karim Hanafy, Amit Mehta, Uday Mehta and Kris Tuttle, most of whom graduated in the 1980s.

The foundation can raise funds in ways that car washes and bake sales cannot, Bittle said, by reaching out to alumni who have moved away but would still contribute money to support the district. The foundation would allow people to earmark funds for specific purposes, like drama or the volleyball program. The foundation board could also reserve the right to use funds at HMS or one of the elementary schools, Bittle said.

Bittle asked the board for its blessing and for permission to add two district employees to the foundation board so the members would have a better idea about the district's needs.

"One name that has been bandied about is Jay Thompson (HHS athletic director)," Bittle said.

Bittle said the superintendent or principal would be a good second board member. Bittle emphasized he doesn't want the foundation board solely concentrating on athletics.

Judy Cape raised several concerns about the foundation's operations.

"I am afraid a foundation would work like a United Way does -- people will give to the foundation and not to clubs or organizations," Cape said.

Cape also said businesses may make one big donation to the foundation and then say "no" when other organizations come calling.

Bittle said people can earmark their donations and that small businesses may get tired of constant solicitation and actually prefer a foundation.

"The only reason I am involved in this is I want to help," Bittle said.

Cape wanted to wait and see the foundation's by-laws before taking action. She also pushed for more school involvement in disbursing the foundation's money. She also said there is probably a legal reason the foundation wants two district employees on the board.

"Can we not wait a month on this and see if we get feedback on this," Cape said.

Fort said the issue comes down to trusting the foundation and its intentions.

"I think it goes down to the trust issue. I don't see a name on this list that I do not trust," Fort said.

Fort, Debbie Nave, Laura Fleming, Brent Stanley and Tom DeNeal voted in favor of sanctioning the foundation and allowing use of the Harrisburg school system's name. Cape voted no. Scott Berry wasn't present for the meeting.

Driver's licenses

The board agreed to allow driver's education teachers to have an overload class in order to make sure several students are able to get a license when they turn 16.

A change in the law requires 15-year-olds to have a learner's permit for nine months before getting a driver's license instead of three months. This spring, 40 students will not be able to have a learner's permit for the full nine months. A one-time catch-up by the district should fix the problem.

Driver's license fees paid by the extra students -- about $2,000 -- should help pay for the overload classes. Teachers receive more money when they teach more classes than normal.

Audit

The school's annual independent audit went very well. Matt Businaro, the school auditor, only had two audit findings, which he said is remarkable at a time when accounting standards are tightening.

It got to the point in the audit when Businaro "was looking to pick" at the district's books, he said.

"Your internal control is really good," Businaro said.

One of the findings is nobody reviews payroll to make sure nobody is overpaid or underpaid. There have been no problem, but a person outside the payroll system needs to make spot checks from time to time, Businaro said.

Another small problem that didn't rise to the level of an audit finding was a $164 property tax bill paid by the district. The bill was for a piece of property near the high school that was donated. Someone forgot to take it off the tax rolls after the donation.

A few years ago, there were eight parcels of land being taxed, then four, so finding and eliminating the last bit of taxed property is a positive development, Smith said.

Closed session

After a lengthy closed session, the board made a couple of employment moves. In addition to changing Crank and Smith's responsibilities, Benjie Willsey was named assistant cheerleading sponsor for high school basketball.

Tarah Evans resigned as head volleyball coach at HMS and Jay Thompson resigned as assistant HHS girls basketball coach.

Several agenda items slated for closed session were tabled, including hiring a reading specialist under Title I funds for East Side; employment of a noon coordinator at HHS, a volleyball coach at HMS, an HHS girls basketball coach, and a vocal music teacher at East Side.

No action was announced after the closed session of several other items slated for possible discussion, including grievances with the Harrisburg Education Association, two families attending Harrisburg schools who might not be residents and a memorandum of understanding with the HEA involving an "involuntary transfer vacancy posting."

The board will hold a special meeting 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24 to discuss a school disciplinary matter, Fort said at the conclusion of the meeting.