TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: CCS honors Kumpf for service

School Board member Kevin Kumpf (left) received a plaque from Board President Tom Reberger in appreciation for his service to the board, the school corporation and the community during the December meeting.

Ivy Jacobs photo

As 2021 approaches, School Board President Tom Reberger presented a plaque to outgoing board member Kevin Kumpf for his service as a member of the Clay Community School Board of Trustees, but it was for much more.

“I’ve enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to serve on the school board for CCS and to serve the people of Clay County,” said Kumpf, who congratulated the newest employees of the corporation by saying, “You’re going to love it (…working for the schools). I’ve always said we have more than our fair share of good people working at CCSC. Good luck, and thank you.”

Reberger said Kumpf’s impact on local education has been going on for years, and it will continue in the future.

Kumpf began his career as an educator at Staunton, then moved to Van Buren.

“Not only did he teach there, but he coached there and was an athletic director,” said Reberger. “And every time they had an opening in another department, they seemed to find out he had a license and could teach them too.”

Reberger remembers going to Indianapolis with Kumpf when he became board president.

“He wanted to know what was going on and what he could do to do the best possible job he could,” said Reberger. “He led us as president during the building project, and we know how that ended up under his leadership.”

As a parent and a board member, Reberger said Kumpf was an active band and sports booster.

“He was there. Kevin Kumpf was a true advocate for Clay Community Schools,” said Reberger. “Whether you were a student, a parent, a staff member, he was and will continue to be your advocate.”

In other business…

• Director of Business Affairs Mark Shayotovich’s request to solicit proposals from local banks to service the corporation’s operating checking account was approved.

• Due to Fifth Third Bank’s recent closing of their local branch, the board approved state law requirements that the corporation’s operating funds be deposited and serviced by a bank that operates a branch within the county.

• The board approved Bethany Jones to fill the position of North Clay Middle School assistant principal. Jones’s first day in the position will be in January, when students return to class.

• Director of Technology Bill Milner told the board that elementary Chromebooks’ delivery has arrived and would passed out before students leave for the holiday break. Milner said the T-Mobile Project 10,000,000 program, which enables students internet accessibility at no cost, has allowed for the purchase of 402 free 100 GIG hotspots. Milner said 200 are ordered to start with, and once dispersed, there will be 202 orders available for families who don’t have access or can’t afford the internet.

COVID-19 ROADMAP UPDATE

Superintendent Jeffrey Fritz confirmed COVID-19 continues to be a moving target, but the corporation and the teachers are glad to be back in the classrooms after the two-week closure on Nov. 12.

“It was probably a good call because, during that time, we had an influx of staff members who either tested positive or through contract tracing had to quarantine,” said Fritz, who admitted it would have created staffing problems at the schools. “When we reopened the building on Dec. 7, so far so good. Things have been going pretty well. Our goal all along is to keep students in the classrooms and keep our doors open. But safety is our number one issue.”

The fluidity of the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 is ever-changing, but Fritz said the corporation and the Clay County Health Department are working to ensure everyone’s safety.

“A lot of people are working on this, and overall I think it’s working pretty well,” said Fritz.

Reberger also wanted to commend the families dealing with eLearning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“eLearning is not fun for parents. It’s not easy whether you’re the parent of a first-grader or a senior in high school. There’s a lot of stress, a lot of tension, and our community is dealing with it at least as well as any other community,” said Reberger. “Things are not the same. It’s different. This is the first year in a long time that we haven’t had the Northview Christmas spectacular. We haven’t had any basketball games yet to speak of this year. Everything is different. But we will get through it, and I want to commend our community for doing that. We’re tough.”